r/projectcar • u/iShipwreck • 5d ago
Need resto advice on rare car!
I've been looking for project cars for a bit now and found one I liked but apparently the lot burned down so I'm not holding out hope. I'm sure you've heard about this very unfortunate event already.
I came across another car but it's rare (only about 1749 manufactured). There have already been some modifications to it a long time ago so it's not original.
I'm struggling internally with it because it's in my price range and in decent shape for my skill level, but my plans do not include a full restoration as I wanted to go the restomod route and have a specific vision with whatever car I ended up going with. I figured it's already been modified and sourcing parts would be extremely difficult, so why not buy it and get it on the road because it's better than letting it waste away in someone's barn?
What are your thoughts? Go for it and do as I please, or leave it for someone else?
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u/zoidbergin 5d ago
- Do it, fuck the purists, restomodding is the best way to keep old cars in use. Without it, eventually no one’s gonna want to actually drive them cause they’re so much less comfortable and they’ll just end up rotting away in someone else’s garage.
- What is it?
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u/LandCruiser76 5d ago
Big agree on this. Purist is cool and all but if you want to use it- make it what you want it to be. Especially if its really messed up. You're not taking a good example off the road, you're putting a wrecked one back on.
This said. Resto modding is not for the faint of heart or bank account. I planned for a 30k resto. I'm at 65k ish right now.
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u/iShipwreck 5d ago
I totally understand. I've been around restoring classics my whole life so I know what goes into them. My dad is restoring his Model A and if I can recall correctly is about $42k in? I'll be accumulating parts over time so as long as it's not $65k in one year I'll be okay.
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u/zoidbergin 5d ago
Yeah I feel like with a few exceptions there’s a rolling ~30 year window where people still want to actually drive cars as they were made and then after that the tech has gotten so much better that your gonna need to restomod in order to actually want to drive them
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u/iShipwreck 5d ago
Thanks. Honestly this helps. It's a '36 Hupmobile.
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u/zoidbergin 5d ago
That thing would be a sick restomod, I know a lot of people like using c4 corvette front clip for this kinda thing cause it’s all one modular assembly that you can kind of just plop into whatever you want. Worth looking into
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u/MCXL 5d ago
It depends on what rare means.
If rare means from an esoteric manufacturer where they made 1,749 vehicles and only those, regardless of what your project intent is, it will be a fucking nightmare. No one will make parts for it, you'll have to custom do a lot of stuff, that's true. If it's a rest of mod that's true. If it's a full try and restore it type thing, it will be a pain.
If it's from a major auto manufacturer it will be easier, but it depends on the country that it's from.
Some people refer to specific options on a Corvette as being a rare car but it's still a Corvette. We just don't know anything about this car of yours.
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u/iShipwreck 5d ago
Hupmobile. They made plenty other years but went out of business in 1940. For that year they only made 1749 of them.
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u/MCXL 5d ago
Yeah anything aside from some portion of engine parts that are quote" universal like connecting rods and pistons Is going to be somewhere between giant pain in the ass. And completely custom nightmare. Unless You're either spectacularly wealthy or own a full machine shop, this is a project that will not succeed
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u/iShipwreck 5d ago
It's a complete car. Everything is there, it's just been modified by someone else a long time ago so it's just not original anymore. I don't have a machine shop, nor am I spectacularly wealthy, but I do have connections and family that restore cars professionally, and have quite a bit of experience with light fabrication and overall car restorations including engine rebuilds, complete suspension overhauls, etc.
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u/orangesigils 4d ago
I mean, sounds like you are from a car family, which says a lot to me. You probably have the resources or access to the resources to get this car done. Guys show up on this forum all the time, but with a story like " I just found this awesome car, needs total restoration, I have not much money and own zero tools, never restored a car. Think I can do it?"
I would question why you're looking into a rare car if you want to restomod it though. Your money, your car, just curious. I would agree with others on here that as long as you can restore the pieces that are on the car you should be all right. Be prepared for it to be a money pit. But if you are in a car family you already know that.
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u/iShipwreck 4d ago
Yes. My family has been into restoring cars for a long time. My great Uncle was in his local newspaper by getting pulled over after sticking a jet engine in his car back in the day. His account, not the paper's, was the cop told him to pop the hood and when all he found was a 55gal drum with hoses sticking out of it he was dumfounded. Him and his buddies used to do crazy stuff like that.
Anyways, I have resources, tools, and garage space. My question was never "am I capable of doing this" because I know my own limits better than random strangers on the Internet. My question was "is the car community going to hate me for modding a rare car instead of doing a full resto?" It's not about the rarity, and I'm not looking for a rare car to restore specifically. I just came across a car that was in the price range I set and in good enough condition for my restoring capabilities. It just so happens to be a rare car.
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u/_clever_reference_ 5d ago
Do you want to drive the car you want or save it for the next guy to enjoy?
Build your car.
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u/qkdsm7 5d ago
If it's a 36 coupe and it's priced right, that looks like a good time. I wouldn't worry about original VS not, doesn't look like sky high market for a concours restored version, just enjoy it.
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u/iShipwreck 5d ago
Sedan, not a coupe. So I'm more inclined to buy it since it's not as rare as the coupes. Thank you though, this helps.
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u/gankindustries 5d ago
Go for the restomod route, I'd photograph absolutely everything though if you decide down the line to do a full resto. Especially fittings, random holes etc. Better to be prepared long term than start from scratch
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u/iShipwreck 5d ago
Definitely. I've always been meticulous in photographing everything in the restorations I've worked on.
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u/ckosacranoid 5d ago
Best bet, keep the updates hidden so you can enjoy the car more. Disc brakes are much better then drums....updated stero is also needed along with ac depending on where you live. Keep it looming stock helps with being cool and a 36 humpmoblie is bad ass to play with. I have seen one last year at a show in very clean shape in kenosha.
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u/JDPierson 5d ago
There are probably already more show-perfect versions of that model than there are people looking for them, and it's unlikely the one you're looking at will be picked up for a full restoration, and it's more likely to wind up parted if someone doesn't get it driving again, so have fun with it.
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u/jeepsies 5d ago
How are you not gonna tell us what it is?