Original vs Correct,, New Body Acceptable?

[toner]

?? The value of 2 restored cars. Supercar A has all major body panels replaced and repainted, it no longer has original sheet metal. Supercar B was cut at the A pillar and where the floor meets the cowl, then has a rust free body attached, car B now has factory built original sheet metal, would it not be more correct then one with replaced indivdual panels?
toner

[sixtiesmuscle]

NO!

[T Billigen]

I second that!!!!

[COPO PETE]

I kind of view it as if a car was human. If a person is sick or gets in an accident, and gets a new heart, eyes, kidney, whatever.... does he or she become the person that the parts came from...... Nope! I think it is real important to take lots of picture as well. When I restore a car, I take pictures all the way along. So in the event I sell it, the buyer can see how good it was, or how bad it was. And if it was bad, they need to see it was fixed properly. I don't go for restamps as I feel you are really trying to fool someone. I've had offers to restamp stuff on my cars, but when you own a collection of any size, if you get caught restamping, everything you own becomes a question mark. I've put "IF" wheels on a car till I could find "XT's" It's interesting because it has happened where someone is contacted because they found the original motor for their car..... and it's supposedly already in the car. Wow, that car came with two motors!!!!
Peter [img]/ubbthreads/images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

[shor]

I think Pete is trying to say that cars have souls!

[68TopStock]

Being in the healthcare industry makes me chuckle about the reference comparing a car body to the human body. When a heart transplant patient receives a new heart, he isn't included in the family lineage of the donor is he? Maybe someday some donor recepient will sue for inheritance because he is a part of the family tree (in his opinion).

Just because a vin tag or oe stamped block is put in a new body, does not make it the car it is supposed to appear as. The original one is dead and hopefully buried. Unless of course you believe in reincarnation! [img]/ubbthreads/images/icons/crazy.gif[/img]

[70 copo]

Toner,

The debate goes on... At first the answer for most is NO.

But...

Original factory quarters are date coded on the inside where they meet the trunk. If the dates are inconsistant with the build of the car then that is a dead givaway that the car has been requartered. The point that I am making here is that if a guy goes to enough trouble to fake an expensive car then the doner rebody will have original sheetmetal - that will pre-date the build of the car that is being re bodied - in a manner consistant with production timeframes for the build of the original car.

Again-- Buyer beware. the buyer has to know what it is that he/she is buying. Research is the most important part here. [img]/ubbthreads/images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

[SuperNovaSS]

I've been being quiet on this one just to get an idea of what everybody else thought about this. A rebody is definetly a last resort but I think in some cases it may be necessary. However, when it is done it should definetly have a direct effect on the value and desirability of the vehicle. How do you guys feel about what was done to this ZL-1?: www.69zl1.com
This is a great thread and I hope everyone will put in their opinion so we can get a general idea of the opinion in the hobby as a whole.



Jason

[Keith Tedford]

If you are spending any large amount of money on a car, you should get a signed total disclosure statement from the seller. Otherwise, you may just be the one trying to explain the restamped engine, and rebody after you have sold the car. Pleading ignorance won't cut it. A ton of pictures during the restoration will pay big dividends down the road. Once a Chevelle is built, it is a devil of a time to pull the heater box to show someone the hidden VIN stamp. Not too many sellers will be willing to do that. At least with having the car restored, you know exactly what you have and the car can be documented to death in the process. Buying a finished car can be a real crap shoot.

[whitetop]

ATTN: 68TS, Sixties muscle, Toner, & Motown Madman

The '69 ZL-1 in the pics posted by Supernovass has a pristine body in my eyes. It would be childs play to fix to what I've seen in my area. Where I come from the cars got winter salt baths + worse yet, fallout from the many steel/industrial plants. Years ago when the pollution was bad I would see cars that were 1-2 years old have the paint totally stripped off by rust.I have seen cars in junyards that 100% of ALL PANELS need replaced due to the fall out from the mills. Some of the cars have litteraly collpased (imploded) to where the cowls/roofs etc have caved in due to major structural rust. I have seen inner quarter side panels that the rear quarter window regulator bolts to have rusted out holes 16-20". I have seen rusted out holes in roofs by the upper windshield trim, not bottom, that go back 4-5"-clear open space. Not to mention rusted out cowls. Even the pillar the door hinges bolt to are totaly gone and the inner cowl structure has rusted away as well. You guys tell me you will try to replace these panels? No way. The car would have to be junked or rebodied. I really wonder how many posters that are against rebodying would not rebody if the car was one of the missing ZL-1's or 1 of 7 Hemi Cuda convertibles. I personally would not rebody a car because that's not my cup of tea but can see the reasons why some would. Sometimes it is not a question of time or money but the impossibility of redoing the car regardless of what one of the posters said above.
Dave