[ROVERNET - UK] "Restoring" Rovers, Market Value, et cetera

Aidrian Bridgeman-Sutton smokeandsteam at san.rr.com
Fri Jul 28 03:20:38 BST 2006


>>Not only that, but cars that have been "restored" to this degree turn =
my=20
stomach. The car may have all of the right bits bolted together, and it=20
might even have similar carpet, but it is in no way ORIGINAL. It was not =

assembled by Rover craftsmen using the materials and techniques used by=20
the Rover Company. It does NOT represent the typical condition or=20
quality of the car when it left the factory in Solihull. <<

I agree, though not to the point of an upset digestive system.=20

Perhaps my having worked for a summer or three in a museum workshop has
conditioned my thinking, but to my mind the restoration process should =
be to
conserve as much as possible of the original using, as far as possible,
materials and techniques which would have been used by the builder. In =
this
sort of restoration you save everything original that you can even if it =
is
not in perfect condition. Consumables and repairable parts can be =
replaced
or reconditioned as required - basically anything that a workshop might =
have
done to keep a car on the road and looking presentable is fair game.=20

The intended use will naturally make a difference to what gets saved and
what gets replaced - but you don't deviate from or improve upon the =
factory
specification except perhaps for reasons of safety; I really wouldn't =
want
to fly a Sopwith Camel with all the original wood, fabric and dope still =
in
place.=20

Obviously there are as many degrees and divergent opinions as there are =
old
cars, and building something special from an old car is a pursuit with a
long tradition.  However what we see in too many cases are "restored" =
cars
built to win car shows which is not, IMHO, a process of "restoration", =
but a
special type of custom building. Much of this might be due to the =
philosophy
that judges a restoration on perfection of detail rather than fidelity =
to
the original.

That said I don't have a particular issue with the owner who decides his
classic car needs to be personalized with an up-rated engine, a more =
modern
transmission, metallic paint and alloys, made into a convertible or what
have you - provided it's not something especially rare or desirable that
really should be kept original and that it's not passed off as a =
restored
car.=20

Aidrian

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