I am so over restored cars!! This is what makes me tick!!

With so many restored to factory original cars nowadays, all I can remember is this!!! I swear everytime I revist this link it makes my heart thump.

https://70sstreetmachines.tumblr.com/

Neat!

I hear ya. It was so cool back then. I surely miss those times. These kids nowadays don`t know what they are missing.

Couldn't agree more. No one back in the day(where I live) left cars like ours stock. Tires, rims, engine and drive train mods, wild to mild paint schemes.

And don't get me going on those dumb azz hub caps everyone and their brother is putting on their cars. They were ugly back in the day and still are.

3rd pic down. That's what their missing.

Oh man...Those were the best of times...Thanks for sharing!

YUP!

Pics are before my time, but they are neat. Maybe the car hobby should have gone the direction of putting them back they way they were when they were fun instead of show poodles, or the now long in the tooth pro-touring style?

Too much emphasis on what they are worth has made the fun factor drop I'm sure.

Yeah, there’s some of us that would love to relive those days. Times were pretty simple

I am not sure who started the page but they have hi jack alot of pics, including some of my old cars from the early 70's I have posted over the years.

Cool photos! I liked the Pinto.

Whoever compiled that must have gathered pictures from every site he could find for years.
After scrolling for quite a while I saw a picture I took at Union Grove Dragway in the early 80s, a FJ6 T/A in the pits with a Peggy Bundy looking woman behind it. I must have scanned it and posted it somewhere. And later a picture of my T/A from my HS days I’ve posted a number of times here and elsewhere.

I walk the aisles of Carlisle and don't give restored cars so much as a glance. Oh sure, I can appreciate the effort that went into them but they're basically cookie-cutter cars with no individuality.

I like both restored and custom muscle cars. That link brings back some fond memories.

I love moparts, but there are mopar sites not as dedicated to trailer queens as this one is. There are 100-s of cool driven cars around for every over done, over priced "correct" car, some that only a mother could love.

As for pics turning up..... If you never want a pic to reappear its simple, never post it on the open web in the first place. But I have seen many of them as well.

It was actually a relatively short period in time looking at the year model cars in the pictures. It started to phased out as soon as the emissions were implemented. The girls looked better too. Great times.

in the 80s people started to desire original cars instead of all the modified ones on the shows.
Nowadays they would be happy again to see some day II customs instead of original cars.
Desire is often what is not commonly available.

I like both

Carsten

I've always liked both. Cars like my GTS convertible I prefer relatively original.

Cars like my son's Dart convertible and my Barracuda convertible I prefer modified, BUT I like to generally use factory parts from other cars (like the Mirada wheels for my Barracuda and Barracuda dash in my son's Dart). I just think Chrysler did a lot of cool stuff, but some of that stuff never made it to the cars that I like, so...

None of my cars are restored to stock. What fun would that be. In fact, the Cyclone was stock when I bought all the way down to Fomoco headlights and running points. So much so that I thought the suspension might be dangerous until upgraded. The car is now e-headed, roller motor, running efi, 2500 stall, and 3.70 gears. Doing the barracuda right now and just got the metal done but upgraded to 73+ kframe and suspension, 11" drums in the back, and looking to go with a roller efi motor also. Day 2 is just so much more interesting to me. It was back in the day and is still now.

i'm the same way. that stock resto stuff is just boring to me.. at carlisle i walk right by the "restored" cars.. if thats your thing its cool but just not for me.

Lets not forget the side pipes.

Oh yea we had them also on this Dart Sport.

I can appreciate the work that goes into a restoration, but the end result is just that: another restoration. So I like the personalized customs. That's custom with a "c", not with a "k".

We might be better off today that the trend is towards restorations. If the trend was more towards the custom side, everything would get an LS thrown in it.

Hey I get it and trust me I have a nut and bolt restored car sitting in my shop. But Like my Superbee " My Boys knick named the Mossy Oak Edition" I let go this year, it sure felt like I was 18 again beating the $hit out of that thing!!! I recently bought this old Truck as my Grandson really likes trucks. Want to make sure he knows that trucks were not meant to look like a Bull Dog. You learn in life that you can influence (the capacity to have an effect on the character, development, or behavior of someone or something, or the effect itself.) the youth of tomorrow. We have one hell of time riding and talking in this old truck.

It's kinda like the Black Ghost story!!!! If you haven't seen the video take a look.

Love the period pics of these cars with their owners! Today it's hard to imagine these cars were in the hands of kids instead of frumpy old men.

those days [and way before] were fun for sure, then "responsibility" set in.
now to get back to [relive] that time before i croak............

Agreed. I hate restored cars and pretty much always have. I check that tumblr site daily and theres a few 70s street machine groups on facecrack as well

I keep my cars in the 70s, theyre happy there

I love em all - both dead stock, & the old period cars. The old photos on this site I could watch until I starve & never get tired of them. They represent an era & a way of life for so many of us back then. For me, it was the happiest time of my life that I wish I could go back to & stay there. The girls were SOOOOO much hotter back then too. So many great memories came flooding back.......

I think that is a Honda...but who is keeping track! I like what is in front of it...

Even though I no longer have the desire to own or persue an OE level car.
I can certainly appreciate the effort and expense required to achieve that goal.

In any make or model.
I honestly like them slightly modified . But some can go to far , for my taste anyway

My own car will never have true OE factory stock in its title ever most likely.

I love everything too! I remember very vividly my introduction to a restored muscle car! Like most of you I remember when the cars were not worth what we had in them. In 1986 I had my first bee. I met a guy with a 70 6 pack super bee that was going back to stock. He was hunting down the correct exhaust manifold and searching for decals to correct the engine compartment. This was an incredibly novel idea at the time. I loved it! I always like the day two look but going back to stock Still appeals to me. He introduced me to Motor City Originals. The owner used to own my current bee. Mags and headers are still cool.
KID

That looks like a Ford Fiesta to me,tough to tell by the headlights in the pic (*)(*) though...

Great thing about the hobby, there is a butt for every seat. I can appreciate almost any car if hard work has been put into it. Even if I disagree on what was done. My dad on the other hand......is an old deaf racer who has no issue expressing his opinion lol. Makes for interesting times walking around car events.

Restored to trailer queen status usually makes me grumpy. Being stuck in bottom half of the 70s , better than stock is generally the goal but I like to keep it period correct - ish.

Basic example: my 79 RC born 318, 3/tree, am radio, low back buckets. Being reborn with a 75 440 w/ better cam, 727, 90s Mopar am/fm/cass/cd, 90s RC reclining buckets and console. Color options / combos not avail in 79 or on any RC. If ya don't know RCs or I didn't save the equipment level, you'd never suspect that it didn't ship that way. Nothing they ever built but something they could have. Ok, maybe a weak example - my jekyl and hyde Daytonas are a better illustration.

Yeah, when I was "restoring" my GTX I knew from the start I couldn't put it back the way it was originally...I mean crap, it only had 375hp , my truck has more hp than that and who wants to get out run by every store bought kid in a new Mustang, Camaro or Challenger...not to mention the foreign stuff so...it's not stock and it sure is fun hurting kids feelings

Completely agree and often find myself skipping over restored cars at shows.

There are ALL kinds of opinions in the hobby.
I recall as a teen, never seeing a Corvette unless it was pristine. I learned early on that some people had too much pride to roll around in a "prestige" car with primer spots on it.

I don't know where the trend started but some time ago, a few cars started trickling out that were totally functional but looked barn fresh. The reactions were split between the "That is GREAT, I'd drive it AS IS" crowd and the
"This is a disgrace, finish the car and then drive it" crowd. Rat Rods became popular for their low cost and creativity.
My red '70 is not a show car but a decent street driver. Last year I bought another '70 that was wrecked and ignored for 24 years. I've been slowly putting it back together and have rebuilt the original 383 for it. By Spring, it should be roadworthy. I'm going to leave it looking like THIS for awhile....

It’s easy to look back at those days with rose colored glasses, the music was better, the girls prettier (not a tat or pink hair dye to be found!), and the cars cheap and speed shops all over the place to buy parts to individualize your ride.
But seeing the picture of my T/A with its rear end jacked up to accommodate its offset Cragars I had in back still makes me cringe a little. The car was unstable and I did lose control of it once night after too many beers, ramped a curb and it’s lucky the car was able to be fixed as I bent one of the front frame rails that night, and even luckier there was no oncoming traffic when I lost control as me and another innocent driver could have died.
I also recall hearing the rear tires scuffing the wheel opening lips on a regular basis and having to find a gas station quickly to pump those shocks up a little. Looked cool, but sort of dumb!
That car is now one of those restored cars many scorn, but whatever. I have a V code Challenger also that I’ve tried to sell but Mopar snobs don’t like brown, so my thoughts going forward on that car are maybe a little day 2, mags like Keystones, aftermarket gauges since the factory gauges on my rally dash aren’t very accurate,, and then sit back at a show or cruise and watch people’s eyes get wide when they look at the VIN and see that somewhat custom 71 Challenger they are looking at is a real 1 of 250 V code?

"one night after too many beers.........."

HOO BOY ! if those cars could talk, the stories they could tell about the MANY times they tried to hurt us BAD because of the above !
looking back with clearer eyes and slightly smarter [? ] brains in our heads, it becomes apparent some of my friends and i seemed to go out of our way to do ourselves some harm.
my one buddy to this day can't figure out why he went on a drunken rampage back in 1971 with his 1970 383 4spd super bee. after the "fun" was over, there was damage scattered across a wide area with the bee ending half way up the most prominent flag pole in town, and not a panel on the car remaining straight !
when the police chief placed him in the front seat of the cruiser, [we were a well known bunch of hotrodders, so we didn't get away with anything - the "CHIEF" always knew !] he asked him if it would be necessary to cuff him, but my buddy was truthful and said "i deserve what you give me......."
it always was good if you were truthful with "Chief Earl".
after lots of money doled out in fines and restitution's, the city was back in order. my buddy was to loose his license for years, but hurricane Agnes flooded harrisburg and all the records were lost.
this event was talked about for many years afterward.
the only piece left is the bee emblem from the tail light panel, which i have "somewhere" in my stash.........

growing up today is nowhere like it was in the 50's, 60's and early 70's.
don't be boneheads like we were !

And now, for my opinion
The guys who pretty much mentored me were racers & crew chiefs, who'd idolized Harry Miller & a Penske level of preparation.
So to me tastefulness, aesthetics, function & cleverness are the yardsticks.
That said, I like the in-progress cars, because guys are enjoying them while they work.
And young folks don't have the environment folks my age had, so encouragement is even more important.
The customizing thing can be intriguing, even killer sometimes, but some are hideous and irrational. Form, pureness of line, etc are critical there.
I recall in the '70s removing the side pipes & way-too-wide rear wheels/tires from a car I'd bought, because they looked absurd & impaired the car.
Similarly, that whole Gasser thing was silly to me back in its day for several reasons, including bound suspension & disastrous aerodynamics.
Literally proved that out on a car I helped crew.
I've done several Day 2 cars, but I can't cut a nice one up. I love the idea of the F.A.S.T. cars, and cars that are better than they appear to be from a casual look.
But I also really like cars like that "Tetanus" Road Runner in a couple threads here.
I suspect that taste is often based on early influences: I was pre-Hot Wheels, so even though I enjoyed Roth t-shirts, they were also humorous to me.
For those that hate restored cars, you can take some comfort in knowing that most are done incorrectly
But the bottom line is that if we all did the same thing, it would be a pretty boring hobby.

I don’t know, maybe it was survival of the fittest then and now everyone including the weak survive? Which may explain why our society is going downhill.
The near death experiences of me and my friends may have wisened us up a bit and made us stronger and more responsible adults in the end.
Though a couple of my buddies did not survive those alcohol and fast car and bike times.

I like both. Restored and the "Day two" cars. I loved the look of the Gabriel High-Jackers and the N-50's hang'n out the fender. I too have cringed when they would rub. I had to try and remember to pump up the shocks before going out for the night, in case all your buddies piled in.

I remember those years. I was a teenager and seeing those cars were what started my descent into gear head territory lol.
What I used to love back in those days was another guy would come over to look under the hood to view your engine, not the bloody fender tag.

And while frowned upon by some, it was the golden era of street racing. Forget JJ Da Boss and their so-called "street cars" we actually had ours on the street. When I think back now, we were living on the edge.

I agree with every part of this!! More often then not(ESPECIALLY Mopar only shows) guys walk up and the 1st thing they look at is the VIN(or fender tag)...really?? And street racing was done stop light to stop light or on a back road arm drop deal. When the race was done they'd go back to cruisin the blvd looking for another race. NOBODY showed up with tube chassis cars in stacker trailers. Was a great time!!

I'm building them now the way I wanted to build them back then. The big difference is that these days I have the time, space and money to do what I wanted to do then.

Pretty sure I saw your Super Bee while driving back from the Mopar Nationals a couple years ago. If not, it was one with identical paint and your current wheels. I thought it was the perfect look and stance for a Super Bee and never forgot it. Cool car, man.

I have always wanted a nice car, but I spent 10 years dumping money in one and never ended up driving it. I bought my current Super Bee to be less perfect(and it sure is less than perfect) and more fun. I've driven, broken, upgraded, and enjoyed this one for the most part. I love the look it has, but I honestly would love the rust holes and any path of entry for exhaust to be closed up. Everyone that sees it implores me to not restore it, but it would be stunning in a clean set of black robes. This is the look I grew up seeing, so it's what I've always wanted to make one look like. I would really like it tubbed, but I really don't want to cut into it.

Leave it alone,it looks great just like it is.

and this is the look I grew up with. It's about the nicest car I've ever had. But not too nice. My paint guy wanted to buff it, but I told him not to bother. It'll be getting scratches and chips sooner or later, and I don't want it too nice to drive. I know of too many cars like that around here that haven't seen the road this century. Plenty of cars out thee for every taste.

Seems the norm anymore.

As for me, I'm tired of the rough appearance of mine and am getting after it.

The car is looking good, Dave.

Nice looking car!
By all means, fix the rust, and fix where ever the exhaust is coming into the car. Nothing wrong with a nice paint job either. I believe the paint blotch and factory marking is going too far, and I sure wouldn't want to put the original tires and wheels back on it, but there is a bit of distance between what it looked like rolling out of the factory door and what most looked like back when they were new cars. I knew a few guys that bought those cars new, the idea was to get the stripped down version so they had the money to buy the headers and mags, and whatever else they wanted. Many could have ordered the car with much of that stuff on it, but the factory pricing was way higher then the local speed shop was, and sometimes the factory offerings were not such high quality. There were reasons most of this stuff came with the painted wheels and poverty hub caps. Gene

There is a picture in there the summed up the 70's muscle car. AAR Cuda- the factory hood just wouldn't do, it needs a HUUUUGE scoop.

Thank you. The car is actually coded on the sheet for road wheels, but I upgraded the front brakes and I like to drive it so 14" Road Wheels are out. You'd be amazed how many purist types lose their mind over putting 15" Magnum 500 wheels (Ford wheels, even though they come from Wheel Vintiques) on a car.
I did the steel wheel and dog dishes on the car when I sold my last set of wider front/narrower rear Centerlines. It looked terrible and I think it was the worst the car ever looked. Except when I bought it with Rallye wheels on it, that is .

Love the old barn in the background!

I'm not a big fan of the '70s or '80s look since most of those cars drove like crap. I got my Coronet to sit the way I like it and then I started driving it. The paint is super faded and has lots of nicks but the body is straight and rust free. I could get it painted but it would cost $20K and then I'd be afraid to drive it so I just keep the faded factory look.

Lots of cool old pics on this page I follow too

https://www.instagram.com/back_in_the_day_cars/

That was an old corn crib. We packed it with wood for woodburner. It was great for drying it out fairly quickly when split and stacked in there.

The stance looks great on your car. I think the next evolution of my Bee will be a wheel and tire combo that is more street friendly. Possibly with more power and overdrive. Definitely with a recovered interior. I can feel it slide through some turns with the 4" wide rubber on the front and I'm not a fan. Looks great IMO, however.

Great pics on that site, but the navigation sucks. Whoever set it up should be forced to drive a Prius for year.

Worth setting up a facebook account to go here instead... https://www.facebook.com/groups/70sstreetmachines .......vintage and current pics, commentary, etc

Facebook?
Uhh, I'll pass.

Facebook amazon and google are PURE EVIL

THEY are just data mines ... THEY know more about you than YOU DO

Boo ya!

Yeah I use to think the same thing, but your missing out on a lot of Mopar forums and others that only having a facebook account can grant you, you don'y have to do the cutesy facebook crap, just open an account/page no major info needed, pretty much the same info signing up like here on Moparts

Mike G

Face book is made up of what YOU want to see. Your feed is the pages YOU subscribe to and friends YOU accept.

It's very simple. If you don't like what you are seeing on Facebook then it's up to you to change what YOU are seeing!

I only signed up in 2016 because that was the way to get up to the minute updates for our local dragstrip. I've been pleasantly suprised that it unlocked a crazy amount of events in other places and things I would have never been exposed to.

I'm thinking of signing up just for that kinda stuff. The people I haven't talked to in thirty years, well there is generally a reason for that.

Thanks.
For all that I have complained about that cult site, I cannot be a hypocrite and join up now. To use the site in some way validates their practices and agenda and I will not go against my beliefs.

Facebook is free because you are the product being sold. That said, I use it for car stuff and other things. I don't have an account. I "borrow" my dog's Facebook account because he doesn't mind and my dog doesn't get ex's from 20 years ago stalking him.

i am ready for different wheels again on my charger. i started out [way back in early 72] with black center keystone's and L-60 & F-60 formula one super stock tires.
over the years there have been cragars [in both the SS and GT versions], aluminum slots, chrome steel slots, painted 5 spokes, and it wears steelies and caps now.
i'm thinking now of painted steel slots and adapting caps to the centers, plus using the thin stainless trim rings like were used in the 40's and 50's.
or ????

in 1987 I was 18 and my dad cosigned my $4500 loan for a 1970 RT Challenger plum crazy. Originalyl it was a 440 six pack automatic car. The Dana was still there but motor trans wheels and induction LONG gone. I added the Edelbrock dual quad package and I left the 440 Six Pack hood emblems. On this car N-50-15s on 15x10 Cragar Super Tricks did not stick out beyond 1/4 panels. Win! But at the car shows over in the bigger city the "Older wealthy' guys would look my car over whispering to each other. Then they would ask me why I removed the Six Pack, the weels and tires the exh manifolds. Blah blah. I had a car that ran mid twelves and looked fantastic at age 18.

I have been heading in that direction myself. When I grew up with these cars,no one kept them stock,most musclecars looked like the ones in those pictures. I did stock thing in the 90s,I am going back to the 70s early 80s look. Back then, people took these cars and made them unique, you might have seen another one out there, but it wasn't exactly like your car! I am putting together my 70 440 Sixpack Charger R/T, and it will be the way I want to build it. I know it's worth a lot more if I restore it to stock,but I don't care. I just whipped up my set of day 2 wheels for it!

For those who say, "Nobody kept them stock". That is absolutely untrue. I know of many cars that were never modified. I also know of cars that only had wheels changed. Most cars that I saw around here or test drove were absolutely stock. These include:
1970 Challenger R/T 383/AT
1962 300 sport (H interior)
1966 Barracuda (it had been rode hard and put away wet, but the only non-stock item was the steering wheel)
1967 Barracuda Formula S convertible (rust had modified parts of the car, but it was absolutely stock)
1968 GTS convertible (only non-stock deviation was the '69 Charger wheel covers, likely put on at the original dealer)
1969 GTS convertible
1968 GTS hardtop
1969 Swinger 340

I bought both the '66 Barracuda and the '68 GTS convertible, which we still have. Many cars were left stock because for many of the original owners they were transportation. That was certainly the case with my GTS.

Jim, I don't doubt there were many that went through life unchanged, but I bet the odds were less the 33% finding one unmodified. All through the 70s - 90s, I parted out a lot of performance era Mopars. Even back then if I stumbled across a pretty much original car, I had a couple guys I knew would buy them, if there was any hope of saving them. By the time I got my hands on those old performance Mopars, not many of any of them were savable, but they sure made great parts cars. I didn't deal with many A bodies, too many were slant 6, and the 5 on 4" bolt pattern made the wheels pretty useless, not many guys were fixing them up. Gene

I know some are out there. Diego helped me find the Cyclone that was not modified. That was huge for me as I knew what I had to work with. Of all things 351 with a 2 barrel, points and mostly original suspension. I've had it for 7 years now and it sure isn't even close to stock anymore as some of it was just plain dangerous.

My brother in law bought his 70 Challenger R/T 440 Sixpack car in 1974 for $1500.00. It had headers,and Crager S/S wheels on it. The seller had the original 15x7 rallye wheels with polyglass tires,he could have bought for another $100.00 he declined. Nobody wanted factory wheels back then. By the time these cars got their second owners,usually younger guys like me,the cars got many aftermarket speed parts. I have had about 200 Mopars over the years,all but about ten were modified from stock.

I bought my first car in the summer of 76 - a 1970 340 Cuda - all stock & original. I never Rickey-Racered the car - I kept it all stock. No traction bars, no air shocks, no mags, no Edelbrock this or that, none of the "too much to list" stuff. And I outran most of the cars I raced - even ones that were heavily-Ricked.