Drive it or preserve it? Your thoughts on rare vehicle preservation.

My old Cadillac has 120,xxx miles and I’m super careful where and when I take it out. I treat it like I’m driving a $2 million car. It was my first car so it’s kinda irreplaceable to me. Just spent a boatload on it getting a new gas tank,tires,etc,etc on it. It’s amazing how sentimental value sways a car owner.
 
Setec Astronomy said:
I gather you are thinking about the P-51/B-17 crash a year ago, I thought the same thing, does the appeal/benefit of flying them outweigh the historical value of intact airframes. I think about that when I see period movies where they crash the cars, and if someday there won't be any (insert vintage car model) left to use in movies...of course, there is always CGI. (before people lay into me, yes I know when they crash a 442 in a movie, they aren't using the real 442, they're using some rusted out Cutlass that they slapped some Bondo on painted to look like the hero's car, and yes I just made all that up, so don't ask me what movie)
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P-63* That was the most recent one sadly there have been others over the years. Terrible, and so avoidable usually. Two B-17s in as many years I think. The benefit of CGI in movies is evident in Ford V. Ferrari and the likes. The new Ferrari movie looks to have many crashes. Imagine crashing a $15,000,000 vintage Ferrari race car for real? Talk about a high budget...

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PouncingPanzer said:
So basically, don't kill them if they are something that is rare. If it's a 1970 LS6 454 Chevelle with super low miles, be careful where and when you drive it, but drive it.
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This is my thought too. Whether it's an old fighter plane or a car, the rarer and harder to replace/maintain the more precious it should be treated. If there are only two in existence, by all means put it in a museum or well curated collection. Otherwise get it out once in a while to knock off the cobwebs and let it run. Also, be honest with yourself. Personal sentimentality is it's own animal (i.e. your first car, a car you built with your dad, etc). Otherwise realize your car which saw 100K models sold a year, sadly isn't really that rare or unusual. Just drive that thing as much as possible, take good care of it, and enjoy it to the fullest.

I think a lot of this discussion comes down to how you like to experience your machines. Sitting in the garage with a drink in your hand while your eyes roam across the sheetmetal, or behind the wheel and operating it for the pleasure of the experience. Neither is wrong.

If anyone finds themselves in the UK I highly recommend visiting the British Imperial War Museum at Duxford, UK just north of Cambridge. It is their national war museum dedicated to aerial warfare (the ground version is near London). Every plane there is flight worthy and they have a hanger where they are constantly restoring aircraft, some of them found on the bottom of the ocean. Depending on the day and the weather there is no telling what you might see in the air. I visited several times when lived in the area 20+ years ago and it was thrilling to see hear all manner of old war birds in the air. They even had a de Havilland Tiger Moth which flew multiple times a day several times a week doing orientation flights around the local area.
 
I say drive it like you stole it...I see too many of these exotics farting around too scared/timid with the throttle. I personally don't care if it's a Ferrari or classic Cuda. At the end of the day it's just a car.
Life's too short, enjoy it for what it is, a go fast machine that thrills....crank up the AC/DC and shoot the thrill :righton:
 
There's an Aviation Museum at Temora in country New South Wales, about 6 hours from where I live, they have flying days, they call them an Aircraft Showcase, a few times a year. I've been there a couple of times. Seen all sorts of things, Spitfires, my favourite, Sabres, the RAAF flew in an FA-18 to fly a display with it, A37 Dragonfly, Hudson's and Wirraways, and lots of others.

Temora Aviation Museum - Home of Australia’s Historic Ex-military Aircraft

I'm just glad they're flying them.

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The Air Force Museum here at Dayton is beyond incredible. It honestly makes the Smithsonian Air and Space look tiny and incomplete. The Smith has some rare one-ofs here and there and some oddball German birds but when it comes to a complete collection the AF Museum comes the closest. They even have a Kettering Bug, the worlds first Loitering Munition, technically. It is also free thanks to the AF. The centerpieces are the sole surviving XB-70, the B-36, the Memphis Belle, and the Boxcar. Touching the Boxcar was a tad surreal. They also have a section of a Space X Atlas rocket.
 
Ace22 said:
I say drive it like you stole it...I see too many of these exotics farting around too scared/timid with the throttle. I personally don't care if it's a Ferrari or classic Cuda. At the end of the day it's just a car.
Life's too short, enjoy it for what it is, a go fast machine that thrills....crank up the AC/DC and shoot the thrill :righton:
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I used to drive like that until I got a reckless op. Very selective now on when I go WOT. Isn't worth losing my license over.
 
I’m driving whatever I buy. Yeah it could be that crazy article in 20 years but I could get hit by a bus tomorrow. If I’m rich I’m making money other ways.

Now I wouldn’t go out and by the lafarrari with the lowest miles because I know that is a collectors car. I don’t want it sitting in a garage or loaned to a museum.

I would buy a nice solid example and drive the snot out of it.

I don’t really enjoy looking at cars…. I enjoy driving them.

I would however have one sick sports card collection I would have preserved.


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I'm the opposite and I'm also anal so I'm afraid I enjoy looking at cars more than driving them.

I say whatever makes you happy and to each his own.
 
Bill D said:
I'm the opposite and I'm also anal so I'm afraid I enjoy looking at cars more than driving them.

I say whatever makes you happy and to each his own.
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Agree, was just curious how the community here felt seems 50/50 so far probably in favor of drive it. I'm all for driving the collector but multiple things will be considers. Where? Weather? Time of day? Will I be away from it inside a movie theater for 2.5 hours? Is there construction nearby or on-route? All of those things.
 
I never even thought about the movie theater. One of the last times I was in one I noticed a Bentley owner was there too. He appeared to cautiously park his car but didn't seem overly worried about it. He also didn't seem worried about wearing a platinum Rolex in public either
 
Bill D said:
I never even thought about the movie theater. One of the last times I was in one I noticed a Bentley owner was there too. He appeared to cautiously park his car but didn't seem overly worried about it. He also didn't seem worried about wearing a platinum Rolex in public either

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Bentley flex.

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The Bentley was the Mulsanne in navy and the Rolex was the Day-Date with an ice blue dial. Classic
 
Boy, I haven't read that name in ages! I wonder how he's doing. Sure hope he's doing well
 
Bill D said:
I never even thought about the movie theater. One of the last times I was in one I noticed a Bentley owner was there too. He appeared to cautiously park his car but didn't seem overly worried about it. He also didn't seem worried about wearing a platinum Rolex in public either
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Good for him. I remember last year having to do a little last-minute Christmas shopping and passed a Ferrari 488 leaving an absolutely jammed parking lot at the mall. I was really impressed by the owner taking a car like that out on errands.

We can't let our possessions own us to the point we are afraid to use them, regardless of price/value.
 
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