At what Oint does adding Factory Options change the truck too much?

[laplander]

My 17 year old and I have been going round round on what constitutes a nice, stock , daily driven vehicle. He's got a '71 Longhorn and refused to go with polish strips when he puts in the new bed wood cause it wasn't original. I explained to him they wouldn't rust either, but it semed to fall on deaf ears. Being the nice kind of Dad that I am, when a solid truck tilt column came up for sale at a reasonable price, I bought it and showed him the pic. He WAS ABSOLUTELY mortified that I would change something like that away from a stock truck.

I figure this truck is going to last him for the next 10-20 years with the resto we're doing and proper mantainence. Why would he not want a tilt column, or a friggin stereo for that matter. He's driving me ragged trying to find steel 16" 8 lug wheels to go with his new tires, when we could have gone another route and done it cheaper.

Kids these days, you can't shoot 'em, and you can't pawn them. Ugh. Anyone else have kids this anal about stuff? I would have been GRATEFUL for a running Pinto in my day...

[MARKDTN]

To me if it can be easily removed, I have no problems with it. I would also do the bed parts also unless he is going for a perfect as-it-left-the-factory restoration. Steering column is also easy to replace and wheels especially are easy to swap. I'd be on your side. That being said, it is hard to get many of todays teens interested in cars anymore. If that is what he wants, I'd help fan the flame of car interest.

[dads longhorn]

I admire him for wanting to keep everything original. That's the value of the vehicle. Very few are original, most have been messed with. I suggest you support him and let him do with the truck what he wants. You can get your own and modify it as much as you want to. I'll go with the kid. IMHO

[imdarren]

I'm with dads longhorn above,
It's rare that kids these days appreciate old school original stuff. Usually the first thing done is to grab a Sawzall and some big subwoofers!
Heck, Id be downright pleased if my kid wanted to keep things strictly original.
Sure it's no numbers matching Chevelle or Corvette, but you still gotta love that original look. Just my 2 cents.

Darren

[Billett]

I don't think I'd mind either way, but personally I'd add the tilt wheel and chrome strips, just keep the originals. If you are going to use it everyday why would you want to beat on the original parts if you are planning to keep it so long? It would be a lot more convenient to get a couple aftermarket type things that may make life easier and then if you ever go to a concourse or show, just swap out the aftermarkets for the originals even if its just over winter to keep them in good shape.

[67ChevyRedneck]

I don't care. I want to enjoy what I drive. My 67 had NOTHING on the SPID. It had deluxe air heater and blue vinyl interior listed. No way was I going to drive that around. It now has a 350/700R, power disc brakes, AC (A MUST HAVE in SC), relocated fuel cell, CD player and speakers, fog lights, and probably more crap I forgot. I have a power steering set up for it, just haven't installed it. And probably a drop someday...

Let him drive it for a while without a stereo, he'll want one soon enough I bought a very original/factory looking 65 Mustang. It has the original, still working but only picks up three weird ass stations, AM radio. I'm going to install a center console, hide the stereo in there, then add kick panel and rear deck speakers, but keep the original parts and buy repops to cut up. Why? Because no matter how original it may be, if I can't really enjoy it, what's the point?

[custom1970]

I really feel your pain!! My youngest is about the opposite, when he turned 18 i gave him my old Tahoe to drive, an did he ever say "wow great dad" no just that he wanted to put a new stereo system in it!! now it came with a top of the line Bose system, but since it came on the truck he felt it must be crap and after market must be better!! oh, the stock system is still there...(and will be)

At least i think my oldest son understands hard work and the value of a dollar...

[Billett]

I'm only 21 and I would have been ecstatic to have been given ANY vehicle at 18...

[c10seth]

Originally Posted by laplander

My 17 year old and I have been going round round on what constitutes a nice, stock , daily driven vehicle. He's got a '71 Longhorn and refused to go with polish strips when he puts in the new bed wood cause it wasn't original. I explained to him they wouldn't rust either, but it semed to fall on deaf ears. Being the nice kind of Dad that I am, when a solid truck tilt column came up for sale at a reasonable price, I bought it and showed him the pic. He WAS ABSOLUTELY mortified that I would change something like that away from a stock truck.

I figure this truck is going to last him for the next 10-20 years with the resto we're doing and proper mantainence. Why would he not want a tilt column, or a friggin stereo for that matter. He's driving me ragged trying to find steel 16" 8 lug wheels to go with his new tires, when we could have gone another route and done it cheaper.

Kids these days, you can't shoot 'em, and you can't pawn them. Ugh. Anyone else have kids this anal about stuff? I would have been GRATEFUL for a running Pinto in my day...

LOL. I'm 26 now and I was about the same with my truck except I wanted to turn it into a hot rod from the stock platform I started with. I modified it enough to where my dad didn't like driving it any more haha. So, he kind of had to give it to me. I wish there were some things I didn't do,but sometimes you just have to make the mistakes to learn. Remember, it's just steel. ^_^. Good luck!

Seth

[Goat herder]

I'm an all original freak too. With the 66 and up trucks with the spid, I too have a hard time changing options, even if they are factory options. But, pre 66 where no ones to know, I have added an option or two to my trucks in good taste. I was crazy enough to spend the money for 19.5 tires for my 63 c20, just to give it that original look. Truck came with good non stock wheel and tires, but i couldnt see past that. If our trucks looked like everything else on the road, I'd see a point to modifing. But a perfectly original truck stands out on todays roads. Hot rodding began to make there trucks stand out from the crowd, but decades of style changes have already done that to a stock truck.

[leddzepp]

You can never have too many factory options imo.

[FirstOwner69]

Originally Posted by MARKDTN

To me if it can be easily removed, I have no problems with it. I would also do the bed parts also unless he is going for a perfect as-it-left-the-factory restoration. Steering column is also easy to replace and wheels especially are easy to swap. I'd be on your side. That being said, it is hard to get many of todays teens interested in cars anymore. If that is what he wants, I'd help fan the flame of car interest.

This is pretty much sums up my feelings and everything on my truck was original when I started except the battery. I am taking the approach that if it can be easily reversed, and I have the original parts to reverse it, that's fine. Of course "easily reversed" is defined differently by different people. I'm adding a tilt, AM/FM, shoulder belts, tach cluster with clock (original is idiot lights), fancy oak bed, dual exhaust and GM 350/330HP crate engine. All those things can be reversed fairly easily with the parts I'm keeping and paint for the bed. The truck was already a well optioned CST/20 with buckets and A/C.

I have restored a 1958 Vette to original. It's a 99 point car and has won the NCRS Duntov award and is Bloomington Gold certified... BUT it sits in storage. I'm afraid to drive it. I don't want that to happen to this truck. Of course it'll probably never see rain, but I want to enjoy it when I'm finished.

[Leroy-B1]

My son doesn't mind it not being exactly original...matter of fact we would love a tilt, just let me know where I need to send my address...it doesn't matter what kind of vehicle we get into or he gets behind the wheel of....to him they are all choo choos( I work for railroad so anything that rolls is a choo choo), but then again he's 18 months old...lol

[PanelDeland]

Unless it was a COPO big block with delete everything someone ordered to have a "Muscle truck".I don't think factory options hurt a thing.Most add value.There is something to be said for a stock truck but even then unless it is heavily optioned,I don't see value added by leaving it only what's on the spid.

[70cst]

Originally Posted by leddzepp

You can never have too many factory options imo.

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[70cst]

For most people adding factory options such as radio, tilt wheel. 8 Track etc is not a big deal. Now changing from a 6 to a V8 is a little different story. But it really comes to the owners preference. Either way is ok as far as I am concerned. My factory BB 402 70cst came nicely loaded but... I did add am-fm and a tilt wheel. I have a GM 8 Track that still needs to be installed. It just comes down to personal preference. Both ways are right
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[brianthelion02]

Very cool argument to be having,versus drugs or alcohol!!!! With this argument you win ,if you win or lose it!!LOL

[70cst]

Originally Posted by brianthelion02

Very cool argument to be having,versus drugs or alcohol!!!! With this argument you win ,if you win or lose it!!LOL

I like to look at these as healthy and informative discussions

But good thoughts
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[68gmsee]

You have a smart young man. Yeah, you get a lot of oohs and aahs when you chrome everything and add all sorts of fancy mods but bottom line originality is what a lot of collectors like. Especially if he may want to sell it in the future.

I've been messing with these old trucks and cars for 40 years and the ones who sell the fastest are the ones that haven't been modified too much.

Now, as mentioned above by others if one wants to make some minor changes that can be reversed, it would be okay to add power brakes or power steering or even a radio that you wouldn't have to cut the dash to install.

[leddzepp]

Originally Posted by 68gmsee

I've been messing with these old trucks and cars for 40 years and the ones who sell the fastest are the ones that haven't been modified too much.

Ding Ding, we have a winner. The closer the truck is to stock (especially paint colors) the faster the truck will sell.

[Bill72]

Nik, I'm with Zak on this one even though none of mine are 100% original. When my girls wanted a 72 Blazer I got them what they liked, not what I liked. That made them like it even more because they really knew it was for them. Yes I griped about it and am in trouble now for selling it even though they're all gone. That truck was perfect as far as they were concerned. That made it worth it to me.

Make a deal with him that he can do it his way, but when he changes his mind you get to work with him on the changes. You'll just be building in more good memories with the truck.

[Billett]

Originally Posted by Bill72

Make a deal with him that he can do it his way, but when he changes his mind you get to work with him on the changes. You'll just be building in more good memories with the truck.

Lol my dad would tell me to kiss his.... gotta love the old guy, he'd never let me down if I really needed his help. Which is fairly often.
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[jocko]

If it's gonna be "his" truck, then I'd help him build it his way. And his way is cool (and potentially less expenisve - i.e. you might not have bought that tilt column...)

To your question though - I'd say YES to the column and NO to the chrome strips. But that's just me. The column COULD have been factory and it's a functional improvement if you/he choose(s) to go back to stock. Personally, I just like the fact that the tilt column and wheel are black - to me it looks better that way in every color interior. But some like the color-coord look of a non-tilt setup.

In the end, really comes down to long term plans for the truck. If someone is gonna drive it for 20 years, by all means, stick whatever you would have liked the original owner to have ordered. If it's a flip resto, then no, leave it as is and don't waste the money because you all won't be the ones enjoying the toys you add - and it may in fact be worth slightly less IF you improve it - if the buyer is buying it for a pure resto.

Btw, Good son. Good dad.

[Steve Hafner]

. . . .

I've changed my options quite a bit from how it left the factory, as can be seen in the first picture below of my original SPID.

The second picture shows my new SPID with the options that have been added.

I decided since I was going to have to put "a lot" of money into it, I might as well have a truck I would feel safe in. It's true, the bed can never be used to haul anything but "sailboat fuel" and I can't use it as a daily driver, but it's now the way I would have liked to order one if I could have when I was 18 ( in 1970 ). I was lucky when I found a truck with most of the hard to ad options all ready on it . . . like the factory air and the toolbox. I like the factory look also and have tried to keep mine close to it. If I tried to sell it today, I could never get anything close to the amount of money I have in it - but, I hope to get that much enjoyment out of it - if I can stay alive LONG ENOUGH !!!

. . . .

[Hubscrub]

I'm proud for him to think that way, i changed my 71 to a swb, inline 6 to v8 , 3speed to 700r4 etc. I drove the truck more and enjoyed it more when it was that way i really miss the 6 and manual. I didn't cut up anything thankfully, i'm in the process now taking the chrome off my engine and installing stock appearing parts. If it his let it be his i say.