"Thank You, thank you Very Much"---Elvis Presley quote.. Here's some wisdom from littlebittymee--I've realized something about individuals who make a project of Cusstomizzing old classic cars and old classic houses. They usually have the intention of making it "Look Cool". But, what usually happens is---they screw it up, making their money pit project LESS practical and functional, than before! Plus it's UGLY, too. Okay--go ahead and show mee examples, if you want, but then I COULD show you at least TEN examples of what I meaan by "screwed up". But see--I won't. Don't have time. Here's the memorable moment I went to an old car meet 20 or 30 years ago, that coveys my point. . A dealer had a well-preserved 57 Chevy 2-door for sale. He said he'd gotten it on trade from a young guy who decided it wasn';t really what he wanted, so traded it to this wheeler-dealer for a used Corvette. at least the kid didn't spend a ton of money re-engineering and restyling the ol' 57, just to look cool--but ruined. . Ha. Good Boy! Shows some common sense. See---architects and engineers---designing stuff for large-scale production---do so by committee, and are working for companies that have the resources to design stuff that is practical, functional and has a measure of CYA liability protection built-in. With the talent and resources at their disposal, it is hard to radically improve. Sure--you can upgrade, in a good many ways and have something better. But, The Factory Plan is hard to beat. You have these clowns who take a 1950's american car, pay some shop to strip all the chrome off, fill the holes, chop it, drop it and kussstomize it to death. And yeah---it's "something different" or even: "an expression of my individuality" and they've spent a lotta dough on it, but it's screwed up! Hey---the allure of 1950's American cars was All that glittering chrome on an enormous, boxy-looking car! See? Good Job, idiot! Lots of enthusiasts believe what I do, but they're consistently shouted down by what I call: "Auto Libbers". My car, my body, my choice. They immediately go for the ad hominem attacks, the name-calling, complaining to those in charge. Etc.. Every time I see a Model A Ford coupe that is an older restoration come up for sale on the net, I cringe. Some person with too much money might acquire it, and turn 'er into a project that will ruin the car, to their liking, of course. Same with houses, too. Yup. But, OTOH, there's a home down the street that was built in 1952. It belonged to a couple who lived there a long, long time. They were finally carried out. It's a 1950's Zurra-style ranch, with asbestos siding, and a carthage-stone front, on a large lot. It even has a basement! Well, a neigbor, who was a pro with a LOT of experience, bought it, took care of any deferred maintenance, cleaned up the yard, put in new carpet, bath, kitchen, using standard-issue big box stuff, painted it inside and out, power-washed the carthage stone & painted the siding a nice pale yellow. It was move-in ready. This took them about a year, and they hired various people they knew to do some of the work. They sold it for $188,000, which was prolly over twice what they paid, without redesigning the whole place and going over-the-top with additions and stuff. Looks great. Yup. A young couple with kids moved in. It's a happy ending for everyone, there. So, the takeawy is--shop till you find what suits your requirements, and can be made perfect with a judicious amout of TLC, and buy that. See? Hope that helps you some. Thankk Mee. To be continued.....Originally Posted by rosarugosa
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