Many hardcore car enthusiasts enjoy restoring old bangers to their former glory as a hobby. Whilst it takes considerable skill, effort, time and money to restore cars, the end results can be worth all of the waiting and be truly amazing. Here are 5 of the most awesome car restorations ever undertaken.
1950 Ferrari 166MM Barchetta
This collector’s item spent a long time hidden away in a barn in Italy before it was plucked out and given a completely new makeover and new mechanical rebuild. It was bought for a tidy sum of $8,000 and after being faithfully restored sold for over $1,000,000 to a fellow Ferrari collector. You won’t expect to see many cars like this on the road as only 25 were built, but if you visit a vintage luxury car show then you may be fortunate to feast your eyes on the Barchetta.
There has been no other car built to resemble this one, as it was a one-off designed by a boutique car manufacturer back in 1968. The Marcos Mantix XP was made for racing, but its fate came to a sorry end when it suffered a mid-race flame-out. The car ended up in disrepair for decades until it was given a loving restoration, transforming it back to its sleek and powerful former glory. Although it’s not used for top racing events these days, you can still catch it at vintage races and shows in areas of the USA.
Buick
This 1938 Buick had already undergone extensive restoration but it still needed a huge amount of work on it if it was ever to reach its former glory. The owner of the vehicle decided the best policy was to start from scratch with all the restoration work. A lot of the parts ended up having to be refurbished, as the new ones didn’t fare so well. The end result was certainly worth all of the effort – today it looks in near-mint condition!
Ford Custom
This 1956 Ford Custom automobile was a complete and utter wreck when it was first acquired for restoration work. The car was basically just a shell and required a total overhaul and complete restoration to get it anywhere near to its former self. The end result is superb, and the Ford Custom looks spanking new. In fact, it would be hard to even conceive that it was once in such bad shape.
Porsche 911
This 1964 Porsche 911 was kept hidden away in an old barn for over 20 years, before it was unearthed and given some much needed attention. As the car was in a sorry state, it was bought for a mere $9,500 – a small price when you think that you could easily pay $400,000 for one of these beauties. After much restoration work, including major upgrades, intensive mechanical maintenance and meticulous cleaning, the Porsche 911 was lovingly restored to top-notch condition.
About the author:
Crispin writes and blogs for Tool Orders. Without a doubt though his main passion in life is his Pontiac Firebird Trans Am SD455. It was his quest for high quality mechanics tools that put him and Tool Orders in contact in the first place. Crispin and Tool Orders recently worked on this post together – a quirky look at some vintage Ford ads.
Crispin writes and blogs for Tool Orders. Without a doubt though his main passion in life is his Pontiac Firebird Trans Am SD455. It was his quest for high quality mechanics tools that put him and Tool Orders in contact in the first place. Crispin and Tool Orders recently worked on this post together – a quirky look at some vintage Ford ads.
Image courtesy of Wikipedia under cc.
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