Survivor vs Restored

[njsteve]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: RST</div><div class="ubbcode-body">

Njsteve, you make the point that you looked at a SD T/A at 2013 MCACN and the motor had some issues …. This SD was at MCACN last year and available …. It did not sell, and I will not take chances driving this car with its original equipment that has been sitting for years.

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Not to get off track but I tried to buy that other car (not yours) maybe 5 years ago but the seller sold it to the current owner before we came to an agreement. I was all excited to do the engine in the same fashion that it eventually wound up getting done. It was the car in the famous youtube &quot;barnfind superduty video&quot;. The funny thing is that I think the reason it was parked in the barn in the first place was because of the oil pump/bad lifter problem.

I remember seeing your car offered several times on ebay and other sites over the past few years. The dealer that had it wanted a ton of money for it which was why they had a hard time finding a buyer. It was advertised as an untouched 10,000 mile car but they tried waaay too hard to fluff it up for sale and went totally overboard. They wound up really altering the untouched components to the point that people began to wonder what was wrong (not that there was anything wrong) - replacing the entire exhaust system and various A/C parts (aftermarkt POA valve, expansion valve etc), throwing on reproduction bias ply tires, shock absorbers, and spraying all that glossy goop all over everything above the ground when they should have just steam cleaned the underside instead and left it at that.

Just promise you'll take off those home-made fender trim pieces that they cut out of original fender trim parts, and then drilled holes in the fenders to install them. Ugh! [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/grin.gif[/img]

Interesting car in that it came with whitewall radials from the factory. I see the original Uniroyal GR70x15 still in the trunk. Firestone 500 also made an exploding version in whitewall if you really want to live dangerously.

Can you tell me what the date on the starter is? Is it 1108436 with a date of 1B11 perhaps?

[67BelAir427]

Interesting comparison to the world of antiques and fine art. In Canadian law, the purchaser of an original artwork does not have the right to alter or modify that piece even though it it &quot;their property&quot;. Not suggesting that we need to use the law to protect survivor automobiles, but restoring a true survivor car makes as much sense as buying the Mona Lisa and then repainting it to straighten out her smile.

[napa68]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: RST</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Well I love good survivor cars ............... especially restoring them ..... OH POOP I said it [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/smile.gif[/img]

We at Mascar Classics love restoring survivors because we can better document the car. We just purchased this 1973 SD 455 http://www.transamflorida.com/923.htm

Its a very low mile survivor and we will post some pictures of the car unassembled and cleaned up before the restoration starts. We were able to get all of the added undercoating off without damaging the original paint or markings on the underside of the car ........... you will see from the pictures its amazing. This is by far the cleanest car we have ever had to restore and its simply stunning how good this car is! We will make a post next week to show the bones of the car, and then we will not be posting any more due to the fact that the car will be unveiled at MCACN 2017.

Happy Sunday Funday everyone [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/smile.gif[/img] </div></div>

I think I'm going to get sick

[KENNY PASCOE]

How can you better document a survivor by restoring it ?? To me thats ruining the history and integrity of that car . If it needs restoration
thats one thing . IMHO that Trans Am looked great as is ... KP

[RST]

Thanks for all the positive vibes guys ………..

This car was for sale for a long time, any one of you could have stepped up and purchased the car and kept it as is.

Steve, I think the car was priced very fair for what it is, try to find another one in this condition, and the restoration will be much easier. I am sure you will agree, this car will be an amazing restoration and will be worth far more than the asking price ........ and I can drive and enjoy it without worry. This is my car guys, I purchased it to keep and I want to be able to drive it often.

I will post some pictures on a new thread of the car as we disassemble it. Oh and as for being able to document the car ………… as we take it apart, clean it etc., we will document every single part and share it in its as original status, as we have done with several cars that we have restored in order to share that valuable information.

Happy Holidays everyone.

[nugeusa1]

RTS, seriously good luck with your resto, I don't have anything against restored cars. actually I'm glad that cars are restored and saved. you have an awesome car fix it the way you want and enjoy it, its good that people all don't want exactly the same things.

[RST]

[img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/flag.gif[/img]

[njsteve]

And yes, it does have one of those 1108436 1B11-dated starters from two years before the car was built! Scott sent me a photo. Very cool.

[RST]

Thank you very much for the &quot;Heads Up&quot; Steve .... we did not know this!

[njsteve]

It seems like no one did. In the end I'm kind of glad that Steve Shauger's crew dinged me on it because if he hadn't, I wouldn't have started digging. So far every unrestored car I've found (5 so far) has this bizarrely dated starter from a single batch made on a single day in February 1971! Even though the engines were all made in November 1972 that is still 21 months difference. [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/shocked.gif[/img]