Survivor Car Series certification

[MichaelB.]

Hey Gents.

I met up with a few forum members at the Survivor Car show series in Chicago burbs today www.survivorcollectorcar.com. I had the pleasure of finally meeting our friends John & Mark in an environment that we all seemed to take quite well to. In short we meet up at a showcar event that focuses on originality of any particular automobile (import or domestic). The series directors bring in "specialist" to try & document exterior, interior, engine bay & undercarriage as original per factory spec. The key is not to remove the originality by restoring a car, but to keep the car as close to original as possible by lovingly maintaining it throughout its lifespan. According to the event staff all of the 75 cars entered (and there was a additional 75 car waiting list) had at least one staff member or two that was familiar with each breed - and of course all were experts in paint, interior, materials used - etc., to document its provenance.

The field of entrants was impressive. From Elva, to Pierce Arrow, 113 SL, Plymouth Superbird, Shelby Mustang, Packard, Corvette, Porsche, Alfa, the list is long & distinguished. Everyone was chasing after the coveted Zzenith award (proven to be over 90% originality) but there were also awards for less as well (to as little as 50% originality). I of course was looking for the top award with my 1966 230.

After a big rain storm in the morning the judging started. It was tedious but gave me lots of time to talk with my new friends. Then the first judge team (team of 3 judges) got to my car. They were complementary and told me that I had qualified for the Zzenith but had one last hurdle to jump - later. A few hours past then the full consortium (25 judges?) came over to judge (again) the 16 cars (out of the 75 total) that had qualified for the Zzenith. They looked at each car for twenty or more minutes and then the team went on to the next one. It was enough to put you on the edge of your seat. Watching them judge your own car was nerve-racking - but somehow (with my Son & pals) I got through it.

In the end several deserving entrants got the top Zzenith certification - Including my 113 and John's Porsche pals '64 356 coupe. I was not sure how educated the judges were going to be on the 230SL but it seems as if they knew more than I had hoped they did.

Good event, and good people. Here are some quick photos:

[MichaelB.]

More

[Richard Madison]

Michael, Congrats on the Survivor Certificate.

The Original and Restored debate will be with us as long as there are old cars.

When at a local car show,  if a W113 owned by a good friend shows up at the show, I immediately put a "Do Not Judge" sign on my car. The friend's Pagoda was lovingly restored while my driver is clean but mostly original.  Ole' Beige cannot best a just about fully restored car.

If the judging includes a category for Drivers, Unrestored, or Original then Ole' Beige steps up and she has won several trophies.

The owner of an older car does not always have a choice about restoration or originality as many of these cars have been "worked on" over the years and are beyond originality...others for safety or appearance sake, must be restored. The Snow Belt and coastal ocean salt is not kind to older cars. I'm sure that very few of the cars in attendance at this website are "Original".

An "Original" car was at the recent Bedford NY event. It was a Beige Grey brought to the US by the owner's grandmother and virtually nothing has been done to the car except routine rubber hose and tire replacement...but the car showed its age in a few rough places.

Another issue with being "Original" is the way the category is defined. What change or maintenance takes car out of the "Original" category...a re-paint, modern tires, safety additions?

And finally, as Michael mentions, at most shows it's not easy to find judges that know how a somewhat uncommon car (Pagoda) looked coming out of the factory....and if you do find a knowledgeable judge, there may be some controversy about what is acceptable on an "Original" car... coco mats, wood Nardi wheel, and more.

Original cars can be a very valuable resource to let others know how these cars looked and how a restored car should look. I hope original cars will always be with us.

Good going, Michael...nice to know survivors are out there.

Richard M. NYC

[thelews]

Yes, it was a pleasure to meet Michael and his son and see his BEAUUUUUUUTIFUL 230 SL.  I'm telling you guys, this car is breathtaking in its originality.  In looking over the car with Michael, I'm still in disbelief that it may still even have its original HOSES!  Every original hose clamp is there, the rear trunk seal has the date stamped under the lip, the paint, interior, wood, chrome and rubber are all original.  The inspection marks are still on the front shocks, you mean this car still has its original shocks?  It's really a special car, and good looking too.  My car, while I think it's special and highly correct because of its incredible history, meticulous maintenance and documentation, does not have near the originality of Michael's car.  And, Michael drove it over 100 miles each way to the show.

An excellent show, well organized, fun to meet Keith Martin from Sports Car Market magazine and What's my Car Worth TV show, nice fellow.  Some other wonderful cars to look at too, again, all spectacular in their originality, you'd swear some had been restored, they looked showroom new!

The originality restoration debate, I believe is becoming more settled as time moves on.  Yes, some cars cannot be left original due to condition or previous work.  On the other hand, it's becoming quite evident that anyone can throw a load of money at a car and bring it back to a perfect (beyond perfect) factory correct restoration, they're certainly enough of them out there.  So, the new and expanding game in town is ORIGINALITY.  Finding unmolested, well cared for specimens of automotive history is on a forward march and the values of these cars going nowhere but up, in my opinion.

My pictures of the show leading off with our signature car.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/8292359@N06/sets/72157624373196834/show/

www.survivorcollectorcar.com

[MichaelB.]

Whoa!

Great photos John!

And thanks for the reply Richard. It is an honor to be a caretaker for this car.

[Rolland]

Thanks for sharing the photos of the show.  Other than the weather, it looked great!

Rolland

[mdsalemi]

Sounds like it was a great show.  I can tell you that seeing cars like this in person is the only way to see them; you cannot obtain "justice" for the originality by any manner of photography.  It is a sensory experience you must see with your own 3-D vision.

Originality is fleeting, and is most definitely being recognized now more so than in the past.  There's shows like this one; and in the MBCA there is the relatively new "Silver Star Preservation Class" where originality as opposed to restoration counts.

That being said, it isn't for everyone.  The moment you start putting miles on a new car, the degradation begins...our friends here, like Ray Hays, much enjoy tinkering, and driving.  He has driven (heck, his wife did once!) his Pagoda RT from Florida to Blacklick...twice.  David Pease did a RT from CA in his 230.  Ray Bragg has driven his 280SL daily since 1983, and has over 370,000 miles on it.  These are probably not people who are candidates to own car that is so highly original.  Car driven so much need a lot of parts replacement, repair and even minor restoration as things just wear out.  I don't think you could--or should--take a car with original hoses, belts, or other wear items cross country.  I suggest on a car like Ray Bragg, a good deal of these items have been replaced...maybe more than once.

But, it sure is nice to see someone preserving them.

[KevinC]

This brings to mind some points that I have been pondering...as soon as you replace even one windshield wiper blade or headlamp, your car is no longer "original", right? 

[Jonny B]

Quite an argument starting comment about the wipers and headlights! These kinds of things are usually defined in the rule books, but again the arguments can ensue. I don't think I want to see any cars coming at me with truly the original tires, and brakes hoses and such (that are 40+ years old).

MBCA has a listing for what is deemed disposable parts (battery, tires, hoses, etc.)

If we start really getting in to those kinds of arguments (except for the fun discussions) we are taking ourselves WAAAAY too seriously. The point is to enjoy the car, drive it and keep it safe.

[Peter van Es]

Great photo's and great result, MichaelB. My car would never win any prizes at these shows.... but hey, rallying is fun too! And my car drives great!

Peter

[MichaelB.]

Thank you Peter!

As far as wiper inserts & headlights... Guess what?.. I have the originals! I put them in for this event. Still had them boxed up with the bits that came with this car from the original owner. He had the wherewithal to even buy original wear items like that when the car was new, for use later. I have those items in original boxes too. He was a lifelong engineer and really thought this stuff through.

I still drive this car as often as needed to keep it supple. Its not perfect, but its really got me hooked (just like my wife). That is not bad in my eyes.

[Garry]

Well done Michael, great pix.

Looks like you have got the perfect balance and best of both worlds with car and wife.
 
Engineers, we won't go there but sometimes they get it right!!!  Its an endorsement for not getting rid of any spare parts that may be hanging around.

Garry

[KevinC]

Didn't mean to start an argument...I truly brought it up as a point of (fun) discussion. I think what is interesting is the wide gray area between "restored" and "original". I guess since my car hasn't been dismantled and all parts replaced, I don't at all consider it "restored". In other words, I would guess that in the 36 years prior to me owning the car, it SEEMS that if something needed to be replaced or refreshed it was done. Anyway, while the wipers and headlights that were installed on the car in Sindlefingen are long gone...I still refer to it as more "original" than "restored". All things aside, I am with you on enjoying the car more by driving it than talking about it!

Quite an argument starting comment about the wipers and headlights! These kinds of things are usually defined in the rule books, but again the arguments can ensue. I don't think I want to see any cars coming at me with truly the original tires, and brakes hoses and such (that are 40+ years old).

MBCA has a listing for what is deemed disposable parts (battery, tires, hoses, etc.)

If we start really getting in to those kinds of arguments (except for the fun discussions) we are taking ourselves WAAAAY too seriously. The point is to enjoy the car, drive it and keep it safe.