I think the thing we are forgetting is that there have been people in
the professional restoration business since at least the 1950s, if not
before. I know this because my father is a professional restorer. The
only difference now is *what* is being restored by the professionals.
The answer is that as a particular car gets older, more and more people
will consider having a professional restorer do the car. Are the
restorers ruining the hobby? I don't think so. I think what poses the
greatest threat to our hobby is indeed the BJ approach of turning the
selling of old cars into a form of entertainment unto itself. The
concept that a good restored Healey can fetch over 100k because it left
the factory in golden metallic beige (which was a rare color because it
was ugly, not because it was somehow a "limited edition") is simply
absurd. The same goes for the 80k plus TR4s. The prices of Healeys
have crept up over the years in part pushed by this type of hype.
-----Original Message-----
From: owner-triumphs@autox.team.net
[mailto:owner-triumphs@autox.team.net] On Behalf Of Ian
Sent: Thursday, January 18, 2007 10:10 AM
To: 'Martin Sukey'; 'triumphs'
Subject: RE: [TR] Anal retentives and Trailer Queens addition
The Barratt-Jackson mentality, and most of the so-called restoration
shows on TV (read commercial ads), is turning our hobby into "my auto
restoration company is better than yours". If an owner has the skills,
and quite frankly the money, to physically do the majority of work that
is required to restore a car to original factory or better condition,
then more power to them. If it happens because they throw money at a
professional restorer, rarely drive the end result (and I understand the
rain comments) and ultimately trailer even short distances to a show,
then they are killing the hobby.
I used to have these cars as daily drivers back in the day. Years
passed and I got back into them as a hobby last year. I went to shows
to talk to the owners to get reminded of what I had forgotten and I find
that a lot of them answer even basic questions in the same way, "Oh, I
would have to ask my mechanic/restorer to find that out". We seem to
have lost sight of the fact that the fun of these meets used to be
meeting similar oddball people, swapping "how-to" tips and "LBC war
stories".
Just this reporter's opinion...
--
Ian
62 TR4
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