how the car should have been

[Domenic T.]

Easy on me I'm sensitive and I'm new in this forum and will probably get a bashing for this. I am here for the valuable experiance this forum is made up of. I erased my question and title and have this to say.

I am doing a frame up on my 67 coupe and my 63 coupe and am doing EVERY thing in my shop except the chrome, it took up to much space. I also gave up my boring bar as the newer ones got much larger, expensive, and were more accurate. I don't do this for a living any more it's my hobby.
I saved these 2 projects for my later years along with a 57 chevy convertable I am completing.
I have done every part of these cars as a mechanic & body man in those days, even the instruments and frame. I wanted to know how to do it all. Now the simple things are getting me like what to use on the rims or how do I make my perfectly sound (original) gas tank look new.
I read that we need to be as sloppy in areas as they were in the plant. That's the hardest one of all to swallow, I never heard a forman back then compliment a line worker on his poor work or the painter on the amount of orange peel he sprayed.
I guess I am trying to understand why we are putting a glass paint job on the outside and making sure we don't paint other parts all the way. I've had guys say to me that the factory didn't do that good a job on that part, or it looks to good.
When I got my new 65 I wanted it all perfect and for the most part I was satisfied. Now I here that a part was not painted that well at the factory, it looks to good. I'm sure the factory had higher standards than that. I think I've read "Mark of excellance" somewhere on a car. If it was where I think it was, it got stepped on reguarlly.
I am doing my cars the way I think any one with pride in their work would have done it in those days. I don't want to build in the poor workmanship that some pot head screwed up or the Monday morning hangover work we have seen.
I want my cars as perfect as they were advertised to be, and as original to the nuts & bolts as they were then. I understand what we all want and it's that 40 somthing year old virgin. They don't and can't look the same as they once did,time alone takes it's toll and things begin to rust & rot all over again. But we can re build them and make them look newer than new again. That's where I am having a struggle in my restoration. I don't want to see the parts rust and corode again in my lifetime just so I can say for a short while that that's all the better they did on my car when it was built.
I was 21 when I ordered my car and asked the dealer if I could watch it be built. STUPID ME, I thought I would be able to get a perfect car that way, I would have had a more realistic chance of owning GM at the time.
I guess what I am saying is that I want a new vette again and now I get to do it all the way I think it was supposed to be in the beginning.
Alright go ahead and say it to me, gee after 40 or so years your still STUPID.

DOM

[James J.]

Re: how the car should have been

Dom, Welcome to the NCRS.
Don't be so hard on yourself and don't expect to get a bashing from this board, that is not we do here.
It's your car finish as you will.
Just know that if you want to get your car judged and do well, there are guidelines to follow to help you accomplish this task.
Again it's your car and no one can make you finish it other than to please yourself.

Good luck

[Ian S.]

Re: how the car should have been

NCRS gives you the information on how the cars came from the factory and you can use or not use what you like.

There are many Top Flight cars that are finished to a higher standard than the factory ever did.

[Jack H.]

Re: how the car should have been

As others have said, you CAN have it your way. BUT (there's always a 'but', eh?), don't expect to argue sucessfully for the judges to ignore deduction(s) on those areas of the car that obviously exhibit over-restoration.

Body panels didn't align 'perfectly'. There WAS a degree of orange peel in the paint. These were 'kit cars' and not hand-built Rolls Royce level vehicles.

Judging at NCRS is considered a factory concours and not a concours d'elegance. The difference is restoring the car to a level commensurate with typical factory production norms to preserve automotive history versus making it as good as it 'could be'.

So, if you're willing to accept the club's standards and you want it better than 'typical' factory production, go right ahead! You're probably talking something like a total of 100 points out of 4500 possible for making it 'perfect' versus a reflection of then current UAW norms.

That will NOT cost you a Top Flight award...

[Stephen L.]

Re: how the car should have been

Domenic, I share your passion to make it as good as you can get it. I did my 67 that way, using the guidelines when applicable. I have a BC/CC paint job with shiny jambs etc. I clear coated the parts that should be natural so they won't rust etc.

I've had my car judged at the Chapter, Regional, and National level and Top Flighted everytime with 96+%. That includes a nearly 2% deduct for a super paint job that gets oohs and aahs at all shows

Build it the way YOU want it and enjoy it. I personally have had a great time doing mine!!!!