| Re: Creating a Poll for the first time - be gentle! [message #215217 is a reply to message #215159] |
Sun, 21 July 2013 12:48  |
Joe Weir
Messages: 769
Registered: February 2013
Location: Columbia, SC
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I have seen this argument in other enthusiast groups.
While some things were arguably built better 40 years ago (or more precisely parts were designed & built to be fixed, as opposed to replaced and trashed), technological advances in automobile design have occurred.
The only way to preserve something is not to use it. Seems that is the antithesis to what the GMC was about.
While your father's GMC had many safe and worry-free miles in 1977, it shared the road back then with vehicles which accelerated and stopped with much the same tempo. Horsepower, acceleration, and more importantly, deceleration is not what it was in 77. Even the lowliest econobox these days can post 0-60 times that would have been impressive in the malaise era. Modern cars are more maneuverable, and more importantly, many of their drivers are Dale Earnhardt wannabes, living out walter mitty style fantasies on the beltway, drafting and weaving at rush hour. If you are going to use your GMC, perhaps a better braking system would be beneficial.
Nothing that is used lasts forever without repair and replacement.
What is really curious is that I have observed that it is not the original coaches that bring big money, but those that have been completely renovated. I submit that the unrestored, unmolested coach is far more likely to be sold to someone who will use it to death.
I have seen a few coaches for sale around here that were "loved" by their owners and have had more than a few dollars invested, and the asking price reflects it. However, whatever renovations that had been done were thoroughly enjoyed by the owners and the coaches were in need of another restoration.
The current glut of coaches, if you can call it that, has more to do with the demographics of the market and the residual effects of the economic bubble.
There is no financial reward in restoring an old car. It is done for the love of the experience. Without that irrational commitment, we would not have the army of vintage vehicles that exist today. That said, some are good examples to be restored to original. Some are better off modified.
My coach was too far modified to bring it back to original (some here, I suspect, would have torched it at first sight, lest the demons that infested it escape...lol), so I have no guilt in modifying it. However there were many features of the Birchaven layout that were good ideas. I want to bring the interior up to date with modern conveniences and fix any quirks in the execution of the design that 36 years of use have shown to need improvement.
I think we need to appreciate both sides for what they contribute.
76 Birchaven - "Wicked Mistress" - New engine, trans, alum radiator, brakes, Sully airbags, fuel lines, seats, adult beverage center... those Coachmen guys were really thinking about us second hand owners by including that beverage center...
Columbia, SC.
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