Can't see the Forest for the trees.
I think it's very telling that the most "valuable" Healeys in the world are
not Concours restored cars.
That the general car buying public would rather have a car restored by a
famous "professional" restorer than a Concours car.
Is it only news to me that shinny cars are worth more than Concours cars?
All I see are trees.
BrianM
1955 100-Lemans - Non-Concours
http://members.cox.net/brianmix/healey100/default.html
At 11:52 PM 1/24/2006, Richard Bittmann wrote:
>Reid
>
>The cars you saw sold last week all lacked the "concours gold" attention to
>detail you refer to. The photos from the online catalog revealed many
>deviations from this "standard" to the casual observer without seeing the
>actual car. Who knows what other deviations lurk in other hidden and not so
>hidden locations on these cars.
>
>A restoration by the devoted amateur who has obtained a concours gold level
>certification should be the definition of "Fully Restored to Healey Concours
>Gold Standards". The "resto-sellers" can't afford the time and patience it
>takes to pull this level off. Someone should have a talk with the usual
>suspects to clarify this misleading terminology.
>
>Maybe next year the concours committee should hold impromptu concours judging
>in the parking lot and reveal to everyone the level to which those cars are
>really restored. That sword should cut both ways.
>
>Richard Bittmann BJ7 Ticked Off in Tacoma
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Reid Trummel" <editor_reid@hotmail.com>
>To: <healeys@autox.team.net>
>Sent: Tuesday, January 24, 2006 10:49 PM
>Subject: Amateur vs. Professional Restoration
>
>
> > My recent visit to the auctions in Arizona got me to thinking about the
> > differences between an "amateur" and a "professional" restoration. I'm
> > really not sure that those are meaningful distinctions.
> >
> > Why couldn't an amateur do every bit as good of a job as a
> professional? The
> > "fully restored to concours gold standards" (a truly overused phrase at the
> > auctions) Healeys in these auctions looked pretty good, but had a few
> little
> > things to criticize. Polished dash pots for one.
> >
> > Anyway, it got me to thinking, what do people think of as the difference
> > between a professional and an amateur restoration? No one certifies
> > "professional" Healey restorers, so I lean towards saying that it is a
> > distinction without a difference. Restored is restored. Whether you've done
> > it once or a hundred times, what you have at the end is a collection of
> Moss
> > Motors parts, new paint and new chrome, and almost nothing remaining of
> that
> > which left the factory.
> >
> > If I screw on a bunch of Moss Motors parts, it's an amateur restoration. If
> > someone who has done it a hundred times screws them on, it's a professional
> > restoration. No diff in my book.
> >
> > What say you?
> >
> > Reid Trummel
> > Portland, Oregon
> > 100, 100M, Ski-Master
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