Hey Hugh, you forgot the Amen....So I say it AAAAMMMEEENNN! Thad the ImpPoster --- Hugh & Therese <hugtrees@xxxxxxxx> wrote: > 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 > > > > >