Restore or Original?

[rbucklin]

Hi All,

which is the better way to go, restore to really excellent condition or stay as original as possible?

My 1966 Dune Runner came pretty close to unmolested since built, as near as I can tell. It's been off road for a decade or more so some issues needed to be resolved mechanically. It now has front discs and is getting a roll bar today for safety concerns (ha! Safety in a buggy, oximoron?)

It came with a very tired 1500sp so that is out awaiting rebuild and the car now has a fresh 1600dp.

Trans, pan, body all original. Body has never been cut, pan has a couple patches but mostly sound. Original column, lights, gauges, everything else.

Body has some rear seat sag and a PO painted over the original red metallic with an ugly blue. I'm going to try to strip the blue and restore the red but not sure that will go great. If that fails, will schedule a repaint.

So, what do you guys think? I really like nice cars and the pics on here of buggys that were done well really appeal. However, there's something honest about a 50+ yr old vehicle that wears it's scars with some pride.

[jspbtown]

Well its really up to you. What do you want?

Neither choice will make it more valuable for resale.

Why worry about what others think? Drive what makes you smile.....that's what it is all about with these toys.

[slalombuggy]

[vwracerdave]

[scottyrocks]

Unless it was built by the factory, I don't think it matters either way.

If it was a bug or ghia or bus, etc, that was for the most part original, definitely do what needs to be done to make it driveable and safe, and then let it be.
_________________
“If you care for a thing long enough, it takes on a life of its own, doesn't it? Mending old things, preserving them, looking after them – on some level there's no rational grounds for it.”
– D. Tartt, 'The Goldfinch'

[oprn]

[MrGoodtunes]

[veeweeman]

I agree with everyone else. ..it's your car so build it that makes you happy. ..these are considered kit cars so non one will ever know if it was done in 1965 or 2018....build what makes you happy and enjoy the buggy
_________________
Never be a follower...Do your own thing, make it your own!

[winddude]

i think the word you're looking for is "survivor vehicle", keeping as many parts and paint as it got back in the day when it was built. "Stay as original as possible", is restored or rebuilt to period correctness, with period parts.

But whatever you want, it's your car. That's the appeal of these buggies, it's building your car your way.

[rbucklin]

Really good comments all. I'm in this thing for two reasons; we had a Dune Runner Mini Mercedes when I was a kid, and my little brother just plunked $15k down for an original Meyers Manx out of Texas. It is completely nut and bolt restored and looks fantastic.

First, only and last time I will allow myself to be competitive with a younger sibling over material things. I have now put decent seats, disc brakes, new engine and a roll bar in it that weren't there before. The pans have some rust pinholes and the passenger side front has a formed piece of sheet welded in right over the top of the rusted out portion.

Ugly, but the thing is, I kind of dig seeing repairs that earlier owners just figured out in their garage, as long as it is safe and not detrimental to the car (like the wiring on this one. It's all got to go. No fuse box, just a couple of inline fuses that would have come out of a 70's car stereo box).

I am going to try to strip the crap rattle can blue off this thing back down to the original red metallic. I can find absolutely no sign of any fibreglass damage or repair so I believe it was just color preference by a PO. Gonna take a lot of hours but in Seattle, once the rain sets in, nothing else to do for about 5 months.

OK, sorry for the loooong stream of consciousness post. If anyone managed to read this far and has a thought, love to hear it.

[oprn]

Yes if you can bring back the red flake finish it would be a huge improvement. It will hardly be recognizable as the same car. The color it is now is butt ugly!

[rbucklin]

Could not agree more. The original plan was to repainting a metallic magenta/fuscha type thing. Trying to match the color of the one I grew up in. Only picture I can find of though is the back end in a former neighbor's post on FB. Can see the back half. Had not remembered that it had chrome smoothies and a white canvas top. Now that I'm into it though, I think it sort of deserves to have it's original skin back. Have to wait and see how it comes out.