Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

[Uncle Joe]

Discounting exotica, what would members think the most difficult classic to restore would be?

Prompting this question was really an article I just read staying it was a late '50's Cadillac Brougham, due to its complex electrics.

[Rick]

The name escapes me, but the late 50s Yank with the electric folding metal roof, lots of motors etc to power the roof - <something> Retractable, a Fairlane is it??

R
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[Uncle Joe]

That would be the Ford Skyliner, an aquaintance her owns one, as well as a forum member for that matter.

But surely there must be something from the UK? Or Europe?

[Rick]

verging on exotic I suppose, but the Citroen SM always looks a bit fiddly to work with, whenever I read about them in the magazines.

R
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[Scotty]

You're right Rick - the Ford Fairlane with something like 17 electric motors to power that magnificent roof -



I believe the Jenson Interceptor is a horror with its vacuum reservoirs being the box section sills - very prone to rusting.

And there's another one, but for the life of me I can't remember its name, its construction is like a birdcage, incredibly complicated (& expensive) to restore.

[Uncle Joe]

I have a suspicion that though it might not be the most difficult one to restore, my Lincoln is going to present a huge challenge...the wiring diagram alone is 34 A3 pages, and then theres the vacuum systems to consider...

I hope UK Daves electrical knowledge extends to seat memories....

[62rebel]

i briefly owned both a 1962 and a 1966 Continental and was amazed at the complexity of the vacuum system operating the AC/heater system. in the '66 many of the hoses had been pulled loose by some idiot installing a megawatt sound system; luckily for me they were color coded and fairly easy to put back. amazing how much better that big 430ci v8 ran once the vacuum leaks disappeared.
i'd be frightened silly of trying to restore a late '70's or early '80's Japanese car. miles of mysterious and usually unlabelled vacuum lines; ported vacuum switches, magical ignition control devices controlled by smoke.....
and none of that solid Lucas smoke, that miasmic Denso smog!

[dave7]

Those early Europas with the body glued to the frame might be tough.

Otherwise I'd be tempted to say the SM as well. Complex V6, suspension and electrics.

[SV8Predator]

[Greeney in France]

I would say the same of the SM and DS I think people tend to focus on the unknown or unsure, the hydraulic system or the Maserati engine are in the end just components, very often you don't have to be the genius designer.
I don't know how a computer does what it does past the mechanical but I sit happily using it to its fullest extent and even take it apart and rebuild it.
In the end it comes down to "hours and pennies"
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[62rebel]

if it came down to having to fabricate body parts because the originals were either paper thin or rusted like mad, or the makers never bothered pressing replacements, how about a nice Dauphine?
or the makers were so impressed with themselves they decided to weld the entire car together and rustproof NOTHING, how about a BMW 2002?

there's so many wonderfully drawn cars that were utter mechanical nightmares under the skin.... and a few downright ugly ones that are simply indestructible.

if the lads over at Practical Classic can find cars literally restored from a badge and some flakes of rust, nothing is truly impossible to restore!

[emmerson]

My son will tell you that the most difficult restoration ever, is a Matra Bagheera, followed by a Matra 530. Me? I'm finding my Morris 1000 traveller bad enough!