Ground-up restoration

Ground-up restoration[edit]

There are many restoration facilities in existence offering a broad range and quality of services. Some businesses focus their work on only specific components, such as engines, gas tanks, clocks, or chromed parts. Others perform complete restoration or remanufacture of virtually any car including any of its components. This includes restoration to a finished factory level, or better-than-factory condition. Some businesses have the capacity to restore and fabricate all components in-house coupled with the ability to recreate a car no matter what state of decay it is in (or literally how much of the car remains, sometimes as little as a single fender remains and nothing else). There are also restoration services provided by the original manufacturers, such as Ferrari and Aston Martin.^[10][11][12]

Upgrades[edit]

In the U.S. a non-original restored car may be termed a "restored." Upgrades may include newer safety components such as seat belts, brakes or using relays to reduce electric current flowing through light switches. Usability upgrades such as fitting intermittent wipers, an alternator instead of a dynamo, or electronic ignition system instead of contact breaker points ignition system. Emissions upgrades such as hardened valve seats to use standard unleaded fuel, or retrofitted catalytic converters. Upgrades that are easily reversible to the original condition, or were available when the vehicle was current, would be less likely to be controversial. Less acceptable to the classic car market may be major alterations like engine swaps or gearbox transplants, which would be more like hot rodding.

Depending upon how appropriate the upgrades are by other owners of the same model this may reduce or enhance the value of the car. It is important as a restorer or owner, to know what is acceptable to the potential market for the finished car, In other words, if restored to its original condition or changed to a more desirable (but counterfeit) version.