"Dean T. Lake" wrote:
>
> I won't weigh in on every aspect of the debate (points on both sides have
> been well expressed already), but I can't resist adding my two cents.
>
> I feel the very best car is the example that has been driven AND well cared
> for. The result is usually a patina that only miles can give. Consider the
> world of old furniture: Ever heard the experts on the Antiques Road Show?
> They go on and on about the affects of age on the wood and how, despite the
> impulse to clean and re-finish, to remove its beauty would be ill advised.
> This concept is not always reflected in the world of car restoration, but it
> reflects my personal preference. Then again, just like with old furniture,
> sometimes an overhaul is the best - or only - course of action.
Guess it's my turn. I'm afraid I'm a real Philistine when it comes to my
own personal transportation. Since I'm pretty much a comic book character
myself, I drive comic book cars. My Mini Cooper S started out as a
relatively rare 1971 Mark III S. Somewhere along the line it got blessed
with papers from a '67 850 Mini. Then after I bought it and restored it, it
got totalled in a wreck, so I re-shelled it with a 1999 Mark V shell. The
engine had been replaced previously with a works racing mill, detuned by
adding a standard flywheel and APT 286 scatter cam to replace the Swiss
Cheese flywheel and radical full-race cam that came with it. So, it's like
"grandfather's axe," which has had three blades and seventeen handles over
the years. ;)
My MG is a Victor Special, so it starts right out as an outlaw,
amalgamating a 77 MGB and a 55 TF on a special frame. As a turn-key car in
1981 it cost a bit over $16,000. A Victor these days can bring between
$35,000 and $55,000, which is outrageous, since a really nice TF is rarely
worth $20,000.
My Mini is so far from being "original" there's no resemblance. I even have
a cheeky little "Nick Park's Chevron Cars" grin painted on the grill. The
Victor is soon to have a robin's egg blue paint job, similar to the Bugatti
racers of the 1920's, even though this is definitely not a T-Series colour
option, just because I like it and I want to be more visible to the many
idiots on the local roads and streets.
In short, my cars are a reflection of me and my tastes, good or bad.
To each his own and may all enjoy.
-Rock http://www.rocky-frisco.com
--
"JJ Cale Live" CD & Video: http://www.rocky-frisco.com/calelive.htm
The Rickey Preston Band (w/Rocky): http://www.rickeyprestonband.com
The Wednesday Night Science Project: http://www.wednitesciproj.us
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