Posted by Brian in Oregon on Sunday, June 09, 2002 at 3:35PM :
In Reply to: Re: Build em or eventually lose em posted by clayton on Sunday, June 09, 2002 at 2:40AM :
Why then did the majority of our elders sooner or later sell their obsolete vehicles and buy more modern ones? I see old folks driving 2002 Dodge 3500's. Why did they get rid of their old Power Wagons? Why didn't they buy a restored PW? That would have been cheaper than a new 3500.
It's simple. They wanted a vehicle that can cruise down the highway and keep up with traffic, safely stop, etc.
So why can our elders do this, yet it is "disrespectful" for us to modernize the vehicles our elders formerly drove?
I see no disrespect here (though maybe dropping a PW body on a Chevy chassis may be an exception).
Don't forget that some Dodge trucks of the 1950's were offered with V-8's. I can't help but feel that if a V-8 was offered for the flatfender that some of our elders would have jumped on that bandwagon in a heartbeat. I wonder how many elders opted for the V-8 equipped trucks over the flatfender simply because the flatfender did not have that option? Further, if disc brakes had been offered on the flatfender, would our elders have bought them? What would have happened in 1968 if Dodge had put on disc brakes and dropped in a 318LA in the flatfender? Would it have given it a lifespan extending into another decade?
Frankly, I think our restoring these old trucks, regardless of whether they are totally brought back to original standards or are modernized, is nothing short of HONORING our elders.
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