the latest Fad

[IH2LOSE]

Last night I entertained some guest in my garage,Some of my Dads superiours from his work. He was sharing some pictures on a lunch brake and they seen a photo of my son working on the 66 with me.To make a long story short they came up to see the car and talk vettes. ( Total strangers to me but they seemed like old freinds, these vettes have a strange way to bring people together) anyways they spent hours inspecting my 66 with a bunch of questions.And then it happened we were putting the 62 back on the lift and both fellows had fealt that what I was doing to the 62 was a fad.When the 62 gets done again in 20 years or so (they fealt as with all vettes they get redone again in the future) that what I am doing will be known as a fad simular to what was done in the seventies, flames, webiing paint,fender flares,bumper removal,3rd tail lights, and that the future restorers will be cursing me as they have cursed the guys from the seventies. And the poor guy restoring my 62 to factory correct in 2025 or 2035 is going to have his hands full trying to get the bottom of the car back to a nautral finish.re installing the seam in the firewall,finding all of the parts I have tacken off Etc.Etc

They explained the only cars that will retain there value FOREVER is a factory correct car.

I am just wondering if the guys from the seventies where thinking the same way I am that when I am complete with my project I will have a rock solid car that will be timeless,meaning some one will always want a classic looking car you can drive saftley,comfortably, for exstended trips.

Me personally know I have done whats right for me.

Just sharing some thoughts,

PS I have a picture of 67 heavens car hanging in my office and they commented on how that was a timeless car.I pointed out the body widening kit on it.(they did not notice it right away) and then explained what he had done to it again they said a fad. They might go to carlilse this year to see all of the other cars but they said they stopped going to carlilse once the "sharks had taken over" They did not mean the C3's but the explained that carlilse used to be a place for vette people to go and have fun,to them its now a place for the buisness men/sharks to go and make money.

I do have to go and visit there collection,I did get a voulenteer to help me re build my windsheild (as long as I promise never to tell any one he helped me on the car)

Both were a blast and very informative to spend time with.

 

[firstgear]

on the other hand....something health wise could occur in 5 years....and maybe we won't be here in ten or twenty years....so live for today and tomorrow.....next week, next year, or next 20 years may not be here for us...on my gals refrigerator is a sign..."we are not here for a long time, we are here for a good time"......oh how true....she lost her husband after 1 year of marriage to cancer....I lost my sister at age 56 to cancer....she lost her mom out of the blue this past January at 64, someone that we thought was going to out live all of us....you never know....fad or not....does it make you happy? can you afford it? if the answers to those two questions are YES....DO IT AND ENJOY! A fad is something for someone that looks backwards....I prefer to look forwards....my 2 cents!

 

[BarryK]

Larry

you bring up interesting points to ponder.

i'm not sure i would consider modifying a car as a "fad" simply because people (well, enthusists anyway) have been modifying or customizing their cars for a very long time. The very first time someone painted a Model T Ford in a color other than black would be considered modifying or customizing their car and it took off from there. Ever add Crager's to your car in the 60's or 70's, or do anything to the motor to increase the performance, or even just swapped to a more comfortable seat or steering wheel? You modified it!
Perhaps the STYLE of the modifying changed but it's still changing the way the car is from stock to your own personal taste and I feel as long as cars exist someone is going to change it from the way it left the factory. Therefore it's not a "fad" as fads tend to last a few years and fade away but customizing cars has been around for 50-70 years and I don't think it's going away anytime soon.

Regarding their statement that only Factory Correct and stock cars will retain their value is probably a fairly safe statement to make though. look at most (not all) of the high-priced cars in the Vette market and they are survivir or correctly restored cars. I think these cars will always bring the most resell value because people love these cars for what they are and in many ways it brings our past and our memories from the "old days" back to us. We originally fell in love with these cars back in their day as they were and that's what makes us want them that way.

This isn't to say that a well done modified car can't have a high value on resell, but it does take a special buyer who is looking for just that car done just the way you did it. On the other hand, correct me if I'm wrong, but I think that most people modifying and customizing cars like you are doing to your '62, and John M is doing to his '59, Bob with his '67 Heaven, etc are doing it for their own satisfaction and desires in having the car just the way they want it and resell isn't a factor to them anyway.

as for any future owners worrying about trying to restore these modified cars back to factory correct in another 20-30 years from now that's another story alltogether. I could see the frustration of those future people, but if cars like yours, John's, Bob's etc are starting out as NOM cars or extremely poor condition cars to begin with than I don't personally feel there is any loss involved here. In your case for example you took a car in very poor condition and have brought it back to life. Would it have been better to let that car continue to sit as a basket case and deterierate further until it was completely gone? At least this way the car survives to be able to enjoy. In many, many ways the cars are now much better than they way they were in stock condition so enjoy the hell out of them! Plus, cars like your '62 in that condition when you first got it are usually missing so many of the original pieces besides the motor that taking it back to "stock" or original condition could be almost impossible. (how stock or original can a car really be if all it has are repro parts anyway?)
I see no harm in doing this whatsoever BUT I would have a problem with someone taking a fully stock, original, correct ORIGIANAL #'s matching car and than completely changing it to the degree that a lot of the modified projects on here are being done. That would just take a wonderful piece of surviving history and ruining it.

 

[bossvette]

In 2025 the hot rodders will be replacing our "modern stuff" with hydorgen powered hybrids that make 400 HP and weigh 300 lbs and replacing the C4 suspension with active handling, traction control and ABS.
Factory correct will always bring a premium but cars like yours and Bobs will be driven and enjoyed more.

 

[BarryK]

Factory correct will always bring a premium but cars like yours and Bobs will be driven and enjoyed more.

very true! besides, if these prices continue to go up as they have been the last number of years, who will be willing to take their "stock, factory correct" cars out on the road anyway - in another 25 years they will be worth too much to risk driving them!


but cars like Larry's, Bob's, John's etc will still be able to be enjoyed as they were built to do and not have to worry about breaking an unreplaceable original part or anything else.

 

[67HEAVEN]

I've been in this "hobby" for 38 years now. As for the "Tsk, tsk, tskers", I wave at them as I'm driving by in my hot rod.

And, if they ever dare let those pristine repro bias-ply tires touch pavement again, I'll smoke those mothers so bad they'll think they're driving a Fiat in reverse.

In the 1960's, none of us even dreamt about Corvettes as an investment. It was all about the thrill of the ride and horsepower, horsepower, horsepower. For me it still is, with the minor modification of greatly improved handling and gobs of torque, torque, torque.

When we're all in our 70's, I'll be the guy still cruisin' through town with the big wide grin on my yap. The investment guys will be up in their rooms counting their investments.

Just like Zora, I'm an old hotrodder. Don't forget to wave.

 

[67HEAVEN]

By the way, Larry, what Corvettes were your new friends "driving"?

None, right?

 

[BarryK]

By the way, Larry, what Corvettes were your new friends "driving"?

None, right?

ahhhh, good point Bob!

 

[henny496]

Fads

I would not take it to heart about what people say about your car being a fad. If your car was in poor condition when you started it, perhaps they would of told you then, that it was not worth doing.
My car was a bare shell when I started. I could not afford to start with a nice car and it would not be right cutting up a good car. I am building as a Hot Rod and I would not have it any other way. If you built your car back to original, would you enjoy it as much, or would you have been able to keep interested in it. I like all cars that have required a lot of work to finish.
I really like restored Vettes and if I was able to , I would build/buy one as well, but unfortunately I doubt I will be able to afford another project.
I want to drive my car and have fun with it. Who knows what fads will come back(70's)? I did not say hope for, I said who knows.
Rat rods are big and are even painted to look like they are rat rods, but how many people would not go to that extent twenty years ago to recreate that image.
Build what you are dreaming of, drive and have fun. If it is different in twenty years, you could say then that you where glad by not doing it, but you would not of had fun with it when everyone loved the look of it as you are building it now.
My car was too far gone, to restore it. That is why I bought it, and if anyone ever gives me flack for Hot Rodding it, I will just show them a picture of it when I started......end of argument

 

[Larry Shermak]

Fad?

Larry, Do the car how you want to. Some people would not agree with what I'm doing to my 61, but you just have to please yourself. Once you get it going are they going to catch you to tell you it's wrong?

 

[IH2LOSE]

Well You know I feel to each is own,and I dont want to come off wrong about these guys.They were true vette fans.I have met alot of BLOW HARDS when it comes to vettes but that was not the case with these 2 guys they just feel the modifications are a fad.

Both guys its seams are Rich in cars .They are childhood freinds. I had a great night with them and look foward to visiting at there place. It seems these guys started collected every thing they could over the last 40 years to open a vette salvage yard for there retirement, and Just recently over the last 10 years stopped collecting and never got to open the salvage yard.

 

[PTighe]

I'm hip to what you say dude! :L

 

[Tripleblack51]

I'm hip to what you say dude! :L

Holy Moly!!!


:eek :eek :eek

 

[firstgear]

I'm hip to what you say dude! :L

ok...now this isn't even funny....ouch...NASTY!

 

[BarryK]

I'm hip to what you say dude! :L

I don't even know how to respond to a car like this - I got nothing!


I've seen many vettes in my life and some i liked more than others but i don't think i've ever seen one that i actually dislike, but this one just might be pushing the issue a bit...

 

[BarryK]

I'm hip to what you say dude! :L

i get it, this was the new feature car on Pimp Your Ride!

 

[IH2LOSE]

Some one has to erase that photo

 

[miskowitch]

Is there more to see? Do you have any pictures of the entire car? I'm not quite sure I'm ready to see it....

 

[bossvette]

to each his own this one was at a local show:

in his eyes it was the coolest Vette at the show

 

[67HEAVEN]

....in his eyes it was the coolest Vette at the show

Then, he was right.