[quote=SethMast] If you add a factory tilt wheel or ram air package to a car that never had those options you are not doing anything different than a person adding after market parts./quote]

IMO I dissagree with this part of your comment. If someone adds OEM parts/options to a car that did not come with them originally, it often will add value opposed to walking into AutoZone and buying a 3-gauge cluster and screwing it to the bottom of the dash for a couple of reasons. One, an OEM part fits, looks and works better than something off the shelf. Second, installing store bought parts usually requires "rigging" stuff to fit or work. Using the gauge example, in order to screw the gauges to the bottom of the dash one would then ruin the dash or console thus reducing the value of that original part not too mention how botched it will most often look.

Another example, if you install an OEM tilt wheel into your non tilt wheel car, that will not detract from it's value. However, you install a billet after market unit that requires drilling out the original holes etc. this will not add value.

I typically look at classic cars from an investment aspect. The funny thing is most people will say, I am building this car my way, the way I want it not for investment purposes, so I don't care about value etc. Then, this same person once they get 3/4 of the way done with the car either looses intrest and or runs out of money. Then, they try and sell this "project" and try to get all of their money out of it and realize because they hacked up the car and did it "their way" they can't get a third of their money back etc. I've seen this happen time and time again.

So for me, I usually try to always make improvements/upgrades with resale in the back of my mind and how it may impact the car's value. In the case of our LeMans, swaping out the engine, I will keep the numbers matching engine, trans & console. This way, if I need to sell the car, the new owner will have the option. Not too mention the new motor will be installed and dressed to look totally stock and the four speed conversion will be done 100% correct using all correct parts. The four wheel disc brake conversion is 100% bolt on and the ONLY reason I am doing it is for safety. The drums on the LeMans are terrible unlike the ones on the Bird, they were excellent.

My wife will ultimately be the one driving the LeMans in the very near future so I want the car to handle and stop the best it can.