Automotive Restoration
Preservation and restoration of automobiles
The preservation and restoration of automobiles is the mechanical or cosmetic repair of cars. For example, the guidelines of the Antique Automobile Club of America (AACA) are to “evaluate an antique vehicle, which has been restored to the same state as the dealer could have prepared the vehicle for delivery to the customer.”
Restoration means removing, replacing, or repairing the parts of a vehicle, while preservation means keeping the original components.
Though automotive restoration is commonly defined as the reconditioning of a vehicle “from original condition in an effort to return it to like-new or better condition,” There are many styles of which a vehicle can be restored, any of which can be performed at the discretion, desire, or taste of a vehicle owner or restorer.
Resto-modification
Resto-modification, also known as resto-modding, is when “you take an old car and modernize it with an updated engine, suspension, brakes, tires and[/or] electronics. And if you resto-mod the right way, you can revert back to stock at any time.” Stock is “A vehicle that has not been modified and is in the same configuration as it came from the factory.” Various reasons for performing resto-modifications on vintage cars may include the owner’s desire to have either modern conveniences, improvements in vehicle safety or reliability, and/or improvements in street or track-driving performance. Resto-modifications for modern convenience and safety may include adding features such as air conditioning, power windows, power steering, power brakes, seatbelts, or radio/stereo systems that may have not come installed on a vehicle at the time it was originally produced.