How do we convince the public it isn't junk?

Over the weekend, a friend of mine lost a lot of his car collection to fire. The local media started their report with the comment "Junkyard goes up in smoke." They later revised it to Salvage yard. I am the President of a large antique car club. We constantly get asked to bring cars to events. People let their kids and dogs molest the cars, and think it's great. Then they go home and call the county to complain about someones parts car. My friend said when the fire departments showed up several cars could have been saved, but they were more worried about putting out grass, and burning trees. Afterall, their just junk cars. Firetruck was parked right beside the falcon convertible that is now toast. Firetruck was parked beside the 58 Ford truck that burnt to the ground, but the debris pile got put out. I realize the fire departments are doing their jobs, and they did a good one, but.. I hope some one can download the video for me from the Billings Gazette. This was a very large fire, and the one lesson that can be learned is never cut or grind near weeds.

 

I don't think it's possible. Especially from the news. They'll lie about anything to get ratings. I knew someone who's girlfriend was murdered, and they killed themselves out of grief. The news called it "murder-suicide", never mind that he was over 100 miles away when she was killed. They're only interested in selling advertising, and the only way to do that is to get attention.

The fire fighters are only following orders, to stop a fire from spreading. It's a shame about the cars, but I can see their point.

 

Lowriders,
I learned a long time ago that you cannot really educate them. With few exceptions the only publications that give us any space are magazines that are dedicated to our hobby. The general public is not going to read them. The few Television shows related to our hobby are drama oriented not somethin that casts a very good light on us.

Even when we do get any type of coverage they don't get it right as you have showed in your post here.

We are select few, a minority if you will allow me the latitude.

There is a solution to the cars being molested at the local gatherings that we are invited to. Turn down the invite with and explaination of why.

Here is an off topic example. There were some horse people that had participated in an important local parade since its beginnings. The last few years people began throwing thigs at the horses, can bottles, fireworks, in an effort to see some drama. The equestrian group decided to decline the invitation to the parade and explained why. The promoters began policing the parade in ernest. After two years the horses are back but now if anyone harrasses them or anyone else in the parade they go to jail.

It works you just have to stand you ground.

 

As a firefighter, I am a little bit perturb by this. I have watched valuable items burn, but could not attempt to save them because of safety. But in an open air situation, I would always try to extinguish the car as soon as possible. Firemen in training, are taught to risk a lot to save a lot(think a human life) but risk little to save little(think inanimate object). I think some fire departments need to learn to set aside preconceptions about things before they enter a fire scene. Even if it were a salvage yard, those are still valuable items to the owner. Their value decreases when they are burnt. The fire department should expect it to be a bit harder to get a levy passed if they approach situations with a "well, its just junk" attitude....

 

It's a shame, but I can understand that fire fighters have to focus their efforts on containing the fire to keep it from spreading rather than on the individual cars. Ignoring burning grass and trees which pose a risk of the fire spreading while you hose down cars don't say much about protecting public safety.

Bob

 

Excellent points, and I know the fire departments had their hands full. The black smoke was so thick you couldn't see. But if someone copuld please download the video from the Billings Gazette or Kulr 8 tv you will see what I'm talking about. Beaner, you are right, and I have had some discussions with event planners before we participate. Also in the video, none of my friends kids were in the yard, and he was handed a firehose, and was helping. Not quite like what was reported.

 

How do we convince the public it isn't junk?

Short answer - never going to happen.

Long answer is that societies values are different, there is a "new normal" being forged that goes along with those values. Hot rodders aren't now nor have they ever been normal, the hot rod fodder is mostly "junk" that has been previously cast off by the "normals" anyways. If you could possibly convince the public, our hobby would surely wither or go to the other extreme. Look at what barret Jackson has done for the hobbyists.

As far as the fire department goes, they are going to keep the fire from spreading and containing it. From the outside perimeter back towards the center. If its already on fire ... well... not much sense in drowning the center while the edge is spreading and redefining the center.

 

Here's a link to what I think is the article. Streaming video within.

http://billingsgazette.com/news/loc...cle_692b27e6-e82c-52e8-9a38-244374df1786.html

Ok- now we all have the article. Now let's take a look at something in it. I don't live in MO, so it's not like I can drive by and verify- but:

There's a sign out front that basically says "Salvage Yard". What on earth do we expect people to think?

If I hang a sign out in front of my house that says "Madam Loranza's House Of Ill Repute"- I doubt anyone will come to the door to enjoy a nice cup of espresso and perhaps some biscotti. They're gonna think it's a whorehouse.

If the sign out front said "United Antique and Collector Cars", the media would probably not have used the word "Salvage".

And that IS your original beef, right?

 

If you have to explain, they wouldn't understand!

 

Funny thing, I have never been a real fireman but I have been a Volunteer Fireman a couple of times and an accidental fireman once (long story).

As I recall our primary goal was to put the fire out. If something got saved in the process we thought we done good. I do recall comendeering a road grader and plowing a fire brake between an out of control brush and grass fire and a trailer park once but that had a lot to do with each trailer having a large propane tank.

That said it would have been nice if the firemen noticed that some of the vehicles were collectable but if they were not motor heads it is not likely that they would.

Please lucy jus let me splain.

 

sad to see, there seems to be a large gray area in the media, and pop cultures image of a "cool car" or however they see them? a painted , restored car vs. a work in progress, in this case.. parts/project cars. the lesser cars as junk.."non green"........eye sore!! these are the same people that are sure that a plastic cup will last in the landfill for 100 years, but a "new car" will decompose in 15 years

burma shave.....

 

One man's junk is another man's treasure. I collect old cars. My neighbor collects old boats. His boats are unsightly junk that detracts from neighborhood property values. My old cars are valuable restoration projects and a source for hard to find parts. Get my point?

Bob

 

That said it would have been nice if the firemen noticed that some of the vehicles were collectable but ifthey were not motor heads it is not likely that they would.

I looked at the pictures, you can't tell what's behind the orange ball of flames that's beltching enormous amounts of pitch black sooty tire smoke that's probably laced with toxic fumes from the plastic interiors. Between the exploding gas tanks and window glass I'm sure it was nothing short of concussion.

Looks like a nightmare, a glimpse of hell actually.

 

Your neighbor's boats are nice looking pieces of marine history. Your junk will never float !

Just kidding. I'm a car guy not a boater. Altho it's more fun fishing or sunbathing from a boat than a car.
I collect empty beer cans.

 

Cherry picking photos from the Billings Gazette... but this looks more "salvage yard" than "historical automobiles" to me. Most of the cars look to be 70s-newer with a few vintage cars and trucks sprinkled in.







After reading the article and looking at the photos of the blaze, "saving the cars" certainly shouldn't have been the #1 priority. The department did the right thing, IMO.

 

I dont see many classics in those pics. Are we talking about the same fire

 

Same question. All I see is scrap metal.

 

Nothing collectable there.

 

Salvage Yard is just a nicer way of saying Junk Yard. No one is a Secretary anymore, they are Administrative Assistants. Sorry but I see a junkyard in those pics.

 

Now that we have video, yes 22 cars were late models stored for his friend. Yes the fire department did a great job of keeping things from spreading and getting worse. The only "classics" you see in the video are the Falcon convertible and the 58 Ford truck which was a driver. What you don't see is the low mileage 63 galaxie, the 56 cadillac convert, and several parts cars. Yes the yard was somewhat of a mess, and I believe he learned a valuable lesson. As I originally pointed out, the news started out by saying junkyard, then changed it to salvage yard. I realized it was a lost cause when some one posted "Know of any junkyards etc." not long after I originally posted this. Change has to come from within I guess.

 

In just the pictures posted on this thread I clearly count 31 "run of the mill" passenger cars/trucks. Not to mention a handful of motor homes and camping trailers. And I am sure there are in the background of the one picture. And you listed 4 "classics". It sucks that it happened and he lost it all, but you can't expect anyone to think that it was anything but a junk yard.

 

Women, children, pre '48 first!

 

If nothing else, maybe this post will make people stop and think about cleaning up their yards, and being responsible with grinders and torches. The Cadillacs and Lincoln's were low mileage cars his Dad had collected. I'm just glad it didn't take out the other end of the yard. He has a nice collection of HAMB friendly cars, and a cool 50 Chevy cabover wrecker that he uses. My current project 58 Ford crewcab also came out of this yard.

 

Back that fire truck up.... what?

 

As far as the original question about how to convince the public; judging from the way this country is turning out, I don't think you can convince them of anything, we have been dumbed down far too much for the majority to learn anything except the latest on the Kardashians.
And thats my 2¢

 

^ Agreed.

The day I pulled my girlfriends truck (antique but not a hamb friendly vintage) into my driveway to do some interior restoration work, I became the neighborhood hillbilly. F em all imo ... my ol' "beaters" look sweeter than my neighbors mid 90's Buick Park Ave any day.

 

Hell - half of us can't convince our wives and friends that our stuff isn't junk...how are we supposed to convince the public?

I'm convinced that only if you appreciate the past, can you appreciate our 'junk'. Many of the conversations I've had with people who like my 'junk' were not with "car people" but (mostly older) people who appreciate it for what it is..an anachronism - if you can't respect something out of it's original space and time, you'll never appreciate our salvage efforts.

I'm in my early 40's, and some of my generation appreciates this stuff, but the 'new' generation grew up playing Grand Turismo and watching Fast and Furious...unless they're the son/daughter of a HAMBer, car guy, whatever, odds are the public's perception of 'us' will not change...and will in fact lead to more and more restrictions on what we can (or cannot) do.

We do need to be vigilant and watch the news and make sure that we keep up with proposed laws, restrictions, ordinances, etc..because we will get squeezed, and the only ones on our side is us.

My $0.02

 

Old non-functional and rusty cars have been stored in "junk yards" since the beginning of the mechanized age of transportation. Good luck convincing the general public that those cars should be called anything but "junk". To us those cars are gold. But to Joe and Jane Public, they are junky eyesores.

Just this week, my boss (a Porsche nut) saw a progress photo of my '33 pickup, and said "holy crap what a piece of shit. Junk that thing!". I tried to educate him on the finer points of what we all do here, but he just rolled his eyes.

Some people get it (few), others don't. Oh well.

 

Barrett Jackson, by some is the demon in the car culture. it did raise asking prices for non collectible, rusted parts cars. however i feel as tho it did validate our hobbie to the pop culture.

 

Barrett-Jackson is the rich-fucks playground that did absolutely nothing for the hobby but place the average Joe on the sidelines looking in. There's a good reason why their initials are B-J!