Reality takes the shine off restoring vintage cars

Fixing up clunker expensive hobby

NIKA ROLCZEWSKI SPECIAL TO THE STAR

Many projects never completed

The ad said: "All in all, the car could be made into a very presentable driver for very little time and money." I was hooked.

For months now I was convinced I needed a "project." I yearned for a vehicle that I could fiddle with, slowly bringing it back to its days of glory. It would fill my spare time with a constructive and gratifying hobby. Why do I want one? Only someone car crazy can understand.

The famous "project" car is one normally found under tarps in garages and on front lawns covered with dust and good intentions. This particular car caught my eye and my heart. It was a 1969 Alfa Romeo, a boat-tail spider I craved for years.

The ad said: "Most of the chrome and stainless is in good shape."

Translation: If you are going to do an awesome restoration, you will need to replace them because they are not in "perfect" shape.

My enthusiasm for bringing an unrepaired vehicle back to life was short-lived after speaking with many fellow car enthusiasts. I had a clear dose of reality as they recounted their stories of buying long-term dreams. Many never did finish their projects and many of the vehicles wilted away year after year until they were finally disposed of — at a fraction of their initial cost and form.

"If you're told it would make a great race car Nika, you know it's in bad shape," was repeated to me, many times over. Race car or street car, I was on a mission.

The ad said: "The underside of the car is amazingly clean and has probably had some recent work."

Translation: Used to be a rust bucket with rusty floors ...

Now anyone who has ever owned a project vehicle understands that it is a time-consuming habit. I sought out my dear friends, the McNaughtons of Unionville — owners of such a vehicle. I wanted their opinion: "Was my quest going to be a fulfilling project or a disaster in the making?" Darren McNaughton has owned a 1973 Corvette since 1984, having driven it for a few years before it was placed into "restoration" (or should I say "hibernation"?) mode.

The car preceded his marriage to Connie, who has grown to accept her husband's "hobby." "It lets him get the boys over for a beverage so they can swap car stories and bond the way they do," she says. But when asked whether she thinks the car is a valid restoration project, she answers: "I can see him making a flower box out of it — but not much else." I thought of my Alfa.

The ad said: "I have two trunk panels, you can have the best one."

Translation: At one time, the car was hit in the rear and the trunk does not line up. Pick the best fitting trunk lid.

Was my Alfa destined to be like Darren's Corvette — a fixture in the garage? Why is his project not a lost cause in his eyes? Because it's still a challenge to be able to restore a vintage automobile. On what can be described as a treasure hunt, Darren has spent the last few years scavenging car meets and Web sites for vehicle parts and accessories.

The ad said: "Labeled for easy reassembly."

Translation: Unless you were standing there while the car was disassembled, good luck putting it back together. You don't have a chance in hell to get it right.

While the car has been a small source of friction at times in his marriage, Darren does count his blessings. He recalls a story of when he bought a 1965 Mustang for $50 from a woman. As he was towing the car away, the husband showed up and inquired nervously as to what Darren was doing.

"Taking the car I just bought from your wife," was his answer. A heated argument ensued between the married couple as Darren stood patiently outside. A few minutes later, the wife calmly opened the door and instructed Darren to "take the car."

"Would your wife Connie consider something so drastic?" I asked. "No, no, not at all," he answered with a small hint of anxiety.

As I chatted about my potential project Alfa Romeo to an acquaintance, he warned me of taking on someone else's disastrous project.

"If you really think you can do better, then get out your cheque book," he said. "Because you will be paying three times what the car is worth in time and money to get it restored."

I guess I'm just not that ready to have a $5,000 planter in my backyard.