IML: Respect for "foreigners"

["Hugh & Therese" <hugtrees@xxxxxxxx>]

My concern about this discussion is that Imperialists outside of the USA may 
feel as though they are being slighted.  However these cars got there, the 
people doing the exporting knew there was a demand for these wonderful 
pieces of Americana overseas.  They also knew that at the same time there 
was very little respect for them here in the USA.

I am not discounting Tony L's own experience with some of these people. 
Having your car stolen is obviously going to radically alter your opinion. 
I, too, have experienced intensely rude comments about my car.  A common one 
is, "What a waste of a Hemi."  One of the worst was an unsolicited offer of, 
"I'll give you $2,000.00 for the engine, but only $1,000.00 if I have to 
take the whole car."  A demolition derbyist once offered me way more than 
the car, 58 4 door hardtop, is worth, and rushed to explain his rationale: 
He would strip the car and sell the parts to defray his upfront costs then 
"race" the car to a presumed win and then sell the engine, transmission and 
whatever else was left.  (I think of this guy when I see a whole cars worth 
of good parts show up on e-bay.)

I think the people who buy and enjoy an Imperial outside the USA are to be 
congratulated.  It's hard enough to get parts here, never mind having to 
scour the planet for them.  I am not suggesting that anyone has insulted 
these fine people, only that this discussion has put them in a bad light 
which I don't think they deserve.  I have found, after many years of 
looking, places where I can get parts for my car.  I can drive to these 
places and inspect the quality of the parts I am getting.  I suspect this is 
not possible in, say, Sweden.  These folks have to have more enthusiasm than 
those of us in the USA to keep going and a lot more faith, too, that they 
are not being ripped off with shoddy goods or no goods at all after they 
have laid out their money.

I have had some good conversations with 58 owners in Australia, Japan, 
France and Switzerland.  I think this list is infinitely better off with 
their participation.

Hugh 




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