When you decided to restore your car how did you determine or come to a conclusion on which way you were going to restore your car. How it left the factory or left the dealership???

I wanted the different original stickers, for show.. I guess i have sticker from both factory & dealership on.. Easy to take them away when the car is driven.


http://www.garaget.org/mypage/gallery.php?user=106330&album=62026

I've got similar questions to resolve now that I'm on the home stretch on my T/A project. My goal has been to be day 1, however my car is a Mr. Norms car, so I certainly plan to have a Grand Spaulding sticker on the spoiler.
Another thing to consider on a T/A or AAR, to restore one as it rolled off the assembly line would involve putting the exhaust "megaphones" in the trunk, as they were installed at the dealer. Is anyone going to restore a Trans Am car like that?

Also in the trunk would be the antenna & trim rings. Chin spoiler cars would have them in the trunk also, with no holes drilled in the body to mount them.

T/As with hub caps & /or M05 door edge protectors would also be in the trunk.

Dealer prep would have removed the exhaust stickers from the windshields & the road lamp aiming stickers on AAR road lamps.

Several cars seem to be from 'mixed points in time' with stuff the dealer installed yet with stuff they would have removed still in place for some reason.

Each person can restore their car they way they want... But Ive been seeing alot of half/half restorations. Some from a couple high end resto shops where the car has the look for both. And if someone says to me they restored the car correctly or had the resto shop do it correctly but it looks like it represents both factory and dealership looks then its not really correct in a sense. I understand the sticker over the road lamps but where did this trend come from all of a sudden??? If someone has pix of more than one or two survivor cars that have this on id love to see them. Not saying a car didnt get out of the dealership with this sticker on and stay on over 35 plus years but id be curious to see pix.

I continue to struggle with some items on this topic as my car is a chin spoiler car but the original panels have no drill holes, so at the moment I plan to restore less installed chin spoilers but keep them in the trunk.

Personally, you being an owner cannot have purchased directly from the factory so only if I owned a Chrysler dealership and I was building the car for my showroom would I consider restoring the car as it was delivered from the factory. Even then one could argue, if its in my showroom it would be presented as it would have in the day, prep'ed and ready for sale.

My vote is as it left the dealership.

"For show only" must be the only reason anyone would restore their car to factory spec (before dealer..) Car isnt complete assembled yet with half the car parts in the trunk..

As it was delivered to the original owner, cockeyed eyebrown spoiler with no bolts through the front valance, amber fog lights and all.

Honestly.. One thing that's been kinda bugging me or a pet peeve lately is the sticker over the road lamps. When did this become common place in restorations?? Who wrote an article or spoke on this that people seem to be in one of those have to have moments and put them on their car???

Those stickers are for sale on eBay, so they must be right! I agree with the half and half idea, have any of you worked at a dealership and see what is done to prepare a new car?

Speaking for the AAR's and T/A's has already been mentioned what was left off the car when it left the factory and what was put on at the dealership. So im not sure what answer you are looking for when you ask if anyone has worked at a dealership and see what is done to prep a car???