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I couldn't agree more. I've often asked myself the question
that if we love our Imperials so much, why are many so quick to want to change
everything about them? Isn't the reason we love them because of the way they
were created?
I would favor an original
Imperial over one that has been heavily modified even if it should turn out
that the modified one was more drivable. I would concider the original car to be
of greater value then the modified car even if the original car wasn't quite as
nice. There is something very special about originality to me. Somehow, if
things get changed too much, the connection with the past gets
broken.
John
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Tuesday, May 14, 2002 5:36 PM
Subject: IML: Imperial Purity
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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