Which is worse? Thrashing classics or babying them too much?

[bull]

Which is the greater sin? Horse-whipping classic cars or never letting them out of the stable? When I say classics think of your prized Charger or a fastback Mustang or a 67-69 Camaro or Chevelle, etc. Does it annoy you more to see them cleaner than a new toothbrush, surrounded by velvet rope, never driven, never started and never moving under their own power, traveling from place to place in an enclosed trailer under 24-hour guard? Or is it worse to see them in burnout contests, heavily modified and drag raced, rotting in fields, neglected, thrashed on, jumped, driven like they're stolen and drifted?

There is no specific incident I can point to that prompted this poll but I know people in both camps. I know people who own many classics but never let them leave the garage and I know people who don't take very good care of their classic cars at all. I can't say either one thrills me much but I can't decide which is worse. They're both bad IMO, although letting one rot is just plain evil.

Also, I know that drag racing a classic doesn't necessarily mean they're being thrashed but they're definitely not being babied. But of all the choices under the "thrashing" category that one is probably the most benign in many cases.

Feel free to suggest additional voting categories.

[doctor4766]

I'm sure MOST of us built our Chargers to drive the pants off them.
We didn't spend years of pulling them apart, putting in the long hard hours losing knuckle skin putting 'em back together and bulk cash just to load them on a trailer and tow them everywhere, so I'll go with the "babying is worse" vote.

Having said that, I CAN appreciate those who have rarer or more valuable models being less inclined to thrash the shit out of their Chargers at every chance and keeping the mileage low too.

[Topher]

Thras'm baby! I just thoroughly beat mine last week  105 up the interstate for a few miles 

[Ghoste]

I think destroying it by doing nothing is the worst.

[Cooter]

There are the ones I personally can't stand...The ones "Thrashing" the cars that didn't do their own work...You know the ones.. the "Got it too easy", or the "Buy it now" people. The first thing they do when the car arrives is run the ever loving hell out of it (Beat on it unmercifully) like they are on some "Test drive" in a newer car. Of course the "Sh*t, I broke it" thing usually happens sooner or later and then, after they've had their fun and it is a pita to repair what they've broken, they find out it isn't under any type of warranty and flip it. All this within a matter of weeks. It all goes back to when you were a kid. When your pop/Dad/old man etc. told you "Son, if it comes too easy, you won't respect it and you'll tear it up. When you have to work for it, you'll tend to take care of your sh*t"....At least that's what my Pop told me.


MOST of the people I see spend YEARS restoring their cars in the backyard very rarely take it out and just "Thrash" it. Sure, they drive it hard, but "thrashing" a car IMO means something totally different. You spent all that time restoring the car only to go out in the road and just tear it up? It took 30 plus years of that sh*t to cause you to have to restore it in the first place?

Drag racing a classic car to me isn't considered "Thrashing"...Thrashing IMO means breaking sh*t cause you can't drive. You are a menace behind the wheel, and a Sherman tank couldn't stand up to you. If you drive your car hard, but don't break, or at least able to repair what you did break, then IMO, you are doing what you wish with your own car no matter how "Rare" it is...

The only time I see cars being "Babied" on and off trailers is when the owners c onsider them to be "Investments" rather than just cars. With the recent turndown in the pricing of these "Investments", (and the "Cool" factor of driving classic, rare cars goes up)I think you'll see more and more cars being driven harder. Of course, when you have the prices come down to where the average guy can just buy one done you'll see more and more being "Thrashed" and called "Driven like they were meant to be" as they "Came too easily" IMO....

[41husk]

I had to vote letting them rot   If they are handled with silk gloves, they will still be around for the next owner to enjoy.  If they are rode hard and put away wet, they can be put back to pristine by the next owner.  If they are driven rusting and belching.  They are still in use and with the new repro parts out can also be brought back by the next owner.  The cars that are left out in the yard, field or out in the south forty, slowing melting away to nothing until it is impossible to bring back, is the worse thing you can do to these cars.  We have all seen these cars.  They are left out only to have dozens of possible new owners told " it aint for sale. I'm gonna restore it some day" I saw a 69 SuperBee rotting in the ground for over 10 years.  I saw a tree grow from a seedling to a full grown tree through the engine compartment.  The last time I saw it you could no longer open the doors because it had sunken into the ground so far.  For god sake if you think you are going to restore it put it inside or at least cover it up to slow the deteriation.  Well Thats my rant!!!

[bill440rt]

I had to vote letting them rot   If they are handled with silk gloves, they will still be around for the next owner to enjoy.  If they are rode hard and put away wet, they can be put back to pristine by the next owner.  If they are driven rusting and belching.  They are still in use and with the new repro parts out can also be brought back by the next owner.  The cars that are left out in the yard, field or out in the south forty, slowing melting away to nothing until it is impossible to bring back, is the worse thing you can do to these cars.  We have all seen these cars.  They are left out only to have dozens of possible new owners told " it aint for sale. I'm gonna restore it some day" I saw a 69 SuperBee rotting in the ground for over 10 years.  I saw a tree grow from a seedling to a full grown tree through the engine compartment.  The last time I saw it you could no longer open the doors because it had sunken into the ground so far.  For god sake if you think you are going to restore it put it inside or at least cover it up to slow the deteriation.  Well Thats my rant!!!

  x2!!

Well said!

[ChgrSteve67]

I vote for letting them just sit outside and rot to death.

[68X426]

I had to vote letting them rot   If they are handled with silk gloves, they will still be around for the next owner to enjoy.  If they are rode hard and put away wet, they can be put back to pristine by the next owner.  If they are driven rusting and belching.  They are still in use and with the new repro parts out can also be brought back by the next owner.  The cars that are left out in the yard, field or out in the south forty, slowing melting away to nothing until it is impossible to bring back, is the worse thing you can do to these cars.  We have all seen these cars.  They are left out only to have dozens of possible new owners told " it aint for sale. I'm gonna restore it some day" I saw a 69 SuperBee rotting in the ground for over 10 years.  I saw a tree grow from a seedling to a full grown tree through the engine compartment.  The last time I saw it you could no longer open the doors because it had sunken into the ground so far.  For god sake if you think you are going to restore it put it inside or at least cover it up to slow the deteriation.  Well Thats my rant!!!

x3.

Rot is Evil.

From the Archives of Pure Evil:

[Stretch]

I hate trailer queens!

[bull]

The thing I hate most is just the total disregard some people have for these cars. To me it seems that the people who abuse them, let them rot or lock them away forever, hermetically sealed in a vault, are kind of in the same boat: making the hobby about themselves. They obviously don't care about the car or creating opportunities for them to be enjoyed by many as much as they care about acting out some strange obesessive psychosis marked by paranoia. I really don't know that the mental state of the parts/cars hoarder is any worse than the guy who's too paranoid to allow his $100k cars out of of his secured garage. Both are hoarders but one is just more organized than the other.

[tan top]

I had to vote letting them rot   If they are handled with silk gloves, they will still be around for the next owner to enjoy.  If they are rode hard and put away wet, they can be put back to pristine by the next owner.  If they are driven rusting and belching.  They are still in use and with the new repro parts out can also be brought back by the next owner.  The cars that are left out in the yard, field or out in the south forty, slowing melting away to nothing until it is impossible to bring back, is the worse thing you can do to these cars.  We have all seen these cars.  They are left out only to have dozens of possible new owners told " it aint for sale. I'm gonna restore it some day" I saw a 69 SuperBee rotting in the ground for over 10 years.  I saw a tree grow from a seedling to a full grown tree through the engine compartment.  The last time I saw it you could no longer open the doors because it had sunken into the ground so far.  For god sake if you think you are going to restore it put it inside or at least cover it up to slow the deteriation.  Well Thats my rant!!!

x3.

Rot is Evil.

From the Archives of Pure Evil:

[TheAutoArchaeologist]

You guys are crazy, nobody cares about cars in barns.



If they would, this would have been saved long ago!

Ryan

[ChgrSteve67]

You guys are crazy, nobody cares about cars in barns.

You mean the owner didn't care about the car in their barn.

My Charger sat for 13 years but every few months I went over, fired it up and moved it a few feet.

[Cooter]

Ok, Let's flip the coin here. Let's say you put some real seat time in a Charger that you restored and got it out on the road to show everybody that will look at it. BAM! Smashed into total loss heaven by some idiot text messaging...Which is worse? The guy that still has his "Investment" safely locked away, or the poor guy that just destroyed another Charger and it wasn't flown through the air at Dukesfest?

[Topher]

I don't know about you guys, but with my car being a 4 speed, I LOVE getting on the interstate. Feeling the secodaries open up, the front end lift, and a solid two wheel plant in second, then third, then fourth gear wide open just makes me Smile! It took 6 years and every side job I could do to buy parts, and get her painted, and I'm going to enjoy it!

As for the buy and drive guys-not everyone can swing a wrench, or weild a paint gun, SO! Do they not deserve to drive a Charger because of that? If you think thst way, then you are in a sad small world.

We only get 1 turn on this rock so enjoy it to the MAX!

[Fred]

I don't thrash the living shit out of mine. I spent to much on it to wreck it. But I do put pedal to metal and let her rip on occassion for the pure pleasure it gives me and take it out at  least three times a week (got other cars that need an outing too) and put about 250 miles on the clock a week.
I didn't spend all that money on it to just to look at.  

[bull]

Ok, Let's flip the coin here. Let's say you put some real seat time in a Charger that you restored and got it out on the road to show everybody that will look at it. BAM! Smashed into total loss heaven by some idiot text messaging...Which is worse? The guy that still has his "Investment" safely locked away, or the poor guy that just destroyed another Charger and it wasn't flown through the air at Dukesfest?

There's no point to them unless they are driven at least a little. Paranoia is pointless too. If you think about it, why leave the house at all? Too many bad things happen out there. But if you stay inside a meteor or earthquake could smash your house with you in it. Be cautious and smart but you gotta live your life.

[Magnumcharger]

If you aliken your car to a person's life...which is better?
To have lived a full and exciting, but brief existance, or - a long, drawn-out life where you sit at home all day doing nothing?

I'll take "burning out" to "fading away"....anyday.

[Dino]

None of the extremes are good.  Letting it rot is the worst, it just makes the car go away for nobody to enjoy.  Never taking it out of the garage or having it roll on and off trailers is pretty bad imo, what's the point of having a 'car' when you move it like furniture.  Heck, rent it out to a museum, make some money off of it and let others enjoy it.  Or sell it to someone who would actually use it.

Driving it to pieces or painting it orange so you can do some moronic jump in front of some yahoos is the dumbest thing ever.  These cars need to be driven but there's no reason to run them into a brick wall just for the heck of it.

They were made for one purpose and one purpose only and driving it and enjoying it as what it's all about. 

end rant

[bakerhillpins]

I had to vote letting them rot   If they are handled with silk gloves, they will still be around for the next owner to enjoy.  If they are rode hard and put away wet, they can be put back to pristine by the next owner.  If they are driven rusting and belching.  They are still in use and with the new repro parts out can also be brought back by the next owner.  The cars that are left out in the yard, field or out in the south forty, slowing melting away to nothing until it is impossible to bring back, is the worse thing you can do to these cars.  We have all seen these cars.  They are left out only to have dozens of possible new owners told " it aint for sale. I'm gonna restore it some day" I saw a 69 SuperBee rotting in the ground for over 10 years.  I saw a tree grow from a seedling to a full grown tree through the engine compartment.  The last time I saw it you could no longer open the doors because it had sunken into the ground so far.  For god sake if you think you are going to restore it put it inside or at least cover it up to slow the deteriation.  Well Thats my rant!!!

  x2!!

Well said!

  x4

I didn't spend all that money on it to just to look at.   

I'm with you brother.   

[41husk]

No matter what any one thinks, if it is your car you can do with it what you want.  I think I will do a ground up resto on the convertible challenger, lock it in the garage for a year.  After that I will pull it out and thrash it until it is falling apart and belching smoke.  As soon as it is on it's last leg, I will take it out in a field, park it and refuse to sell until it rots back into the earth.  That should cover every ones idea of how to treat and not treat a car.  Bottom line is, as long as I own it I will do with it what I want.  Realisticly I would classify my cars as drivers I baby.  I probably put 200-500 miles a year on them.  They stay inside in poor weather and are kept on battery tenders. You did notice I was doing this to the challenger not the Daytona

[BananaDan]

I had to vote letting them rot   If they are handled with silk gloves, they will still be around for the next owner to enjoy.  If they are rode hard and put away wet, they can be put back to pristine by the next owner.  If they are driven rusting and belching.  They are still in use and with the new repro parts out can also be brought back by the next owner.  The cars that are left out in the yard, field or out in the south forty, slowing melting away to nothing until it is impossible to bring back, is the worse thing you can do to these cars.  We have all seen these cars.  They are left out only to have dozens of possible new owners told " it aint for sale. I'm gonna restore it some day" I saw a 69 SuperBee rotting in the ground for over 10 years.  I saw a tree grow from a seedling to a full grown tree through the engine compartment.  The last time I saw it you could no longer open the doors because it had sunken into the ground so far.  For god sake if you think you are going to restore it put it inside or at least cover it up to slow the deteriation.  Well Thats my rant!!!

None of the extremes are good.  Letting it rot is the worst, it just makes the car go away for nobody to enjoy.  Never taking it out of the garage or having it roll on and off trailers is pretty bad imo, what's the point of having a 'car' when you move it like furniture.  Heck, rent it out to a museum, make some money off of it and let others enjoy it.  Or sell it to someone who would actually use it.

Driving it to pieces or painting it orange so you can do some moronic jump in front of some yahoos is the dumbest thing ever.  These cars need to be driven but there's no reason to run them into a brick wall just for the heck of it.

They were made for one purpose and one purpose only and driving it and enjoying it as what it's all about. 

end rant

I agree with both of you, and voted that rot is the worst sin but intentionally trashing a car is a very close second for me.  It took me 11 years to finish my car.  She may look like a trailer queen but I drive her everywhere she goes.  I bought her and restored her to let her live the life she was intended to live, to look good on the road and rip up asphalt.  I don't thrash her, but whether it's a recreational drive, going to a show in the next town or Carlisle 250 miles away, her rubber is always on the pavement.

[Dino]

I had to vote letting them rot   If they are handled with silk gloves, they will still be around for the next owner to enjoy.  If they are rode hard and put away wet, they can be put back to pristine by the next owner.  If they are driven rusting and belching.  They are still in use and with the new repro parts out can also be brought back by the next owner.  The cars that are left out in the yard, field or out in the south forty, slowing melting away to nothing until it is impossible to bring back, is the worse thing you can do to these cars.  We have all seen these cars.  They are left out only to have dozens of possible new owners told " it aint for sale. I'm gonna restore it some day" I saw a 69 SuperBee rotting in the ground for over 10 years.  I saw a tree grow from a seedling to a full grown tree through the engine compartment.  The last time I saw it you could no longer open the doors because it had sunken into the ground so far.  For god sake if you think you are going to restore it put it inside or at least cover it up to slow the deteriation.  Well Thats my rant!!!

None of the extremes are good.  Letting it rot is the worst, it just makes the car go away for nobody to enjoy.  Never taking it out of the garage or having it roll on and off trailers is pretty bad imo, what's the point of having a 'car' when you move it like furniture.  Heck, rent it out to a museum, make some money off of it and let others enjoy it.  Or sell it to someone who would actually use it.

Driving it to pieces or painting it orange so you can do some moronic jump in front of some yahoos is the dumbest thing ever.  These cars need to be driven but there's no reason to run them into a brick wall just for the heck of it.

They were made for one purpose and one purpose only and driving it and enjoying it as what it's all about. 

end rant

I agree with both of you, and voted that rot is the worst sin but intentionally trashing a car is a very close second for me.  It took me 11 years to finish my car.  She may look like a trailer queen but I drive her everywhere she goes.  I bought her and restored her to let her live the life she was intended to live, to look good on the road and rip up asphalt.  I don't thrash her, but whether it's a recreational drive, going to a show in the next town or Carlisle 250 miles away, her rubber is always on the pavement.

Excellent!  Could not agree with you more.  That's what they are for!   

[Cooter]

Driving it to pieces or painting it orange so you can do some moronic jump in front of some yahoos is the dumbest thing ever.  These cars need to be driven but there's no reason to run them into a brick wall just for the heck of it.

Then it must REALLY suck for you to have to see the huge amount of "Morons" every year that gather to see a Charger sacrificed, painted orange, and flown through the air, when if you drove your Charger everyday for a solid year, you might have half the "Yahoos" see yours.