MSCC SEPTEMBER 21 FEATURE FRIDAY–IT DOES NOT GET BETTER THAN THIS: OBSERVATIONS FROM THE FRONTLINES OF THE CAR HOBBY

0
1111

Screenshot_16-001

 

MyStarCollectorCar has always gone to the heart of the matter when it comes to the car hobby-and it turned out to be a pretty big heart.

 

We look before we leap at the story behind the vintage vehicle and we still get surprises along the road to a great story.

 

Most car guys are somewhat shy and humble about their accomplishments, even though they have moved motorized mountains and performed automotive miracles during their quest for their perfect vintage ride.

 

We particularly like the hands-on approach to a project because many of these builder/restorers are not professionals and learned how to weld, wrench and even paint along the way. Every professional automotive expert will have an insider’s knowledge about what level of talent, patience and expertise it takes to win at the restoration game.

 

IMGP5388

 

The results can be spectacular when the proper ingredients are applied to a vintage vehicle project. A vehicle that was in a terminal state of disrepair and then put back on the road after a long rehab stint in a small garage behind the house always grabs our attention.

 

IMGP6712

 

Sometimes we get a heads-up from the information display in the near vicinity of the vehicle. Sometimes we get the information by listening to a conversation between the owner and a curious bystander. Sometimes we get steered in the right direction by a third party person who has already talked to the owner. By the way, a big thank you is in order for all of you who led us to a good story.

 

IMGP5285

 

But most of the time we simply ask the owner about their vehicle and just run with that angle.

 

advertise980

 

We used to get an automotive version of buck fever (overanxious game hunters who want to shoot anything that moves) and take just about every story that came our way here at MyStarCollectorCar–but not anymore.

 

We look for the great (not just good) stories and they pop up a lot over the course of any given year. 2019 will be our 10th year since we fired up MyStarCollectorCar and we have learned a lot over the past several years.

 

IMGP5681

 

We still shy away from a For Sale sign on a vintage ride because the history of that vehicle does not get sold with the car for our purposes. Typically the old history ends with two signatures and a witness on the Bill of Sale–and the new history begins at that point.

 

IMGP4430

 

Exception to the rule: this past summer we interviewed a guy who was the owner of his 42-year-old car for exactly one day when we interviewed him. That was a very worthy story for us because he followed the car religiously for over 30 years before he became only its second owner.

 

IMGP7316

 

When push came to shove in a semantic sense, he already had a long history with the car and gave his car story a happy ending because of his desire to preserve his car’s status as a well-preserved survivor vehicle.

 

We at MyStarCollectorCar have learned how to separate the chaff from the wheat when it comes to stories; thus we have learned to remain open-minded about every vehicle and owner we encounter during the course of any given year.

 

IMGP5226

 

The final and most important part of the story angle is an occasion we get feedback from our readers. We receive plenty of responses every week to our owner stories and many of them are very sincere Thank You messages from people who liked our article about the personal connection between a vehicle and its owner. Some of them are sent by relatives or friends of the owner who also tell us the person is no longer with us–but would have been proud of the article.

 

IMGP1903

 

We also get phone calls and in-person conversations that steer along the same direction and know we are on the right path when we write the stories.

 

Screenshot_1-002

 

The view from the car hobby frontlines has been magnificent here at MyStarCollectorCar for the reasons mentioned in this article and we will continue to enjoy the experience for many more years. Thanks to all of you.                               

 

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. 

 

SPONSORS