If you’re a fan of classic cars, you probably understand a little bit about automotive restoration. Automotive restoration can be a fun and rewarding hobby and it even has the potential to turn into a full-on business if you decide to go that far. One of the most important aspects of classic cars is the three categories they often fall into; original, restored, and resto-mod. But what exactly do these three categories mean? Here’s a little more information about each of them.
Original
If you want an extremely rare classic car you’ll want to get your hands on an original. When a car is deemed “original” it means that the car is in the same condition it was when it was manufactured both mechanically and aesthetically. If the car ever required any type of repair, the repairs would always lean towards fixing parts as opposed to replacing them if at all possible. If you’re unsure if a car you’re looking at is a legitimate original, one way to do it is by looking for “matching numbers”. This refers to the serial numbers that were put onto each major component of the car when it was purchased. If all of the numbers on the various components match, you have an original. This is highly unlikely though, as most cars being sold as “original” are in fact “restored”
Restored
When a classic car needs new parts, many car enthusiasts will look for “new old stock” or NOS, which are original factory parts that were never sold at retail, thus never being used. This is when we deem a classic as being “restored” due to meeting it’s factory specifications using original factory parts. Cars can be restored using new parts that have been made to match the original specs as well, and it happens quite often due to many of the original factory parts being expensive and taking a lot of time to get a hold of. To many, restoring a car is more about preserving the history of the car than anything else.
Resto-Mod
If you’ve ever seen a car from the ’60s that has a GPS built-in, you were probably looking at a resto-mod car. Resto-mod means that the classic car has been restored, but features modern parts and technology that can sometimes even add new features to the car like a modern radio or a GPS system. When you look at the car from the outside, it typically looks exactly as it did when it was manufactured but the minute you lift the hood or sit in the car, you should notice a lot of the more modern things you’d see in cars manufactured today. These types of modifications are typically made so owners can comply with emissions or because they want better performance out of the car.