Drive it or preserve it? Your thoughts on rare vehicle preservation.

[Setec Astronomy]

Yeah, Jay Leno is really a crazy man with some of that stuff, like that Stanley Steamer he rebuilt, and is he the one that got hold of that mid-60's Chrysler with the turbine engine? Anyway, I remember him having a whole shop full of machinists and engineers to make parts for that Stanley (if I'm remembering that right).

[Setec Astronomy]

I also think modern AIPs have a place...Anywho be careful getting me on the subject of submarines, I digress lol.

Boy, AIP, I haven't heard that term bandied about in a long time, but I've been out of the loop.

[PouncingPanzer]

I don’t drive two of my three cars and the third is barely driven
I work from home so I don’t have to daily drive and there aren’t many attractions around here just to drive to sightsee. As a result, my cars are just preserved and always detailed to the nines

I call that an "Ideal situation" Good for you man, I am jealous of my wife being able to WFH year-round. Let's me drive her Altima.

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[PouncingPanzer]

I'm in the "drive them as much as you can" camp.

Regardless of how much a car cost, a car is fulfilling it's purpose when on the road and being driven and enjoyed by its owner. The beauty of a vehicle is not only in its appearance, but in its operation. The look the sun reflecting off the hood, the roar of the engine under acceleration, the feel of the steering and suspension as it settles into a turn, or even the smooth glide as it eats up miles down the highway... It saddens me when I hear about cars sitting somewhere for years/decades never being driven, especially something cool/fun/unique.

For the rare and truly beautiful cars, they should not only bring you enjoyment from driving them, but in some instances it makes other people happy to see them too. The world is a cold harsh place and we might as well share a little joy where we can. My humble little blue 2nd gen BRZ still gets smiles and thumbs up on the road and people will approach me to talk about it.

I've listened to people like Jerry Seinfeld and Jay Leno talk about "exercising" their collections on some podcasts and I really appreciate their philosophy. Everything in their collection is drivable and they do take them out on the road. Jay doesn't sell anything he buys, but he does still drive them to include a couple really rare steam and electric cars from the dawn of automotive history. Jerry's collection is a little more modern in some regards, but he drives the pants off his cars in the hills around LA as often as he can get them. He looks at every bug splatter, rock chip, and tar ball to be a memory of a great drive in a great car. If he finds a car being neglected and not getting driven, or he just doesn't like it as he did when he bought it, he lets it go so someone else can enjoy driving it.

I understand not putting huge miles on something that may be exceptionally rare and very hard to repair, but still think it should still see the light of day occasionally.

I agree on exercising a car, you don't want it to rot away but also factor in the infrastructure both have for their collections(private mechanics and detailers) and it's no wonder their cars can be driven and yet look undriven. I just don't trust the world with my most prized possessions, call me paranoid! That said I already promised my wife I won't lock the daughter in a bunker lololol.

I guess you can say I'm a selfish car owner. As long as I can sit and stare at it I'm good. Richard Hammonds "Club House" is the ideal set-up but instead of cool bikes, cars. His CBX1000 is identical to the one my Dad had. Only bike I ever wanted....only seen one in the wild once and nearly crashed getting a look.

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[PouncingPanzer]

Yeah, Jay Leno is really a crazy man with some of that stuff, like that Stanley Steamer he rebuilt, and is he the one that got hold of that mid-60's Chrysler with the turbine engine? Anyway, I remember him having a whole shop full of machinists and engineers to make parts for that Stanley (if I'm remembering that right).

His Stanley steamer instantly became my favorite car of his when I first saw it. Never even knew about those cars before that day. So cool. His F1 is now my second favorite. The first one brought to the US.

Also, feel free to DM about subs anytime. Did you serve on boats or just a nerd like me who may or may not have got married on one?

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[PouncingPanzer]

I should mention I get in this debate with my military history friends every single time an accident happens where we not only lose irreplaceable people, but an irreplaceable bird as well. I get the appeal to seeing them fly. It's the same excitement we feel when we see something like an F40 for the first time...but is seeing a crashed F40 cool? No. Eventually....we'll be down to single digits on some airframes and what then? Accept the fact there are now fewer for museums? Same with some rare cars I suppose.

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[Setec Astronomy]

Also, feel free to DM about subs anytime. Did you serve on boats or just a nerd like me who may or may not have got married on one?

Nah, I just know what AIP stands for. But I've been on the Pampanito a couple times.

[Setec Astronomy]

I should mention I get in this debate with my military history friends every single time an accident happens where we not only lose irreplaceable people, but an irreplaceable bird as well. I get the appeal to seeing them fly. It's the same excitement we feel when we see something like an F40 for the first time...but is seeing a crashed F40 cool? No. Eventually....we'll be down to single digits on some airframes and what then? Accept the fact there are now fewer for museums? Same with some rare cars I suppose.

I gather you are thinking about the P-51/B-17 crash a year ago, I thought the same thing, does the appeal/benefit of flying them outweigh the historical value of intact airframes. I think about that when I see period movies where they crash the cars, and if someday there won't be any (insert vintage car model) left to use in movies...of course, there is always CGI. (before people lay into me, yes I know when they crash a 442 in a movie, they aren't using the real 442, they're using some rusted out Cutlass that they slapped some Bondo on painted to look like the hero's car, and yes I just made all that up, so don't ask me what movie)

[Desertnate]

Yeah, Jay Leno is really a crazy man with some of that stuff, like that Stanley Steamer he rebuilt, and is he the one that got hold of that mid-60's Chrysler with the turbine engine? Anyway, I remember him having a whole shop full of machinists and engineers to make parts for that Stanley (if I'm remembering that right).

I think you're right on both accounts. I know he's got the Stanley, and I seem to remember reading about the turbine Chrysler at some place. He's got some crazy other cars too like one from the 20's with an aircraft engine up front.

I also heard Jay on one of his shows talk about hiring the steam mechanic who works on the Stanley to keep it running. It was some young guy at a trade school in the mid-west and I think he was learning how to restore steam locomotives. Jay somehow met him and offered him a job. The guy is now one of the only automotive steam mechanics in the entire US.

[Azure]

My problem is when people buy a rare car that is pristine and low miles and just completely booch it up with mods (slam it with d-bag air setups, gut and cut things, wide body it etc). I'm certainly fine with removing your basic bolt-on stuff, but keep that so you can reassembly when you done with it. I think driving them is great, it's what they're meant to do. Given that our gas powered cars will be extinct someday, it'd be nice if we could keep them going for years to come. In my case, I was planning to buy a low mile 2003 sonic blue terminator cobra. I knew it would be expensive and didn't care. When I started looking, they were all beaten and super sloppy from the many mods they had over the years or were far from stock modded and over powered. I just gave up and decided to save up for a new Mustang. The super high prices on them are making me wait longer, but hopefully I get there before Ford decides to stop selling V8 Mustangs. It's possible I may even go for some other new sporty car, but we'll see.

So basically, don't kill them if they are something that is rare. If it's a 1970 LS6 454 Chevelle with super low miles, be careful where and when you drive it, but drive it. Don't mod the suspension so you can put those 28" douche wheels on it.