It doesn’t matter if you are fitting aftermarket wheels or hanging fuzzy dice on the mirror, modifications are modifications—especially if they help express who you are.
In all those modifications, however, is it ever possible to go too far down that path—especially when it comes…
If you are preserving it for future generations, you don't really own it. You're just giving it a place to live and the future owners have control over the car.
And hey, now it's 1 of 1 instead of 1 of 20,000. It's MORE rare.
20,000 built is not rare. Uncommon maybe, but not rare.
A little more than 8000 Volvo 1800ES models were built, yet we seem to celebrate modifying those here. My own plans for mine include extensive modifications, although with some eye towards the ability for a future owner to return it to original if desired. But if someone wants an all original 1800ES, they aren't difficult to find and mine needs so much metal replacement it will never be "original" anyway, so I see it as a blank slate to do what I want.
I'd do it if could easily be put it back.
Of course rare doesn't always mean anything, my Datsun 1200 is rarer than the 240Z and the 510 but obviously far less collectable. That is a factor in my willingness to modify a car.
I'm modifying a Quantum Syncro (1 of 3800), so... yes?
Questions of value come in to play too, not just monetary value but historical value and utility value. Rare sometimes just means nobody bought them.
I've actually decided not to buy my unicorn in large part because a big portion of its value is the heritage. So I'd just be a caretaker, and I don't want to be a caretaker for someone else's car.
I'm gonna have to go with a hard YES on this one...
About 8000 made and I killed two to make this one.
I have, and did again.
The acr pictured is done with ALL period correct bolt ons. Except for porting. Thats a bit more than bolt on. Regardless, except for the stereo none of the parts were not available in 1999.
However, it can be put back to stock pretty easily.
Its also supposedly one of less than 10 lapis blue acrs left.
So, yeah. Rare. And modified.
It depends. I generally don't care to modify my cars in a way that can't be easily reversed. If I had something really rare I might consider bolt on modifications just for fun as well as be able to store and preserve the original parts (basic stuff like wheels, exhaust, suspension components, etc).
That's my M.O.
If we're counting 1 of 20k as rare, then probably everyone on this forum has modified a "rare" car at some point in their life.
Hell yes I would. A vehicle is a car first, and art second. I believe we should drive all vehicles until they return back to the earth.
I would do whatever I damn well please to any car I own.
If purists have a problem with it, I couldn't care less. I don't buy cars to make money later on them, I buy cars to make them the way I want them and then drive them. So I have no regard for whether or not things I do to them increase or decrease their resale value. However, if someone wants to drive a stock rare vehicle around with no modifications, I'm fine with that too (since it's their car and that's what they like).
Now, people who sock away a bone-stock "rare" car for decades and never drive it, in hopes that it will be worth more someday, are boring, sad people.
Incidentally, the rarest car I've owned (Triumph GT6+), there were only 12,000 total built over three years. Mine was not even remotely close to stock.
1 of 947. Consider me in the "Yes" crowd.
But then again, the car was hacked and beaten when I bought it. I wouldn't have done this to a running driving model.
1 out of 1200 made. Does that count as rare? 
Only way to tell it's an R package is to call Mazda with the VIN, everything that made it "special" is gone.
Yes. If its metal, it can be put back to stock if the next owner desires.
Remember, they made this hulk airworthy. Anything is possible with time and money.
dps214 said:If we're counting 1 of 20k as rare, then probably everyone on this forum has modified a "rare" car at some point in their life.
Mazda only sold about 20,000 Miatas (in Emerald Mica), so yeah, I am part of the swashbuckling rare car mod crowd!
they're only original once, LOL
They made roughly 400 tr8 coupes. I own 6 of them, and wrecked two others on the race track. The 6 I have now are all modified, so it's pretty easy to see where I stand. My cars, so I get to do what I want to them.
Its not just how many were made, but how many are left, and in what condition. And of course everyone has their own opinion what "rare" means.
My opinion:
If a car fits your meaning of rare and is in good shape, it is best left stock or easily returned to stock.
I don't mind a rare car thats in bad shape or was highly modified in the past being changed further. Sometimes this can save a car.
I pondered this question for a while. I'm a major fan of resto-mods and pro-touring cars. Care almost not at all for anything stock.
I tried to think of any car I wouldn't alter. Only thing I came up with was the original McLaren F1... but then I would put modern tires on it. 
If it was rare and valuable.. probably not...
but if it was rare and relatively worthless? sure!
Rare for the wrong reason does not add any value. I had a 1 of 9 car that was worthless. I also had a 1 of 113 car that was stupid valuable. Rare because no one bought it originally is not a good driver for value.
One thing about the Consul Capri that makes it pretty rare is the low survival rate, not necessarily that they only made 20k of them. Almost like Ford GB got into a discussion with the Italians about rusty cars and went "hold my lukewarm beer and watch this".
i own two rare vehicles = the Maxton (1 of 50-ish) and an Italian bike with an unknown but low (estimated less than 100 made). Neither of them is modified- the Maxton might see some potentially reversible improvements, though.
Mass produced vehicles are fair game, and doubly so if the mods are reversible.
My F500 is the 3rd Novakar built, there were only 6 cars made in the first series...........I've modified it.
I'm in the camp of it's my car and I shall do as I please.
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