1968 A question on original v. restored?

[Gotthebug]

So my question is this, when has too much been done to the the car before its no longer considered original or a survivor? The car i purchased was with the original owners till they passed in 2015, then the children who passed in 2018 then to the grandchildren who sold it. My goal was to just maintain it and drive it as is but one repair led to another and snowballed from there. I have tried to find good used original parts where i could to keep the original look but somethings like wiring I opted for new for obvious reasons. Then i chased down electrical problems with the tail lights with help from this site which led to new lenses cause the old ones were cracked and i did not want them to leak and corrode again but now i look and them with pitted frames and think it looks odd. What I am curious about, is as long as parts are replaced with original style will the car be considered a surviver or somewhere in between survivor and restored? Thanks, Bob

 

[rvrtrash]

Personal opinion only, a car is a survivor only as long as it has all it's original parts on it. I would say you could replace wear items like light bulbs, brake pads, etc. Once you start replacing wiring, lenses, trim pieces, it's no longer a survivor. MCA probably has a better classification though.

Steve

 

[Mosesatm]

How are you going to use the car? Is there a reason to keep it a survivor? For example, if it has the original weather stripping, and you want to drive it for more than shows you’re going to have a noisy and leaky ride.

 

[franklinair]

MCA has a judging category for unrestored Mustangs. No 'survivor' category.
Hemmings has an article re: survivor versus unrestored categories
After 50+ years they all need restoring to some degree. Some more so than others.
It's a personal choice as to what level satisfies the individual.
I prefer that they look & drive like new, with some practical upgrades.

Neil

 

[CougarCJ]

I am going to stay away from the word 'survivor' or unrestored in my response.

If a car has mostly original paint, is presentable 'as is', with patina on the trim and interior. I would be inclined to leave it alone. I lean towards the word time capsule, instead of survivor. Survivor to me, is mostly unrestored but still factory original.

Going to go a step further for a time capsule car, could be any kind of car.
I am not a strictly concours guy. I like 'day two' cars, where 'period', tasteful modifications, or add-ons may be included on the car. Things like vintage speed equipment, wheels, etc. Must be period or era correct though.

 

[rvrtrash]

I found this:

https://www.hagerty.com/media/buying-and-selling/preservation-class-cars/

Steve

 

[sam]

If you’re into car show judging , you’ll want either NOS replacement parts or good quality replacement parts . If you’ve gone to the extent of replacing the tail light lenses , then absolutely yes to new tail light bezels . Personally I’m not into judging and more into a stock appearing car with reliable current technology . I’m not bothered by my Triple A battery or non Ford spark plug wires . Functionality , reliability and smart looks are important to me .