BACKDATING. It’s a ‘car’ thing but one that remains unknown to many Aussie car enthusiasts. It means making a car look older than it is – and hence more ‘classic’ – by fitting earlier-model hardware such as panels, lights and trim.
It’s sometimes seen in Europe and USA with things like Porsches and Benzes and it happens here too, but not often. It’s generally only tweaking 1980s WB Holden and XF/XG Falcon panel vans with 1970s front panels (HQ and XD respectively), to make them look like the earlier, allegedly cooler, 1970s equivalents.
It’s the reversal of what sometimes happened in the 1980s and 90s when some of these – plus cars such as VW Bugs, Commodores, Benzes and Porsches – were ‘updated’!
On-paper, backdating makes perfect sense for creating a cool cruiser: later model/series cars of the same basic design/shape are younger, generally more plentiful and often better-built.
Said another way; a later vehicle can be better to create a ‘dream’ project from. Whip an earlier nose onto a later body and you’ve created a younger, healthier tribute to Pop’s old panno.
But to be honest, I’m not sure I’m a fan of backdating… even though I’ve done it! Regular readers will recall a few issues ago I screwed early-1960s VW Beetle front guards and headlights to my tatty little ’68 brown Bug. The hardware change gave me happy Herbie headlights on a car with the extra benefits of the better, later Bug body and chassis.
Lately, I’ve again been thinking about backdating: I’m planning to build an early Holden Commodore wagon as a nice regular driver.
The picture in my mind is of a wagon with plenty of patina, a later-model fuel-injected V8, well-sorted chassis/handling with big brakes, and a luxury interior with all the fruit including Stratos or Recaro seats, air-conditioning and fast glass.
I really like the styling of the original 1978 VB Commodore – I guess because of the enduring memory of original Commodores everywhere when I was an impressionable, car-crazy kid – but as the 1980s rolled on, Holden improved things; for instance better rust proofing and more effective air-conditioning.
So with the increasing rarity of good-condition early Commodores, one idea I had was to create my ‘keeper’ cruiser based on a later-model VL series Commodore.
I’d replace the swoopy VL nose with the older VB panels and grille and I’d replace the VL’s crackly plastic body bits with the VB’s chrome bumpers. Inside; I’d do a VB dash transplant… all typical ‘backdate’ tricks.
But then I decided… No.
Even though a backdated VL makes sense on-paper, the car would, to me, forever be a bastardised and butchered VL, not an improved VB, and somehow I’d never be 100 per cent happy with it!
So I cancelled the idea of a VL/VB mash-up. Instead, I’ve found a beaut rust-free VB Commodore wagon to create my ultimate Commodore without any backdating. Stay tuned!
What do you reckon? Is ‘backdating’ good or bad? Is it something you’d ever do? Tell us your story at uniquecars@primecreative.com.au