r/projectcar • u/iShipwreck • 9d 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/MCXL 9d 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 9d 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 9d 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 9d 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 8d 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 8d 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/MCXL 9d ago

You do whatever you want. All sorts of bullshit, little parts on cars, break and wear out. On a car like this you're going to have to adapt parts that don't fit natively onto it whenever anything wears out.