Restomod

I was inspired by car restoration hobbyists for my most resent idea: “restomod.” You see, some people actually have enough cash to turn a junk yard jewel (hint: sarcasm) and transform it into a true classic. Rust buckets all over the world have be resurrected. Purists insist on ground up restorations with “numbers matching” parts. In other words, these cars are returned to factory fresh condition with original parts.

Another camp of car enthusiasts subscribe to a different philosophy—modification and restoration or restomod. Basically, they obtain a donor car (usually just a body) and build it up with modern high performance parts. The resulting car winds up resembling the original, but it drives, handles, and performs on par with modern state-of-the-art vehicles.

On to my idea. This combines two of my passions, cars and broadcast radio equipment. What if I find an old fashioned radio mixing console, gut the electronics and replace them with today’s best professional audio components. Most of those old boards were very roomy inside, like a ‘57 Chevy, and would lend themselves to extreme modifications. The exterior would be restored to original factory fresh appearance and function; the best of both worlds, classic ergonomic design with stellar 21st century sonics.  I would fill my fantasy studio with such equipment, like the console pictured above. It’s an old Broadcast Electronics Spotmaster, the one I learned on. It was maintenance deferred, sounded like crap, but was easy to “drive.”

Recently, I stumbled on a guy who has done this. Here is a link to the site for photos and more information.

Stay tuned

© 2011 Neal Rhoden. The Peanut Whistle Weblogs. All Rights Reserved.