I was reading the thread by Sir Woosh 'Anybody have a ride that can't be bought' and the 'we are only caretakers' comment came up a few times. I though this might merit a fresh post and yes, I know this subject has been discussed before, but it has reared it's head again so might be time for a revisit. I do not necessarily agree that the 'we are just caretakers' argument holds water in every case. If you pour your heart and soul into a car and build it or rebuild it the way you want, then surely it is yours. Think of something like the Pierson Bros coupe or the Doane Spencer roadster or any other number of famous cars - since they are still known by the name of the originator aren't they still 'theirs'? And to complicate it even further, how about say for example the Hirohata merc - not built by Bob Hirohata but built for him. Isn't that always spiritually 'his'? What do you think about 'ownership' remaining with the original creator?
Ya know when I made the comment "Everything has it's price" I was thinking more of what situation your life is in and just how much would a crazy offer of money help you out. I have an ungodly amout of hours in my current Cadillac build but with a recent layoff and the threat of my wife getting laid off, I wouldn't think twice to sell the car and save the house. I know everyone serious about their ride will put their heart and soul in their car but we are still just dealing with material objects. If your child had a heart condition and the only way you could finance the operation would be to sell Grandpa's Model A would you do it then? Sure you would. To sit back and say "I'd never sell for any amount " is laughable. At some point in time your car will trade hands. It may be long after you're gone but again it's just a material object.
Weasel, I may be miss-interpeting you words here, but "The big Olds" is a perfect example. Maybe I have been around longer than some, but I will always think of that as Steve's car, and Denise is the care taker. She has to be one of the best care takers on the planet, and she finished what was started in a fine way. My cars are not famous, but I like to think they are not sold, they are adopted by other families for a fee.
Having a car with "History" is the one thing that puts you in the "Caretaker" catagory IMO. "Alley Oop" the Lyndwood rail I'm restoring will forever be The Danbury Modifiers rail, its history is known from 1959-1962, nothing I can do will ever change it. I have had other cars with "History" and when the funds were low sold them. They may never get the restoration I would have given them, but that is out of my controll.
You are just the caretaker, whether you built it or bought it, no matter what. The history of a vehicle doesn't mean a thing, or change the status of the ownership. Unless you die in an accident where you were driving that car (the ultimate "Taking it with you"), then you are just a caretaker. You sell it, someone else owns it. You die, someone else owns it. You trade it, someone else owns it. Point is, you can't take it with you, period. An "owner" of anything is just a caretaker, unless that object is destroyed in their possession. Damn right, I'd sell anything I had if it meant saving the life of a family member, or keeping a roof over my head or food on the table. Anyone that says differently (I'd never sell at any price!") probably has not thought about that possibility.
I just hope whatever happens, these pieces don't ever get wiped off of the face of the earth completely...And if the planet does get destroyed I hope some aliens are good enough to "ZAP" all of the good cars outta here to keep em' in some giant space museum in the sky..... Like an interplanetary hot wheels collection....
Depending on cir***stances and opportunities, everything is for sale. My brother sold my, April 1963 date stamped mustang badged under-dash A/C for me while I was on Wespac one time and I didnt even know till I got back. I introduced him to Jesus that day.
I don't know why this theory of being a "caretaker" bothers me so much, but it just does. Doesn't the very nature of the word imply that you are under some kind of obligation to maintain YOUR car for somebody else's desires? Just who are these people we're supposed to be "caretaking" it for? The previous owner who had his fun with "his" car, got tired of it and moved onto the next project (or maybe had a financial reverse, got sick or died) ? A bunch of old guys like me that remember the car from back in the day and want to recapture their misspent youth? Some young guy who is heavily into tuner cars who could care less about my car? Or maybe some long gone gods of hot rodding up on Mt Olympus somewhere? I think I'm really sensitive to the idea as I'm putting a SBF into an Austi-Healey. I'm used to the concours people telling me how I'm desecrating a cl***ic car. I've been a national concours judge myself and really respect the people that go to all the effort to make their cars "right". But they chose that path for themselves. They made 50,000 of these cars, I'm sure there will be enough original ones to fill up the museums of the future without worrying about mine. I'm still pretty new to the HAMB and really enjoy reading about the cars I've loved since I was a kid. But what really surprises me are the number of "hot rod police" pointing out the "non-traditional" aspects to someone else's build and then turning around and talking about the cupholders they've installed in their rod. I just don't get how hot rodders, who supposedly thrive on being indiviuals. can get so wound up on trying to dictate what someone else should do with their ride. Put me firmly in the "It's your car, do what you want." category.
All this is nice to ponder, but who would want the wierd **** I build? I build cars to get my rocks off and I don't care much what others think. Hard to think there's another sicko like me out there. When I finally drop dead, I'm hoping someone can enjoy my creations, and not just crush them for being ancient polluting machines.
I was one who also made the "caretaker " comment on that thread..I stand by that fact. The car you built, restored,purchased, or stole is your till your done with it..That applies to the house ya live in, or the garage you work out of..or the tools you use.. Their your while your "here",after that ,there someone elses to be either a "caretaker" of or someone elses problem to dispose of. Yes,Henry Ford has a lot of "caretakers" I'm the "caretaker' to this car in my avitar<<<<<< Found in pieces in several different locations over a 10 yr period..before me,it was just a piece of an old tossed away race car.. My job as the 'caretaker' was to figure out who, what,and where. that we did.. AND if i NEVER restore it,I still have saved it from being s****ped or worse,turned into a bracket car ,where the HISTORY would be lost.. That makes us CARETAKERS.. Thanks patrick66,you "get it". Rick =====================================================
You can't take it with you when you go! That being said you can build it, restore, or whatever and make it yours, it might even have your name attached to it long after you are gone. Take comfort in the fact that you saved another piece of history for those that are here after us to see, like many have done for us. At the end of the day, it comes down to verbage "caretakers" or "it's mine". It really doesn't matter what we call it. I guess it can be "yours" if you are buried in it, however, that would be VERY "SELFISH". I'm sure not everyone will agree after all, it is just an opinion.
If you are the one who built it from however the factory delivered it, or had the vision to have it built to your specs, it does then become a statement of who you are. I see a "caretaker" as someone who through honor or fame, determines it best to preserve someone elses vision. Where I get twisted up is when a car is built by one guy, and is then acquired by someone of 'stature', and with little to no change, the car gets famous because of the ***ociation with 'stature", with the original builder all but losing all credit. I will take a historic case in point, not to tick off anyone, but trust me I could give you a number of examples: Most will know that Ricky Nelson drove on the Ozzy and Harriot Show a channeled '32 roadster. Many will call it the Tony La Masa roadster. Tony was an LA Roadster member and very prominent guy in the hobby. The issue is that the car was built by Ray Fillipe, and was a feature car in Hop Up. Why do you ever rarely hear Ray getting at least some credit? In either case, it is a fantasic car, no mater what name. I think it is now owned by Ross Myers, who I would define as the "caretaker". When the car was listed in the Top 75 '32 Ford List, how do you think it was defined? Jay
BTW, I'm think we are "caretakers" as well. Even though I did most all the work and spent all the money!
For the people missing the point; As long as you don't kill the car, it will outlive you, Making you the caretaker.
I would hate to be the next person on this planet that owns and drives Big Olds around. Perect example, JohnJoyo from the Austin Speed Shop takes Big Olds from me the Sunday after the HAMB Drags two years ago. I'm in a roadster about one hour into my trip heading back to Detroit when my cell phone rings. It's a phone call asking me if everything was alright as Big Olds was spotted at a fuel stop in Oklahoma with a big dude fueling him up. The caller thought perhaps Big Olds was stolen. The next "caretaker" will certainly get tired of peeps asking if that's Denise's Big Olds. Thanks so much for the kudos bud, much appreciated. While I would have certainly agreed with you the first 3 or 4 years of my caretakership, but as the years p***, and Big Olds gets more and more press coverage in his current state, the amount of peeps that approach me at car events and ask if that's Steve's old car has dwindled to just about none. What I get more now is folks commenting on how far I've brought the car along and they remember seeing me drive him around with black primer, no windows and no top. Steve would be the first to tell anyone that Big Olds did not turn out as he had envisioned, but as I did, after just a few short years of ownership. I have original artist renderings of what Steve envisioned The Big Olds would look like and they are nothing close to how I finished him. Where Steve and my visions overlapped was in the fact that we both knew Big Olds needed to be driven and driven long and hard. Something Steve told me he'd probably never end up doing but he felt after chatting with me for a couple of months via email and phone (before he sold me the car) that I would actually do. It is a shame that he isn't here to enjoy the outcome of what he started and that the magazine isn't around to capture the final chapter in the build. There's only a few issues of RD that actually tie our two seperate build sections together. I try to spread the word but in the long run Big Olds has gotten more media coverage in it's current state then in his R&D build state and I'm afraid that's how he's going to be remembered in the future. It will be interesting to see this summer how many, if any, peeps come up to me at the California shows I'm taking Big Olds to for the first time and ask if he's the Project Big Olds from R&D. Over the years I found that I was asked that more at new events I had never taken Big Olds too. Not sure if the old timers that read R&D, and are not on the HAMB, would put two and two together. Time will tell. I do miss Steve.
Maybe it's an "age thing"..Many of us have more miles behind us that we do ahead.. If (stuff) is important to you and your life.."you are the caretaker". Have fun.play safe. Rick ==============================================
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