Thread: Restoration?-What is a true restoration

Certainly one member on here has recently restored a beutiful Series I to an impeccable standard - with a HOLDEN motor in it! I guess it depends on what period you restore your vehicle to. Nothing says you have to restore it to factory spec!

This individual has preserved the vehicle as it was for most of it's life, and that in my opinion is just as valid as a factory spec vehicle.


Let me put it this way; If you acquired the Leyland's 107 SW from their West - East Crossing, would you restore it to factory spec? You would need to shorten it again, remove the Valiant (?) motor, respray it a factory colour, etc etc... What a waste of history!


On a different note:

I 'restored' my ambulance from this:



to this:



...but I didn't paint it, I didn't replace panels, I didn't rebuild the mechanicals.

Would you say the above is not a restoration? As you can see, MUCH work went into it but by some of the defentitions above it is insinuated that this is somehow less noteworthy than someone who paid someone else to respray the whole thing in non-original 2 pack paint!

Oh, and it has a Bearmach fuel pump on it!

Originally Posted by Shonky

....

...but I didn't paint it, I didn't replace panels, I didn't rebuild the mechanicals.

Would you say the above is not a restoration? As you can see, MUCH work went into it but by some of the defentitions above it is insinuated that this is somehow less noteworthy than someone who paid someone else to respray the whole thing in non-original 2 pack paint!

Oh, and it has a Bearmach fuel pump on it!

I'd say it's a brilliant resto - well done! Heck, if you didn't paint it, you must have used a barrow load of polish!

Amazing what a bit of polish can do

Originally Posted by bayrover

So, at our car shows (many of which are centres of excellence), should we be holding in higher esteem our correct vehicles rather than the bitzers??

When I am assigned as a judge at a car show I use a likert scale tool developed for the purpose. Original patina has a higher value grading higher than the grades for a re-spray. Detectable reproductions graded lower than NOS being lower than the original parts of the vehicle. Don't get me wrong it is sometimes very difficult to tell what's original and whats not.
Attention to detail, preasentation, original fittings and tools, period accessories and sympathetic addition of safety devices are all items graded. In the end it all comes down to a score and the highest score wins. Usually, if there is a tied result then you have to be impersonal and select one.

If your tool is valid and applied objectively then there should be no arguments, or at least you can stand by your decision. Often however there is one stand out vehicle in a class that should win.

Originally Posted by bayrover

Amazing what a bit of polish can do

Particularly when there was a liberally applied enamel overcoat that is oxidised enough to polish off.

It is a great job done by Shonky, but don't allow any tents personally inspect the vehicle or everyone will be sorry.

Diana

Originally Posted by Lotz-A-Landies

don't allow any tents personally inspect the vehicle or everyone will be sorry.

For those unaware, a rather large army tent decided to get cuddly with Ambrose during a wind storm at Corowa '09, resulting in panel damage that is not viable to repair...

i guess, how could i describe the word Restoration. well i could probably say
Strip down, Refurbish, Re-Assemble.

it's really what you make of it and how far you want to go on originality of the vehicle and your Budget too.......!

cheers,

Chris

Shonky

Why ddn't I notice those bright shiny wheels and GY XtraGrip tyres before?

Looks great!

interesting thread.

i have a few hours in a DH89. this was restored in the early 80s. just about every bit of wood was replaced, no one really wants to fly around in a 60 year old match box. as the frame is completely wooden, is this a new aircraft or a restoration?

how about the WW2 aircraft, restored. if you ever see what or how little is handed if to be restored.

i think the bar will be lowered as time passes. imagine in another 50 years just having an original chassis may be enough to claim a S1 as a restore