As much as I like an era-correct untubbed race car restoration, if it’s anything besides a top tier, nationally known car (Sox and Martin, Grumpys Toy, Gas Ronda, etc), I don’t think it makes as much sense financially to restore to as-raced condition vs. as-delivered new. More buyers relate to it as a stock musclecar vs as a regionally campaigned race car.

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Member R68GTO's resto of his '69 9561 Copo 'Rat's Nest' is a great example of this exact situation, click here...
https://www.yenko.net/forum/showthread.php?t=149308
:beers:
~ Pete

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Agreed that is a good example . Although idk if that car was a dealer car w factory back door support or not I didn’t read the whole story of the car
Many of the dealer cars were special ordered and supported even with the racing ban in effect.

Sox and Martin was a different story as were most of the hemi cars because they had full factory support as they didn’t adhere to any racing ban. It pretty much was just GM w handcuffs on pretending not to okay that game while some at the factory were supporting the cars “on their own time” these guys back sorted alot of engineering pats out to dealer owned race cars. In the Pontiac world these were royal, knafel, Stephen , towne , garber, and a host of others. I’d imagine the olds world brainbeau and others were supported much the same way chevys were through copo and motion, Berger, yenko

Here’s where the racing ban came from :

https://youtu.be/aQbIwjBXQKA

And here’s an good example
Of a dealer owned factory supported car through the back door system

My first preference would be to restore it as the original race car unless that paint scheme (livery) or some other feature of its looks was something that I just couldn't stomach.

----As far as Pontiacs are concerned the Chicago Area Dealers Asso. 69 Judge that Arnie B campaigned would be a good example of a specially ordered race car. No undercoat, no sealer and other mods done before delivery for the absolute lowest weight possible! That car, I believe, is restored back to as raced condition!.....Bill S

It seems that the consensus is these each cars should be handled on a case by case basis. Sometimes these famous race cars were built on 6 cylinder production cars and it would make zero sense to restore to as delivered. Also depends on condition . some racecars are to far gone to feasibly restore to original.

If the car is still in race car trim, I'd like to see it kept that way.

R68's approach was a good one I thought, vinyl decals that can be removed but is running day 2 parts. A person could paint up two hoods, a racing era hood and a stock one. Have two sets of wheels.

I like GM cars and Camaros the most, but I also like other cars like the Thunderbolt. Some of them have not been restored to original, and I'd personally prefer something like the Nazy Crate over one that has lost all it's livery.

I just couldn't enjoy a as delivered car. All you can do is look at it. I want to drive it like it was intended to be driven, without damaging it. My RS/SS 396 4 speed Camaro would be worth much more if I had restored it to as delivered, but I wouldn't want to own it anymore.

I dont wanna say" As delivered" Showroom resto's are a dime a dozen or that they have no personality, because That's how i remember most of them, tearing up the streets when i was a little kid.. But if a car has Stock Eliminator or Super Stock heritage, and has survived relatively intact, even if it was only locally raced. Its a No brainer for me regardless of potential value. If its been cut up and tubbed etc... beyond recogniton i generally dont even have much interest either way. I prefer " Period correct as Raced "

Restore as raced.

Here’s the perfect example of a VERY cool COPO that had race history and was appealing to the eye…..then it was restored to assembly line correct…..aka cookie cutter. This car HAD so much character.

Again, this is my opinion but if you were to put the two cars next to each other, I guarantee the race car would get more attention…..and be worth as much…..possibly more.

Kurt :scholar: