<VV> "RESTORATION vs FIX IT UP" my ramblins again

[Karl Haakonsen]

Of course you are correct, technically speaking, but I count myself among the abusers of the word because there isn't another word in the english language that's quite appropriate.

 I fixed up my 1963 Chevy pickup when I was in college -- built a 283 SBC with high compression heads, complete with Corvette valve covers, brazed sheet metal over the rust holes and smoothed their surface with a liberal amount of bondo and gave it a two-tone paint job of my liking. That's fixing up (with mods).

"Fixing up" is way too casual for the work I intend to do to my Corvair. I am stripping the car down completely, putting it up on a rotisserie and cutting out and replacing all rusted metal. Overhauling the original 110 engine and PG transmission. I plan to paint the car factory original color and retain the black interior and top. People here have seen my rants about tires-- I want to keep the stock 13" 66-69 style hubcaps, etc and so forth. Yet I will inevitably make some mods for safety/drivability/urban security. I will take great care to make these mods as invisible as possible.

Is this a restoration by definition for the purist? No. But there isn't another word that conveys the attention to detail and the thoroughness of the job than restoration, so I'll continue to use it, thank you very much.

Karl in Boston
1966 Monza Convertible
www.chezhawk.com/VairBlog
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