Wow,........this is the most.......

[sarge]

Mike Mercury hasn't aged a day in fifty odd years!

[sarge]

Rex, couldn't disagree more.

If I could afford one I wouldn't own a Ferrari and not drive it, let alone race it. I most certainly would not own a good car merely for you or anyone else to look at whilst telling me I can't enjoy it in case I should stuff it and you don't get to look at it anymore.

A good car is to be driven, not merely to be looked at in the manner of a piece of male costume jewelry. They are machines. You wanna collect something just to look at, collect art (art by definition must have no function other than to exist).

[2railjon]

.

[rex desilets]

Rex, couldn't disagree more.

If I could afford one I wouldn't own a Ferrari and not drive it, let alone race it. I most certainly would not own a good car merely for you or anyone else to look at whilst telling me I can't enjoy it in case I should stuff it and you don't get to look at it anymore.

A good car is to be driven, not merely to be looked at in the manner of a piece of male costume jewelry. They are machines. You wanna collect something just to look at, collect art (art by definition must have no function other than to exist).

Oh, I agree. It's the racing part that cheeses me.

[sarge]

Vintage racing is legitimate, proper; with a sanctioning body (SVRA) and series on the great tracks of America. Europe has similar, also including a retired FIA drivers series.

Same logic apples to me, why own a vintage racer (or be a "vintage" racer yourself) and not race the dam thing? Its what they were built for.

If I was physically sound, I'd be there in a heartbeat. As it is, I still practice my lines in a subtly prep'ed Midget (I'll never drive another race, but I enjoy the back-roads practice and staying a little honed, anyway) and am currently sorting a Spit for the same purpose. I get a great lift from getting out for a practice run; two old crocks, the car and driver, both survivors beyond their time and still able to come together as one.

Oh, I can well understand why people go vintage racing and rallying.

I'm sincerely and non-pejoratively curious. Why does that cheese you?

[De Bruin]

All very interesting, one question.
Is it true Martin Landau quit "Mission Impossible" only after Lew Grade cast him as Mike Mercury?

(Thanks Dan, now I have that theme song going through my head.)

Supah-Caahhhhhh

[rex desilets]

Vintage racing is legitimate, proper; with a sanctioning body (SVRA) and series on the great tracks of America. Europe has similar, also including a retired FIA drivers series.

Same logic apples to me, why own a vintage racer (or be a "vintage" racer yourself) and not race the dam thing? Its what they were built for.

If I was physically sound, I'd be there in a heartbeat. As it is, I still practice my lines in a subtly prep'ed Midget (I'll never drive another race, but I enjoy the back-roads practice and staying a little honed, anyway) and am currently sorting a Spit for the same purpose. I get a great lift from getting out for a practice run; two old crocks, the car and driver, both survivors beyond their time and still able to come together as one.

Oh, I can well understand why people go vintage racing and rallying.

I'm sincerely and non-pejoratively curious. Why does that cheese you?

The cars are irreplaceable. Imagine if you will, having the money to buy, say, a 1969 LeMans GT40. Are you a FIA-certified driver? If not, what are the chances that you will destroy the car?
Running in a rally, on the other hand, might be less possibly destructive. I reserve judgement.
Anyway, if I had a suitably prepared Midget, and what's left of my sadly deteriorated skills, I'd likely go out and hone my paltry remaining skills. There are some great back roads here in California.

[sarge]

OK, I'm still missing your point.

They are no more irreplaceable than that Midget; no-one makes new ones and if you stuff one, there then is one less than there was. So what!

Now, if a car has a historical cachet, a winning LeMans car, Hunt's McLaren, those are arguably museum pieces because of the history. On the other hand, just because a car is sixty years old and has a badge with a horse on it doesn't mean it should be washed in real champagne and buffed with white kittens.

The reality is I will never own a car I'd be afraid to drive (or race if the car was designed for racing). If someone wants to race an old Ferrari, I'll be glad to have the opportunity to see and hear it one more time at full chat whilst being driven in anger. Otherwise its just a thing, a corpse.

I'm glad the steam preservation people don't think like that.

BTW, if you used to race or rallye, I really recommend you get a Midge or a Spit then. Cheap and cheerful; You won't regret it and you'll be surprised at how much you remember, and how much you missed a car that actually engages your senses rather than isolates them.

[E7]

One thing for certain: They will all go away sooner or later, so do whatever is your preference!

Rich
On the "Road & Track" Forum

[rex desilets]

Wrote a brilliant and pithy reply, that disappeared. Oh, well

[Rufus T. Firefly]

......... collect art (art by definition must have no function other than to exist).

I prefer a more modern definition: Art Is Anything You Can Get Away With…

The cars are irreplaceable.

There are graveyards full of irreplaceable people and the world continues on; loss of a mere car counts for less yet.

Right now I can barely drive a car to the library and home w/o it being a serious stretch of will. I see little point in my buying a car that I lack the skills to appreciate now. I'm probably best suited to driving about on my 54 Model-F Cub tractor after I put a cushion on the seat.

[ScaleCraft]

I have been driving this 1964 Jag MK2, RHD with Brit spec 2.4L for 10 years this month...as a daily driver (taking the 1950 Ford Tudor out every other weekend and the 1950 Ford F-1 sometimes).

[2railjon]

Awesome! We now have a car and tractor thread!
Hey and Pete would have enjoyed this!

[2railjon]

.

[E7]

I prefer a more modern definition: Art Is Anything You Can Get Away With…

Who do you think you are........Andy Warhol?????