Customs My Cadillac surfaces after 25 years, the new owner claims he built it.

A couple days ago on my "social media" feed, a photo of my '56 Cadillac convert popped up, taken a year ago. I haven't seen, or heard anything of, the car since I sold it, so I was happy to see it and posted the photo myself. An acquaintance immediately piped in, saying a buddy of his owns the car, not 10 miles from me, and that HE built the car. The proceeded to tell me specific details as to why the car couldn't possibly be the chopped '56 Cadillac convert, wearing the same Candy Black Cherry that I shot 30 years ago because it has whitewall tires, wire wheels, and a leather interior. He was adamant that his friend and the guys son built it, and the I must surely be confused and am confusing the car with mine.
As a guy who likes to get facts straight, I corrected him, and countered all the things that he felt assured his buddy is the builder, and gave him some specifics that only I would know. A few minutes later, he contacts me saying he double checked with his friend, and on questioning him, I'm right. The guy bought it "As-Is", added the awful looking tires to the Tru-Spokes the guy I sold it to put on it, changed the interior (the guy I sold it to put grey tweed in it. Ugh) and painted the goofy looking stripe on the side to "fix" a scratch I put in the candy just before I decided to sell it.
A small victory, but I feel better now. It almost makes up for the idiot who asked if the roadster is a "real" car.
Grumpy old man rant over...
The last photo is how it looked when we had it.

 

At least the car didn't get screwed up too terribly. There is a thread on here somewhere about current owner changes and some were pretty horrific.

-Abone.

 

Getting kind of crotchety aren't you Brian!

 

I like the last picture a whole lot better !
Those wires and wide whites did nothing for it .

Tommy

 

I hate it when people take credit for the work others have done. Good for you, setting the record straight.

 

You did a great job,Flying!!!

 

It happens a lot.

Years ago when I worked for a Hot Rod Shop, I did a lot of metalwork on a Track T Roadster.
Which then got a " best homebuilt" reward at a Goodguys show.

I thought it was funny...
( and pathetic, as well.)

 

I gave Brian a photo of that setup I took, a few years ago. The Kimmy-Sue if I remember right

 

Heavy D Sparks (has a TV show), bought a custom motorhome in Washington state. During the video of the motorhome they mention that it was built by a retired Boeing engineer. However, I recognized the motorhome and it was built from a wrecked motorhome by a good buddy of mine who ran a heavy duty truck body shop in Portland, OR. It was the first of two motorhomes he built. I sent a message to the guy to set him straight, but never heard back.

 

It looked a hell of a lot better when you had it, Brian!

 

I seen this happen on a certain HW Legends tour where the cars are supposed to be Owner built, ....so changing the wheels and adding graphics makes you the builder?
Anyhow it has survived and at least someone loves it still.

Most of my cars, I say "I got it that way and made these changes" or just I just maintain it as is.

 

I have become a grumpy old man! In my defense, I don't like people taking credit for my work, I think most would share that feeling.

 

Yup, that was me. Making a spectacle of myself.

 

Agreed.

 

Brian we are all grumpy old men as we don't have the time for bullshit anymore. It just comes out in different ways.

 

That's so.

 

Aside from a current owner taking credit it ignores the history that each car has. No doubt it is pretty frustrating to have someone take claim to what they only bought. For many the story can be the interesting part. I try to know the history of my rides and preserve that as part of the legacy.

 

Alway’s leave a signature/signatures just because…

 

Same thing kinda/sorta happened to your '36, didn't it Brian? New owner adding gee-gaws just to "make it his own". Too bad, but they don't have to lie about it.

Your '36 was perfect when you sold it, and this Caddy is very nice in your guise as well. Hurts, but the sad truth is that it happens over, and over, and over...

The solution is for the new owner to present the car as "rebuilt" or "reworked" or "restyled" from the former owner's version - whatever term is appropriate - and to avoid taking credit for having "built" it. But some people's egos will not let them be honest in this respect...and there's nothing you can do about that, unfortunately.

 

Well, what’s the saying? Something about the best form of flattery? Can’t recall it.
But, I agree on the latest wheels.

 

That is something that never fails to happen when you buy a car, make a few minor changes or no changes and then claim that you "built" it.
I've got a buddy (Phil Lovejoy) who a lot of people in the pnw know who is one of the best at busting somone's ego when it comes to walking up on someone's old build that the new owner claims that they built. He did it with a loud "HEY THERE IS ______"S OLD CAR, it hasn't changed a bit since he sold it". At a show we were at once. A guy we knew had built the car driven it for a couple of years and sold it out of the area and it went through two or three owners before the then current owner bought it and decided to drive it about 600 miles to the show we were at where he then claimed that he built it. Talk about ego deflation.
I don't lke the gaudy stripes the guy put on it and think he could have chosen a color that was just a shade or so off the original color with maybe more discreet stripes.
The gangsta white walls just flat overpower the car, more discreet narrower white walls would look a lot better.

 

Had someone come up one time and say so you’ve got so and so’s old truck, and kept insisting it was. Which wasn’t the case, people can be weird.

 

People are so weird about stuff like this. That's annoying.

 

I'll never understand why people have to try to Bullshit other's about what they can or can't do! It just flat pisses me off when people take credit for another's blood, sweat, and tear's!

 

Some guy named Henry Ford built mine but he's dead so I'm claiming I built it.

 

Sure about that? Some brothers may disagree.

 

I hear ya! I am one. Your version is bitchin’! The new owner’s is “how to screw up a great car!”

 

Many years ago my cousin's husband built a 1929 ford roadster hot rod in our "club" garage. Several years later after the roadster had changed hands a few times. The latest owner was telling me how he built the car, so I proceeded to tell him and show him things about the roadster that he was not aware of. That shut him up.

 

I'm a pretty honest guy. I have no problem describing what the last owner did-blue fake lamb seat covers, Jeep rubber flares over the wheel wells, unfastened plastic boat gas tank in the trunk and a grey vinyl dash big enough to house a TV that was once installed=and what I have done since.