[Bailbondsman]

Here I go again...thinking, planning, and having a quiet day at the office, and the thought occurs to me...Now that my car is finally coming together, do I forever and perpetually leave it sitting in a trailer when I am not at a show, or do I take it out occasionally to drive it and keep everything running and not going stale from dry rot ? I mean, I have literally spent an equal amount on restoring this car as I paid for my first home in 1983.

I have owned my 66 coupe since July 2, 1976 and my adult life goal was to someday return it to the head-turning and mouth- drooling status it once held. Now that it is coming together, I hate to think about it sitting in a trailer 95% of the time not being appreciated, but at the same time, I hate to even bear the thought of driving it down the road and having a rock bounce up off of the road or gravel causing chips or some idiot with $2.00 worth of insurance running all over me and driving off without a care in the world for my loss and grief. On 2nd thought, I am the owner of 3 bail bonding companies, and I was thinking "If someone hits me with no insurance, I could just pull out a can of good, old-fashioned country whoop-ass, but that would not be good for my image, but it might boost revenues for the money-losing newspaper stock that I own". End of thought...............

What do you award-winning, show car gurus do ? Please give me your counsel and guidance !

 

[mcad_c]

FWIW This is my opinion...

I've showed a number of cars, mostly late model daily drivers. I spend 8-12 hours detailing to get ready for a show. This usually nets me first or second place for the class I've entered. A lot of work, but it is nice to have you name announced at the show.

If you have a concours car, then you show it like you drove it off the dealers lot, to the car show, everytime...no road dirt all natural metal sufaces with no rust, and so on.

I'm going to have my car completed in the spring. (if the planets align...) I want to show it in the concours driven class for the first year at least. After seeing a couple of shows I'm not sure if I can maintain a concouse level car that will be driven at least twice a month. I personnaly like to drive my cars. A car sitting in the garage or a trailer does nothing for me.

I wish there was something between concours driven and ocasionally driven. I'm putting a lot of time and $$ into the undercarraige and engine compartment that will never be judged in the OD class.

As far as the uncontrolled curcumstances on the road...you deal with that everytime you drive. Thats all that I thought of when I bought my first new car. ('88 Mustang) Now I don't let it bother me, new cars are only new the day you drive them off the lot. *hit happens. :shrug: For a DIY person maybe its a little different. For someone that pays for all the restoration work...have good insurance.

Just my opinion.

Do what you think you can deal with. Driving the car should be fun, not a high stress activity.

 

[Bailbondsman]

That is my point exactly. Mine is being restored to concours trailered status, and a very valid concern to me must be the underbody areas that are judged for cleanliness. My intention is to NEVER have any water directly applied to it in any way. A lightly- moistened rag perhaps is the most moisture that I want to ever touch this car.

 

[69grandecj]

In occassional driver they do judge the engine compartment and the undercarriage but not for correctness.

My Grande is currently a trailer queen and will stay that way for at least a couple of more years. Currently has 24 miles since the restoration. I'd like to earn the 20 MCA points to put it in the Conservator class. Then I will have decide if it stays a trailer queen or becomes an occassional driver.

 

[Laurie_S]

My coupe has been concours trailered since 1999, is a Grille Medallion winner, earned retirement, and is now shown in the Conservator class. I drive it occasionally and even drove it 112 miles in a Pony Trail at the Utah National in 2004. The next morning I cleaned the car up and took a gold in the concours trailered class with less than 10 points deducted--none for dirt.

It's not hard to keep a concours trailered car clean. The trick is to maintain it and not let the grime build up. About a month ago, I posted about taking the car out to an event and it poured rain on it. I drove home through puddles. That weekend, I crawled under and wiped it down. It took all of 10 minutes.

Personally, I see no reason for a car to be a trailer queen unless it's unrestored or all NOS parts. Mustangs were meant to be driven and I do drive mine. I also don't mind cleaning it up afterwards, and that makes the difference.

Don't call Murphy a trailer queen, because he isn't! :lol:

 

[Bailbondsman]

Over $9,000 of NOS parts were purchased for this car. That is another area of concern for me, that if I was involved in an accident, that I might have a difficult time in locating another NOS front fender for my car. The replacement fenders do not impress me in weight or quality of fit compared to the NOS ones. Also, the paint was applied noting the barometric air pressure and temperature at the time of painting, and the pressure at the tip of the paint gun too. It is no 2nd rate job and I would hate to have to wait a month or more for the weather and barometric air pressure to come to the corect point for repairs and painting if it should be in an accident.

I know..call me all the efeminate names you want to...Am I overly concerned ?

 

[Guest]

I wish there was something between concours driven and ocasionally driven. I'm putting a lot of time and $$ into the undercarraige and engine compartment that will never be judged in the OD class.

Actually, Occasional Driven judging sheets have an undercarriage section worth 25 points.

 

[Guest]

I would suggest that you show it for a couple show seasons, get a few awards and then decide if you want to continue or make it an occasional driver. As long as you have sense about when and where you drive it, you can minimize wear and tear. I drove my '65 fastback 10k miles from the time it was finished in '98 until I sold it. It would take a good week to prepare it for an MCA national, where I had shown it in concours trailered.

 

[Laurie_S]

The sheet metal on my coupe is all original, too.

Yes, I think you're overly concerned. But, I also remember the day in 1983 when I picked my coupe up from being repainted. I swore everyone was about to pull into the side of me. However, I continued driving the car--as a daily driver--for two years after that. That is still the same paint job that is on my coupe. The front valance, stone guard, trunk interior, and hood underside have been repainted and the color matches.

 

[Bailbondsman]

I guess first things come first, and that would be me getting it completed and then hoping that I have a gold-level, quality car for judging and winning ! Then my thoughts would be to the driving.

This past weekend, was my High School 30 year class reunion, and my long time goal was to take it to that reunion. We did not make it, and yesterday I was reflecting on that and it occurred to me that if I had driven it, though it was a very pretty evening, it could have very well become keyed or scratched or gotten a "ding" in the parking lot as no security was posted there that night.

 

[Mark_Hone]

It sounds like you want to spend some serious coin on your car. IMHO I would do all of the work and put it on a trailer for a couple of years. After that, you can decide if it will stay up there. Mark

 

[Bailbondsman]

I have already spent a LOT of VERY SERIOUS cash on this car. It has been gone for over 3 years for a complete, concours restoration. We are nearing the end of it though, as the engine, drive train, transmission and rear end have all been restored, the hood, deck lid, front and rear valences and quarter extensions have all been painted and polished and buffed, and this weekend, the rest of the body will be painted. All the chrome has been replated, including the bumpers and the window frames, and the stainless trim has been polishied to infinity. The radio has been restored, the carpet is waiting in the box, and the new glass from PS Autoglass is in the frames. SSSnnakeOyl did a great job on the seatbelts.

Also, the trailer has been delivered, the new 2007 GMC 2500 Duramax is great, and I am hoping it will all come together sometime around Christmas, as I have already registered for Pensacola.

Whew !

 

[JeffTepper]

It sounds like your plan is for a concours level car. With that as the base line, I agree with Charles that you should show the car for a couple of seasons and then decide whether the effort is worth the adulation or whether you want to take it out and have some fun turning the wheel. As much as I've put into my car, I've never been a trailered kind of guy so mine gets driven alot. At the same time, I can appreciate and respect the effort necessary to compete at the concours level.

 

[Bailbondsman]

Thanks for you opinion on this matter. I have owned the car since July 2, 1976. I kept it in the same spot from 1980 until April,2004 when Imade the decision to put it back in the very best shape and condition that I could afford. Over the years I had many, many, many offers to sell the car and I didn't. I dated in this car. Call me a sentimental fool and I will readily agree. I honestly think that I suffer from terminal Stangitis.

Now I guess you and the others might understand why I am so particular and protective of my car.

BTW, your car absolutely defies description! I love the color !!!!!! Great job and I hope you win lots of trophies and awards with it.

 

[Epperstang]

I notice you live in Lebanon and mention April 2004 as decision date.
Was it the Mustang 40th that stirred the desire?
J.

 

[Bailbondsman]

Absolutely ! My son and I attended the show. He had suffered a baseular skull fracture about 3 weeks prior to this show and this was his first trip out since leaving the hospital and it was his idea that we attend the show. He was graduating high school that spring and he had asked for a classic mustang to do a restomod job on for graduation. We went there and were looking at the cars, cars, cars everywhere and I got to thinking of mine and how pretty it had been in it's heyday and talked to several people about restoring it. I met a group of people from College Park, Georgia that discussed restoring it with me. 1 week later it was on the way to College Park, Georgia where it sat with very little work being done on it the first 2 years. Finally, I had had enough excuses and false promises and wasted money and I decided to pull it and go somewhere else with it (3 years and 1 week after it arrived in College Park). That was done in about a week and I feel it is in the hands of a true Master in the art of concours restoration now.

BTW, we purchased him a 68 fastback (Seafoam green (YUCK !) with black interior and fold down rear seat) at the show and he is doing his own restomod on it as time and $$ permits !

 

[lleno]

Drive the Car!!!!!! I can understand some worry about other idiots, but don't let a few bouncing pebbles stop you.....think of all the drooling you are missing as you floor it and the 4 barrel kicks in and you lips are flapping in the wind........