/Garage/pckstudio
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Phoenix, AZ, USA Joined: 09/11/2007 |
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Builder, Hot Rodder, Custom Rodder, Build-It, Drive-It, H.A.M.B., Show Cars, AMBR / Ridler
Flag this garage as inappropriateChevrolet Monte Carlo "Monte"
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AMBR Winner? My thoughts....
I've written a lot about this year's choice already, and will paste in some excerpts if you feel like reading my soap box rant... Granted, when we got back to town after the show, I made it a point to congratulate the guys at Scott's on a job well done, and their dedication... BUT, I have some strong feelings on this car, and even more on the direction a choice like this could lead future contenders.... in any event... ... a well-finished car, certainly. The fit, paint, and detailing were superb, no doubt. But, in the end, it's a car with trendy big wheels, an uninspired interior treatment, and it looks, sadly, like some off-the-shelf, pre-fabbed roadster body, something like you might see 1,000 of at the next NSRA meet. I am not picking on this car, nor am I following the crowd that has seemingly banded together en-masse to spread their hate for it. Enough has already been posted by people doing this, and, besides, that's not my thing, nor my overall opinion. It just fell into the "trendy" mode, and missed the mark, in my opinion, of what a true AMBR car should be. It has TREMENDOUS skill and patience (if not blind dedication) involved in the construction, finish, and detailing. It's SUBTLE in many respects... the re-worked lines would probably go unnoticed by may show attendees... It has a lot of key changes in many areas. It just fell a bit flat in a few key areas (from my vantage point), and that hurt the car. It's like that new mini mall you pass on the way to work: Yeah, it's shiny and new, and is packed with new, shiny stuff.... but it's still a mini mall, and it looks remarkably similar to every other one you just drove past. A little more creativity in the wheel/tire combo and that interior, and this car would have crept silently into my recent favorites, no exceptions. (speaking of the wheel/tire combo... it's probably the part that struck me hardest, and polarized my overall opinion... The huge rears make the car appear out of proportion, if not somehow distorted. Then again, consider, for example, the first car ever to wear an exposed supercharger. Think THAT may have caused some controversy?) (OK, it completely changed my life, that first blown ride I saw... damn.... I was hooked!) As I said earlier, what I'm getting at here isn't to knock the car... it was well done for what it is... but rather to question if it has the longevity and certain "something" deserving of being a part of AMBR history. In 50 years will anyone want to restore it to it's AMBR-winning "glory"? Probably not. Why? I think that maybe it's the trendy factor. It's a dated car, and when the giant wheel phase is over, it'll be a back-dated car. Consider the height of Pro-Street back in the late-'80's/early '90's. There were some killer cars, no doubt. Hell, even the most over-done, Dobberton's J-2000 is still a stand-out, namely because it was SO overdone. Worth saving? Yes. It illustrates an extreme in the genre, and is a great piece to serve in that respect. But would you save every neon and pastel-colored, huge hoodscoop-wearing monstrosity from the era? No, probably not. There were so many variations of the same thing, that saving them all would be redundant. It takes a certain "something" to make a car a stand-out. Would this be a car to modify slightly and run again? Hell yes. It has outstanding workmanship, just needs the right changes. At the Grand National Roaster Show, there was, on display, the A La Kart. A purpose-built ("to win shows") car, that had won the AMBR 50 years ago. It was there, restored, for all to enjoy. Rightly so, the car still impresses. It was built in a manner consistent with its original era, certainly, but pushed the envelope in all the right directions. Would I consider it the pinnacle of great hot rod design? Not especially... it works well, in my opinion, anyway, as a novelty, an illustration of a bygone era, and marks a point in hot rodding history worth studying. Should it have won this year? From a pure nostalgia vantage point, why not? But in current judging and trend standards, no... It was a reminder of days gone by, and why we were all there in the first place. Observed as an object of reverence, it was tremendous to see it on hand. Orosco's ride was my personal pick... outstanding in every way, and just has that AMBR "look". Am I saying that every AMBR winner should be a traditional-styled car? Nope... I'm saying that it should have that certain "something". Orosco's car grabbed at you, and gave you that giddy feeling that a great car does... And THAT'S why I do what it is that I do for a living. That "something".... that emotional draw of a well conceived and constructed automobile. It transcends merely being a car. It takes on a life beyond the material;s used to create it... A great car opens some inner communication, and creates a bond with you. Ask a true car guy to list and accurately describe 15 beautiful women he may have seen in his life. Then ask about 15 of his favorite cars. Amazing the details you'll have described about the cars. I'd bet there's at least one in that set that gets the best description...the stand-out, THE ONE... be it a car or a woman. Does this year's winner rank that? Again, in my opinion, no. Not at present. We have a few years of billet-wheeled, mega-buck budget cars to choose from already that more than illustrate the era, and that do it using better, more cohesive design. Were there other cars from the A La Kart's era that have been forgotten (and probably for good reason)? Yes there have. We, as humans, always enjoy the first unique thing, and grow to hate the followers after some time, it's natural... Who knows, maybe in 30 years, I'll share photos of the car with my great-grandkids, and have a much softer spot for it. Some cars just do that, too. ...the part that saddens me most about this year's AMBR winner: It cut off its own potential by trying too hard to fit in to the rulebook. It's a great illustration of what happens when you let the rule book build the car: You remove the butterflies that want to float around in someone's stomach when they see it... But right or wrong, it was the chosen winner, and illustrates where one aspect of the hobby was at that particular point in time.
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