To Restore or Not to Restore
Since finding this site last week the brain has been running overtime. I would really like to enjoy my barracuda again but wonder what the appropriate path is. I have seen some decent original cars ruined in the past and always wondered why someone would do that, (the Mopar purist in me). The cost of a doing a restoration vs what the car will be worth afterwards must play a part in the decision. It seems foolish in todays times to spend thousands more than the cars potential value would be afterwards. I am willing to spend the cash to restore or sell if the investment warrants that, but I really would like to spend it towards building a Pro-Street driver. I have kept this car (since 1985) through years of no money, changing jobs, getting married and new priorities and the list is to long put in words. All the time thinking the car was fairly rare. I would have put fender headers on it in the 80's when there was no under chassis options out there. It would have been tubbed and narrowed as well.
That being said I am looking for some advice/opinions as to restore or start cutting. Good thing is times have changed and either this car or another Mopar (A or E) will be cruising the scene in north georgia with me behind the wheel. Attached is the fender tag. I decoded it @ stock mopar but some of the codes did not translate or cannot be entered. line 2 from the bottom has B7 twice and B5 following the trim code. Was the exterior paint B7 and the interior B5? This car has trim below the rear glass that wraps around from C to C and trim at the bottom of the A pillars that makes me believe it had a vinyl top at one time (pic attached). Could that have been installed by the dealer?
Since finding this site last week the brain has been running overtime. I would really like to enjoy my barracuda again but wonder what the appropriate path is. I have seen some decent original cars ruined in the past and always wondered why someone would do that, (the Mopar purist in me). The cost of a doing a restoration vs what the car will be worth afterwards must play a part in the decision. It seems foolish in todays times to spend thousands more than the cars potential value would be afterwards. I am willing to spend the cash to restore or sell if the investment warrants that, but I really would like to spend it towards building a Pro-Street driver. I have kept this car (since 1985) through years of no money, changing jobs, getting married and new priorities and the list is to long put in words. All the time thinking the car was fairly rare. I would have put fender headers on it in the 80's when there was no under chassis options out there. It would have been tubbed and narrowed as well.
That being said I am looking for some advice/opinions as to restore or start cutting. Good thing is times have changed and either this car or another Mopar (A or E) will be cruising the scene in north georgia with me behind the wheel. Attached is the fender tag. I decoded it @ stock mopar but some of the codes did not translate or cannot be entered. line 2 from the bottom has B7 twice and B5 following the trim code. Was the exterior paint B7 and the interior B5? This car has trim below the rear glass that wraps around from C to C and trim at the bottom of the A pillars that makes me believe it had a vinyl top at one time (pic attached). Could that have been installed by the dealer?