Restoration or Restification

Charging headfirst into a heated debate . . .

When maintaining a classic auto, there comes a time when one is faced with the choice between replacing a component with the standard factory replacement or using an "improved" version of the same. For most people, the choice comes down to price, or more specifically value: which alternative will give me the most miles for my money?

There are those who will argue (vehemently) that you should always use factory replacement parts on a classic car; anything else degrades the value of the car and is an insult to all who view it. The very thought of replacing the worn out Muncie M-20 "rock-crusher" 4 speed manual transmission on their Chevelle with a Borg-Warner T-56 6 speed out of a wrecked Camaro makes these people livid. How dare we question the decisions made by the engineers at GM?

I am promoting a different slant on this debate. First of all, if you own the automobile, do whatever you want. It's your car, period. Having said that, I personally do factor the decisions of the original engineers into my automotive modifications. For instance; I believe that if the engineers who designed my 1979 Trans Am had had access to a programmable closed-loop fuel injection system for the same price as the Rochester Quadrajet carburetor, they would have used it in a heartbeat.

Just some fuel for the fire.