Would You Modify a Rare Car?

I have no problems modifying a rare car. My Galant VR4 was bone stock when I bought it in 2000. It was a good car stock, one of the faster 4 door sedans in the early '90's. But the suspension was soft, and it rode on 15" tires. I added another 100+ HP, greatly improved the suspension, swapped out the 15's for 17's with wider tires. I removed the still functioning rear wheel steering and added a stronger limited slip rear end. The car was transformed from a pretty fast sedan from the early '90's to a fast car period. To me, there would be no point to owning it stock other than to say "neat, this is what cars were like back then." It's so much better with even simple mods.  I did try to keep it as stock looking as possible, but that was more to satisfy my want to keep it a sleeper rather than some commitment to keeping it stock. I kept all of the stock parts, but I didn't hesitate to do a few irreversible mods to the bumper support and sheet metal to fit a larger intercooler and piping. These are kind of weird in that they are so much rarer than other '90's cars, and crazy capable with actual racing pedigree (they are homologation cars after all) but they were so off the radar then that they are still off the radar, they have not appreciated as well as other cars of the era. A couple nice stock ones have sold for a fair amount, but so have nice modded ones. None have sold at prices that would push me towards selling mine, so I'll do what I want to it and enjoy it. 
 

My other rare car is a '95 M Miata. It has suffered under the CA sun for years and is getting a paint job soon. I'll be keeping it the stock color, but not because it's rare. Because I like It, and don't want to deal with a color change. It's stock, but only because I enjoy it stock and it's down my list on my cars to modify. It does need some big time help in the HP department though, which will be addressed when the time comes. It's only stock now because I couldn't bring myself to spend money to add HP only a couple at a time, the VR4 spoiled me a bit. It needs forced induction or an engine swap. 
 

I guess another of my cars is rare too. 2005 Legacy GT Wagon. I kept it stock because I bought it new and it was my daily driver. Building the engine now, because Subaru. Mild mods, adding 50 to 100 HP, depending which way I go with the turbo. Keeping it stock and sleeper looking. 
 

What makes a rare car? Production numbers, or how many are left? To be rare in my opinion, it has to be significantly different (better) than the common version. I don't like counting colors or trim options as rare, unless it's significantly different from the common cars and not easily duplicated. I don't really see the '95 M Miata as rare. It's got a rare color and a couple rare trim parts. The Galant VR4 was rare when new, and many of the new ones were stripped down to build rally cars. It is significantly different from the regular Galant, doesn't even share the same floor pan. But by the numbers, my wagon may be even more rare- if you count the manual transmission version as separate from the auto. I read 1461 turbo manual wagons built for US and Canada combined. Not as rare if you count the auto. 

There's rarity, and there's desirability. They're not always synonymous. 
 

I daily a very rare car.  I doubt that anyone would care what I did with it. 
 

Purple Frog (Forum Supporter) said:

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.  

100% Agree with this. Since the first car rolled off the first assembly line, true enthusiasts have looked at them as a starting point, not some gold standard to be preserved.  I count myself a member of that group.  I respect historically important cars, and enjoy seeing rare cars restored to showroom condition.  But I’ve never owned a car I didn’t feel comfortable with modifying and customizing.

Also, scouring the earth for super rare concours-correct hose clamps and bolts will never be my idea of fun.

In reply to Floating Doc (Forum Supporter) :

Heritic........how dare you modify that car.

All 3 of the cars at the house are considered rare and all of them have mods either already installed or planned. 

1 of 3000 94 M edition Miata. Basically everything has been touched at least once.

1 of unknown remaining 1990 Eagle Summit ES. I haven't seen one in over a decade. It'll get a turbo sometime this year and about 220 HP

1 of not many 2001 GSR sedans. Even less in Beige. Mild mods. 

Soooo.....Yes. 2 out of 3 are low miles even. The summit and miata have under 65K miles.

Tom1200 said:

In reply to Floating Doc (Forum Supporter) :

Heritic........how dare you modify that car.

Actually, it's so stock that the only modifications that I can think of are a K&N panel filter and some braided brake lines. Nothing that even counts in our world as modifications. 
 

My point is the rarity (high) vs. desirability (low). 

Define modify.

I built a motor contactor for a one-of-six 1913 H.A. Moyer because we didn't have and couldn't find the original.

I've put BBC pistons into a 1915 Sears Model L Runabout because they were the right size and much better than the originals.

I've built a adapter to put a Chevy truck master cylinder in one-of-19 (approximately) 1924 Diana Light 8 because the cup in the original kept moving out of place and causing total brake failure.

We regularly modify babbitt bearing engines to take insert bearings.

We modify customers cars to make them more reliable for touring but we would never do something that would harm the value of the car.

"rare" is 2500 production and under. No playing silly buggers like "I have the only Chevy Citation in salmon pink with a forest green interior", 2500 of a model in a given year, period.

The best-selling car of all time is the Toyota Corolla. 

I believe that if that's not an indictment, that it's at least a strong suggestion, to modify rare things. 

I would never want to do it. 

Harley Davidson brakes on a 1913 Stanley

Edit: thought about it, I believe that it was a 1911 model.

I took the picture on my way to the top of Mount Washington. 
 

He drove it to the top, so yes, "This car climbed Mount Washington."

Without that modification, he wouldn't have been able to get back down the mountain safely. 

If the modifications keep a rare car drivable, then it's fulfilling it's purpose. 
 

It depends on a few things, but mostly yes.

I'd have a hard time doing any "hard" mods (stuff that can't be swapped back) to anything that is already nice. That is a bigger factor for me. A "survivor" car deserves to be left alone until it can't- then it's game on. It's only original once.

Depends on the car, and if it's valuable, are there any stock examples left in museums or collections. Cars like an original 250 GTO? Not a chance. That Consul Capri? Of course I would. A '37 Talbot Lago T150c with body by Figoni et Falaschi? No way. (but I would modify the crap out of the Talbo replica of that car).

This I would leave stock:

But this? I absolutely love this full custom, rare Cadillac:

I radically modified a couple of rare cars to make them into race cars. TVR Grantura Mk 3 (IIRC 70 made but Scott can correct me if I am wrong) and MGA Twin Cam (c. 2000 made).  And then there was my Jensen CV8 (500 made) with big block sixpack engine, and........

CADZZILLA!

Talk to Trent about modifying old Ferraris. I seem to recall heater pipes made from plumbing parts :)

1 of ~1000, no clue how many are surviving, only thing going to keep me from going overboard with it is Dad wants it to be somewhat original.  Even he wants more rubber and different wheels and brakes though. 

Yes with caveats. If it's genuinely desirable but rough, I figure that anything is an improvement and fair game for mods. If it's a POS (Think Chevy Vega, Chevette or almost anything from the malaise period), fair game. If it's a rare classic in good shape, all mods need to be reversible.  But that's just me. If you want to chop up your one-of-a-kind Hispano-Suisa, I'll call you a cad and a philistine -  just not to your face 

In reply to Keith Tanner :

I really miss the steering feel of my R package. Level of feedback was on par with my Elise

In reply to ShawnG :

"rare" is 2500 production and under. No playing silly buggers like "I have the only Chevy Citation in salmon pink with a forest green interior", 2500 of a model in a given year, period.

Not more than 30 minutes after I read your post, I was watching "Flipping Bangers" on T.V. Not a Chevy, but does a salmon over green Skoda count?

Floating Doc (Forum Supporter) said:

Tom1200 said:

In reply to Floating Doc (Forum Supporter) :

Heritic........how dare you modify that car.

Actually, it's so stock that the only modifications that I can think of are a K&N panel filter and some braided brake lines. Nothing that even counts in our world as modifications. 
 

My point is the rarity (high) vs. desirability (low). 

Mmmmm you're still a heretic............a sin is a sin.

On a serious note I understand completely as I own a rarely collectable car.

Modify to enjoy it more sure, but probably reversible.  Intentionally ruin or make permanent modifications that are done poorly no.  I don't get the UK banger racers who intentionally look for rare cars to destroy because they get more enjoyment out of it.

I owned a 1993 Mustang Cobra R  which was 1 of 107 made by Ford.

I modified the hell out of it because "race car".

Ford built it to be raced and I raced it.

OF the mods I did most could be undone to some extent.

The first owner installed a roll cage so holes were drilled to install that.

I installed a panhard bar and that was welded in.

I also installed a torque arm style rear suspension.

On the outside it was still 99% stock but engine/trans mods and suspension mods were extensive.

In reply to jimbbski :

For that car in particular, I'm much more in favor of the modifications that it received and the use of it as a racecar (as intended) than if it sat in a climate controlled garage with 19 miles on it.