Dirty cars

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afwrench
Posts: 412
Joined: Fri Jan 28, 2005 9:13 am
Location: upstate new york

Dirty cars

Post by afwrench »

Thanks Tom for bringing up a subject that is a sore spot for me.We do see more of the dirty car deals these days and to my mind it is nonsense.I am a nobody in the Classic/Ferrari car world so coming from me this sentiment is low value but from you a real player,with "cred" in the game, it means something.As if plain old dirt lends authenticity to a car.Waiting for the Ebay advert "real Italian mouse shit in the glovebox"! Happy motoring guys ,I'm on my way to the carwash. Mike
72,365gtc4,14681,2007 599 GTB
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Tom Wilson
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Re: Dirty cars

Post by Tom Wilson »

This California is a part of that big French sale that occurred earlier this year. The car was buried under a pile of magazines in a barn for a number of years, so I assume that was why it was displayed with two bales of magazines on the big dent in the trunk. At the show I asked a well known judge what was the difference between patina and neglect. He pointed to the black Lusso and said "that is patina" and then to the California and said "that is neglect".

As for the dirt, it comes from letting your car sit around and gather dust, not from loving use. A lot of the wear and tear on preservation cars comes from constant washing, not dirt accumulation. I have to admit though, that I get a kick out of cars that are transported from show to show and somehow manage to arrive with the dirt unsmudged and no hand or fingerprints. Griot's Garage must now be selling dirt in a spray can...
Tom Wilson - Series III 250 GTE, SN 4247 GT
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zac
Posts: 330
Joined: Tue Sep 10, 2002 1:01 pm
Location: San Diego North County

Re: Dirty cars

Post by zac »

More interestingly in regards to the California and it"s sister Maserati that was also in the "preservation" Class at Pebble is the fact that they come from France. Last time I checked it is illegal to bring soil of any kind from another state let alone another country into the state of California, can we test the dust to see if it's French or some facimile California dust.

My favorite thing in the vintage car world is seeinng original cars that show their age but also run and drive. Not washing the car or shoveling dirt on them does not equal original in my opinion. Hope the trend changes and the "dirty car" people dont ruin it for the rest of us

zac
1970 365 gt 2+2 13137, 1997 550 Maranello, 1969 Lamborghini Miura S, 1973 365 GTB/4 Daytona
linen grey ghost
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Re: Dirty cars

Post by linen grey ghost »

To all perhaps this will shed some light on the Pebble appearance > > >

http://www.autoblog.com/2015/02/09/ferr ... de-3335823
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tyang
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Re: Dirty cars

Post by tyang »

Hi Guys,

The Cal Spyder was used just as an example of a dirty car, but I know specifically of a dirty car being sold at auction that was not as original as it would seem. People are being fooled into buying into the dirt, and I'm getting tired of seeing it. I also know of shops that are "Patinizing" (if that's a word) cars to look like preservation cars. Hey, if they do it on the antique business and there's big money to be made fooling the uninitiated, then why not in the automotive world? Just keep them away from me!

Tom
'63 330 America #5053
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sam231
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Re: Dirty cars

Post by sam231 »

I agree with Mike. They should have at least washed the car. Leaving it "as found" on a body in decent condition like that does nothing for me. However, I did like the rusted Bugatti recovered from a lake that sold a few years ago. Glad the buyer exhibits it without any embellishment.

A couple of years ago Tom and I got my car ready for the FCA judging at the Road America National meet. We washed and waxed (although I did tell Tom It might be fun to leave the car alone, bug bodies and all), cleaned the windows, and vacuumed out the interior. We left the rock chips, scratches, seat wrinkles, and faded chrome pieces intact, storing the pile extra parts, cleaning stuff, gallon of coolant, quart of oil, rags etc. from the trunk under the car. I did not buff the tool kit nor wipe off the tools. After all, we had just driven the car 1200 miles to get there. The guy next to us had hired a concours "fluffer" for his 456 who went around telling him and his son where to wipe the cotton swabs and what direction they should buff the paint and how to brighten the rubber gaskets. He won platinum, we won gold (even with my painted bumpers). Either the judges were sympathetic, or they realized that my car reflected a vintage vehicle that was sympathetically maintained and used as it should be. I prefer to think the latter.
'72 365 GTC/4 # 14953; ex-owner 330 GT 2+2 # 8025 :>(
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