FC Commondores

[JB]

Yeah RET,

But with one foot on either side... Means your nuts are on the line!!!. 

Sorry couldn't resist...

Jason.

[mcl1959]

I would have to agree with RET, I would classify myself predominantly as a restorer with clearly my best cars having been full on restos. BUT I have had a hand in modifying a huge number of FE's and FC's over the years - my first car was a modified FC in 1972 and my current car is a modified FE (I finally saw which was the better model )
I love restored cars and modified cars and I certainly don't believe in the old adage of a car being "too good to modify" Personally I like to start with the best car possible and go from there.

Ken

[pedro]

FEs are just that much better though

Tut tut Stinky, as a moderator shouldn't you be throwing water on the fire not petrol , anyway wasn't the FE a prototype and the FC is when they reached perfection
                                                   Pedro

[Glenn 'Stinky' Stankevicius]

Tut tut Stinky, as a moderator shouldn't you be throwing water on the fire not petrol , anyway wasn't the FE a prototype and the FC is when they reached perfection
                                                   Pedro

Are looking for a "time-out" Pedro? 

[pedro]

I'm sorry uncle Stinky i promise i'll be a good boy from now on and won't put shit on FE's just don't give me time out or i'll get withdrawl symptoms
                                      Pedro

[Rod]

Ive followed this thread with interest but haven't felt a need to comment. Modification or restoration doesn't concern me. Ive got two vehicles and while they are relative stock I don't class them as original as they have had modifications anyway ie: tyres, radios, differing motor numbers etc...

If making a serious modifications I think that you need to be in it for the long hall. I am currently watching an American car auction on One HD and this very discussion came up. They spoke about modification and the problem lies when or if you go to sell the car in the future. You modify to your desire and plans. If you go to sell, finding someone else who has the same tastes will be limited. What they were saying is at auction the supply and demand is limited to modified vechicles due to this fact.

Personally I like the stock vehicles but only wish I had the skills, time, passion and desire that we see are seeing with the modification vehicles.

By the way. The auction was interesting. I can't believe how cheap some of the vehicles were being sold for. Would barely cover the cost of parts materials of the restorations / modifications let alone the time. I can see why some people import them into the country.

Cheers

Rod

[ratbox]

yes you are correct RET with modifiers completley dissliking stockers, i figure if you can't see the beauty of a body style in the stock original form it pretty much won't improve with modification
i like MCL's thinking aswell the better car you start with the easier the job although i am starting to get a consiance and find it harder to make a cut on a good original car

[NO NAME]

ha ha, i thought this was going to be about stockers, the COMMONdore look, were at a event they all line up and most people seem to look at the first two and assume all the rest are exactly the same.
 stockers are ok, you cant get more period correct than a origional car with a rubber floor on crossply tyres with no seatbelts and just enough accsessories to be typical of what a FE or FC might have been like in its day(not the whole friggin nasco catologue fitted).
 i also think you loose some of the feel updating the engine, gearbox, brakes, seats etc
 the down side is youve seen one youve seen them all, just the colours vary but how many people really remember your car, how many people are going to pick your car at a car show of 500 cars and take a photo for a screen saver on there computer or mobile phone.

from what ive seen on ebay with all old cars be it a 1932 ford or a hr holden modified cars seem to pull higher money, i dont know why, personally i prefer to buy a standard car and modify it to my taste but that doesnt  i dont plan to sell ever so if the value of my car is $1or $1000000 i dont care.

i personally like old stuff, i updated my motor but the motor is still from about 1963, i wanted it to be fast, i like fast cars, to get it fast by todays standards it cost alot of money and some relibilty and fuel economy is sacrificed, i guess that is why people bite the bullet and fit a $1000 later model engine instead of spending $7000 on a red waiting to explode.
 i like FC holdens, i grew up around them and have significant childhood memories of being in modified ones they almost have the style of the beautiful american cars but are swifter to drive and have almost half the weight, they are also from the country i am most proud of.
 but like most factory built cars there is room for improvement when you are rebuilding a car at your own pace at home instead of it being quickly built on a assembly line, alot of ugly joins and seems can be done away with for a nicer smoother look, badges used to advertise the car to other motorists in traffic when it was new can be taken away for cleaner smoother looking panels, if you know you wont be driving on a 20 mile dirt track to your farm each day you can reduce the ground clearance for a sleeker lower wider look.
 you can even choose your exact favourite colour instead of the factory colours and ofcourse pearls, candy and metal flake has been used since the 50's, the only new colours are the flip flop ones wich can go from green to purple or gold to purple, modern colours common today are dark metallics, silver, black or white.
 in the end you have a car to suit its owner, and usually something that stands out

[fe350chev]

I know this is an old thread but I am glad to rekindle it for new members who, like me, are having this internal struggle.

I was actually inspired to get an FE/FC because I had seen them at classic custom and hotrod shows over the years. So I would not have "saved" the old cars like I have from the crushers etc or from deteriorating further - til they get to a state - that you cannot even recognise them anymore.

That's why I have bought 2. But funny thing is, the taxi I bought is modified but it was modified for a purpose and that was to be part of a taxi fleet in Adelaide. Now, John's argument is sort of true (despite his delivery he has acknowledged was not intended to be) BUT  I am a history buff, which means, the true originality of the grey two tone original numbers means very little to me because, the car is an "actual part of Adelaide's history" as it stands in black. In other words, it means much more to my family and those I know in Adelaide (especially older people) than just a car that was owner by someone I have no connection with. So I am not going to go and buy a car that has this type of history and take it back to original, because I have all these docs that prove its authenticity. Car culture is what we are talking about here, and all cultures require "meaning making" from its participants.

Also, my Blue FE (which is the best car of the 2 cos its an FE ha ha  ) is totally standard in every way, but still, its so far gone in the body that half the metal will be replaced. So I am ripping out half of its soul straight away, but its still better than what would have happened if I had no inspiration from the 'retroteked' machines I have began to like and respect.

I have actually gone full circle and have learned to respect them for what they are (I am talking the stock machines) and we did exactly what John has said. And I appreciate John for having the balls to say what he said (although I think the way he said it was not his intention to offend anyone) so now I am sort of thinking.....hmmmm an fe or fc is not like a "HSV" or something like that, it wasnt built for speed necessarily, so why am I sucked in by that (I use sucked in as in 'drawn to it' not fooled). Sometimes I like the ideas of cars sitting in the paddock rusting and some should stay there as reminders of our heritage. They become part of the furniture.

So we did what some said, we got a Sportswagon. Ill do up the FE and FC, with the FC being done as a taxi for its 'real' heritage reasons and I will still be torn whether to do my FE as a really retro tek'd car or keep it original with few mods.

BUT....    I also love Skylines and Supra's etc, so I feel if I want a fast car that was built to go fast, then I should buy one of those perhaps and for the same money it will still always turn corners better than a FE would.

BUT, would true Skyline lovers hate it when I buy a stockie and modify it with billet this and billet that, coil overs etc. Well to tell you the truth, I doubt it, cos every time you speak to people who love them, its almost a race to see how modified you can make it...so different era of the 'bling bling'. A culture has been created - FPV, HSV, TRD etc.

Modification on cars has evolved and been "commercialised" - which is a step away from the original car builder logic to build a car for people to get from a to b and for them to make a profit in doing so. But how boring is that. Its like telling someone that if they buy a house they must keep it as original as possible. I can understand both sides and I think as long as we respect each individual car for what it is, then we can't go too wrong.

Some old rust buckets I can sit and admire for hours. A bloke over the back paddock has chev utes and ford utes just rusting away - 30's to 40's models. They should stay like that, it so cool that they are sitting there growing old gracefully, away from nasty restorers  , so there is even another level to this, those like me who also appreciate undriveable cars that are just rotting away! You know what they say "beauty is in the eye of the beerholder".