5 reasons to adopt orphan project cars
Walk the aisles of your local pick-a-part, or scroll the seemingly endless pages of projects listed for sale on the internet, and you’ll find plenty of cars just waiting for a new home. Decades of market forces have shaped the roster of cars that have survived this long. There’s a certain safety in going with the grain—relatively generous parts supply, aftermarket options, a knowledgable and engaged community—but going the other direction with a particularly rare or unloved model has its own rewards. Here are five reasons to adopt a car from an orphan brand:
Forces you to better understand your car
Parts availability often trends with popularity and production numbers. That means that while those who love Chevrolet Chevelles are spoiled by the ability to procure just about any part or piece they might need to keep their car on the road. Someone with an AMC Javelin is often left to sort out how new and old parts might play nice together.
This doesn’t have to be a bad thing. Mainstream bolt-on kits often make meaningful compromises, and the simplicity of a one-stop shop means the installer doesn’t need to be terribly scrutinizing. In absence of such easy solutions, we might more clearly think through what we are trying to build and not get distracted by low-hanging fruit.
You’ll become a member of the community by necessity
Lived experience is a powerful thing. Usually, the most valuable resource for someone working on a given car is to talk with the people who have been doing it for much longer. Our knowledge and understanding of how our cars work changes over time, as well as changing with the technologies at hand, so not everything should be taken as gospel (look no further than a lot of performance modification books from decades ago) but there is incredible experience to mine from those who have tread the path before us. It’s probably possible to restore a first-generation Mustang without engaging with anyone else, but doing the same with a basket-case Nash? A lot tougher, and a few savvy Nash friends will make your journey a lot richer.
It’s impossible to hide
It’s fun to be known for something, especially if you can pick what it is. “Steve? The guy really into rotary NSUs?” Or “Alex? The Studebaker nut?” Just about any old car will stand out in modern traffic, but an orphan of years gone by is likely to draw even more attention. People just don’t know what they are. The rarer it is on the road, the more likely it is to draw comments and conversation at every fuel-up or parking lot. Not everyone wants to become the center of attention wherever they go, but it can be to have your work in keeping history on the road foster human connections.
Event eligibility
If you like driving your car and attending tours and events, an off-beat or otherwise unusual car can be your ticket into exclusive gatherings that run-of-the-mill cars will not be allowed access. Driving tours and large shows typically have to cap entry, often favoring interesting or unique cars so as to avoid a parade of too-similar vehicles. One example: The Colorado Grand “is open to racing cars and sports cars of distinction built in 1960 or before.” That means Peerless GTs are as welcome as Mercedes-Benz SL Gullwings or Shelby Cobras. One of those is available on a blue-collar budget, while the other two are, well, not.
The barrier to entry is typically lower
Speaking of prices, take a scroll through your favorite classifieds site. It doesn’t take long to suss out that defunct brands generally trade at lower value than those from, say, the Big Three. Your dollar often goes further if your are agnostic as to the grille badge. For the price of an entry-level but popular car, you can sometimes nab the top trim of a more obscure car. While others may spend time and money up-badging or even up-restoring (think of all the Chevrolet 150s that became Bel Airs over the years) it can be satisfying to have piece of history that requires no asterisk. Not to mention the fatter parts budget.
Are there downside that come with choosing the path less traveled? Of course. It’s harder, for one, but the upsides should not be ignored. An oddball car might send you on an adventure that benefits not only you but helps preserve a small part of car culture that would have otherwise faded away.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I have motorcycles to haul and a space in my driveway for a Studebaker pickup to do the grunt work. It’s out there somewhere.
Love my 69 GTO convertible, nothing like a 4 speed muncie…also in wok building a 60 studebaker champ pickup…it’s definitely different.
I did a 1977 AMC Jeep Cherokee … Year I graduated from high school. At first read, most of you are thinking of the square box that ran until 2001.
NOPE. This is a 2 door model based on the old 4 door Wagoneer ( 62 – 91 ). Ran from 1974 to 1982. There are narrow track and wide track models – “Cherokee” and “Cherokee Chief”. Almost everybody says “What is that” OR “Nice Bronco”. Oops. lol At the Woodward cruise, so many folks stopped us for pictures it was crazy… Again, most have no idea it existed. Be weird – It’s cool again !! Yes, I AM a DORK !!!
Own any Citroen and everything this article says is true. From a 2CV to a DS to a SM they are all wonderful to drive and you never see yourself coming down the street. Vive la deference!
I own a 1953 Hudson Super Wasp, sedan. The car is in nice shape mechanically and even has a Macco paint job. Looks great from a distance of five feet (any closer and you’ll see a few runs in the paint). The bumpers could be re-chromed. Despite these drawbacks, I still took two 1st place awards at local cruise nights this past summer.
Studebakers are terrific. Also, love the Daimler SP250
What about cars that are disowned instead of orphaned? I love Honda vehicles of all vintages, but Honda doesn’t care once a car hits 15 years of age, and the aftermarket is almost zilch except for a peppering of parts from Rock Auto.
A local Studebaker guy has sponsored an Orphan Car Show for many years. Strted in his yard, moved to larger venues as the show got more popular and more brands became orphans. It has morphed into an all variety show but still centers on an orphan make each year. Has featured the regional Studebaker show in past years, never saw so many Avantis at one time !
I fell in love with the 1962 Pontiac Grand Prix when I was 10 years old when I saw one parked in my neighborhood. I have never seen one on the road in 40 years since….. except mine. I love that.
On the ‘For Sale sign $7000 obo’ on the rustbucket beneath “The Barrier to Entry is typically lower” subheadline:
Is that what the owner will pay to have it taken away?
I’ve been restoring Porsche 356s for decades. Now I’m going down the rat hole. Just finished a 1948 Devin, I have a 1974 TVR 2500M in paint, and a 1959 Berkeley I’m just starting. The fun is in the hunt and doing. ………….Jim.
Love the heading picture of the 1973 Maxi-blue Gremlin “X.” I own this exact care as part of my Gremlin collection, but instead have the period correct D70 X 14 Goodyear biased belted raised white letter tires on my “baby.” Gremlin are true “classics” that you just cannot find anymore. Of 40,000 cars that regularly make an appearance at the Annual Woodward Dream cruise North of Detroit each & every August, one of the Gremlins that I drive is one of 3 that can be seen and it always gets 10″s from the crowd. No orphan it!!!
Tried to sell a mid 50s Studebaker pickup, two tone green for many months. No takers. He ended up towing it back to whomever left it there, probably with the empty cans & other detritus that almost filled the bed over a couple yrs – Sorry Mr Smith, if we’d only known…
Orphans, well people have covered Fieros, GTOs (old and New?), and today drove our G8 – been there, still doing that
I have 3 orphans that will be left to my 2 sons .1975 dodge charger dark blue /black top 400 4bb white lettered tires ,all options I could order .Chrysler sent the order back as non recommended combination. They wanted white top. After 3rd attempt the car was built and shipped to the dealer I was working for Has 82000 miles today 1 repaint. # 2 is 1977 ford ranchero gt 351w a/c power windows.#3 69 fairlane 500 sport roof 351 w 4bbl california car
Nice. Lucky sons (as long as they love em like you have).
69 390 4 spd go pack amx 68 290 amx 4spd 2 72 california javelins 401 and 360 68 6 3spd on tree i got it bad grew up in chicago 60 miles from kenosha worked for a dealer in high school when they started building these cars sold a bunch of hot rod amcs over the last 30 years
bet you wish you had just one of them now
Over the years, I’ve owned several Olds Cutlass’s (1971,1975,1986), a 1985 Nissan 300z, 1978 Chevy Blazer, 1991 Pontiac Firebird, and a 1972 Bond Bug. My current and favorite car which I’ve owned for 4 years is my 1976 AMC Pacer. It draws more smiles and comments than any of my previous cars. People love talking about how they or someone they knew owned one. Most loved them, some did not, but I really enjoy hearing their stories!
same with my 73 Gremlin “X”s. Amazing ain’t it?