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11-13-2021, 03:40 AM | #1 |
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Blue Ribbon Restorations
Anyone here currently working on a high point Blue Ribbon project?
Excluding restoration shops, please. I know there are pro restorers here. If so, what? Please share. |
11-13-2021, 07:49 AM | #2 |
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Re: Blue Ribbon Restorations
Not "here" and a pro, but B. Terry seems to know what he is doing and is probably working on a Blue Ribbon project. I know he is backed up for several months if not a year. See https://www.model-a-ford.com/index.shtml. Tennessee is a great place to visit.
I know this does not really answer your question.
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11-13-2021, 12:41 PM | #3 |
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Re: Blue Ribbon Restorations
Yes, I'm working currently working on one for judging next summer although I'd rather not mention what it is and for whom.
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11-14-2021, 11:55 PM | #4 |
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Re: Blue Ribbon Restorations
I am also currently working on one.
Chris W. |
11-15-2021, 03:25 AM | #5 |
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Re: Blue Ribbon Restorations
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11-15-2021, 06:25 AM | #6 | |
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Re: Blue Ribbon Restorations
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Believe this or not, we only have 1 Model-A (-out of 16) in the shop right now being restored as a Fine-point vehicle. F/P restorations are not profitable for us. Instead, what most of our customers want is a car that is truly ‘restored’ or returned to a condition that is equal to, -or better than when it was new. It has been my experiences that most Model-As that are claimed to be fully restored in reality are not completely restored. |
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11-15-2021, 07:57 AM | #7 |
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Re: Blue Ribbon Restorations
I don't know about blue-ribbon restoration, but I hope the 68B I am working on at least wins a participation trophy. What a challenge!!
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11-15-2021, 08:21 AM | #8 |
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Re: Blue Ribbon Restorations
Greg, a "Participation Trophy" isn't that kind of like a "Best of Show(ing up)" trophy?
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11-15-2021, 08:31 AM | #9 |
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Re: Blue Ribbon Restorations
I quit on top restorations of all projects cars, airplanes, boats etc. Doesn't matter if I get top prize or not one time, there is always some one that is going to top it. Two foot show is now good enough for me and always gets complements and lively discussions , which in my opinion it's what the hobby is all about - making like minded lasting friends. I have no interest in "bought" restorations. Do not have the big dollars for them. In must all cases I have soloed my projects and proud of my accomplishments and enjoy the research to get it "right". No disasters yet.
John Last edited by aermotor; 11-15-2021 at 08:40 AM. |
11-15-2021, 09:30 AM | #10 |
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Re: Blue Ribbon Restorations
Curious as to the intent of the original post. Is the OP working on one? I do understand the comment excluding pro's, no offense to any of those present I'm sure. I am in the final stages myself (not an A) and have done a couple before. I for one think that a 'home restored' car can be as nice as a pro restored car. In fact I have seen some pro restored cars that were inferior to home restored. I know from my experience I will get caught up in the minutiae and spend way too much time on something that may never be seen again. These kind of things for the better or worse may be overlooked by a shop not wanting to spend 4 hrs to make sure a bolt looks right. The down side is I have 4 yrs and counting on my current project and with a couple more on the horizon I only hope I live long enough to complete things. My comments are by no means trying to put down a pro shop. I respect anyone in that business, or any service business. Just saying that the average guy can achieve great results at home. Its also about knowing the right people that may be needed to do specialized services.
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11-15-2021, 10:29 AM | #11 | ||
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Re: Blue Ribbon Restorations
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Quote:
To begin with, at a MARC/MAFCA meet, you must have the minimum of 14 items to even be considered for F/P adjudication. Most cars that attend a MARC/MAFCA National event cannot even qualify. Therefore to imply that if someone shows-up they will receive a trophy is kind of a slap in the face. If the vehicle does pass the minimum standards in the preliminary judging, then it is awarded a white ribbon. As stated above, only 5% or less of all the vehicles registered for the meet can even meet these qualifications. Secondly, as a veteran in restoring a Model-A to F/P status, there is WAY more to restoring a vehicle accurately & authentically than just to make it look pretty. Most F/P participants did not restore their vehicle to win an award. They did it because they pushed themselves to produce excellence. From my experiences, most people who work on Model-As do not have the stamina, determination, and/or the ability to actually 'restore' authentically. It is the challenge in replicating something in exacting detail, -and pushing oneself to learn new things about the craft that drives most F/P restorers to do so. Ironically, most F/P restorers do not get upset if they do not win top-prize as they typically take the mindset to go home and make necessary changes to better their vehicle. Personally, where I have been most upset with F/P judging has been when the Adjudicator made an inaccurate or incorrect deduction on something that I knew was correct. For each of us here, we should never be critical of someone else's accomplishment & craftsmanship when that Restorer's results exceeded our own capabilities. This probably should even include ridiculing those Restorers who choose to restore a Model-A to that level. I personally applaud anyone's efforts that want to restore correctly, ...even if their accomplishments are better than what I can produce. |
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11-15-2021, 10:53 AM | #12 |
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Re: Blue Ribbon Restorations
I think F/P restoration is best understood as a contest between the restorer and entropy. To win top points, you have to erase, individually and by hand, the effects of 90+ years of weathering, poor maintenance, bad luck, etc. The restorer presents an object precisely as it existed at the moment it was constructed, despite us knowing that an entire lifetime has elapsed since that moment. There aren't many other objects in the world you can say that about. It's one of the things I like about gold artifacts in museums – you can look at it and know that it looks exactly the way it did when somebody put it in a tomb or whatever.
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11-15-2021, 11:41 AM | #13 |
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Re: Blue Ribbon Restorations
Agreed with Brent on those challenged by FP judging. It takes perseverance, hard work and $$$ to build a fine point car. Been there, done that once. I just don’t have the temperament or patience to argue whether a screw should be natural, raven or cadmium!
The problem is mine; FP is a challenge and good for those so turned. The JS standards committee should be thanked for the research and time put into the standards. For those so challenged ….go get’em!! |
11-15-2021, 11:59 AM | #14 |
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Re: Blue Ribbon Restorations
The intent of the OP was simply to find out if any individuals on here are currently doing FP restorations and what models.
It seems like the last big wave of spectacular restorations happened in the Mid-late 1990s. That’s not to say there hasn’t been some spectacular restorations since then, most certainly there have been. I’m postulating that in the 1990s there were more individuals doing more FP cars than at other times. Unfortunately a number of those individuals have left the hobby or passed on. |
11-15-2021, 12:07 PM | #15 |
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Re: Blue Ribbon Restorations
What I've heard from some folks is that it got significantly more expensive to compete in F/P in the last two decades, for a number of reasons:
Just second-hand info though. |
11-15-2021, 01:01 PM | #16 |
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Re: Blue Ribbon Restorations
Sorry if I "skewed" the conversation with my "tongue-in-cheek" comment about restoration of my 68B. No slaps in any faces intended. In fact, I do understand fine point restoration, having been involved in the restorations of other marquee autos, i.e., Packards, Cadillacs, etc. I greatly admire those who do fine point restoration. My experience has been that to obtain that "nth" degree of excellence, the effort and cost rises exponentially. It takes great skill, determination, and perseverance (not to mention research) to get a fine-point complete. My hats off to those who do.
Last edited by Greg Jones; 11-15-2021 at 01:10 PM. |
11-15-2021, 01:14 PM | #17 | ||
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Re: Blue Ribbon Restorations
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Also, suitable parts are more than easy to come by for most restorations and do not need to cost vast amounts of money. It is when the restorer who takes the easier road chooses to spend large sums for a NOS item in lieu of actually restoring what they have. And, in reality the only thing the later RG&JS revisions have done is to make questionable calls on subcomponents more defined. The answer was always at the Research Center, but 'one always had to go research it on their own to get a definitive answer. |
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11-15-2021, 01:21 PM | #18 |
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Re: Blue Ribbon Restorations
This site is notorious for “subject drift” and I suppose I contributed to such….
Regrets!! |
11-15-2021, 01:25 PM | #19 |
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Re: Blue Ribbon Restorations
Absolutely! And I was hoping some would post here. So far only Gary’s mystery car and one other (besides Brent.)
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11-15-2021, 01:39 PM | #20 |
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Re: Blue Ribbon Restorations
Mine was a 31 slant ws town sedan.
I later sold the car and it got front page photo on either News or Restorer many years back. I did not own that car at the time. It’s up east somewhere as it changed hands several times after I sold it. When I got the car out of NM, it had worn out leather interior. Not knowing better, and it was far from useable, I jerked it out. Later found out that was a rare late option!! Editorial..the 31 SW sedan is the best A Henry built!! |
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