Posted by Oscar Schultz on Friday, June 07, 2002 at 7:57PM :
In Reply to: Build em or eventually lose em posted by RDavis on Friday, June 07, 2002 at 11:22AM :
I'll disagree.
If you want to preserve the past you stay in the past.
As soon as you replace anything such as your points/condenser with a electronic module you have a better system but you also lose the original function and behavior of the truck.
Upgrading/modifing requires a decision to change what needs to be changed and at the appropriate time.
Preserving the past requires a full and concious decision to remain in the past.
If you want a museum piece - build it and donate to a museum so everyone can enjoy it 50 to 200 years from now.
If you are going to upgrade or modify only you can decide how far is appropiate for you to go. A little or a lot? both are valuable.
I plan to upgrade a lot of little things on my truck. I'll move the gas tank, upgrade the electronics, wiring, lights. The running gear will probably be fully upgraded (dana60&70, radial tires, disc brakes and on and on.
My #1 concern will be to improve safety
#2 reliabilaty
#3 maintainability
I have a \6 and live in a small town far from an Interstate. If I move into the big city the \6 will go. Going too slow is dangerous, just as having brakes that are weak are dangerous.
If you are going to use the truck regularly you should consider upgrades. These are great trucks but if they become traffic hazards they will be removed from the roads.
Keeping the faith with the past is great idea but there are limits.
A hopped up flathead is great fun - it's still a mod. A truck is a system - if you make it go faster, make sure it can stop in the same OR LESS distance.Even with more speed the stopping distance should be the same.
One other item to consider is liability. Once you mod a vehicle - you are responsible. If you sell or pass the vehicle on you remain responsible for the mods and the safety of the users of the truck. Example - If you upgrade the master cylinder to use hanging pedals you must upgrade the master cylinder mount point with thicker medal and bracing to handle the stress of the mod. Having the brakes fail because the master cylinder mount point fails (the metal can tear) will ruin lots of folks day. You can also be sued for the failure of the brakes - you designed the braking system after all.
Eventually all these great trucks will be parked for one reason or another.
Use them and enjoy them and the great folks you meet while you're having fun, but have fun. Use them where and when it is appropiate. If the truck is 100% original it may not be a great idea to try driving on an interstate during rush hour. 45/50 may be legal but it is dumb if everyone else is running 75/80. Someone will rearend you for sure. If you have to get to work and there is 20 ins of snow the PW is a lot better than a vette.Just as a vette will never be a PW a PW will never be a vette. We each have to decide what is appropriate for our wants and needs.
have a great day
oscar
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