<VV> "trailer queens" vs. drivers

[Dave Keillor]

Personally, I like the "trailer queens" a lot.  My wife and I belong to
National Nostalgic Nova (we have a '73 Nova to keep the Corvairs
company) and really enjoy looking at the Yenko Deuce trailer queens and
taking to their owners.  Ditto for trailer queens of any make.

We also like "survivors".  A few years back we visited a car museum
located in Borton-on-the-Water (England).  The museum was filled with
nothing but survivors -- cars, automobilia, caravans, etc.  We spent
hours looking at all the stuff the owner had collected over the years.
Nothing was restored; everything was as it was "back in the day".

Along the same lines, when I was in high school (I graduated in '57), I
had to make frequent junk yard runs looking for parts for my '39 Chevy
(tires were only $1 at the junk yard).  I would sometimes spend hours
wandering around the yard, looking at the junked cars and wondering what
kind of stories they could tell.

Today, we have three Corvairs.  The '69 was purchased new and needs
paint.  It only has 25K miles and could have been a survivor had it not
been rear-ending a couple of months after it was delivered and majorly
rebuilt.  The '66 convertible got paint and upholstery back in 1988 when
I bought it.  At that time it had 28K miles and was quite original right
down to its many door dings and yellowed white upholstery.  The '65
coupe that I bought my wife used on 1966 is getting a high-bucks
restomodding, but it will be driver, not a "trailer queen".

There are two reasons that trailer queens are not for me.  One, I'd
rather spend the money that a hauler rig would cost on cool cars.  Two,
I like to drive my cars -- but I also like the old cars I drive to look
very, very nice.

YMMV, but to me it's all good.

Dave Keillor