I like antique furniture and houses, so I watch Antiques Roadshow on PBS. I can't count the times the appraisers have told the owners that if something had the original finish it would be worth $$$$$, but now with a new finish it's only worth $. Kind of funny to watch their faces. This is the exact same thing. Kind of funny to watch your responses. I love ORIGINAL patina. Those cars show their soul. No makeup, no implants, just the real deal. alchemy
One of my cars is very original. Paint, interior, etc etc there is some wear and tear, some of the rubbers are perishing, some of the aluminum trim is pitted, but to me each and every mark shows what that car has done through it's life. Swap it for an over restored concours car? NO WAY! And I drive it hard, it's currently covered in mud from my weekend trip through the hills.
What get our hearts pounding?? Looking into the opening of old barn and seeing a car parked in the shadows behind the hay mow? Or seeing a totally finished restored rod parked in a southern used car lot? Nothing exites me more (well sex is only a temporary thrill) than seeing an old rusty hulk in one piece setting on its wheels. I wouldn't ever be happy buying a finished car. The problem we find now is the rich men, who don't have the time, talent or will to get their own, have decided these beauties we revere are now the popular thing. When we have these to trade or sell its a profit but when we have to compete with the price these guys are able to shell out we will be out of the game altogether. I often wonder just how many more years are we going to be able to find those rusty hulks hiding.
I don't have a clue what unlimited funds would feel like, but I can in some way understand that an unmolested survivor can be more attractive than an antiseptic 100 point restoration or a chromed driveshaft street rod. They are certainly rarer and they can be more fun. To me the 100 point restorations loose any of their soul that they have acumulated through the years. They are just new old cars. It's possible he feels the same way.
Through the years of cars and bikes, I've noticed way too many inflated ego's....Some people think they have actually created something....(I'd like to see the size of the man-uterus that spits out cars.)....it's ALL been done before...we are just copycats, either partially or totally..... Now along comes the "patina" era....What's great about patina is that YOU didn't create it...just found it...and BUYING it (from the person who found it) is no different than having a Billet Boydster built for you...pretty tough to have the bragging rights on buying a patina'd car...you don't get to own the story of how you found it....ummmm...I found it on Ebay...yeah...GREAT STORY!!!!... If I can't find it, I don't want it...the story is one of the best parts...if you don't agree, how interesting would this message board be if we all just bought from ebay?..or Traderonline....boring..boring...boring Once again...screw the rich guys...they don't "get it" and never have....never will.
[ QUOTE ] people think they have actually created something....(I'd like to see the size of the man-uterus that spits out cars.).... [/ QUOTE ] Hatch, Can I steal that quote?? Sometimes we don't realize what we say. I agree with that one. We are all COPYCATS. Funny you should mention the stories behind the item... I have dealt in Antiques now for 18 years. My anal wife who loves to add to the exitement of the purchase started adding a note on each item. A story about it regarding the history of the person or building it came from. These items, when we have that story, always sell fast. Yes people love to tell a story about their little or big conversation piece. And saying you bought it at ebay and had the guy down the road paint it isn't very interesting. I wish I had a Uterus that big.
Quote me and leave youself open for attack???...go for it!!! Have you ever noticed the similarity of women with a new baby and men with a new car????...like the signs that say "Don't touch" plastered in the windows...what a joke. The last day of our lives, all we have left is our "stories"...make sure you collect a bunch of em.
what bothers me most, is how many times the words 'molested and unmolested' were used in this thread... you guys are starting to scare me!
real patina is cool. worth paying for. I think you guys who think the "fad" is gonna end are gonna be waiting a LONG time. the fad parts, like billet and big wheels will go out of style and get cheap, but the price of old tin is NOT going to come down much any time soon. probably a few guys like you in the 70's. the desireable stuff always will be, the fad stuff, is rusty bits of old touring bodies, etc, that stuff may get cheaper again.
[ QUOTE ] what bothers me most, is how many times the words 'molested and unmolested' were used in this thread... you guys are starting to scare me! [/ QUOTE ] Kris, which word bothers you most?
I'm gonna try and cash in on the next trend....let's see....first it was shiny cars ....then came flat paint....next in line...barn finds...how about rusty, dented, 4x8 sheets of flat sheet metal???....(I'm gonna be a gozillionaire!!!)
[ QUOTE ] ....it's ALL been done before...we are just copycats, either partially or totally..... [/ QUOTE ] That is some true shit right there .
The Jalopy Journal
