70NPORT
Old Man with a Hat
Has2bmopar, If you knew me personally, you would not use the term “illiterate” so lightly, but perhaps this could be a good occasion for us to get know each other better, fellow mopar to fellow mopar, open invite?
Now, I truly believe you made the statement “(The project you are talking of surpasses what the car is worth, even if it is a convertible)” innocently and without malicious intent. Clearly, you possess great skill, technical expertise and resources, and your only intent apparently was to share the benefits of such with someone else. Commendable, I get it.
However, I think it is important to understand and remain sensitive to the fact some may not be your equal nor would they have resources available to you (or perhaps financial priorities) and therefore may not make the same instantaneous decision about the worth of a vehicle as you did in your recommendation. It is extremely easy to dispatch enthusiasm and love a vehicle with a single word or group of words. So who are we to deny someone of that?
A word or two on my own exploits: I don't see these fine old examples of Chrysler automotive engineering and design with financial lenses on my eyes. My current ride, a 70’ Chrysler Newport, surely would not qualify (not by a long shot from what I guess) as a car worthy of any undue attention; never mind a complete nuts and bolt restoration, by, sadly enough, many who would have us call them “Chrysler enthusiasts”. My car is 383 2dr coup model w/ a few nice options, not a stripper model mind you, but I don’t expect she’ll ever make the cover of Mopar Muscle or any other likewise automobile quarterly.
Does that matter to me?
NOT in the slightest, I love her for exactly what she is. I have already surpassed the amount I paid for her (by a factor of multitudes) in the form of upgrades, parts and plain old sweat equity. Hopefully, that will provide you with a good approximation of exactly how far “beyond the value” of my car I into. Perhaps you will call that foolish, so be it, you may call it what you will.
My beef (not with you- but in general) is such that it is disheartening to no end watching what once was an intense breed of people endeared together with the love for their Chrysler product, deteriorate into high dollar, E Bay, Barrent-Jackson, flip value investors who’s only REAL care is that of future value and not the name label. Of course I realize there are some cars with historical pedigree that demand a prestige valuation for the simple fact of the rarity of their existence. Nonetheless, we can see how this has transformed into pure greed when you happen to cross someone trying to sell their long dead grandmother’s 69’ 4dr Fury I with a beaten down 200K mile 2bbl 318 cu in motor and trashed interior for $6K or $7K.
So my overall point is this; we should look at EVERYONE'S ride as if it were gilded, and seek not to make microsecond assumptions connected to a monetary value.
With all the effort going into this p*ssing match, does anyone have a constructive answer to Bigdogg2g as far as suggestions for the floorboard replacement? So far only Fratzog has been helpful to him.
