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When you don't have the money for pristine machines.

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4.4K views 29 replies 23 participants last post by  Sirius  
#1 ·
When I lived in MD, people loved seeing old cars, regardless of their condition. In DE, it seems like a car has to be a show car for most to like it.

I still bring my cars and enjoy the hobby, but still have 1 kid in HS so I can't paint and chrome everything.

I keep the hobby alive in my family and am the last one. Wish I could do what others do but for me keeping them rolling is already plenty of work for me.

Please don't see me as complaining- it is simply an observation. I still have guys come up to me and tell me they no longer have one at all, so I try to remember that I've also been there as well!
 
#2 · (Edited)
I don't hear any complaints - but almost an apology, which is absolutely unnecessary. There are lots of trends, common practices, styles and themes. But outside of safety and reliability best practices (and DMV regs) there are no rules for which you owe an explanation. There are a very small number of pro builders who might be concerned that a car that is set up next to theirs is "better". All the rest of us need only notice that the one next to us is different. You have many imperatives in your life to manage - make improvements on your panel as time, funds and abilities allow. Enjoy it for what it is, was, and could become - but by all means participate, drive it, meet like minded and like motivated folks who share your passion and who may be someone who can encourage and advise. But never be intimidated. I go to events so I can enjoy the drive there and back, spend time with old friends and make new ones, and look at and be inspired by other cars, and maybe steal an idea or two. You already have everything you need to do the same!
 
#3 ·
55Madman said:
I don't hear any complaints - but almost an apology, which is absolutely unnecessary. There are lots of trends, common practices, styles and themes. But outside of safety and reliability best practices (and DMV regs) there are no rules for which you owe an explanation. There are a very small number of pro builders who might be concerned that a car that is set up next to theirs is "better". All the rest of us need only notice that the one next to us is different. You have many imperatives in your life to manage - make improvements on your panel as time, funds and abilities allow. Enjoy it for what it is, was, and could become - but by all means participate, drive it, meet like minded and like motivated folks who share your passion and who may be someone who can encourage advise. But never be intimidated. I go to events so I can enjoy the drive there and back, spend time with old friends and make new ones, and look at and be inspired by other cars, and maybe steal an idea or two. You already have everything you need to do the same!
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a person has to live within their means. I didn't get my 55 to please anyone but myself and am sure it will get a lot of criticism (maybe behind my back )
 
#6 ·
Churchkey said:
Shiny cars cause stress! Been there - done that many times.
I built my 57 (current junk) as a DD it's in primer & it will stay that way.
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mine's painted but a very "friendly" body---lots of waves :LOL:--if it gets a ding or scratch no biggie. Interior is nice and comfy and will be a great driver.
 
#10 ·
A few years back I was at the Dead Mans Curve show in Mahwah and a guy had on display a rough, Marina blue, 1968 Camaro SS396/375. The story was something along the lines of the car being bought new, street raced, the BBC blown up, and then a radical small block was built that put the car into the 10's. The current owner had just bought it out of a backyard in (I think) Philly where it had sat for many years. That car had so many guys around it at times I almost couldn't get a picture. The funny thing was, just a ways down the row, there were three 1969 Camaro SS396's lined up next to each other, all completely restored right down to the chalk marks on the firewalls and yet not one drew a crowd. I guess the point being, there's certainly a place for a less than perfect hot rod on the show field.
 
#13 ·
I build my cars to make me happy, not everyone else. I enjoy the run to the show as much or more than the show itself. Del Mar is over 400 miles away, Laughlin is almost 400. I use my cars.
When I'm at a show, I like to chat with old friends, make new ones, talk to people about their car (or mine). I'm happy to answer anyone's questions. Not every spectator stops at my car, but lots of them do. I don't car if they walk by. Maybe they don't like my car, but I don't like their Prius either.
I wouldn't have been doing this stuff for decades if I didn't like it.
I'm looking so forward to the Good Guys show in Scottsdale in November. I'll be there with either my 56 210 or my 66 Chevelle. My son in law will have his 67 Chevelle and for the first time, my 16 year old Grandson will have his 82 El Camino on display. Happy times!
 
#14 ·
I do enjoy and admire seeing the craftsmanship that goes into creating some of these pristine machines. I know I don't have the skills or money to create one - but that isn't what I enjoy about this "hobby" (more like passion). I am now a 67 year old kid that is learning a ton about car restoration (thanks mostly to this site :)). I enjoy every small accomplishment (down to a good flat weld). I know I will have a long list of things that didn't come out perfect and new shiny parts I won't be able to afford, but I will take pride in knowing what was done was done by me. I don't have any issue with those individuals that purchase pristine machines, but I have a great appreciation for those turning wrenches on their own to bring their cars to life - pristine or not.

Art
 
#16 ·
Slightly late to the party, but...

If you wanted to snap your fingers and have a really nice panel truck, you could take a road trip to NC and buy this:

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OTOH, if people point at your truck and ask why it doesn't look like the above truck, hand them a card that has a link to your Go Fund Me page that funds further work on your truck. :)
 
#22 ·
I endured almost a year of 'paint jail' once...never again!
All my cars now are shiny enough to look good but with enough 'blemishes' to not worry about where I park.

Life is stressful enough without having to worry about your car toys.
 
#24 ·
I am either too lazy, or too busy, to keep after a prestine show type car. I love my 2008 Trail blazer with the 5.3 in it, but it is frequently dirty and in the summer, a major insect eliminator. I thought I wanted a really nice paint job on the 56, but I think now, I will just shoot it with a cheaper brand of single stage urethane and drive it to my hearts content. The body is going to be a nice rolling landscape so what the heck.
 
#26 ·
We bought our 55 4 door 6 years ago just to cruise in with the grand kids. It's not perfect but looks good. Even has the original interior, which is in okay condition but thread bare in areas. I don't worry if kids come close for look at shows. My wife and I even encourage the kids to sit in the car. We need to get kids interested this hobby so it doesn't die out. I also plan to use the car as my daily driver when I retire in 3 years.
 
#27 ·
While I enjoy looking at the laser straight perfect cars too, there comes a time where you no longer own the car. The car now owns you.

Many years ago, I had a friend who had purchased a really clean, factory fuelie, 1964 Corvette coupe in that Daytona blue color with a black interior. It was fast with ported 461x heads but looked stock. He had plenty of discretionary income and several other cars so at some point he decided to send it out to have a full frame off restoration done on it. In addition to having knockoff wheels put on it the thing that still sticks in my mind was when he told me he paid $1800 for the correct Muncie 4 speed that belonged in the car. Keep in mind this is 1980's money. When it was done I saw it exactly one time at his shop. Sometime later I asked him why he wasn't driving it around? He said it was too nice to drive now. After it sat in a garage for a couple years, he wound up selling it to a guy who apparently needed it more than he did. I guess the moral of the story is that there is a lot of pleasure to be had in a less than perfect hot rod.
 
#28 · (Edited)
Can’t argue much with anything that’s been posted so far. I like driving my cars. I did a lot of custom work on my El Camino and a ton of mechanical upgrades and even had a really nice paint job put on it by a friend. But it was my daily driver and got chips and a few dings. Even got hit once. I repaired it and continued to drive it daily until I got a 4wd truck. I still own it. My friend always wondered why I never color sanded and buffed the paint. He thought it looked like a show car, so why not? I told him it was just my daily driver that I wanted to try my hand at custom bodywork on, not a show car.

I once saw a guy with a numbers matching ‘69 Z/28 get really pissed off because he didn’t win his category at a show. He was livid and was ready to leave, but his friends calmed him down and got him to stay. I don’t know if it was because they knew what was going to happen or not, but the Z wound up winning best in show. That is the kind of attitude I never want to have about my cars. It takes the pleasure out of owning them.
 
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#29 ·
I understand completely what everyone has said about the conflict between show car and driver quality. I spent fours years completing a late 60’s muscle car. It was gorgeous in every detail. However, I sold it because by the time it got finished I hated it. I’ve never been able to find the balance between “perfect “ and “just ok”. If it’s a driver I’m always finding something wrong with it and show cars are too frustrating to own.
 
#30 ·
I think for most of us there's a comfortable spot somewhere between Roadkill and 100pt restoration. That spot will likely shift left or right with time depending on skills, wallet, and tolerance. No matter what you do there's gonna be someone who ain't gonna like something, but there will be others that do like it. At least you're driving yours - mine's been sitting in the garage for 2 years waiting for me to find time to do something with it.
 
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