VCCA Home Forums GENERAL DISCUSSION General Discussions Top Line vs Plain Jane

Note: This here right here is my scrambled mind trying to make some sense out of something that bothers me. It is not worth your time to read it. It is a useless topic that will never be solved to my satisfaction. It is long and boring. That being said and your having been warned, do whatever you want to do. Just don't blame me if afterwards you feel let down.


I've been thinking about show cars recently and the dilemma facing a top of the line (TOPL) show car vs a Plain Jane (PJ) show cars owners. Read on:

Top of the line"

a. Can't be driven to shows owing to getting the engine and transmission dripping with oil. The gaskets all over the engine will not hold back hot oil, the new crankshaft real oil seal will start to seep before you even pass the first McDonalds, and the flywheel cover will drip enough oil to completely soak the bottom of the car before you can get up to 55.

b. You will nick the paint faster than you can roll down your window and ask "how much?" on a Saturday night.

c. You have to buy an enclosed trailer to the tune of 5-10K just to drag the "trailer queen" (TQ) to one show or another.

d. You can't go for a ride around town just to have fun and show the car off. You will be nervous and your dreaded prophecy will ultimately come true. Whether its a ding, chip, broken glass. scrape or wreck either your fault or some idiot running into you. Road debris and sand will play havoc with the car's paint and chrome.

e. 99% of the fun in having a show TOTL is denied you except at car shows.

Plain Janes:

a. You don't have to worry about riding around town to show them off. You wouldn't want to be seen in the stinkin' ugly thing in the first place.

b. There is the thrill of winning the trophy over of a much more beautiful TOTL car in your class. Justthe look on the face of a TOTL owner who just lost to your PJ is priceless to you.

c. You don't have to shell out any $ to buy accessories. No stinkin' accessories to risk points off. Not even for fender skirts on a 49-52 non TOTL. (Add a fulton and speaking of ugly)

d. You win so many trophies that you have to sleep on the floor in order to show off all of them.

e. At the show you get to dress up in your best clothes and sit in a nice lawn chair that costs more than your car is worth, whilst everybody ignores your displayed car. No one except the judges will be interested in looking at it. They will salivate. If passersby do say anything it's merely them wanting to say something nice without seeming offensive. When they say, "How nice." They are thinking: "What a plain jane? Did an another hermit or old school teacher die?"

Questions:

a. Is it fair to show a PJ that never sees the light of day on the same field as TOTLs?

b. Why does a PJ have any standing to compete with a TOTL?

c. Should grandma's old PJ even be considered for show?

d. Should there be a separate venue for TOTLs apart from the PJs?

As to trailered and driven to shows: Should TQs be able to compete with cars that are driven to shows? Should points be taken off for wear and tear owing to the miles driven? A newly painted exhaust manifold will start to burn off in about 5 miles or when the engines operating temperature is reached, whichever comes first. (About the same time as the rear seal starts to seep. Old saying, "There is no way to drive it and have it too

How is this: There should be an automatic 200 points deducted if the car is a PJ or less than TOTL. Oh, yes!

I'm waiting for it.

Charlie

Charlie... You make no mention of the middle of the line cars. Why be such a hater??!!

The way you describe it it seems to me TOPL belong in museums ,you go to see them they don't come to you! Just saying!

Charlie,
If you have a wife, It's time for her to limit your computer time. If you do not have a wife, It's easy to understand why. Please do some nice lady a favor and stay single.
My '41 Chevy has a later model engine, a 4 speed transmission and 20" rims. I would love the opportunity to display it next to yours sometime.

Mike

Moderator,

Owing to reflection by me and the apparent disregard of my opening warnings, by at least two of my readers, it appears that the instant thread is not in my best interest or that of the Club. Also, there are few things worth losing a friend over. This one of them.

Re Bruce: I don't hate anyone in the club.

Re Mike: Come August 1st, 2019, I will have been married to the same woman for 61 years. Whatever.

As the initial poster of this instant thread, I respectively request that it be locked.

Thanks and apologies to all,

Charlie

I have four TOTL show cars and every one gets driven to their shows, and even around town sometimes. . Some are 100% as original, others are modified. All can compete in Concourse class if some time is spent prior to shows.

To keep them TOTL:

I don't drive in the rain or through puddles.
I don't drive on dirt or muddy roads.
I don't drive them on freeways.
I don't follow other cars too closely.
I don't park them in general parking lots.
I clean up oil drips etc very regularly so they stay clean.
I make sure my gaskets don't leak,. or leak as little as possible.

They have all won First Place at least once, some have several times. Each get driven at least 400 miles per year, some get a bit over 1000 miles per year.

Why limit yourself to just TOTL or what you call PJ? (or I call occasional drivers) Sometimes they can be both.

Doug

Wow! I owned an Ontario Orange '72 Vette for about 6 years. It was a small block and I had the BFG Radial TA's plus it looks like the same luggage rack!

It was a nice car but not TOTL like Doug's.

Sometimes it just take bunch of TLC plus a couple $$.
Fortunately every part was original on the drivetrain when i bought teh car except the carb and starter were wrong numbers.
Doug

As bought:


After bit of elbow grease

I wouldnt mind a car that looked like that under the hood, a bit crowded to work on though.
Tony

Most here know I’m restoring a 32’ Olds deluxe convertible roadster. A fellow Antique Oldsmobile Club member who’ve I’ve become very good friends with is currently restoring a 32’ deluxe sport coupe. Both our cars will be driven but much like Doug does. I will admit, my cars first year, it will be more of a trailer queen as I plan on getting it to a few of the bigger shows including Hershey but after that it will be driven. The reason I mentioned my friend and his car is we’ve been restoring our cars together in time but 1200 miles apart and plan on showing them together. Our cars will be done completely back to OEM specs but look very different even though both are deluxe cars. Joe is restoring his car in very subtle two tone paint, black walls, and only the chrome that came standard. My car, will be done to the other end of the spectrum as most roadsters purchased in 32’ were usually purchased by affluent people who appreciated bling. My roadster will be all black, with natural varnish wheels, tan convertible roof w/saddle brown trim, and saddle brown leather interior. Along with all the standard chrome including the folding windshield frame, will be the accessory chrome available from the factory, hood doors, trim rings, and a very rare stone guard. My car will also have WW tires which was very common on the DCR models from Olds. So showing these cars side by side will be an example of 32’ Olds, top of the line and plain Jane models. My friend and I feel this should make a pretty neat display.

Since we're posting photos, I thought Charlie might like to see a picture of my '41 Plain Jane. As I mentioned in my earlier post, It has a later model engine, a 4 speed transmission and 20" rims.

Mike

Mike,

That right there is a great looking old truck. It must be fun to drive that one down the road. Get yourself a CB radio and drive on the interstate a few miles. The truckers out there will surely be commenting on it as they blow past you. I'd bet you'll get many a air-horn beeps as you go along.

Thanks for posting the picture. It trumps anything else posted on this thread.

Best,

Charlie

BTW: I hope the engine is a 235, 261 or a 292 and not a stinkin V8. So what is it?

Thanks, Charlie.
The engine is a 235. The engine was in it when I got the truck so I do not know it's origin.
This truck was a Fire Truck in its first life. It only has about 9000 miles on the chassis. It has been in storage for several years and is currently for sale.
I would love to see it restored as a farm truck. I have a nice set of original running boards for it.

Mike