I hope youz guys don't kick me outta this forum for this, but.....
As I'm about to embark on a major refurbishment/restoration/refreshening of my '70/4, I'm experiencing "analysis paralysis". To wit, how much time, money and effort to expend on the pursuit of perfection? A brand new, complete floor pan is a given, a "must". The exterior paint and metal are surprisingly good, considering that the last time rust was encountered was in 1979, and at that point it was cut out and repaired. Most of the exterior paint, though over 30 years old now, still looks pretty good. Regardless, I'm also going to have the exterior gone down to bare metal, fix any problems that manifest themselves, and have a complete repaint of the existing, original color
Now here's were it gets muddy. I'm going to have the engine compartment taken care of, mechanically and cosmetically. But where to draw the line? For instance, the original oil bath air cleaner is all there, including the red printing on the top, but that unit isn't perfect, but it is original. Similarly, the grey intake runners are dingy and can be cleaned, but will never have the beautiful appearance of freshly painted, restored ones. The inside of the front and rear trunks are solid and rust free but have their share of nicks, scratches, a tire stain(front), and scuffs from thirty plus years of road trips and vacations. I've seen the underside of front and rear trunk lids finished to breathtaking mirror finishes, and my original finished lids were never painted from the factory to that standard. Once again, the bottom of these lids are original. A previous thread on this forum concerns the area around the fuel tank. Once again, I have a nice original finish with a few minor scratches...repaint or not?
Our good friend Pat Garvey would no doubt admonish me for not re-doing everything, but when I see a scuff mark in the rear trunk from our trip to Aspen in 1978, or the scratch on the inner fender well by the fuel filler from our trip to Florida in '76, I see this car as part of my family, surely as I appreciate the lines and wrinkles on my wife's face that I've helped put there these past 37 years. These small blemishes show the car's personality and use and are all on original surfaces, paint and finishes.
Pat, feel free to comment for our fellow members, though I know what your recommendation will be.
I'm not trying for a PCA Parade win here, but a car that presents itself as it would look after about 1-2 years use from new. I'm afraid if I seek perfection, I'll be afraid to drive it for fear of the gravel, mud and debris on the road. Also, eliminating all signs of use remove its personality and consign it to museum status.
Sorry to be so long-winded, but I'd appreciate hearing from my fellow forum members. BTW, when this car is finished, it's not going to be sold. We've had this for 30+ years, and it's like one of the family. (Pat, you can relate to that).