It’s a question that almost every classic car enthusiast eventually has to face: should I keep my ride stock, or modernize it?
For every purist who meticulously tracks down period-correct nuts and bolts when restoring their antique car or truck, there are thousands of other owners who, like the rest of us, simply want to keep their vehicle on the road as affordably as possible. Oh, and if a few modern comforts and conveniences creep in along the way, so much the better.
Keep in mind that there are many degrees of “modernizing” a classic car. For some, it could be a simple question of safety, such as installing seatbelts in a car that never had them from the factory, while others seek to improve the reliability of their vehicle by moving to an electronic ignition system or an electric fuel pump. Then of course there’s the question of in-car entertainment; while AM radio might have been all the rage in 1955, it doesn’t hold a candle to modern audio options.
From the outside, you can’t see the reliability upgrades that have been made to this AMX.
Mild chrome under the hood and an MSD ignition system add reliability and flash to this AMX without stepping into restomod territory.
Scope Creep
As with all things automotive, there’s the pressure to take things to the next level and give your car the full “resto-mod” treatment. Here’s how the argument usually goes: well, as long as you’re adding a hidden CD player in the glove compartment, why not move to a 12-volt electrical system? Since you’ve converted the drum brakes on the car to discs, why not yank the original engine and slap in a powerful LS1 V8 to take advantage of that new stopping power? Since you’re going to be under the car anyway to install new shocks, why not just do a full coil-over setup at all four corners?
You see how quickly that escalated? Sure, I’m exaggerating a little here, but only to illustrate just how much of a blank canvas a classic car can be for someone who wants to completely customize it for his or her tastes. Here’s the main point: you have to decide whether or not modernizing certain aspects of your classic car will give you that much more enjoyment from an already-treasured automobile.
A rusty patina conceals a well-sorted engine bay that’s far from what left the factory, showing you can’t always judge the originality of a classic by its exterior appearance.
A complete engine swap to a modern Mopar V-6 takes you into the modern era, but some might argue that it robs the car of its original character.
It’s a different story here with this Buick, which is wearing more leather than the couch section at Neiman Marcus.
A perfectly restored, as-it-left-the-factory vehicle that you’re too nervous to drive more than a few miles from home isn’t nearly as much fun as a 98-percent stock cruiser that you know won’t vapor-lock on the way to the next car show. At the same time, a car sporting a fully modern drivetrain—while staying true to a classic body and interior only—could very well lose the unique character that attracted you to it in the first place. Ultimately, it’s a personal philosophical question that only you can answer.
