True restoration - Welcome to The Amphicar Lovers Digest / Forum

**True restoration -** 04-20-2007, 01:35 PM

Even if You start with a nice complete car. To restore it to as new
factory specs is nearly impossible. Even when all parts are available
the desire to over restore, or make better than new takes hold. Another
side of this saga which has not been discussed is self protection.
Certain suppliers have sold parts as Amphicar parts that were not. So
the supplier has no desire to get into discussion of "correctness" nor
does the owner. Also as time marches on, some Amphicar only parts are
extinct or close to it. Some because they were not too good to start
with, like bilge pump switch, even the bilge pump itself. So to restore
a car "properly" You have to pay (sometimes) large sums for a part You
yourself would rather not use. It was surprising how many people made
fun of Me using the term restofied. This to Me is an excellent term
accurately describing 95% of the Amphicars alive! In the cars I rescue,
I prefer to stay within reasonable original guidelines. All the cars I
have done were for Owners that planned on using them. So any upgrades
from Original that make the car safer, more fun or easy to use are ok in
My book. And then I have no problem with saying restored to original
except for ......Luckily for Me I found a handwritten note saying the
Factory upgraded My car with a prototype 1300 with a new fangeled
"tubeless" ignitor ignition. Some cars deserve to stay Original. Later
Dave the wish I had a running Amphicar Wave

**True restoration -** 04-20-2007, 01:35 PM

Even if You start with a nice complete car. To restore it to as new
factory specs is nearly impossible. Even when all parts are available
the desire to over restore, or make better than new takes hold. Another
side of this saga which has not been discussed is self protection.
Certain suppliers have sold parts as Amphicar parts that were not. So
the supplier has no desire to get into discussion of "correctness" nor
does the owner. Also as time marches on, some Amphicar only parts are
extinct or close to it. Some because they were not too good to start
with, like bilge pump switch, even the bilge pump itself. So to restore
a car "properly" You have to pay (sometimes) large sums for a part You
yourself would rather not use. It was surprising how many people made
fun of Me using the term restofied. This to Me is an excellent term
accurately describing 95% of the Amphicars alive! In the cars I rescue,
I prefer to stay within reasonable original guidelines. All the cars I
have done were for Owners that planned on using them. So any upgrades
from Original that make the car safer, more fun or easy to use are ok in
My book. And then I have no problem with saying restored to original
except for ......Luckily for Me I found a handwritten note saying the
Factory upgraded My car with a prototype 1300 with a new fangeled
"tubeless" ignitor ignition. Some cars deserve to stay Original. Later
Dave the wish I had a running Amphicar Wave

**Re: True restoration -** 04-20-2007, 03:14 PM

I've gotta go with Dave on this one.

It is one thing to intentionally mislead a buyer. At the same time, remember the story of the guy with the restored Duesenberg (I think) about two years ago. He did a full and complete restoration. It was "Unmodified" which meant no seatbelts. Took his family for a test drive within days of completeing the work.They rolled or got hit and they all died.

When you are advertising on somewhere like eBay, the term "frame off restoration" may not be technically correct but is easily enough understood by anyone. The term "modified" would not make any sense for a high quality restoration. To most people "modified" conjurs up a lowered rice-burner with neon lighting, silly exhaust, goofy wheels, ugly paint job, etc.

Sure, it is not appropriate toclaim that substitute or repro parts are NOS. But on my Amphi I'll still take a steering box brace, seat belts, radial tires, and an aftermarket bilge pump. Of course anything other than original factory paint should not be acceptable. To spare owners the indignity of being seen in such abominations, anyAmphi that has been "modified" withnon-NOS paint oreven door sealsmust be immediately sold to me for no more than $3,000.

Mike