Restromods, Keeping the Original Bits

[CTX-SLPR]

Howdy,

A bit of a philosophical with a dash of financial question to throw at y'all. My '64 Riviera was original numbers matching when I bought it and when I started the process of going restromod I packed most of the original parts away to keep in case I needed to sell it figuring it was going to be more valuable with the original stuff than a partly complete restromod. Well over time the spare interior stuff, the carb'd gas tank, etc. all got sold off as soon as I had a modern replacement for them working but the original engine and transmission stayed safely stored inside. I decided to sell the transmission here as it's not number coded to the car and I'm close enough to getting the Turbo6 and 4L80E working that its almost a driving car again. The original engine is worth a fair bit more but also harder to let go of since it does have a VIN string on it.

What's y'all's thoughts on keeping the original stuff around if it's numbers matched? Sentiment, fallback financial proposition, or just pour the cash back into the budget?

[79 Camaro]

On my current 80 Camaro RS with a LS3/4L60E combo the original V6/3 speed went directly to the salvage yard. LOL. It is a mint 28K mile car. I did sell the RS wheels, dash cluster and few misc parts.

[Vimes]

That's a hard one. Today restomods bring more money at auction than true originals. 20 years from now, all original might be worth more. Today, not much of a Buick following, everyone is into Camaros and Chevelles. 20 years from now? An all original 65 Riviera might be going for 20 million at auction. I mean, who predicted 20 years ago that old Dodges would be selling for more than 1 million and up to 3.5 million? (https://www.hotcars.com/best-70s-muscle-cars-worth-a-fortune/)

Unless you need the money and/or space now, it won't hurt to keep the original stuff around.

[dhutton]

It’s restomod, not restromod…. :)

Those old nailheads don’t bring a lot of money usually. The chances of your car going back to stock are pretty slim….

[mikedc]

IMO muscle car values are headed downhill in the long term (decades). The boomers are nearing the end of their run and the younger generations simply don't have the money & interest to replace them all.

The A-list collectibles (Mopars with original Hemi VINs, etc) will hold their values. The average car in the hobby will not.


BTW, I'm talking in terms of real values here. If a car has the same number on the pricetag from 2014 to 2024, then its real value has dropped. Inflation.

[dontlifttoshift]

If you are not using the parts, sell them. You will never put them back on and the person that buys the car won't either.

[Pedigry]

Get rid of it. The truth is, unless the car is of really high value to start with, you most likely wouldn't have turned it into a restomod to begin with. That stuff just ends up taking up a ton of space in your garage and it's there for a decade. Sell it, junk it, get rid of it. There is value in lack of clutter as well.

[Zachalanche]

I could benefit from some of these responses. I've been keeping too many clapped out parts for way too long.