Vintage cars, restomods and how to execute correctly (and poorly) THANKS BOOMERS

Jon01 · Sep 12, 2020

Jesse James is a prick but he is generally on point and damn can he fabricate.

Old stuff is great, you can't beat the styling and character that was given to them.
Yeah, they can suck to drive compared to a newer car but that's part of the charm.
Some suspension and brake updates make a huge difference. Or leave them alone and marvel at how far cars have come - going from true machines to appliances in 100 years.

Lol @ people comparing these:

b4black · Sep 14, 2020

In the 60s, if they missed a little with the design, they had an opportunity to better it the next year. The 1967 Camaro as good, the '68 better and then the '69 came out.

Now when they F up a design, we're stuck with it for a "generation". i.e. the latest incarnation of the Camaro.

Lead Pipe · Sep 14, 2020

Old cars are cool to look at sometimes but you can go to 3-4 cruise nights and see the same car over and over. Restomods are also nice for for the price of buying a 60-70's car, restoring it and upgrading the drive train and suspension you can get a modern car cheaper that is more comfortable, reliable and has all the modern amenities. Fuck my C5 feels like a classic because i have to manually turn on the headlights and I drive around with my CD case from high school. It's fun for maybe and hour then I miss bluetooth and hands free phone calls.

I'd love to have a steel bumpered C3 with an LS3 or LT1, TR6060 and a full coil over suspension. But in all reality, if I'm spending my own money, I'm just buying a C6 GS or C7.

Thirdgen89GTA · Sep 14, 2020

Bru said:
I don’t recall where I read/heard this, but in the 80s they were a 1G handling car (Crazy) and so firm that they had to dial it back.

That comment about the suspension is about the 1984 Z51 Vette. I have seen it quoted several times, but not with the 1G lateral grip bit.

That said, even the heavier Thirdgen F-bodies will hit 1G without issue. Back in the day it required only slight lowering, a more aggressive alignment, and a set of sticky tires for the 80's. High Performance Pontiac had an article.

Bub · Sep 14, 2020

Millennial restomoders be like: fuckers mint!

dun4791 · Sep 14, 2020

jason05gt said:
Depends on the build. My buddy and his dad just finished a 69 Vette that should meet or exceed modern Vettes. I bet with them driving, there would be very few stock C8, ZR1 and Z06 owners that would be able to pass them on a road course.

Cool

v6buicks · Sep 15, 2020

I feel like a Grade-A boomer when I'm cruising in the GN. I spent more money than I care to share for that car, and the previous owner did some costly modifications with poor execution.

For instance, it's sporting sticky mickies despite never making it to the drag strip. The worst part is cruising around in this car with the AC on and minding my own business. You'll actually feel quite comfortable when all of a sudden then that shift kit and STUPID stall converter chirps the tires and damn near curls your neck around the head rest all while you're just trying to creep up to the speed of traffic.

None of this stuff would bother me if the car was actually fast, but it's not.

I guess the difference is that I plan to fix/reverse a lot of that stuff rather than feel cool about the money that was thrown into slowing the car down.

Mr_Roboto · Oct 15, 2020

I just wanted to point out that virtually anything "pro stock" should fit into this category probably.

strtcar · Oct 15, 2020

The older cars will typically hold value better, there is something to be said about jumping into a new mustang, slap a blower on it and run 9's, I just love and always have loved the classics. There are a lot of overpriced "restomods" out there that aren't worth the price. To me a true restomod that even competes with a brand new mustang/camaro, etc.. is probably double the price of a new car. This is the 4th time I've rebuilt my mustang in 20years, I love to do it, but this is the last time, I will be buried in this (or sell it). This time around I wanted EFI, I wanted a modern engine/trans, etc... It has EPAS, bluetooth stereo, still has shitty manual breaks that's the only thing I'm not happy with.