5th Sep 2013, 10:16
This is just my humble opinion, but taking a 70'e era car and sticking in a modern power plant and sound system is the same as the countless cookie-cutter hot rods I see at various car shows, where the same ole' deuce coupe, Bel-air, or Caddy has been ruined by removing all traces of that car's original setup. Sure - this is my opinion and I can appreciate the level of detail and workmanship done to a car - any car. But the way I feel about it is, does anyone remember the 80's and early 90's when it suddenly became really popular to paint your hot rods hot pink, bright yellow, purple, or some other awful combination of them? Yeah... those cars look like crud now and you'd be hard-pressed to sell them. Hence why in my opinion, in the long term it's better to restore a vehicle to its original configuration.
And again - HOW does a review about a 2002 Prius turn into yet ANOTHER generic argument over big full sized Merican' boats and oh-how-better they are versus those 'puny' lil' foreign cars that nobody in their right mind should buy? Sorry, but that's the car I and many other do in fact drive, and have gotten perfectly satisfactory performance and reliable service out of. If you love you some Merican' iron (which I do so as well) then there are a plethora of sites in which you can voice those enthusiastic claims, without the annoyance of the foreign car drivers that are so clearly disdained.
6th Sep 2013, 09:53
Some people buy a cheap older car in primer, drum brakes, 6 volt, and 60 year old drivetrain, and then compare it to a current import commuter.
I can drive any one of my cars across country. They have reversible upgrades, and run better and drive better. Reversible means unbolting and reversing back to stock. I went white to white, a slightly brighter white than stock. My mods are under 5 and I still show as stock class. I keep the #s matching drivetrain off the cars, but love the 2013 technology. Not everyone goes with purple and flames, and we can bring up the import tuners that can get pretty excessive.
My old cars cost more than my new cars. Many of the upgrades are not visible as far as power, safety and stopping go. A good quality paint job is 10k plus for shows. If you were to buy a stock Model A for example, it will only be a fraction of it done as a street rod. Many have brand new drivetrains with air conditioning, power seats and windows. I especially like my friend's 40 Ford Coupe.
Many new cars have terrible looking body styles. I am not a fan of the Prius styling at all. I see many want cheap, are all about MPG, and that's essentially it. I bought an attractive home and like nice looking, great condition cars. Maybe I want it all. I certainly work hard to deserve the opportunity. By the way, you spelled American incorrectly.
6th Sep 2013, 10:55
Personally I enjoy the dedicated car shows "cookie cutters" the best. If you go to August Carlisle Pa. it's amazing to see 5000 cars at once, such as all 60 years of all Corvettes, only present every single year. Acres of cars driven from all over the USA. Some worth millions $$$ inside. I like and attend the massive Northeast Maryland show, Chevelle Only, with same brand cars as far away as Canada driving in. Or Big Fins only. Or Antique Autos at Hershey and so on. The most popular cars have the most mass appeal for buyers. Sorry they do not appeal to you. I wonder if there will ever be a Prius show someday? I have owned many new import work cars as well. They were fine for bad weather and routine driving and a wax once a year. And then get another.
8th Sep 2013, 20:59
Yes, once again we see the term "Merican" pop up on this site. Whether this reviewer knows it or not, it's quite insulting to the country that we live in.
9th Sep 2013, 08:22
It's kind of hard to stomach hearing "crud" on very high end paint colors that can cost as much as a new car. I have owned well over 40 cars in my lifetime, and see high end paint and construction that are off the typical color palette. And they often win first place in large shows. Usually people that critique like this have one car with little invested into it. And are now the resident expert.
And as far as originality goes, one can pick a 1970s stock Hemi Cuda in a factory Lemon Twist, Vitamin C, Plum Crazy or the like, and have well into seven zeros value to count at payday.
9th Sep 2013, 14:48
I am very proud to be an American. The condescending comments imply that the import owner is superior, purposely implying that there's low mentality involved. It's kind of hard serving this country and being shot at to protect someone so indifferent.
There's plenty of others that can truly appreciate the true great American classic vehicles and modern advanced technology today. There's more to life than a gallon of gas with a bone jarring, back breaking, cramped ride on the interstate. What are you truly saving? Work hard and smart, and there are a lot of cars etc to enjoy.
29th Aug 2013, 11:05
What is a Looky Loo?
I see cars totally differently. Many today have highly advanced technology throughout the vehicles. And yes it can be a late 70s and 80s era car. Major modern engine transplants, extensive restoration, paint, and audio. I especially like upgrades that look like they could have been born in the car.
I have one domestic where I repainted the 10 10 classic white to a late model Volvo White. Looks stock, but the paint absolutely pops at shows and at night under the lights. People want to know what I have done. I have advanced steering, exhaust and suspension upgrades, while retaining the stock height of the original. I have a totally hidden 1500 watt Alpine sound system in my car. The only giveaway is I have no spare tire.
I also have had countless hours of work done, resulting in laser straight bodies, nice gaps, filled in seams, de-emblem as a personal preference, re-chrome and finish with show quality paint. If I am at a show, I likely see many things you never realize. There's a lot of work, time and pride, which not everyone realizes or appreciates as a fast passer by. I also try to spend my day at shows next to new people from distant locations, and enjoy discussing their restoration efforts; some with years of work. If it's a club event, I stay with the club. But I like to park next to cars I have never seen before. It's a great hobby, rather than beat up on someone when it's likely you may be in a car that is simply a driver, with little appreciation of someone's highly restored effort.