Is it ever OK to hot-rod a machine?

[De Soto Frank]

A prickly subject, especially in the antique car hobby.

My rule of thumb: do nothing that is irreversible.

Paint is just that: paint - a thin coating applied to a surface to change its color.

It can be stripped-off and re-done an infinite number of times.


Same thing with plating, although the substrate may have limited tolerance for repeated trips through the plating chemistry.



Irreversible changes would be things like sawing-off cabriole legs, drilling holes in cabinets to mount non-original motors / tone arms, etc.

Some of these injuries can be repaired by really talented, patient craftsmen, but they shouldn't happen in the first place. Not in this day & age.


If the piece in question is truly rare, even if derelict and / or incomplete, it should probably be kept in an authentic form ( as-is or properly restored ).


George's point about a well-done horn eventually being mistaken for an original piece is real possibility...

I think if someone does this, they should include some sort of mark or "signature" that distinguishes their work from that of an original.

Unless they are fakers bent on selling frauds for profit, in which case, enthusiast books, and sites such as this can hopefully be a repository for good reference information, to prevent someone from being taken-in by a pretty 'never was'...


My two-cents worth...

[VanEpsFan1914]

Is it ever OK to hot-rod a machine?


No, I don't believe it is.

The blue & gold Gem in question is skillfully done but if they were good enough to trash it, they could have restored it STUNNINGLY. Our own Mr Micamonster, on the cutting edge of obsolescence, has mastered reproducers, so even a Gem could sound good if repaired. New springs are available to boost horsepower. Asphaltum varnish can still be had--I would have tried to make it original as possible.

That said, I understand the attraction. I did hot-rod a crapophone one time, which went from looking typical to being a really cool faux-1900s machine. I painted REPLICA in large letters inside and no one would have mistaken it for an original, but it was nice enough I was tempted to keep it.

[phonojim]

For most machines my answer would be an unqualified NO, but in a situation like this I have no problem with it. It is a relatively common machine which none of us would want on display in this condition, even if it had been mechanically restored. Add to that the fact that the casting itself needed repair and you don't have much at all. I think most of us would have stripped any remaining parts and thrown the base casting on the scrap pile. However, if it were mine I would have painted it red.

Jim