In a simular vein, let me rant about the lack of classic cars on the
road....
It seems that to be an accepted member of the classic car community you
have to have a show quality 'trailer potato' that sits in your garage
waiting for the next show. I don't want to talk about the correct
markings that should be on the bolts that hold on the fan shroud, I
want to talk about acceleration figures,etc. I would rather see a clapped
out '61 Dodge Dart crusing down the road than a pristine Jaguar in some
static show or museum.
Cars are dynamic, they must be driven to be enjoyed. A real driver will
talk about his car, will enjoy his car, will know his car. Not be a
snob like in the origional email on this thread.
Now, I'm not arguing against restoration. But many show cars are so
over restored that they are lawn jewelry rather than automobiles. No
wonder the owners don't drive them, they've got too much to loose.
These cars become a garage monument that nobody sees untill the next
show.
I also feel that this 'over restored' attitude prevents many decent cars
from being on the road. Many amateur restorers become overwhelmed by
the level of restoration they feel must be achieved--which leads to
the unfinished project sitting in the garage for years.
This is why I like junkyards to much, they are real cars, with
personalities and histories.
Sure I could paint the dash of my '66 Galaxie where the
countless miles of keys jangling against it have worn away the paint,
but that would destroy a piece of the history of the car too.
We need to show the world that classic cars can be an accepted form of
transportation, that classic cars can be touched, driven hard, sat in
by normal people, used in a normal fashion, and are owned by friendly
knowlegable people.
I feel that one reason that the EPA, city codes, zoning,
etc. has become so against classic cars is that they don't realize that
they exist in the numbers that they do.
My Galaxie has 246,000 miles on it, I have shown a part of the world that
a classic can, and is, the way to go. Soon my Midgets will bring a
little taste of Britan back too.....
-Aron Travis-
"always in a automotive frenzy"
P.S. I'm not writing this because I have sour grapes
against restored cars, I have restored cars too! And I take the risk and
drive them.....
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