Here is my proposal for making peace between the derby participants and the
Imperial Preservation League:
WHEREAS potential candidates for restoration and their valuable parts are
lost to derby events;
WHEREAS each derby organizer sets rules for the participants;
WHEREAS a large number of derby organizers have already made rules limiting
Imperials' eligibility; and
WHEREAS derby participants have been as diligent as if not more so than IPL
members unearthing candidates for preservation.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the IPL will actively lobby derby organizers
to further limit Imperial eligibility with the goal of disqualifying every
Imperial from such events.
FURTHER RESOLVED that the IPL will take advantage of the participants'
established network and further its preservation aims by creating a
mutually beneficial structure to pay participants for their efforts that
result in making candidates for preservation available to new owners.
FURTHER RESOLVED that the IPL will set a minimum guaranteed price for
designated class or model year Imperials which will be paid to a
participant to purchase such Imperial provided that the transaction meets
certain regulatory requirements as may be determined by the league from
time to time.
FURTHER RESOLVED that the IPL will set a bounty on information about the
location, price, condition and seller of designated class or model year
Imperials which will be paid to a participant for providing such
information to the IPL.
In laymans' terms:
Lobby the organizers and their umbrella organizations to disqualify all
Imperials and pay the would-be derby drivers for their help locating and
delivering Imperials to preservationists. That's not enough, though.
Those drivers have a lot of contacts that we don't know about, and they
have a financial incentive to extend their contact network. We need to
give them an incentive to make some money using those contacts even if they
are not allowed to drive the cars in an event. If they can't make a profit
buying the car and reselling it to us at the guaranteed minimum, they can
make a bounty by letting us know the car is available.
Let's say Joe Imperialist is looking for a '66 Coupe in #3 condition. I
mean seriously looking. He can make a deposit with the league treasurer,
who then broadcasts to the bounty hunters that they will receive the
guaranteed price for delivering that model in that condition or better.
Implied in that broadcast is that a "snitch" bounty is also available for
information about a '66 Coupe for sale in #3 condition only. No snitch
bounty is available for a #2 or #4 car based on Joe's deposit. If the
bounty hunter can't or doesn't want to make a profit flipping the car to
Joe, he can snitch on the seller so Joe knows where the car is, who's
selling it and what the price and condition are. That bounty is available
to the snitch whether Joe buys the car or not, and it is deducted from
Joe's deposit. Joe may then complete the transaction with the seller, if
he chooses, or he may pass. If Joe doesn't want that car, another league
member might. At least we as a group know what's out there. Joe
reimburses the treasury for the snitch bounty and the guaranteed price
remains available for that model in that condition.
Let's say Joe Imperialist only wants information about any '66 Coupe
available in a particular condition but he prefers to deal directly with
the seller. He can make a deposit in the amount of the snitch bounty, and
no guaranteed minimum price is available based on Joe's deposit.
Obviously, there would have to be some limits and criteria. No "snitch"
bounty for a car advertised in Hemmings, for example -- we can find those
ourselves. We would also have to think about whether we want to limit such
bounty payments to active derby participants or expand the program to make
more people eligible.
The bottom line is we can have these guys falling all over themselves and
competing against each other while they try to help us preserve Imperials.
That, my friends, is what we call a win/win situation. In addition, I like
the elements of justice and atonement. The key is making it hard for them
to make money destroying the car and easy for them to make money helping
us.
Not to mention these guys crisscross the country with auto trailers. Guess
what? They usually only have a car on that trailer going in one direction.
Maybe they'd like to make a few extra bucks hauling cars for members. They
certainly have experience hauling Imperials and/or other heavy, full-size
cars.
Happy Labor Day picnicking or whatever,
David
'91 K-Imperial driver -- was headed for the boneyard if I hadn't bought it
'66 Crown Coupe project -- seller said if I didn't buy it he was going to
turn it into a sculpture (no lie, and he's done it before!)
'66 Newport 383 dual exhaust 4bbl .030 over Eddys/Hurst/Cragars daughter's
first Mopar -- car has a charmed life
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