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Again, the car is not mine but the owner is asking me for advise. It is a 4 speed, with console, Dark Red with Black interior. In my opinion, he would waist a lot of money trying to do an "OEM" resto locally. No matter how good the job might be, no one can agree on what was right. A "name" mopar restorer would cure that problem to an extent, but the cost would be more than the car's finished value. He is actually wishing that he had just built a trubute as I did. That way he could enjoy the car and not worry about it.



I disagree.

If the car is very original the answers are on the car. Take pictures and document it. But you have to know how to interpet the information on the car.

Cost the same to paint the underside of the car that dark primer as painting it exterior paint. Might even be cheaper if the exterior paint is two stage and redish hue (red paint $$)

Cost the same to chrome or powder coat a bracket as to put it back to it's original black phosphate, silver cad, gold cad, etc plating. Actually chrome would be more expensive.

If he cleans the underchassis parts he that he disassembles carefully, he will see factory paint marks. Just take a picture of it. The factory took seconds to apply those marks. Should not take a lot of time to put them back.

Still doesn't mean you have to buy NOS ball joints or NOS dash pad if the repro aren't 100% the same to the minute detail.

Getting the basic core elements more toward the original style won't cost a ton of extra and if you ever have/want to sell it the next person can change/upgrade bolt on items at thier leisure.

How is it any less enjoyable to drive around a car with dark grey painted underside compared to shiny dark red painted underside? Same for driving around with undercoating with factory pattern vs. another pattern 6" to 12" different?

Last edited by autoxcuda; 03/03/13 02:44 PM.