Nick is right. My question to those that say it MUST BE ORIGINAL is, what is the difference between a car customized in this era, possibly by the owner, and cars customized in the 20's-40's by Fleetwood, LeBaron, Derham or anyone else. Walter P's gift to his son of a 'custom '32 Chrysler roadster was OK then and it's a much sought to see attraction now. Walter P's car is featured in the WPC Newsletter this month. It's beautiful and accepted and praised. BUT, Don't forget, IT'S CUSTOMIZED! Shudder-er-er-er-er! A car is a way for a person to demonstrate their personality. Customizing is the best way to show this for many people. Well, that's enough. This soapbox is getting shaky. Mike Sersen :-{) ---------- > From: Sperduto, Nick <SperdutoN@DNB.COM> > To: L-FORWARDLOOK@lists.psu.edu > Subject: [FWDLK] Why we do what we do ? > Date: Tuesday, November 16, 1999 10:26 AM > > The post about the car on Ebay led me to this post. > Why do we have these cars ? > Me personally, I just like cars and too me there's no hot rods, customs, > resto rods, restorations or whatever word you want to use. I just think of > them as cool cars. > Am I a die hard mopar fan ? No. Actually, I'm not a die hard any brand fan. > I will say I would rather buy American than foreign, but is no > justification, it's just what I like. As far as old cars, I own one > Plymouth, 2 chevies and 1 oldsmobile. > Did I go searching for any of the cars, No, I just happened upon them. > When I was in College, my plymouth was parked for a year in the back of the > parking lot of the supermarket across the street. I liked the look of it, I > thought it was cool. I had always wanted a 57 Chevy, not because it was a > Chevy, but because I liked the look of it and as a kid it's the car you see > most often. I finally got the owner of the Plymouth to sell it to me. I > borrowed $300 bucks from my sister (I was broke and out of work with a > broken leg) and drove the car home. Years down the road, I had finished the > plymouth and was hiking in the forest clearing some trail for an offroad > motorcycle event when the I started taling to the pres of my club that I > wanted a new project car and he tells me he has a 53 Chevy in his garage. > After all the details were figured out. It was his first car bought in 63 > and built to go drag racing in 67 and left with it's new motor sitting in > his garage since 67, never to be raced. Has 41,000 miles on the odo and is > basically rust and dent free. $1000 later, it was in my garage. This is my > current project it won't be resotred to original because I don't really care > about 100% originality, I just like it if it looks good. > Last summer, my grandmother call me and see an ad in her local condo > association paper. For $600 I came home this time with a 4 door 57 Beliar > that needs floors and fender patches and interior. for $200 I picked up a > use v/8 and auto trans. My wife likes 4 door cars and she wanted this one. > This one is on the back burner. This spring, my grandmother called me again > and hooked me up with a guy from her senior citizen center and for a hundred > dollars, I towed home a 74 Oldsmobile delta 88 convertible and after a fuel > pump and brake rebuild, some used tires, I have $425 into the car and I'm > cruising with the top down. I've never actually gone looking for an old car, > I happen upon them and if I like them and they are a good deal, I buy them. > I also know of a 48 Dodge that will probably end up mine just so it doesn't > go to the junkyard. I do have a special place in my heart for my Plymouth. > It is the one car that I will never sell. A) because how much is it really > worth, not much, it's a Plymouth, and not enough to really benefit me B) > because I had about 10 guys help me do the car when it was ready for the > junkyard and I knew nothing about body work and there were great friendships > and memories built from that car. Friends that I will never > forget. My wife has an 84 Honda, personally I don't care for the car, I > don't lilke small cars, but it was the first car she bought brand new. So > now I am fixing the rust and painting it. She has memories in the car of her > and her father who passed away years ago. Since it's something she cherishes > and I know how to do the work, what a few hours in the barn making it look > nice and her happy. > I just enjoy old cars. I like working on them, well not maybe everything on > them. I hate taking auto trans out on the ground and I hate changing exhaust > or dropping gas tanks, but it's all part of the big picture. > I met a neighbor (he has a 67 Mustang) and he actaully knew what my plymouth > was and asked what cruise nights I was going to since he saw me leaving > often. I told him. None really, I use the car for normal driving. I even fit > a counter top refidgerator in the truck to take back to Walmart. > > I just like cars period and people have different ideas of what they want > them to look like. If someone wants to chop or modify their car, then all > the power to them. If all the cars in the world looked the same, things > would be boring. Kind of like the newer cars. Can anybody tell the diference > in the years of newer cars, I know I can't. > > I guess that's enough babbling for now. > > Nick
|