Following yesterday's unpleasantness, I was wondering what all the fuss was
about. I ended up concluding that one of this group's core values is
maintaining the originality of our cars as much as possible. I happen to be
a member of a local Mopar club, that sees it as absolutely normal to buy
something and then to start making changes. It's the muscle car way. I am
forced to observe that not all of these changes are good or even beneficial,
but the owners are having a good old time. Second guessing the original
designers and builders of those cars is all part of the sport.
Imperials belong to a different class. An exclusive class, like Packard,
Lincoln, Lexus and Infiniti. Cadillac does not make the grade in this
respect as they are too common and hence too available to those who want to,
and indeed do, perpetrate all manner of vulgarities upon them. In the
"exclusive" class, originality counts to an overwhelming extent. keeping it
right is the name of the game.
Certain deviations are tolerated more than others, but they must be discreet
to the point of invisibility. Upgrades to ignition systems or brake systems
come to mind. Anything that flagrantly deviates beyond the car's original
specifications will incur much wrath if openly admitted to and flaunted.
Many of us, and in this case I get to include myself, go to extraordinary
lengths to keep our cars as original as possible. I cite my struggles to
get an original style carburetor for my 58 as taking this pursuit far beyond
any reasonable logic, but, then again, I do not work on the car for logical
reasons. I have read so many posts from like minded people who go to
fantastic lengths to keep their cars as original as possible. Where to get
the right cloth, or leather, or stereo system. (Dick Benjamin took 14 years
to recreate a special kind of stereo system for one of his cars, as I
recall.)
Why we are this way is tied into why we love these cars in the first place.
There is no substitute for the right part to maintain the integrity of our
cars. They are unique to their era and we enjoy them as such. Is that so
wrong?
Hugh
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