When I was coming of age in the 1970s with a rabid interest in cars of all types my parents frequently took me to antique car shows. I always had an interest in old machinery of all kinds and developed a healthy respect for history and preservation. One of the unintended consequences of being exposed to the world of restored cars was that I developed a single-minded view that historic vehicles should remain as originally built and--with rare exceptions for 'survivor' cars--returned to as-new condition. To allow a vehicle to languish with signs of age and neglect was nothing short of a crime.
With the completion of my first--and only--restoration of my Fiat 124 Spider I found myself with a very pretty car that replicated perfectly the feel of a 1970 inexpensive Italian sports car. It also had it's share of shortcomings as a result. The bright red paint and new chrome was beautiful but it came with a burden; the constant worry of damage from a flying stone or too-close jacket zipper. Worse still was my paranoia of water and salt that might reignite the ever-present rust lurking beneath the surface of any old car. Though I enjoyed the car for two dozen years the constant pampering to preserve it's appearance detracted somewhat from the joy of using it.
As adulthood brought increased drains on time and finances subsequent 'projects' often became simple tasks of preservation. My 1965 F100 was a delightful truck but with a slowly failing repaint and small blossoms of corrosion. I had to accept that I could not give it the proper restoration it needed in the near future and sold it on after ten years. Too nice to keep outside but with too many body issues to ignore, it fell in-between usable classic and show-worthy collectible. I distanced myself from old cars and trucks, choosing instead to buy S197 and relish the classic look with modern durability and no ill effects from fifty or more years of having lived in the world.
During my constant browsing of all things Mustang I came across the YouTube videos for Motor Trend's online show "Roadkill". Co-host David Freiburger has long been associated with Hot Rod magazine and the cars that grace their pages. The apparent premise of "Roadkill" is to find old cars on the verge of death and resurrect them to the point of being useable without the bother or expense of fixing the cosmetics. Though some of the projects would certainly be ill-advised or bordering on the absurd they are always fun to watch as well as educational. One of the show's repeating propositions is to enter a junkyard, find an interesting car or truck and resurrect it to driving condition. Predictably my favorite of these is the 1969 Mach 1 they nicknamed 'Disgustang', a car filled with various types of animal excrement. Though a hilarious series on car repair it also resulted in the saving of a classic otherwise destined for the crusher. Donuts and burnouts were generated with glee. The car was ridiculous fun despite it's haggard appearance.
Apparently my enjoyment of the shows is not singular. Search 'junkyard rescue' on YouTube and you'll find many other videos by others mimicking the "Roadkill" script. Channels such as Junkyard Diggs and Dylan McCool prove equally compelling. The great thing about these channels is that the participants are typically young guys of a generation many of us have dismissed as not being interested in the same cars we are. It is greatly heartening to see a twenty-something guy getting dirty and resurrecting some forgotten vehicle of the 1960s or 1970s. Cars and trucks even I wouldn't have thought were worth bothering with are finding their way back onto the road. They may not ever shine brightly or win trophies at car shows but they are not getting lost to the crusher...and are teaching another generation about how great old stuff can be.
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