There are many vintage rides that have spent less time on the street than a rookie hooker, but there are some good reasons why retro rides never get driven by their owners.
For the record, we at MyStarCollectorCar don’t agree with most of the decisions not to drive their old cars and trucks, but we acknowledge that some of their reasons are valid.
Therefore, MyStarCollectorCar decided to list five good reasons why these old beauties never turn a wheel on the road.
Jim Sutherland
The first reason is their owners may have taken advantage of a generous supply of alcohol while sitting in the VIP bidder section at a televised vintage vehicle auction. Few products can erode sensible decisions and good judgement better than taking on a boatload of brand name booze in any social situation, including an auction with an open bar.
Consequently, a drunk guy competition for the keys to an auction vehicle may result in remorse equal to (or greater than) a typical one-night stand scenario. The winning bidder may regret his foolish decision to buy a vehicle while heavily under the influence of complimentary booze, so he also has little interest in owning it-let alone driving it.
The second reason is the owners have restored their beloved old vehicles to an incredibly high level that is well beyond a Condition Red divorce threat because of the insanely high costs incurred during the project.
They are shell-shocked by the restoration experience because of the final bill and choose not to drive a vintage vehicle that has cost far more than its current value. As a result, driving a painfully expensive restored ride is not on the table because of the risk factors presented by mechanical failure, collisions-or both.
The third reason is the vehicle is a low-mileage survivor ride and the owner does not want to add any miles to the odometer because every mile drives down the vehicle’s value. For example, we know one car guy who drove two brand-new pickups from the dealership directly to his home over 30 years ago and stored them.
One of the trucks has less than 50 miles on it and has never seen the light of day since the day the day he parked it in his shop. The pickups are not for sale so they will remain ultra-low mileage trucks but–even if they were sold, no owner in his right mind would drive them. Irrational lunatics with deep pockets may have a different game plan about driving them and racking up the miles.
The fourth reason car guys don’t drive their vintage rides is simple: they tore them apart with a classic Humpty Dumpty game plan and got predictable results.
A stack of dissected mechanical, body and electrical parts is a highly avoidable tragedy that only ensures one thing: brash owners who take apart a vehicle are more likely to put a smashed giant egg from a children’s rhyme back together than an old car or truck they have turned into an unsolvable metal puzzle with some missing pieces. A reckless vehicle dismemberment plan is a permanent no-drive zone for foolish and delusional car guys.
The fifth and final reason car guys choose not to drive their vintage rides is they no longer accept the limitations of older vehicles. Old rides are not easy to drive, in fact they require full-time attention to the road because they were designed for use in a bygone era when roads were emptier–and speed limits were lower.
Driving old cars is a constant series of corrections and paying close attention to the road.
Their “pay-close-attention factor” is their charm because old rides provide the ultimate driving experience for owners who choose to drive them instead of merely looking at them.
Jim Sutherland
BY: Jim Sutherland
Jim Sutherland is a veteran automotive writer whose work has been published by many major print and online publications. The list includes Calgary Herald, The Truth About Cars, Red Deer Advocate, RPM Magazine, Edmonton Journal, Montreal Gazette, Windsor Star, Vancouver Province, and Post Media Wheels Section.
- CLICK HERE to Sign Up for the Newsletter
- CLICK HERE to Like us on Facebook
- CLICK HERE to Follow us on Twitter
- CLICK HERE to Follow us on Pinterest
