Would you do it?

[Corsairdeluxe]

We tend to automatically look down own the guys who rod a J.But ,seriously how many of us would under take raising one from the almost dead?

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?p=8338436#post8338436

[Henry's HenryJs]

I have been following his build. I am in no way a purist and can appreciate doing whatever to a car. After all it is not our money, and if someone does not like someone's car they don't have to look at it. Neither one of my HJ's are going to be restored but one will look stock from the outside. Some look at my 57 wagon which looks stock from the outside but has many changes to it and say I ruined it, but it is what I want. Henry.

[Tom Campbell]

Sorry you feel Rodding a Henry-J is a bad thing . My car was way to far gone to do anything else . I take it to car shows here in Louisiana an it draws such a croud I have no time to see what else is there They love it. I respect all whome like them stock but for me it A Hot Rod any day. 51 henry-J body on 85 s10 blazer frame with 350 Chevy 350 trans and Ford 9" rear with 4-11 gears . I love my henry-j.

[84RabbitGTI]

Saving a body which is too far gone for practical restoration is ok in my book.  It still preserves the car.  Otherwise it will become a crushed memory and then an ash tray.

[alohagreen]

follow those guys around... they drop stock parts off of the racecars all the time...
id like tail lights gas tank and small items to restore as i drive .
kinda keep it ON the ROAD and fix up parts , then replace.

[StillOutThere]

The best "attitude" I have ever seen in any car club is that of the Studebaker Driver's Club which is a huge organization with many thousand members, with (last I heard) almost a million dollars in the bank, many dozens of parts vendors, an outstanding color publication, incredible national meetings, great people, hundreds of reproduction parts and I could go on and on.    So I ask myself WHY ?

Now certainly there were many more Studebakers built over many more years - I'll grant you that and it contributes to the answer.    But I genuinely believe it is because the Club embraces everyone who wants to join their niche of the hobby.   From purist restorers to customizers to salt flat racers to hot rodders all are welcome.  And thus all contribute and all share.   The hot rodder doesn't need that original overdrive unit but the restorer does.   The customizer still needs a reproduction windshield even though he may cut it for his chop top.   The racer can contribute a disc brake conversion the hobby driver can use.  They all work together.  They "get it".   This "big tent" approach works.