Spotted this ad on craigslist tonight–someone selling their Daytona…but the photos of “their” bike are straight from this website. Sad thing is that anyone in the know would recognize the slight of hand, as the bike they’re selling would have a different rear suspension than mine. *Facepalm*

On a semi-serious note, though: when looking at CL ads, it’s not all that uncommon to discover that the photos in the ad are NOT of the car or bike you end up poking at when you go to see it. My Miata was sold that way: the car shown in the ad was very clearly not the one I ended up buying. I asked the seller about it a couple of times and she insisted the photos were recent ones of my car, despite a number of major differences.

It’s not the end of the world to use a “representative sample” in an ad, just let people know. And if you’re going to grab someone’s photos, maybe ask permission?

eBay never ceases to provide entertainment. I see some idiot is offering MGB fiberglass rocker covers for sale. In case you’re unfamiliar with how the MGB is built, the sills (of which the rocker covers are the external part, visible under the doors) are the backbone of the car. They’re not cosmetic pieces, they’re important structural components. That’s why you replace them with new steel when you restore a car if they’re damaged (and that’s why you should be concerned if yours are Swiss cheese). And that’s especially why you don’t do something mindbogglingly stupid like paste fiberglass covers on.

The poor MGB. I thought with their rise in classic status we were beyond crappy, cheap fixes.

“The Dreamer” writes a certain type of classified ad, and they’re always amusing. This person believes beyond all sense that their car is worth a fortune. That, combined with some ‘tude about not wasting his time, makes it even more worthy (an aside: you’re placing an ad for an old car, of course someone’s going to waste your time before you sell it). When there’s no price, we’re approaching grand-master ad-writing territory–and if it’s in all caps? There is nothing left for them to learn, they have mastered the art form. For example:

1977 FIAT SPIDER CONVERTABLE. I HAVE A AWESOME RESTORATION PROJECT 77,000 ORIGINAL MILES. 2.0 L DOHC 5 SPEED BODY,INTERIOR,TOP,EVEN ORIGINAL RUNNING GEAR IN SURPRISING CONDITION. IT RUNS, DRIVES, AND STOPS VERY GOOD. WILL NEED NORMAL RESTORATION RITUALS TO BE SHOW- ROOM CONDITION . OR PUT A TIMING BELT ON IT AND CRUISE TOPLESS FOR THE SUMMER. IF YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THIS CAR IS WORTH DONT BOTHER CALLING, IF YOU DO HAVE SOME MONEY TO INVEST AND ARE SERIOUS. CALL M—- @ xxx-xxx-xxxx AND LEAVE A MASSAGE.

I’m not a trained masseuse, so I don’t dare call (even if I had any desire to own a Fiat, Italy’s entry into the “Which Car Can Rust Fastest” competition). But that’s a $1,000 car, at the most, and I bet he wants way more than that.

Rat Rod
I’m sure at some point in the history of the hot rod, it was a radical concept to eschew the fine craftsmanship that went into the best rods and purposefully make something kinda raw and unkempt. The “rat rod” was born. (Being a rat-rodder probably made you a bad-ass, and allowed you to sport the du jour “bad guy” facial hair arrangement.)

But today? Try a search on eBay for “rat rod” and you’ll come up with almost as many results as listings for actual hot rods–that’s not exactly being an outsider.

Why so many rat rods? My take on it, having looked at a few: when you only get halfway through a project and quickly throw the rest together to sell it, or realize your car is so ugly that flat black paint can only improve it, or your workmanship is so bad that no amount of shiny bolt-ons can hide it, you simply pull out the “rat rod” label and all your problems are solved! Likewise, if you’ve got a hunk of scrap iron in the vague shape of a car, well, it couldn’t be much effort to make it into a rat rod, so that tag line gets added to the advert. I saw a fine original 1929 Packard (a project, to be sure) advertised as a potential rat rod just a couple weeks back. I mean, c’mon.

To me, it smells like giving up. I may not be the most talented restorer out there, but I try my best to have high standards–why put in the effort otherwise, on restoration or anything else? (Indeed, when I was single, any woman quizzed about my abilities after a night of infernal pleasures at Chez Rusty would think for a bit and finally say with a sigh, “well, he tried his best…”) To start a project aiming for mediocrity is sad.

I bet the original we’re-making-a-statement-dammit rat-rodders resemble Chief Iron Eyes Cody when they look over a drive-in filled with the modern descendents of their movement.