I have been in the restoration game for nearly half a century. More than 50 projects have passed through my hands, while I have served as a judge at national-level events for nearly two decades.
And yet, at times, this world still seems so baffling. The reality is that we’re often chasing a reality that doesn’t exist.
Let me explain. I have …
" Enjoy your car" may be the key phrase here. Do you enjoy your car, or do you enjoy winning more? There is a point where some people can go OTT with the whole correctness thing, just for the sake of winning. It no longer is a hobby, it is now an obsession.
I have a very good knowledge level on the particular cars I used to judge in concours, but having said that, when it comes to my own cars I do what my own inner referee allows me and it is often to make minor improvements that make the car more fun to use, or paint them a non-factory colour.
It was interesting judging cars owned by people who were very invested in being right about their cars and the restoration done on them. I almost came to blows with one owner who took exception when I pointed out that he had mounted his front bumper over-riders upside down and that his defroster vents on the dash weren't supposed to point at the inside of the cabin, but at the windshield......
Having built, and restored, several cars back in the day it seemed more important to have work appreciated rather than admired for accuracy. It has to be taxing, both mentally and physically, to replicate to someone elses standards. But much like most everything in life....it ain't what it used to be.
wspohn said:I pointed out that he had mounted his front bumper over-riders upside down and that his defroster vents on the dash weren't supposed to point at the inside of the cabin, but at the windshield......
Lol, well if they are installed incorrectly "There installed incorrectly !"
but they had probably spent so much time researching every thing , that they were in a position where they believed they were correct, regardless of the Truth !
you should have Banned em ;)
Concours competition, racing competition, tennis competition, Olympic competition.....the top 10% in any of these or similar endeavors are SOOOO close that what separates them on any given event is as much random chance (also known as "luck") as any true skill. Repeated success probably shows adaptation to the particular game and its rules more than any true superiority. Yes, I'm generalizing. There are true masters out there...but relative to the total number of competitions, they are extremely rare.
I'm personally thrilled to admire someone else's work, whatever it may be, assuming they had fun doing it. That's the goal of a hobby...have fun, even if it (typically) isn't practical, logical, profitable; that's what jobs are for. [Extra points if you can successfully combine the two!].
I recall a moment, 55 yrs ago, when I was a golf caddy one summer. My employer missed the swing, his ball ending up in a water trap. He came over to me and threw his whole bag of clubs in the water. Important lesson for me.
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