[Chrysler300] 'Rebodying' - that is for anyone not sick of it yet

["christopher beilby" <thelastbestgenius@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

If you are not all sick of the issue - perhaps a few too many words fom 
downunder, where many are pretty serious about our cars?!

A friend of mine owns the Healey Factory in Melbourne Australia - employs 
about 25 staff who often start with a complete car they dismantle and then 
decide what to use - on odd occasions if the rust is real bad, they will use 
a new chassis - nearly always they will try and salvage the alloy front and 
rear shrouds that surround the hood and trunk openings, but this only/mainly 
because they are not made repro yet, plus Rob likes to use as much original 
car as possible unless total rubbish/ruined. Healey Factory cars are known 
Internationally, fetch highest prices, are 100% as left UK factory correct 
if an owner wishes to leave stock/unmodified.
And yes, Healeys are more common than early 300s

Another friend owned one of about 2-5 famed 50s racing Lister Jaguars that 
raced Ferrari, etc - he rebuilt it using original frame, most alloy skin. He 
also about 6 years ago finished a (genuine) magnificent 8 Litre Bentley that 
he fitted a (non original) open sports body to. And sadly (happily?!) 
supposedly genuine AC Cobras are (too commonly?) 'made' from just an 
original id plate.  Duesenbergs, Cadillac V16s, Bugatti, etc too many too 
list, are often rebodied into previously, non/never existing open body cars. 
And 1967 Mustang fastbacks are the latest/greatest rage, made into Shelby GT 
500s/Eleanors.

All these cars if properly done often have high values if sold, and from 
personal experience can annoy (the #####**** out of ) those who own an 
original car.

I say if they at best do not have a very high original content, they are 
replicas - you may say clone. And at best, if they exactly duplicate an 
original factory built car, they serve a purpose, but still are not/never a 
genuine car. (As a schoolboy, one of my dad's friends drove a 300S race 
history red Maserati, used to pass us/me many mornings on my way to school - 
a 100% replica is never a real car, but if we/many will never see a real 
one, at least others may enjoy a second best encounter?
( The Maserati left Australia in the 80s, along with maybe another 5-15 
equally rare now $3m- $15m cars that are now in US and Europe, factory 
museums etc - I can still remember the smell of it's racing fuel you smelt 
for maybe 10 minutes after it passed us)

The tricky bit is like with this 300C remains now offered again on ebay - if 
whomever buys and builds an exact correct car - as long as the Club has 
recorded this and any future seller of the car declares this, at least 
another 300 has been saved 'sort of' - rather than the chassis etc (which is 
still even today genuine 300C? ) being melted down for scrap, or never 
used/usefull?
And surely that is good - sort of like hotrodders who now buy/use fiberglass 
bodies, modern chassis, for their 32-34 Ford V8 rods, and those who own 
original all steel ones are likely bloody glad fiberglass bodies came along, 
as each one sold may save a steel one being rodded?!

It may suit the Club to determine what key original elements need be in a 
car to still say it is a genuine car - personally if an exact same correct 
bodyshell was used, that would not be as great a crime as would be not using 
original chassis and suspension stuff, original carbs, motor etc stuff?!

But whatever, the key point must be disclosure - if the  (300) Club accepts 
a car, the Club should seek to verify it's 'provinance/history'?! - The (AC) 
Cobra (world) Register has been excellent since the 70s for the way they 
publish ever greater known histories of each car built, always seek to add 
to it - anyone half smart is going to want to own the car that all it's 
history is known and verified - it states clearly if the car has been 
totalled, recreated, major accident, modifications etc..

The Club is lucky to have people like John Hertog who care, and can maybe 
determine what are possible options - maybe seeking and recording histories 
of 300s like the Shelby Club has done, is easier than trying to define where 
'the line' is that should/cannot, be crossed?

BUT WHO HAS THE TIME TO EXPAND THE CURRENT REGISTER AND PUBLISH IT, BECAUSE 
IT IS THE PUBLISHING OF IT THAT SEES OTHERS REPORT ANY CLAIMED 'PORKIES' RE 
A CAR'S TRUE HISTORY ?!

The Shelby Club started with AC Cobras, plus the then not as collectable 
Shelby Mustangs were just added as owners gave detail.
Maybe the Club starts with early series 300s known, plus any later cars that 
ones wish to supply detail?  It will not be a perfect system, but the more 
time passes, the more truth will rise, and 'hidden wrongs, non disclosures' 
will find their way into car's recorded/known histories where relevant.

Like it or not, our 300s have a value - best protection is someone having a 
known/accesible listing of those that are known genuine, rather than trying 
to be policemen?!  And we don't want to turn into coppers do we, we just 
want to have fun, not hurt anyone doing so?

good luck with from oz, where they have just said gas/petrol will soon (by 
xmas)be $2 a litre - wish they were joking

Christopher



>From: "John Lyons" <John@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>To: <moparpjf@xxxxxxx>,<Chrysler300@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>Subject: RE: [Chrysler300] Rebodying Anyone
>Date: Tue, 4 Apr 2006 08:46:57 -0400
>
>Pete and all,
>
>I just received my May issue of Sports Car Market.  In the issue, there is 
>a
>blurb about a '50's era Maserati 300S with a note that none of the sheet
>metal (in the opinion of the author) is original to the car.  The car sold
>just south of 2 million.  I guess it is in the eye of the beholder.
>
>As a buyer, I would not be interested in owning one...BUT what constitutes
>'crossing the line'???  Switching vin and data plates???  A complete
>rebody????  Extensive use of donor panels????  I certainly don't have an
>answer but have debated the issue many times with friends and fellow
>enthusiasts.  I had an old boss that would describe it as varying shades of
>grey.
>
>The seller of the C chassis has tried several times listing it to no avail.
>I think the title and tags are new to this listing although I might be
>mistaken on that point.
>
>Other hobbies have some oversight (such as coin collecting)....there 
>doesn't
>seem to be that general oversight body in automobiles.  Maybe there is a
>market opportunity there.
>
>JL
>




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