[Chrysler300] Re: Membership Dust-up Beilby v. Graefen

["James" <jdelrae1@xxxxxxx>]

Well said Ed.. And I agree on the drinking part..Hahaha
Jim 
300E
--- In Chrysler300@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, Edward Mills Antique Tractors <millserat@...> wrote:
>
> Wayne Graefen wrote:
> >
> > There is considerable precedent for dust-ups between members to be 
> > handled publicly in car clubs and to date the directors and board of 
> > this club in this electronic age feels the Beilby vs. Graefen saga is 
> > best done this way. By the way, I was unaware that Mike Burke had been 
> > added as a director a couple of months ago. My internet service has 
> > been down all day until moments ago or I would have been commenting 
> > sooner.
> >
> > Everyone needs to understand that I have tried to reason with Mr. 
> > Beilby about his supercharged 300C that I saw the car in person and 
> > reviewed its portfolio of paperwork and spoke with its earliest living 
> > owner and found its documentation all lacking of any proof other than 
> > that at one time Briggs Cunningham rebuilt the seized motor, a 
> > contract job which his shop did for innumerable cars that were totally 
> > without note. Also the quality of the car when I saw it was extremely 
> > poor as a restored car with the most ridiculous asking price I had 
> > ever noted for a 300C at that time. Mr. Beilby refuses to accept my 
> > conclusion. He has sent me no new paperwork or photos to convince me 
> > of any new considerations. I personally believe Mr. Beilby has a 
> > problem with me as an authority figure in his area of interest and 
> > would have a similar problem with anyone where his self-proclaimed 
> > righteousness as "the last best genius" might be challenged. In the 
> > 300C Handbook I call Mr. Beilby's car "The Flying Mile Car" because it 
> > was promoted as such for many years in the US by previous owners and 
> > marketers. I accurately state "Last seen in California." because that 
> > is where I last saw it. The fact that it is currently in Australia 
> > does not change that for me and I am the author writing the book.
> >
> > I have humbly rarely ever mentioned my ownership of the Road America 
> > competition model 300C in this club but now that Mr. Beilby is 
> > challenging it as being no more nor less qualified in importance than 
> > his totally undocumented supercharged car, may I say a few words on my 
> > car's behalf. 3N57-2863 was special ordered by Carl Kiekhaefer through 
> > Mercury Marine purchase order directly to the president of Chrysler, 
> > E.C. Quinn, dated May 28, 1957, specifying exact equipment and with an 
> > accompanying letter signed by Carl. I have copies. I purchased this 
> > car from western 300 club member Chuck Hill who corresponded with Mr. 
> > Kiekhaefer while he was still living and Carl verifies it was his car. 
> > I have a photo of the car the day it arrived in the parking lot of the 
> > Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, Mercury Plant #6, also known as "the race car 
> > plant", where Kiekhaefer's NASCAR team cars were housed and prepared, 
> > having been driven off the assembly line by a Kiekhaefer employee. I 
> > personally interviewed Kiekhaefer's head dyno man and chief welder, 
> > Bill Fenrich, to ask about the boxed front and rear cross members of 
> > this hardtop built on a convertible frame which also has its engine 
> > cradle frame section full welded instead of stitch welded as was the 
> > assembly line practice and Bill said that if anyone would have made 
> > those enhancements it would have been him and he did not, therefore 
> > they were done at the factory. There is more to the story of this car 
> > and if it were not severely hung up by two professional restoration 
> > shops and my own personal situations it would have already been shown 
> > in our club's concours but alas it has not.
> >
> > However suffice please to understand that there is a virtually 
> > insurmountable hill to climb for Mr. Beilby to create even an aura of 
> > provenance about his abused no-name Daytona sands entry, ex-drag race 
> > heavily abused 300C hardtop when compared to my ex-Kiekhaefer, 
> > massively documented, professionally restored 300C hardtop.
> >
> > So why don't I respond to Mr. Beilby personally or day to day on the 
> > list server? Mostly for the same reason that the vast majority of you 
> > don't read anything that he writes. His comments are largely 
> > incomprehensible or at best are not worthy of what is supposed to be 
> > my pleasurable hobby time. When I have tried to address Mr. Beilby's 
> > concerns he will not take yes or no for an answer nor will he accept 
> > black or white for an answer. Nothing is ever enough. My logic is 
> > never his logic and his logic is most certainly not my logic. This is 
> > far more than a personality conflict as some are suggesting. Has 
> > anyone here ever worked in or visited an asylum?
> >
> > There are many intentional omissions in the 300C Handbook. In its 
> > current form it is already well beyond the original vision I had for 
> > what it could become and I am amazed at what it is and am regularly 
> > thrilled by the comments it receives universally except by its one 
> > detractor, Christopher Beilby, who is not satisfied with the scope of 
> > its coverage nor its treatment of his personal vehicle. What is not in 
> > the 300C Handbook are areas that I was not qualified to cover; 
> > particularly electrical problems and torqueflite concerns, items that 
> > I could not find definitive answers for, and judging specifics which 
> > are up to this club as well as belonging in the arena of other 
> > organizations that will judge our cars. I considered but did not 
> > create a nuts and bolts hardware addendum. If Mr. Beilby can assemble 
> > and document a 300C specific hardware catalog of some sort, more power 
> > to him and I'll be a buyer but to just criticize me for not doing so 
> > is just a cheap shot. Step up with some initiative of your own Mr. 
> > Beilby and contribute something other than whining criticism.
> >
> > Wayne Graefen
> >
> > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> >
> > 
> Actually I personally think this is best NOT handled in the public on 
> this forum - I'm not really interested in hearing Mr Beilby's tyrate and 
> the more it is responded to, the more life it has. Frankly the original 
> post was barely coherent and, at the time, not knowing the people or the 
> history, I had assumed the poster had had a bit too much to drink. If 
> the situation is as presented by the numerous other club members I don't 
> understand why his post is dignified by these responses.
> 
> I take no issue with Mr Graefen's car or book - or for that matter Mr 
> Beilby's car - and in fact I especially appreciate anyone who takes the 
> time to research, document, and publish the history of these vehicles - 
> and I allow for differing opinions and even corrections based on 
> research and presentation of properly vetted documentation. But here, in 
> the absence of such documentation, I would suggest agreement to disagree 
> and let the subject die is a valid option.
> 
> Best to all, Ed
>




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