Let's talk about "being stock" vs "having the car you want" Options

[ScoopLV]

When I was a kid I had a 914. I wanted 5-lug Fuchs, the Porsche rear reflector, the front badge. And quite frankly, if I could have done one of those ridiculous Beach Boys body kits (the kind that makes a 914 look like a Ferrari) I probably would have.

I was on a parts website, buying some side lenses, when I saw a sale on the rear reflector and put one in my cart. Then I took it out of the cart.

Why? I have a basically unmodified teener -- 99% stock. It's almost like I feel I have a responsibility to keep it stock. I'm going to upgrade the fuel lines, and the shift linkage. One's a safety issue and the other is an invisible upgrade. But I'm going to keep all the old parts so that I could "put it back to stock" if I ever wanted.

I never really liked the look of the vinyl sail. I prefer the B column to be the same color as the rest of the body. My car doesn't have sails. Obviously a previous owner agreed with me on that point. But I'm seriously thinking about putting sails back on, because, hey, that's the only thing that isn't stock on the car.

I always liked the look of having a front badge. To me, the car looks nude without a badge on the front. But that would require drilling two holes into a perfectly good hood. Sure, I could fill the holes if I ever wanted. But that's one less hood out there that's never been mucked with.

I don't really know where I'm going with this post, or even if there's a point to it. But I'd like to hear from people about the validity of "turning your car into YOUR car" vs. "there aren't many unmodified cars out there anymore, so keep it stock."

Where do you fall in that spectrum?

[technicalninja]

I hadn't seen this thread before today.

I have two cars I'm building.

A stupid nice, low mileage, 75 1.8 with the least rust I've ever seen in a 50-year-old car.
Never been hit, horrible repaint (silver), completely virgin, unmolested example.
I'm experienced in import car restoration and can tell if others have taken stuff apart in the past. On most of my tear down I'm sure I'm the first and all of the hardware is in its proper place!!!

It's the least valuable of the breed (so I think) and it's the heaviest, lowest power version made.
It's not staying stock, but...

It's nice enough that I am limiting myself as to HOW it is modified.

I'm NOT allowed to make a single new hole in the body. No sheet metal mods at all.
Anything is allowed as long as it "bolts in" and the original is kept in storage.

As this car did not come with factory sway bars this is a point of contention for me.
I already own a complete 914 factory sway bar set up, both front and rear.
I have the weld in kits.
I also have most of a 911 underbody front bar.
Leaning "make holes" on this one.
Devil on one side, angel on the other...

No changes to the wiring loom. If a circuit has to be modified it has to be done with removable wiring "taps" at an original wiring connector. No cutting any wires!

I'll end up with a large displacement T4 at some point, this will be serious.

The 1.8 has a brand new 2bl on it, all the original FI in a box.
I've already sourced a complete 1.8L-jet system with new wiring harness/injectors taken off a running car at the installation of an aftermarket system.

I'll return the car to FI, verify the 1.8L is decent, get a dyno run to test power/torque.
We'll use it stock while I build the bigger engine.
I'll replace the entire set up at once. Pickle the original engine and box it up.
If I get it right, I'll be able to simply "plug it in" to the original points.

I'm keeping the option of "return to stock easily" open.

The 76 916 clone in fiberglass is WIDE OPEN. No rules at all!
I can't screw it up worse than it is now. I'll be restoring a mutilated corpse to life.
I won't be the mutilator myself.

But if things go as I'd like, I'll be hunting you at some point @clayperrine