Did you build your car for you or for what other people like?

[68coronetGLwannabe]

Not asking for opinions on someone Else's car just your own. Why you choose to do what you did with it. Are you a purest or enthusiast. When I did my 68 Coronet I wanted to do something like I would have drove in the early 80's while in high school. Jacked up with big tires and glass packs.  

This has probably been done before so we will wait and see if the thread police bust me. 

[Brock Samson]

I built what I wanted in 1970 when I was 13 and following the Super Stocks - Specifically? Dandy Dick Landy's
'69 R/T.

[elacruze]

I went through all the stages. I had the jacked-up fat tire car in the '70's, the chick-magnet soft ride in the '80's, and the roller-skate tuner car in the '90's. Well, I never had a fart can but did have nice suspension and wheels.

Through it all, the Charger has remained pretty much the same-everything I wanted with it, it was to begin with. Everything I'm doing now, is just to make it the same as always, just a better faster comfier edition. Certainly not for anyone else's viewing pleasure.

[Ghoste]

Why can't a purist also be an enthusiast? 
Just busting your chops, I know what you are trying to say.  I am a little of both and my car is a little of both.  There are things on it that are definitely not stock and there are things about I would never alter.

[1969chargerrtse]

With the amount of money I have in my car, I can tell you I bulit it 100% for what I like.

[nvrbdn]

doin what i like except when the wife was looking at paint chips and she......... i mean we settled on the color we got. i wanted to do a color like dmcl but a little different shade. we checked lots of colors and went to lots of shows. finally we went to a paint chip book that the son brought home with semi colors from 2008. the burnt oranges really popped out of the book. we decided on a burnt orange, she was very influential on the shade of that color. glad she did cuz i love the color.

[69bronzeT5]

I build my cars my way, end of story. I don't care what other people think, they are mine and they are built/going to be built to my liking and tastes 

[skip68]

I built my car to help me get chicks.   

[68coronetGLwannabe]

I built my car to help me get chicks.   

Hows that working out for you? 

[Charger-Bodie]

Why can't a purist also be an enthusiast? 
Just busting your chops, I know what you are trying to say.  I am a little of both and my car is a little of both.  There are things on it that are definitely not stock and there are things about I would never alter.

This is pretty much right where i fall too.

[BrianShaughnessy]

  I made Black Betty in the form that I figured I wanted to make my 1st Charger into way back when if and when I ever got any money.   I was gonna paint over the T5 and make it black and all that happy stuff.   And some people whine that I didn't make it totally stock.

 So now I got my 1st Charger back and It's gonna be another resto mod deal keeping the T5.   And certain people still complain that I'm not gonna keep it 100% stock.

[jb666]

I built my car to help me get chicks.   

Chuck... I've seen the type of "chicks" that these cars attract. You sure you don't wish to re-phrase that?

[mikesbbody]

I build my cars my way, end of story. I don't care what other people think, they are mine and they are built/going to be built to my liking and tastes 

Agreed!  build then how you want not what how others want them to be  if you choose Stock, Modified, Pro Street, whatever do it because you want to. if you do it to please someone else you kidding yourself 

[HANDM]

Let me put it this way, when I need a nut, bolt, washer, spacer or anything else for the Charger, I just go to my local True Value hardware store and go straight to the bolt bin.

If they aint got it, then I look online for it....

[68blue]

My charger is my first car restoration so it has been an education. I had visions of what I wanted, but solicited the opinions of people way smarter than me to keep from doing to many stupid things . A lot of good advice came from folks on this board and that info has helped bring the car along to where it is today. I suppose that sounds like compromising but I've learned a lot, maybe the next car will be better planned.

[oldcarnut]

My charger is my first car restoration so it has been an education. I had visions of what I wanted, but solicited the opinions of people way smarter than me to keep from doing to many stupid things . A lot of good advice came from folks on this board and that info has helped bring the car along to where it is today. I suppose that sounds like compromising but I've learned a lot, maybe the next car will be better planned.

I could echo your post but with a few word substitutions as such.
My Superbird tribute project probably is my last car restoration and it is an ongoing education. I have visions of what I want, but I will solicit the opinions of people more knowledgeable about them than me to keep from doing too many wayward things. It wouldn't be the first time what I had in my head just wasn't the best thing for me to do.  A lot of good advice comes from folks on this board and that info is helping bring the car along to where it hopefully will be one day.  It's going to vary from the norm or original quite a bit but I'll appreciate others inputs that may help keep it/me in check  .  How much I pay attention to it, well that remains to be seen  . I always wanted a wing car and can't afford a real one but since the effort to build one is quite a bit, why not have it my way and not look like everyone else.

[1BAD68]

I built mine for what I like and what my wallet can afford.
That being said, I built the little 318 up some and have it mechanically sound and dependable.
The body is straight and 99% rust free but I don't have the money for a full blown paint job,
so I run around in a cheap Duplicolor flat black paint job that cost about 60 bucks.
Whats cool is teenagers will walk up and say "that's sick, don't ever paint it!"
While older guys always ask "when you going to paint it?"
Either way really doesn't matter to me.
I enjoy talking with the small handful of people that dig my car as well as those that don't like it because it doesn't conform.
Honestly if I had the money, I doubt that I would get it painted anyway.
Not worrying about little scratches or how shiny the paint is but just driving the snot out of it is priceless.

[Brock Samson]

 I hear you,.. that's how i ran mine with a built up 318 and primer and duct tape everywhere... i got grief from folks for havin the SB but it kept me notivated cause i knew that some day the parts i was collecting were gonna go in the car... 

[68X426]

Did you build your car for you or for what other people like?

Build it right, as you like,    and it will be what other people like. 

[greenpigs]

At first I was building it how I would have ordered one and that has morphed into a mirror of the 69 RR the auto shop teacher had in high school. Even if I change my mind everything I have swapped is what I would have done regardless. Right now I am kicking around which paint combo I will go with and they all will have to wait till the bodywork is done.

1)1983 GM bright blue-what it is now- with strip delete
2)Q5 with stripe delete & draglites
3)Y3 with 15X8 steel rims & redlines W stripe delete

It will end up one of those ways but silver is a strong runner as well.

I don't care if someone thinks its striped out or not highway friendly as its my money and choice.

[defiance]

'72 doesn't seem to gain much value from being "stock restored", so I started with the idea of not-really-restoring-but-fixing-up-like-stock.  Then I decided I wanted to change one thing.  Then another.  Then I realized how far I had deviated, stripped off all kinds of stuff and went at the whole project fresh.

In the end it's nothing like stock, but I love it.  Purists will hate a lot of things about my car:
-Roof vynil ripped off and roof rebuilt without it
-Fiberglass add-on to dash for ergonomic access to stereo controls (may later modify this for A/C controls as well)

-completely non-stock (or even stock-looking) front suspension and engine

-painted-on, wrong-color door 'vent' trim

-painted-on, wrong-color hood bulge trim

-painted-on, completely wrong for this year (or even body style) fake-rt-stripe

-cobra rims

(note the snake: )


I'm sure there will be some purists will hate the maming I did to this car, but personally, I couldn't care less about the value of it even if it would have gained value from a restoration.  It's exactly the way I want it.  And just about every time I open the garage, people walking by (or sometimes even driving by) brave the mess that is my garage to stop and say how great it looks, so I guess my taste isn't too whacky



As a note, I do plan on finding different center caps for the rims, but the rims fit the image I wanted so perfectly I figured I could tolerate the center cap even if I couldn't find a replacement.

[Belgium R/T -68]

I built mine as I wanted it, most people I've met told me to go stock since it's a R/T but it doesn't
attract me with a bone stock JJ1 -68 charger and paint can always be replaced.

Per

[nvrbdn]

defiance, that paint looks great. nice car.

[moparstuart]

built mine for ME and my taste alone   

[Bobby41909]

All me...my dream, my money...if others don't like it, they can build whatever they want.  You only have to worry about building to others taste if you plan on selling it.

[BIGBLCK11]

Bought it numbers matching, restored to the tag, except for colors and wheels.  I am changing it as I see fit.  I will keep the parts, in case of the off chance I have to sell it and someone would prefer the original build.  Minus a big hole in the tunnel, for the 4 speed conversion.   

[elanmars]

now that most of the mechanical gremlins have been taken care of, in the next year or next few years, i'll be doing what i want with it. take off the vinyl top, take care of some of the minor rust issues/imperfections, maybe paint it black...or keep it white. get 17s.

[chargermike]

built my charger for meeeeeeeee. i didnot listen to anybody. its mine and i knew what i wanted. 70 charger black tail stripe 440 mag. sublime green with black interior. thats what i built. who cares what anyone else thinks of my car. dont like it ok. dont look at it.

[BlueSS454]

I build my cars my way, end of story. I don't care what other people think, they are mine and they are built/going to be built to my liking and tastes 

Same here  .  Why would anyone want to build a car for someone elses liking unless they are paying you to restore it for them.

[Brock Samson]

  I take it back,.. I built mine for Daisy,.. 

[Khyron]

99 percent for me, i say 99 because this board helped me decide to follow through with the DMCL look :-)

I've never looked back or regretted it for a second. Trophies, awards, parade, magizine article and still no complaints :-)

[gtx6970]

I have always built MY cars to please Me and no one else.

I do my customers cars to please them, then and only then am I'm pleased. and so far, so good.