-from DRIVING
Nothing fuels a gear head’s heart more than a good, old-fashioned restoration story. There’s something magical and undeniably cool about finding an old car and devoting your time to it until it’s shinier than the day it rolled off the assembly line. The dedication, the frustration and the unadulterated passion for such projects is what makes them so interesting, but classic cars create lasting relationships between the car and its driver as well as in the tight-knit restoration community, which is the real reason classic cars are so irresistible.
Here are five of some of the most unbelievable and heart-warming restoration and classic car stories we’ve featured. Visit our Classic Cars special section for more and make sure you share the ones you love the most, because these stories are so compelling, it would be a shame if more people didn’t read them.
Nearly new Lincoln Continental has spent most of its life in storage
Murray Mitchell has spent an estimated $90,000 storing his 1977 Lincoln Continental Mark V.
Murray Mitchell has spent an estimated $90,000 storing his 1977 Lincoln Continental Mark V over the years since driving it only 5,587 kilometres in the first year of ownership. The Conti has spent nearly its entire life in storage. Why did he do it?
“After some time, I didn’t want to put any miles on the car because it may be the lowest mileage Continental of that year in existence.”
The ‘perfect’ restoration took 33 years
Peter Trant with his rare 1933 McLaughlin Buick that took him 33 years to restore . Alyn Edwards / Driving
“Peter Trant takes his time when he restores old cars, a prime example being his ultra rare, Canadian-built, rare 1933 McLaughlin Buick Series 80 Victoria coupe. He paid $300 for the dilapidated 1933 car when it was 33 years old in 1966, took it apart for restoration in 1979 and finished it 33 years later.”
“The more I got into it, the fussier I got. I decided to make it as good as I could,” he says looking back on the thousands of hours spent renewing every part of the car.
Owner sells beloved Cougar in 1974, reunites 40 years later
Henry Unruh feeling young again behind the wheel of his beloved Cougar. Alyn Edwards / Postmedia News
“It’s a common story: Young man buys his dream car, marries, starts a family and the car has to go.”
After a brief fling with his dream car, Harry Unruh had to let his Cougar go and it went on to lead its own life and even got in a terrible accident, but the stars aligned and Harry would be reunited with his beloved car when the time was right.
Judge has owned Ford Galaxie since law school days
The Honourable John D. Rooke, Associate Chief Justice of Alberta’s Court of Queen’s Bench, with his restored 1966 Ford Galaxie 500 7 Litre convertible Alyn Edwards / Driving
This Alberta judge has owned the same yellow Ford Galaxie convertible since 1966. His dad bought it as a surprise for him and the original owner paid $3,600 for the rare 7.0L convertible.
“According to the International 7-Litre Registry website, 656 of these cars are known to still exist with convertibles accounting for 220.”
A love for old Fords fuels meticulous 27-year rebuild project
Ross Blewett’s restored 1934 Ford coupe features a rumble seat to carry two extra passengers. Supplied / Driving
A classic 1934 Ford coupe bought with hundreds of parts scattered in different boxes was painstakingly reassembled by Ross Blewett during a nearly three-decade restoration odyssey.
“He’s so excited about the completion of the near three-decade restoration odyssey that he really doesn’t know what he’s going to do with the car other than take it to a few shows. So far, he hasn’t driven it and hasn’t even put gas in the tank. It’s just too perfect.”
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