Graveyard Cars (and others) Attention to Detail...and the inevitable.

[Mopsquad]

First, love the show. Love the cars and love the attention to detail. I am conflicted though. Just like the effort put into some of these amazing cakes on those shows.  What happens when I start to drive the car or eat the cake? All the markings, the paint daubs, the sheen of the undercarriage paint. It's amazing but temporary or, it's a prison sentence for the car. Meaning it risks losing (without doubt) the cleanliness and beauty of the details.  Or, it stays off the street.  My own car, which I purchased 2 years back has all these finer details - the marks, the daubs, the soon-to-be lost stickers and tags. It was a $185k build which I became the beneficiary of the Hemi clone market downturn when I purchased. 

Just throwing it out there, I love the details of these builds but it's like the 10k wedding cake. It doesn't last.

[kawahonda]

I've done motorcycle restorations. Some of them are complete "frame offs" and some of them are "refurbishments".

Refurbishment ones are infinitely more enjoyable.

There's one "Frame off" that I did is still sitting in the corner in the garage under a cover. Haven't seen it in 2 years.

Some people like trophy pets, I guess.

[RUNCHARGER]

When you bought a brand new Hemi Cuda convt. in 1970 you drove it off the lot whether it was raining, sunny or snowing. I see it the same way today. Drive it and enjoy it. If you want to touch up the undercarriage in five years just do it and it will be good again.
I know a few guys with 30 or 40 cars they never drive and I honestly do not know what enjoyment they get out of it.

[Racer57]

When I decided that after 40 years of wanting one, I was going to buy a '70 Cuda(BS) I couldn't find one. But I did find a Barracuda(BH) with every Cuda item possible on it. Looking back on it, I'm very happy that I didn't find my numbers matching dream car. Because this one I drive every time I get a chance.

[gzig5]

When I decided that after 40 years of wanting one, I was going to buy a '70 Cuda(BS) I couldn't find one. But I did find a Barracuda(BH) with every Cuda item possible on it. Looking back on it, I'm very happy that I didn't find my numbers matching dream car. Because this one I drive every time I get a chance.

I agree with this sentiment.  I got back into Mopars for the driving experience and to enjoy the car.  Certainly not for the modern amenities.  I can't afford a graveyard cars level of refurb, but even if I could I would drive it every chance I got and live with the consequences.  Really depends on what your priority is, competitive show car or driver.  If both, you need two cars.

[Rich G.]

The older I get the more I realize life is to short so enjoy everything while you can. The cars are going to be sold off when your dead. So I'm going to drive them and if something happens I'll fix it and keep having fun with them. It's your car, your money if just looking at it makes you happy that's really all that matters. The next owner will love you for it. LOL

[303 Mopar]

   Drive and enjoy them, and if you do the chips and dings are inevitable so don't worry about it.  Besides, trailers are for boats!

[06Daytona]

There's a guy down here in Puerto Rico with a low miles, fully restored, Plum Crazy Hemi 4 speed Roadrunner that only goes to shows if he can back the trailer up to his parking spot to unload it. He won't even drive it through the venue to get to his parking spot. He built a 70 Satellite with a Hemi and 5 speed in Sassy Grass that he uses for donuts, smoke shows, getting the groceries etc. He probably hasn't put 100 miles on the Plum Crazy one in the last 5 years but the other one gets driven like it's stolen.

[JH27N0B]

It's nice to be able to have multiple cars for different types of enjoyment, rather than trying have a one size fits all.  I always liked messing around with my T/A, working on it and such.  But for various reasons I didn't like driving it extensively in the area I live.  Manual steering, poor ventilation, 3.91 rear, and exhaust fumes filling the interior while sitting in traffic etc.  So I bought my Challenger convertible and happily found I'd made a perfect choice.  Whether sitting in traffic or heading down the highway I'm always enjoying it.
I'm not comfortable making real long hauls though, 350-500 mile drives to out of state shows type uses.  So I have in mind building a long haul car someday, with an updated FI engine, AC, maybe 4 wheel disc brakes.
Your results will vary and everyone is different.  That's where I get irritated with people who seem committed to judging how others should use their cars. I get grief from some people at times.  "If I had your T/A I'd drive the wheels off it!" Well, buy a stiff rear end manual steering hot car and knock yourself out Mr wonderful!  I'll give you thumbs up while I'm stuck in traffic next to you behind the wheel of my vert! Restorations, resto mods, drivers, rat rods, customs, even Donk, there is a wide variety of niches in the car hobby and all gear heads should be celebrated, not criticized because they don't meet a "my way or the highway" criteria!

[RUNCHARGER]

You bring up a good point. A few decades ago there were less cars on the road and when I went somewhere in the Mopar it was generally moving fast and not terribly worried about texting drivers and sitting in traffic jams. These days it is mostly plugging along in heavy traffic and on edge every second that some soccer mom in her SUV is going to sideswipe my car during an important call.
Still though if the car doesn't leave the garage unless on a stretcher I don't want to own it.

[superdave]

  I'm thinking there is a place for all of it. I sure like seeing them on the road and at shows and even in museums and I even dream of finding one in a barn someday    The only place I don't like seeing them is in the "Wrecked and Mangled  Mopar" thread.

[JH27N0B]

I go to multiple cruise every week during our too short ~4 month cruise season. And participate in a handful of car shows.  But I'm not comfortable driving a rare vintage ride in any daily driver type situations.  20 years ago, I'd drive my convertible to work 29 miles one way, once in a while.  I was driving out toward the boonies, and after 5 or 6 miles, the rest of the drive was semi rural and OK.  My office area overlooked the lot and I'd go to the window every now and then to look out and see if my car was safe!  I'm a worrier.
I've got people at work now who ask why I never drive it to work.  I've got a 26 mile commute in heavy crazy Chicago area highway traffic and honestly I'd rather rip my fingernails off with pliers than drive my Challenger in that zoo! Plus I can't see my car in the parking garage and would worry all day.
A gear head kid at my work drives his vintage cars a lot, including to work often.  He lives 10 miles away.  He bought a very cool '39 Dodge businessman coupe last year.  On the 4th of July, he drove it to a friends 4th of July block party.  While socializing at the party, some 14 year old punk shot fireworks at his car and damaged the original paint.  They are going to try to repair the paint but it might need to be completely repainted.  Things like that are what I really worry about.

[Mopsquad]

It's hard to let go and just drive it, especially if you have a strong attachment both in sweat hours and financially.  Hard to see those investments compromised via road trauma and the possibility of accidents.

Also, parts wear down and break, some of which are hard to replace.  Ex. date coded parts.  Do you just take those off and replace with generic? Then you lose the authenticity you can drive more comfortably.

[1 Wild R/T]

You either accept it or you don't.... The Challenger I currently drive & have for over twenty years was  basket case, I restored it to a high level, reproduced all the markings, had stamps created back when it wasn't nearly as common as today.... Lots of NOS parts, there wasn't nearly as much reproduction stuff available then & I really didn't want to use reproduction parts anyway.... Every gap & body line was worked to perfection... I started the engine for the first time in late July of 96, next day it when in for exhaust, alignment & VIN verification... Then it went to have the convertible top installed.....   August 22 I drove it 500 miles down to Las Vegas for the first (and last) Pacific Nationals show by the time the weekend was over I'd put over 1500 miles on the car... At this point it's up around 95,000 miles...... Why would you do all that work & not use it? 

[floorit426]

I was talking to the owner of a '69 Hemi Superbee, last week, about this very thing. He was selling his car at Mecum, Monterey. It was perfect, restored by Badalson some ten years ago. In that time, he has put a total of TEN miles on the car! His advice to me was to keep my car at the clean driver level and enjoy it the way it was meant to be enjoyed. He said that is the best of both worlds. He said he was ready to move on and seemed to be tired of being a prisoner of the car. It sold for $110,00.00.