looking for opinions on my restoration of 6S1453

[olaf427]

Hello, Im restoring Hertz 6S1453 which was mostly a complete car . It did have its share of required bodywork . Before I go down this road I will say I restore cars and have restored many collectible Mustangs and rare Fords for years.

So as I put this car together I prefer to use as many original parts as possible especially parts the car came with. That being said there are some parts like lets say the rear 1/4 windows and the surrounding exterior and interior trim that are original but cant be made to look like new. Ive decided to mix and match things like put repo plastic windows in but use the chrome aluminum trim which isnt perfect. The inside trim is warped but original, Exchange or reuse???  I have repo ones but as ever one knows the repo parts are never exactly the same.

Im building this car for myself and I know some will say build it as you want but I want the car to not only turn out very nice but also retain as much as possible of its originality thus preserving its value. The reality is Ive used many repo parts especially when NOS stuff is hard to find. The car is turning out great but am I on the right track? Olaf

[NC TRACKRAT]

Welcome, Olaf!  Valid questions.  If you can restore any original parts and hardware such that they're acceptable to you, by all means, do so.  Keep in mind that those Plexiglas quarter windows should have a slight bow out.  They were not flat.  Yes, if you can repair the inside trim, do it!  There's black plastic heat-applied filler on the market that works.  However, one of our own is in the process of tooling up interior trim pieces in the same type of plastic used on the originals.  Hard to admit but, IMHO, some of the re-pop parts on the market from reputable suppliers are of better quality than some NOS Ford service parts.  The hard part is selecting the right stuff.

[6s1640]

A little patina helps with authenticity.  You don't need to make it look like a brand new car.  But you will have to balance your choices that works best for you.  Enjoy the journey.

Best of luck

Cory

[camp upshur]

Build the car to the standard you prefer and enjoy the ownership experience. It's easy to be influenced by bulletin board postings (inclusive!).
I am the second owner of my car. I have an entire shelf of original parts which, for me, have been adjudged to be inferior. I guess they'll 'go w the car' if I were ever to sell.
Sounds like you're in for a good time.

[olaf427]

Thanks i appreciate the info. I just wanted to make sure I'm on the right track. I redid a very original 68 GT 500 in the late 90's which I still have.  I showed it  at SAAC for a few years and tried to drive it a little. While restoring it I realized many of the original parts were still in nice condition and way better than any repo parts sold i.e. weather-strips , carpet cluster bezel, seat covers etc. I decided to retain as much as possible of that original stuff and really focus on making it look great like paint job wise and mechanically correct and running well. Like Camp Upshur I kept the stuff like brake drums, tie rods ect that needed to be replaced. I got a mixed set of opinions while showing it. Some thought it cool to have so much original stuff and some thought it wasnt fresh/new like  enough. I tried for a Gold but Silver was as high as it got in Division 2. SO here I am again.

Since I replace parts for customers on a daily basis I see the repo parts available, some better than others but very few actually equal or better than OEM. Its a hard  to walk the line of original vs restored. I like to see some patina just not major stuff.

[427hunter]

Thanks i appreciate the info. I just wanted to make sure I'm on the right track. I redid a very original 68 GT 500 in the late 90's which I still have.  I showed it  at SAAC for a few years and tried to drive it a little. While restoring it I realized many of the original parts were still in nice condition and way better than any repo parts sold i.e. weather-strips , carpet cluster bezel, seat covers etc. I decided to retain as much as possible of that original stuff and really focus on making it look great like paint job wise and mechanically correct and running well. Like Camp Upshur I kept the stuff like brake drums, tie rods ect that needed to be replaced. I got a mixed set of opinions while showing it. Some thought it cool to have so much original stuff and some thought it wasnt fresh/new like  enough. I tried for a Gold but Silver was as high as it got in Division 2. SO here I am again.

Since I replace parts for customers on a daily basis I see the repo parts available, some better than others but very few actually equal or better than OEM. Its a hard  to walk the line of original vs restored. I like to see some patina just not major stuff.

I would not be concerned with opinions of restoration vs originality; as an example I have a completely unrestored 43k original mile ( all original - paint, interior, engine and trans etc) - 64 fuelie vette. The car is super nice, daytona blue with a daytona blue interior. When I take it to local show, only gearheads  appreciated that it is a survivor. It's original lacquer paint is rubbed through in some spots which (because it's original) does not bother me a bit. The last time I had the car out a guy was looking it over and said, "your only a paint job and engine detail away from having a real nice car".   

[Bob Gaines]

Olaf you can count on the many here to help with what you are trying to do . It sounds like that you are doing a complete restoration on the car . The point of concours as it pertains to SAAC or MCA is to try and make the car look as close to the condition it was when delivered to the first customer as possible. First and foremost everything must look as new. Following historical assemblyline build techniques, refurbishing or replacing with assemblyline looking items go towards accomplish that. Some reproduction parts are better then others .  Some reproduction items like upholstery can be done better using original materials. It is easier but more expensive to make a seat cover look authentic to use original materials and build from scratch then using the repro offerings. It all comes down to decisions the owner/restorer has to make .Nice or excellent seat covers make it hard decision to change out if doing a concours restoration . Hopefully  we can give you advice that will help you with historic build techniques , part sources and concours expectations so that you can make decisions that best fit what you want to do. That way you can pick and choose what assemblyine standards you want to follow and what personaized  standards you want follow. That way regardless of if your intention is to enter in concours ,just build to concours standard or anything in between ,you can make the decisions that are best for your situation. 

[J_Speegle]

Welcome back Olaf. We're here to help. Take some time to look over some of the past threads on cars like yours built around the same time period. Lost of info already out there and a good place to start though making sure the older posts are double check to see if there is something new or updated since they were posted is sometimes a good idea.

In general the 66 is a much more basic car than a 68 so a few less parts. If you had a big block allot more room to work and access for cleaning in the engine compartment. Interior is much simpler and less "special" exterior panels

Suggest you evaluate what your starting with., budget and skills. Choose a path, stay on it (deviations can make you miss your intended goal) and figure out what you might need to farm out

Good luck with your choices

[greekz]

Olaf, I had many of the same questions while doing 6S1134.  I made some decisions early on before starting the process.  I accumulated as many NOS parts I could find and afford.  Tried to use as many of my original parts as possible with as close to original finish as possible.  Living close to the ocean wreaks havoc on bare metal surfaces, hopefully, generous applications Boeshild  they will not degrade too quickly.  That is a choice I made.  I have reused my quarter windows, rear and side windows.  They are not perfect, but they are original.  I decided no Le Mans stripes this time, as that is how it was originally. The long and short of it is, I have held to my original vision of how I wanted the car to look when finished, but made compromises that were necessary due to circumstances beyond my control.  My car is going to be a driver, that is what I like to do most.  It will not have all the paint markings as a true concours car, but will have many more than it had in the past.  It may appear in local car shows, but that is not the main goal.  Build it to suit your vision, the next caretaker can, and most likely will make it theirs.

Many on this Forum and others have helped many times with answers to my questions.  These folks are very eager to help when needed.  I have benefitted greatly from their input. 

Best of luck with however you decide to do your car

Greek

[olaf427]

thanks again, I will search out past threads on parts as I continue. Like Jeff said overall the car is much easier to do that the 68 Gt500 or B9 etc which  Ive done previously. Ill ask when I hit a road blocks,  Olaf