I wasn't damning all foreign rides Give me a 1973 Ford XB Falcon GT
coupe any day "Their Australian" My buddy owns a mint 71 240 Z and its a
great car. I was talking about the new cars like the crap box fwd cookie cutter
cars both foreign & domestic. And it don't have to be "fire breathing"
to me either man. I like stock classics too ya know. too many are
misinterpreting what I'm saying here. I hate new cookie cutter cars and refuse
to acknowledge their future being a "collector" car is all.
Bart
In a message dated 12/14/2009 8:34:26 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,
onree@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx writes:
Besides my three AMC Gremlins, I've been collecting and
playing with old cars ever since I bought a 1951 Buick Woody in 1967.
Straight Eight engine with the rare 3-speed manual
transmission. Since then I've owned at least one example of every
American car brand from the forties on, with the exception of Kaiser and
Lincoln. At least 150 cars total.
I've been in the hobby a long time.
When I turned sixteen and got my license, a 1957 Chevy
was a new car.
They still made Nashes, Ramblers, Metropolitans,
Hudsons, Packards, DeSotos, and Studebakers. Not to mention Plymouths,
Pontiacs, and Oldsmobiles.
Foreign cars were seldom seen, and pretty much limited
to Volkswagens and the occasional English sports
car.
When I first subscribed to Hemmings Motor News the cars
for sale section was divided in to two categories: Fords, and
Non-Fords.
I've bought cars new that are now considered antique or
collector cars. Like the brand new AMC Gremlin, the first one sold
in Lincoln, Nebraska that I bought on April 3, 1970.
I've seen a lot of changes in both the ca rs and
the hobby in the last 42 years. One thing I know for absolute certain is that
any old car in nice condition will will be loved and collected by somebody
somewhere. I know that some day, some collector will want any car. I've
watched it happen over and over again for over forty years in the
hobby.
As a modern example, an older couple (I'm 68, and they
are quite a bit older than me) from my church has a car that they don't drive
anymore, because of health reasons. They keep it mostly so that their son has
something to drive when he visits. It's about twenty years old. It has
a double overhead cam hemi V-8. It's rear wheel drive. Has about 30k
miles on it. Some day, some car collector will want that car. Hell, I
would love to have it right now! It's an absolutely pristine 1990 Lexus
LS400. I can't see why anyone except a blind man would look down his nose at
this car and call it a ricer.
My grey-haired old phart questions and comments about
driving and collecting "interesting" old and more recent
cars:
That's after 50+
years driving and 40+ years collecting "interesting" cars.
Worst cars I have personally owned and
driven:1958 Renault
Dauphine, 1971 Chevy Vega, 1994 Chrysler LeBaron
convertible
Best cars I have personally owned and
driven:
Several
mid-fifties to mid-sixties Mopars. 1971 Ambassador, 1973 Datsun, 1995 Maxima,
1997 Dodge Caravan
I've owned cars with 3 cylinders, (1967 SAAB, 1986
Chevy Sprint) 4 cylinders, (several starting with a Jeep CJ-3) 5 cylinders,
(1984 Audi 5000, aka Hitler's revenge) straight sixes from AMC, Chevy, Pontiac
(overhead cam and flathead), Graham, Studebaker, Datsun, Volvo, Jaguar. Not to
forget Plymouth's great Slant Six, or Corvair and Subaru flat sixes. My
first V-6 was a 1962 Buick Special, and lots more since. I've owned straight
eights from Buick, Chrysler, Hudson, Packard, and Pontiac, and
every American V-8 except Lincoln. One V-12, a POS 1983
Jaguar.
Not all car collectors go for rough cams, loud pipes,
and hood scoops.
Some actually like refined, quiet, and bone stock
boulevard stealth cruisers that will go 140mph.
British sports car collectors and American hot rodders
aren't happy unless they have something they can fuss with (or fu*k with)
constantly. They enjoy the process.
Why can't we love our favorites without hating the
other guy's favorite?
Sports fans can like both baseball and
football.
Why can't we like BOTH Ford and
Mopar?
Why not like Gremlin AND Subaru?
Foreign cars are here to stay. If we look with open
eyes (and mi nds) we can learn from them the way the used to learn from
us.
American cars are better now than ever
before.
I just spent a
week with a 2010 Ford Fusion rental car. Very nice car.
Not all four doors are "cookie
cutters"
Not all "ricers" are econobox Corollas, Camrys, and
Civics.
Not all ricers are fwd.
Cars aren't "crap" just because they're foreign. Those
days are loooong past.
Why is a Ford Focus (designed in
Germany, factory in Mexico) considered an American
car??
Why is a Nissan Altima (designed in California, factory
in Tennessee) considered a foreign car?
Rant ends here.
Onree in Nebraska
proud owner of
3 Gremlins
2 AMC Eagles
1953 Chevy BelAir
1957 Chrysler New Yorker
1957 Volkswagen
2001 Chrysler Town and country
2001 SAAB
2009 Mini Cooper
Wow!! Way too many cars! And I probably forgot a
couple.
On Dec 12, 2009, at 9:02 AM, Terry Atkins wrote:
That is the reason they will be collector items Doc. There won't many
left. Will a 2000 Ford Focus be worth as much and be as highly collectable
as a 2000 Corvette. No. Think about what 1959-1960 car is not
collectable.
Terry
From: Mr. AMC
<AMC74HORNET@webtv.net>
To: BaadAssGremlins@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Sat, December 12, 2009 5:10:12
AM
Subject: [BaadAssGremlins] Tomorrow's
Colector Cars?
I doubt if you will see
many modern cars as collector cars in 2050. Anything over 6 years old goes
in the crusher today. Maybe the new Camaro or Challenge r and of course
Corvettes and exotic super cars but not your everyday cookie cutter 4
door.
"Doc"
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