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Wonder what it's worth now

To: alpines@autox.team.net, british-cars@autox.team.net, tigers@autox.team.net
Subject: Wonder what it's worth now
From: "Jay Laifman" <Jay_Laifman@countrywide.com>
Date: Fri, 2 Jul 1999 09:20:12 -0700



Heh, hey, yep, that's right:

Subj:      [xk] THE AMATEUR CAR RESTORER
Date:     99-07-02 09:17:24 EDT
From:     FieldingPM@Nampak.co.za (Fielding, Peter)
Sender:   owner-xk@jag-lovers.org
Reply-to: xk@jag-lovers.org
To:  xk@jag-lovers.org ('XK Lovers List')

Guys, I wanted to share this with you as I believe we all experience it at
sometime or another and it encapsulates it all so well. I have a copy hung
on my garage wall.  It was reproduced in our local Jaguar Car Club magazine
many years ago. Hope you enjoy it.

" Have you ever noticed at a Club outing or any other gathering of motoring
enthusiasts that in addition to the actual participants there is always an
equal number of interested bystanders who wander around the assembled cars
kicking tyres and holding forth to their respective wives, girlfriends,
companions etc, etc, that "Yes, I had one of those you know. I sold it for
$50. Imagine what it would be worth now".

99% of these ex-classic owners were probably just ordinary people with
ordinary jobs buying ordinary cars at prices on the upper fringe of what
they could afford, maybe a Jaguar (if he was lucky), or a Morris Minor. Now
ask yourself why they sold their cars? In all probability it was because it
had stood outside in all extremes of weather and had been run into the
ground until the only sensible thing to do with it was to sell it to
someone
less well off then themselves, again at a price just more than he could
afford, who would, in turn, expect further miracles from the car.

When this procedure has run its natural course and all that is left is a
pile of junk ask again "imagine what it would be worth now?"

Fortunately, occasionally along comes a different kind of person who takes
the wreck by its tailpipe and gives it his time, skill and hard earned
money
to a project that in its early stages looks like a lost cause, then
miracles
of miracles, there emerges like a phoenix from the flames, a pristine
example of "how it was". It becomes someone's pride and joy, the family pet
(almost). It is treated with reverence and suddenly enjoys the retirement
that can only be bettered by an Ex-State President or similar dignitary.
It is rolled out into the light of day maybe a handful of times a year to
be
pampered, polished and admired, not only by the doting enthusiast but by
the
uncaring but nostalgic romantic whose imagination immediately starts to run
away with him and he says "Yes, I had one of those you know. I sold it for
$50. Imagine what it would be worth now."  I'll tell you what it would be
worth - nothing!!
Let's say thank you to the amateur restorer. He not only restores old cars
but he also restores faded memories."
END

Have fun driving and showing you car and if it is still in pieces, enjoy
the
restoration process because when it's over, you'll kind of miss that too !

Peter Fielding - South Africa.
'55 140DHC



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