This was a message sent to me back in 1997 by Carl Beck. It was a rip on my restoration, but, it's halarious! (I found it after sifting through the archives for something else)

Go CARL!!

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Hello Everyone:

I know its not popular, but I feel someone must speak out here...

What Mike has put on display for us, in plan and public view, is not a "restoration project"... no, no, no,...

Don't let Mike fool you... it's a cry for help! :-)

We have a car here, that will have to have a new VIN assigned by the State DMV... Instead of "HLS30 xxxx" - it will have be "FORD 2002"

Yes FORD - Fanatic Over Restoration Done - followed by the date Mike will actually get it back on the road....:-)

You see, while he talks about getting this project done, he really doesn't want to put everything back together. You'd never be able to see the marvelous detail, the attention to every petty part, bit and piece.... No, a car like this is best shown - while its apart. In these strange cases, the whole is less than the parts. (there must be a word for that).

Mike will get all the parts done, lay them out on the display table and put a tent over the whole thing... then spend endless hours just inspecting and refinishing individual bits and pieces... he is consumed by holding them, touching them, turning them over in his hands, stroking them.... you get the picture (disgusting isn't it;-).

I suggest that we all lobby the Z Car community - to add a "Show" Class -

for just such Z's. We could call it the "Z CASH Class";-). "Z Car

Assemblages Show Hole"

Participants in the Z-CASH class would set up tents, erect display tables and leave the chassis on a rotisserie (so we could see the bear under charrige)...then lay all the various assemblages out on the display table... Judging would be on the basis of the perfection of each part - with extra points awarded for creatively over-restored parts. Things like chrome plated distributor to oil pump rods, or gold plated seat bolts... things that you would never see if the car was re-assembled...

There is a major advantage to this show class for both the owner and the viewing public... The owner would never be faced with the trauma of assembling the car, only to lose site of 60% of his hard and beautifully done work - and when the owner decides to sell - he could actually get "more" than his money back out of the project, as all the individual parts would be worth many times the value of the whole car (were it assembled and sold)... and the rest of us could find those hard to find parts, beautifully restored - on display - at every car show...

I think we should all let Mike come out of the spare bedroom (where he keeps most of the parts for this car) - Stand proudly - and start the "Z-CASH" class.... I'm sure there are many many of us that would be encouraged to come out and join him...(not me of course, I'm not one of those odd-balls with a Z Parts fetish ;-)....

Have you seen anyone else get so excited over a stainless steel brake line?.... I rest my case;-)......

Nice work Mike;-)...

later,

Carl

That HAD to hurt!!!!

Yep, but it was all in good fun. I'm actually used to this kind of treatment. I get it all the time. haha...

I used to get that too, that's one of the reasons I didn't marry her!!

Also got it from my father when I started building an ITS car in the back yard in 89, but he sure did go to every race when I got through with drivers schools.

how long has this resoration been going on and well do you have it put togther yet??