Judging the Survivor

By Mike Thies

Sooner or later every judge faces this class. A freshly restored car with flawless paint sits next to an original car with faded lacquer, a worn driver's seat, and sixty years of honest use on it. Both owners did right by their cars. The job is to score them so neither one is punished for the choice its owner made.

Both deserve respect. A great restoration takes skill, money, and years of work. A true survivor can never be made again…

A Bite of History: Unicorn Restorations, the 1974 Camaro Z28

by Mike Thies

At any good car show, you will find 1957 Chevys in every form: survivors, frame-off restorations, and restomods. What you will rarely find is a 1958. That tells you something about the collector market. Not every year of a popular model becomes a true collectible. Buyers pick favorites, and those years get saved, restored, and passed down, while the years next to them…