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August
13, 2003 Blasting and a Philosophical DiscussionI know most of you don't come here to get intense mental work-outs, but as I was sandblasting some parts this evening, I came across some damage that got me thinking: What is the motivating philosophy behind any restoration, and what does "restoration" mean to me personally? Now hear me out--I'm not being goofy. Take a look at these pictures of the battery hold-down cover that I blasted today:
So I'm blasting these parts as I usually do, and for the most part, the stuff coming off my Buick is in remarkably good condition. I haven't really faced the challenge of restoring a really bad part, and when faced with such tasks, I usually try to find a NOS replacement instead. But these battery tray hold-downs are hard to find, and are virtually non-existent in good condition. The environment in which they live eats them up fast, especially since old batteries had to be vented and opened frequently to add water. Add to that the elements that typically wear on a car and its placement in the engine compartment (down low on the frame just in front of the firewall), and, well, you have a recipe for destroying some metal. I found my hold-down in the trunk, so I don't know how long since it was last on the car, but it was a little rough. Blasting revealed just how rough it really is. As I blasted, I thought about what restoration means to me. For the most part, I want to car to be as it was in 1941. However, I'm not opposed to using modern materials to achieve that, or to making "invisible" modifications, such as those I plan for the engine. But there will be no modern parts on the car, no alterations to its basic specifications, and few deviations from what the Buick engineers originally envisioned. At the most basic level, my philosophy of restoration is to make every single part as good as it possibly can be, but to take into account the past 62 years of progress. Powdercoating frame components is great. Using base coat/clear coat paint is a good idea, and I'm still undecided on the radial tire issue. But that doesn't change the fact that I want every single part to be as good as it possibly can be, and as close to original specification as possible. Then why does this battery tray cause me consternation? I'll tell you why: is it really worth restoring 100%? The part is almost invisible to the casual observer, and even an expert will have to get pretty close to see the damage, especially after it is painted satin black and installed in the bottom of the engine compartment with shiny new hardware. I am now asking myself if I should weld up the damaged areas, grind them smooth and restore the part to perfection. Is that past the point of diminishing returns or is it part of the basic restoration philosophy? Part of me says nobody will ever notice, and since the part is structurally sound, it doesn't really matter to the overall restoration. Still, there's another voice that says a true restorer should strive to make each part as perfect as it can be, no matter how insignificant. That same voice points out that this Buick project is a journey that I want to enjoy, and restoring each component is part of that journey. It might take a few extra hours, but I'll never think about it again; I'll never worry at a show that someone will notice it and say, "Hey, this guy's a hack!" It's unlikely that will ever happen, but that's the kind of thing I would notice and at least think to myself if it were someone else's car. At the moment, I'm leaning towards spending the time to properly repair the part, especially now, as I read the paragraph above. My thoughts on the subject seem to have crystallized, and I think I know what I have to do. Looks like I'll have another use for that welder when it shows up...
Anyway, I got a lot of parts blasted last night, but it was getting late and the compressor was getting too hot (the blast cabinet is an AIR HOG!). I will powder the rear bumper brackets and license plate bracket this weekend, and put the battery tray away until I'm ready (and skilled enough) to repair it. I may also blast the suspension parts I removed from the rear axle a few days ago, and powder those with the rest. It always feels good to put more finished parts on the shelf. Previous
Restoration Day E-mail me at toolman8@sbcglobal.net This page accessed Thanks, Fidget! |
