When Good is Good enough.

[Clewisiii]

I went to a local Car show yesterday.  The first car show I have been to in six years.  I did not have a car to show I was just a spectator. 

My first pass I looked at all on the engine bays.  Not really the engine themselves but the Firewalls and surrounding area. Not one was a pristine trailer queen. You could easily see that the Firewalls were all painted without any prep. Wire harnesses screws and even old grease build up or cracking paint just painted over.

On the second pass I looked at the interiors. Some looking very original and the smells matched. Some looking like they had been redone but you can see waviness and inconsistency in the stitching. One with no door panels and shag carpet. Often you would see modern front seats bolted in with the original rear still in place.

While I was there I only saw one Cadillac. And it was an eighties Seville but in perfect condition.  I could not even see a rock chip on the front end.

It makes me think about what I am doing with my car. It is taking a long time due to my yearly car budget. I see and understand people being able to use and enjoy their cars. I still plan on using my car as much as I can.  But I do not feel like I can just leave details that can be addressed alone.

Someday I will be able to go to these car shows. And feel proud of what I was able to do. Not just pay for. 

[cadillac ken]

I see the same at the shows I go to.  I just shake my head.  Instant gratification seems to be the order of the day.  Good on you for doing it "right".  I feel the same way you do.  My Dad used to tell me: "if you aint going to do it right just don't bother to do it at all."  No other way for me to be happy about my own work.

[carlhungness]

      It takes patience to do it right and to me, that's about all there is to it. I'm so happy my craftsmanship seems to be getting better by the year. I've had to do many operations over again and if I'd taken more time in the first place, I would have saved time in the long run. Plus, the feeling of satisfaction can't be replaced.

[Big Fins]

You have to do what makes YOU happy, no one else. That is the bottom line.

[Highwayman68]

The biggest problem/issue I have been having with the unexpected updating of my car is every time I remove something to redo it I am now just that much closer to the next thing that "While I am this close" ends up getting addressed and the end was never anywhere in sight. If you are going to spend the time doing it do it right!

[savemy67]

Hello Carl,

Keep up the good work.

The trouble with shortcuts, I feel,  is when they become standard practice.  Eventually, everyone will think this is the way it is supposed to be done.  We see this today, not only at shows like the one Carl attended, but with reproduction parts used in our hobby, in many manufactured parts and tools, and in home construction to name a few areas.

The shortcut mindset also creeps into our social institutions, business, and government.  We should reject mediocrity when we can, and strive for a higher standard.  We can be better in all we do.

Respectfully submitted,

Christopher Winter

[Lexi]

Yes, well said Christopher. All good comments. Some old sayings come to mind; "The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price", and "Why is there never enough time to do a job right but always enough time to do it over". Clay/Lexi

[Scot Minesinger]

Agree with the posters.  Don't cut corners.

[robert G. smits]

Give them a break, they drove their cars to the show and had fun doing it.  Your car is home on a lift and will probably be there for a while.  I commend you on what looks like a quality restoration but don't hold others to your standards.  Different strokes for different folks!  I recently purchased a 66 GTO that the PO  worked on for 14 years and died a couple of months prior to finishing it at age 56. Beautiful car done correctly. If he had the chance to do it over I am sure he might cut a couple of corners.  Just my TCW.

[cadillac ken]

Give them a break, they drove their cars to the show and had fun doing it.  Your car is home on a lift and will probably be there for a while.  I commend you on what looks like a quality restoration but don't hold others to your standards.  Different strokes for different folks!  I recently purchased a 66 GTO that the PO  worked on for 14 years and died a couple of months prior to finishing it at age 56. Beautiful car done correctly. If he had the chance to do it over I am sure he might cut a couple of corners.  Just my TCW.

Or maybe he simply enjoyed the journey... When the goal is to finish, the joy of the doing can become lost.

[carlhungness]

     We've heard (and seen some fabulous work) about Ken's car. Last I knew photos were being withheld prior to a major show. Have often wondered what the finished product looks like (as I have a similar vehicle) so I'm still looking forward to seeing some pictures.
     Out of all the years I've been interested in collectible vehicles this is the first time I've attempted to do one myself. My '37 LaSalle coupe, the precise car I drove through college now has its frame nearly ready for the body and Ken's dad's advice has been with me throughout. It really is a pretty good feeling to do a job as properly as it can be done and testing one's skills along the way.
    Now I want to do a car from whole cloth. I want to build the chassis, and the body. English wheel and power hammer here I come.

[fishnjim]

Don't underestimate the knowledge and skill required to do quality auto work.  Not many have it, nor the means.   Look at the investment in that photo and it's a sedan which won't pull the big bucks.   
There's thousands of parts and manhours at the factory to build one.   Big difference when putting new parts on an assemble line and restoring old parts to new and putting on by hand.
Most have the "want" but not the training nor desire.   I guess they just didn't want to "hear it" about their "cruddy" firewalls.   Draw the eye away.
All I learned was out of necessity and interest =need, not want.   You didn't go anywhere if the car wasn't running and in snow country, the corrosion repair was constant and necessary.
Those shiny show cars caught the eye, but lassoed the owners pocket book.   Most in the day bought new and kept them clean.

[cadillac ken]

     We've heard (and seen some fabulous work) about Ken's car. Last I knew photos were being withheld prior to a major show. Have often wondered what the finished product looks like (as I have a similar vehicle) so I'm still looking forward to seeing some pictures.
     Out of all the years I've been interested in collectible vehicles this is the first time I've attempted to do one myself. My '37 LaSalle coupe, the precise car I drove through college now has its frame nearly ready for the body and Ken's dad's advice has been with me throughout. It really is a pretty good feeling to do a job as properly as it can be done and testing one's skills along the way.
    Now I want to do a car from whole cloth. I want to build the chassis, and the body. English wheel and power hammer here I come.

Hi Carl:  The 69th Detroit Autorama was cancelled due to the uncontrolled Covid outbreak at the time (this past April/May) in Detroit. So the wife and I decided to keep the car under wraps until March 2022 for the 70th Detroit Autorama.  While the folks in charge of selecting the Ridler contenders are asking those that were invited to re-submit their applications I was told; "We would be honored to have you apply as a 2022 Ridler contender".  So with that, I figured what the heck.  I already have the display done and $$ invested. I can be patient for that opportunity.

You need to show us some photos of your '37 LaSalle progress.  I for one would love to see it.  Being familiar with your other endeavors, I know it will be a real knockout!  Also I too am at that same point concerning building my own car.  I want to build a body and chassis from the drawing board for my wife. Although I'm more of a "let's not reinvent the wheel" kind of guy.  That said, I would probably start with a suitable cowl and roof line I could work with.

Look forward to seeing the La Salle! 

All the best, Ken 

[Lexi]

And the good comments keep rolling in. All well said and cover the spectrum. In the end you have to be satisfied with your work and please yourself in the process. As Ken said, for some enjoying the journey is more what it is about. To use a Collector's analogy, sometimes "The chase is better than the catch". When showing your finished car, all those hours of toil will be rewarded when you see the look on the faces of those who admire your Cadillac. One of the worst feelings, at least for me, is to constantly be bugged by something that I did not do, but should have. In the final analysis you must be pleased with your finished project, cut corners or not. Clay/Lexi

[bcroe]

You have to do what makes YOU happy,
no one else. That is the bottom line. 

That is my theme.  Here cars are not worked on to be judged
or to become museum pieces.  They are not worked on for the
joy of working on them, but rather to save resources and
perhaps make performance improvements over original.  A 304
stainless steel exhaust that will never need to be replaced, is a
big maintenance improvement, one from a long list. 

I often look to see if my car (past 300K) has more miles than any
other at the meet.  No prize for that, should be. 

I look to see if the innovation in cars is good, no dangling wires. 
What is the point of making it cleaner than new, if it will soon see
10s of thousands more miles, and maybe some bumps?  Bruce Roe

[71 Fleetwood]

The problem with car shows is the judging.  The car shows that I have attended (Mustangs) were hot, boring, and.....catty. 

Imagine if a knowledgeable old guy walked up to a display with some helpful advice?  It could easily help someone without a lot of dough, time or shop space to stay interested in the hobby.  You could ask to hear the car.  Most young people don't know how to use a timing light, dwell meter, feeler gauge, set proper low and fast idle.  All they know is cold air intakes and headers make cars faster.  We can help them really enjoy the mechanical aspects.

Imagine if you gave a spare part to a young car enthusiast?  *gasp*   I gave a Chevy Tahoe to our high school when the rear differential started acting up.  I didn't want to have it go through the auto auction and end up as someone's nightmare.  They fixed it and use it as a tow vehicle for high school drags.

All of us can take a look at our hoard of knowledge and parts to bring along the ones with imperfect cars.

Okay, I'm through preaching Brothers and Sisters.

[carlhungness]

  So very happy for Ken's invite to the Detroit show..I didn't realize the show had been cancelled, so will wait patiently for the photos. My '37 LaSalle that I stripped to the bare frame is going to be nice, but surely not show car quality. Frame/eng/trans/front-rear end all installed and now doing radiator and AC, so will post some photos when the chassis done. The car goes to the body shop first of next month so am making good progress.
  For those who want to start with a cowl, roof, etc. please see Bad Chad on YouTube, the young man is an artist and has a great eye. You'll enjoy what he's already built.

[Carfreak]

My uncle is a former CLC member & Ansel Sackett Award winner for his 41 Series 61 who also has restored Best In Show ACD Cords. He started with a non-GM 2000ish era cowl, drivetrain & frame and turned it into an amazing retro ride.

I'd post a picture of the fabulous vehicle but unfortunately not permitted per Bruce's Decree.

[wrench]

A little 'techno-psychobabble' for you to ponder.

This is a page from my PhD dissertation for my honorary Doctorate in 'Philosophy of Technology' from the Scuffed Knuckle School of Wrench Twisting'.

     There are two types of people, 'Goal oriented' and 'process oriented'. One should know the type of person they are.

Goal oriented people are the ones who drive their cars the way they are, hopefully roadworthy, and get around to the things that need to be done as time unfolds.

Process oriented people are the ones who take 14 years to reassemble a basket case and have to buy the same part 3 times over because they can't find the box the first two iterations of the part were stored in.

Goal oriented people show up at a car show or a cruise night on a semi regular basis and have fun driving their car in between bouts of greasy hands, cut scalp and profane verbal lubrication.

Process oriented people never actually drive their car. Oh, at the end of the long haul they do, but it's onto a car carrier to a new owner, a concourse or to a container ship heading to Dubai.

My cars are machines, they want to be on the road, they want to be in reasonably good order, but they don't demand perfection from me, just attention.

As I have said here many times, perfection is a state of mind, not a state of being. But that's another page from my dissertation...

[Lexi]

Always enjoy reading Jim's dissertations. Clay/Lexi