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Love Classics? Why You Should Look at a Restomod Restoration
The Dream vs. Reality of Classic Car Ownership
Have you ever wanted something so badly that you lived it? Breathed it? Worked towards it while you were awake and dreamt about it when you were asleep? You manifested it into reality, and then… Wha-Whaaaa. It was a total disappointment that you didn’t expect. Were you so hyped about the idea that you didn’t think through the details of what it would actually be like?
Unfortunately, this is a common story often told by enthusiasts who achieve their goal of owning a classic car, only to quickly realize that a 1966 Ford Mustang doesn’t provide the same type of enjoyment as their 2022 Lexus that they drive to the office every day.
The Disappointment Scenario: Challenges of Owning a Purely Vintage Car
Owning a purely vintage car can be a dream come true for enthusiasts, but it also comes with its fair share of challenges. Here are some specific examples:
Mechanical Issues: Vintage cars are known for their temperamental nature. From carburetor problems to electrical gremlins, there’s always something that seems to need fixing.
Lack of Modern Amenities: Vintage cars lack many of the modern amenities we take for granted in our daily drivers, such as air conditioning, power steering, and anti-lock brakes. This can make them uncomfortable and inconvenient to drive, especially on long journeys.
Safety Concerns: Vintage cars often lack modern safety features, such as airbags, crumple zones, and anti-lock brakes. This can make them dangerous to drive in modern traffic conditions.
The “Feeling” vs. “Struggle” Concept: Why Restomods Are the Answer
This new wave of Restomod owners are enthusiasts who are driven by memories and emotional connections to the nostalgia of the vintage days. These enthusiasts want the feeling they imagined, the experience of owning a classic, not the struggle of driving one. The “feeling” that people are seeking when they buy a classic car is the sense of nostalgia, excitement, and connection to history that comes with owning a piece of automotive history.
Restomods can provide this feeling without the “struggle” of owning a purely vintage car. This is because restomods combine the best of both worlds: the classic styling and emotional appeal of a vintage car with the modern amenities, performance, and safety features of a new car.
Before the ’90s, Marty McFly was the only guy with a restomod that allowed him the opportunity to relive the past, but his DeLorean wasn’t exactly reliable. He was always stuck somewhere trying to get home.
History of the Restomod Market: How It All Began
The Restomod market has its roots in the hot rod culture of the 1950s and 1960s. However, the term “Restomod” didn’t come into widespread use until the 1990s. In the 1990s and early 2000s, a new generation of enthusiasts began to embrace the idea of blending vintage style with modern technology. This led to a surge in popularity of restomods, which continues to grow today. The Restomod market started picking up attention in the ’90s as enthusiasts wanted to show off their individuality by personalizing and customizing their vehicles into one-of-a-kind pieces of automotive art. Blending modern engineering with practicality and performance was a recipe for success and created a massive adaptation in the classic car market that we see today.
Benefits of Restomods: What Makes Them So Appealing?
Restomods offer several benefits over purely vintage cars, including:
Improved Safety: Restomods can be equipped with modern safety features such as airbags, crumple zones, and anti-lock brakes, making them safer to drive in modern traffic conditions.
Increased Reliability: Restomods often incorporate modern mechanical components, such as fuel injection systems and electronic ignition systems, which are more reliable and easier to maintain than their vintage counterparts.
Enhanced Performance: Restomods can be upgraded with performance-enhancing modifications such as engine swaps, suspension upgrades, and larger brakes, making them more fun and exciting to drive.
Improved Comfort: Restomods can be equipped with modern amenities such as air conditioning, power steering, and power windows, making them more comfortable and convenient to drive, especially on long journeys.
Specific Upgrade Examples:
Safety: Adding airbags, crumple zones, and anti-lock brakes to a vintage car can significantly improve its safety.
Reliability: Replacing a vintage car’s carburetor with a fuel injection system can improve its reliability and performance.
Performance: Upgrading a vintage car’s engine with a modern engine swap can dramatically improve its power and torque.
Comfort: Adding air conditioning, power steering, and power windows to a vintage car can make it more comfortable and convenient to drive.
Addressing Potential Concerns:
Cost: Restomods can be more expensive than purely vintage cars, but the cost can vary depending on the extent of the modifications.
Complexity: Restomods can be more complex to maintain than purely vintage cars, but this can be mitigated by using a reputable restomod builder.
Impact on Originality: Restomods can impact a car’s originality, but this can be minimized by using reversible modifications and retaining as many original parts as possible.
We want you to love your classic car project, and we understand what it takes to both build them and get yourself in a position to be able to own one. If you have a project in mind, give us a call. One of our custom build specialists will walk you through the process. We want you to get this right the first time.
