Hello All,
Just wanted to add my pennies as well-
It USED to be that for a car to be considered a 'survivor' it had to be
at least 75% original. How that was determined was determined by the
judging people before the Nats took place. That- as MANY of you have
noted, has changed. I think I know why. Because 'survivor' status for
any mopar these days will make the car MUCH more valuable. I'm sure
many of you have seen how much a 'survivor' brings at that joke of an
auction Barrett-Jackson. Always more than a correctly restored car of
similar options, etc.
Sorry, memory is getting shorter as I get older, but someone told the
tale of their nicely original/restored 66 Charger getting beaten by a
modified Charger at a show. I am sad to say this is why I stopped
entering my Chargers in shows as well. The Modified Charger is what
many in the hobby are now calling 'day two' restorations. These are
cars with period correct speed/appearance parts. In other words, the
car appears as it would have after the first owner had put on all of
the hop-up items that he would of the day after he bought the car.
Generally, this means aftermarket wheels, headers, gauges, steering
wheel, etc.
The thing is that these items, if done correctly, MUST be from that era
or be direct replacements from that era. A good example is
Torquethrust wheels. They never went out of production. OR Anson
aluminum slotted wheels. These came back into production for this very
example.
Now, the problem is that most judges don't bother to check the
authenticity of these items. They just note them.
All of this is why correctly restored cars get beat by the modified
cars.
Any decent car show will give the 'day two-s' their own category. Many
(most) do not.
So- I just don't show my cars....and it appears many of you don't
either.
This really is ashame.
Why? because, again as someone else noted, you can now go to shows and
see nothing but the day 2's.
Soon enough everyone is going to forget what the original cars looked
like because no one brings them out anymore.
Personally, I go to the Nats every year. I have since 1989. I showed
my Chargers there until 1996. That's when I saw the trend appear. I
wouldn't pay the money now (or lets face it 19 gallons of 94 octane
aint cheap, and I would burn 4-5 tanks in a weekend) to take one of my
cars to this show. Not to be stuck in the middle of a huge dusty field
and have people pass the car over simply because it ISN'T modified.
Now- on a positive note-
I did see some very nice FWLK cars there this year. A 60 and 61 300
letter series cars most notable. Beautifully restored or just original
I don't know.
BOTH stuck in the middle of that damn field. At least the 61 was near
the Dodge test drive area so you had to pass it on the test drive
route, but a crying shame that two such beautiful cars weren't even
given their own areas. This is on top of a couple belvederes, a
coronet, a couple desotos and the 413 cross ram powered 61 Dodge
Seneca? that was the topic of discussion here not long ago. The people
who run the Nats have no idea how to 'run the nats' if you get my
meaning!
Anyway,
Sorry for the rambling,
Charles.
Jimmy Johns wrote:
This is my 2 pennys as some of you have seen my 67 Coronet 440
at the Tulsa show it has had the sides and hood touched up the
underside and interior are as factory as they come and all my chrome is
original drip lines and all. I have just recently replaced the original
plug wires,lower radiator hose, and belts these were all original with
MoPar #'s. I was told that due to the paint work that my car is no
longer considered a survivor, this is why I will not return to those
joke nationals in ohio among a few other reasons. Oh I do believe the
grille has been replaced some where along the cars life it has only 49K
on it after the T-Town trip and like many of you I enjoy the heck out
of my cars. Even my customized 59 Custom Royal with that big block
MoPower. And as far as Neil's knowledge of the FWLK MoP's there is no
one more with it, and he can prove it to.
Jimmy
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