I would add to Hugh's excellent perspective that I thought the car was worth
much more than $4000, and I am notoriously cheap about these things, so
please don't feel you have been taken for a ride on the price. The correct
price for you to pay is that which seems fair to you, other opinions don't
matter at all. I think it is a very good car, and a delight to drive - my
main concern was that the seller seemed less than forthright, to put it
mildly, and the then current auction was almost certainly a shill operation.
Dick Benjamin
----- Original Message -----
From: hugh hemphill <hugtrees@xxxxxxxx>
To: <mailing-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Friday, March 01, 2002 10:44 PM
Subject: IML: Keith's 58: The wisest choice
> Keith,
>
> You have to CHILL OUT! No one on this list should take my recommendations
> seriously. Have you seen all the pictures that were taken of this car? I
> no longer have the file. I lost it when my computer crashed last year. I
> know I sent it to someone else.
>
> I have never seen this car/ As far as I know, Dick Benjamin is the only
one
> on the list that has. There are some snaps of its dashboard and "Auto
> Pilot" control on my own site, which I took my the snaps Dick took.
>
> It does not matter what anyone else may or may not want to pay for this
car.
> I see cars everyday, lovely Mopar muscle cars, and I wouldn't take 'em if
> they were free. They just aren't for me. "My" car does not even belong
to
> me, legally. It belongs to a down at heel transportation museum. The car
> was given to it for free, in 1984. The Imperial is relatively useless to
> the museum, except it gets my work as Chairman for it for free. I became
> attracted to the car because of its looks. It slowly emerged, in my
humble
> opinion, as the best driving car we have. My second favourite is the 1928
> Durant Star coupe, so go figure.
>
> Getting buyer's remorse at this point is just twisting yourself into a
> pretzel for no earthly reason. The price you paid is book correct. I saw
a
> lovely two door 1964 Imperial once and I wanted that car so badly, it grew
> in my mind to be a thing of beauty beyond compare. I told people I wanted
a
> small Imperial to go with the 58. When I saw the car again, somehow it
> seemed a lot, lot bigger than I recall, and, somehow, a whole lot less
> fabulous. The mind can play weird tricks on itself. These days I want a
> 1956 Imperial, having seen one in this town that is owned by someone on
this
> list.
>
> The fact is we can all be harsh and impartial when it isn't our money on
the
> line. I used to get to lots of major rock concerts for free, back in
> another lifetime. I started to be as sniffy as a rock critic after a
while.
> I'd be in a venue, with all the psyched up fans, who, of course, paid for
> their seats, and who were going mental and having a great time, and I'd be
> totally uninvolved in the excitement. Its like the difference between
bacon
> and eggs. The hen was involved, but the pig was committed.
>
> So, you've got yourself an Imperial. A really good one, judging by the
> pictures I have seen. So, relax. Don't worry, be happy. Before you know
> it, you'll be squeezing past it through your garage on the way to put out
> the garbage. Looking after a car like this is like planting an oak tree.
> It takes a long time for the roots to grow. There is no rush. Who knows
> what fate lies in store for the car and you? Its the beginning of a great
> adventure.
>
> Hugh
>
>
> > Hi list people well I looked up the report on the 58 that was put
together
> last
> > year and was alarmed to see that the old girl only has a value of $4000
on
> a
> > good day .this from our very own Hugh .as I paid more than twice that
site
> > unseen I guess there's nothing left for me but the good old tow rope
from
> my
> > Buick and go test the strength of that big old beam way up in the loft
of
> my
> > garage,but then again with my luck the beam will brake and I will just
end
> up
> > with a nasty bruise .Dumb Kiwi HOPPY
>
>
>
>
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