Moral victories do not exist in pro sports, which are not even a “what have you done for me lately” business but a “what can you do for me now and in the near future” business. Trust that I know of what I write.
Steelers’ fans love to say “six rings” in reference to the franchise’s six Super Bowl titles. The Detroit Lions won three NFL titles in the 1950s; are they still relevant? The Steelers’ rings from the 1970s are nothing but dusty relics on the shelf of history. What happened even five years ago has no bearing on today in pro sports.
Fantasy sports are well-named because they bear little or no resemblance to the real thing. When I was Director of Baseball Operations for a major league team I had to hobnob with wealthy season-ticket holders from time to time. I cannot tell you how many of them said things like, “I could run a major league team. I finished second in my rotisserie league last year.” (Rotisserie baseball was the original fantasy sport.) I would bite my tongue hard and then ask one or two questions about evaluating players or running a team. I am still waiting for my first correct answer.
Former major league catcher Wes Westrum is supposed to have said, “Baseball is like church. Many attend but few understand.” I strongly believe that applies to all professional sports. Jim Mora’s (the elder) scolding of a sportswriter with these words is quite apt, I think: “And I’m promising you right now, you don’t know whether it’s good or bad. You really don’t know, because you don’t know what we’re trying to do, you guys don’t look at the films, you don’t know what happened, you really don’t know. You think you know, but you just don’t know, and you never will.”
With the current widespread availability of coaches “film” more people outside of pro football do have an understanding of what actually happened than ever before, but most fans don’t watch the video and most wouldn’t understand it if they did watch. Being a fan, paying or otherwise, gives one the right to criticize but doesn’t mean that you are right to criticize.
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Thanks to 56packardman for sending this link to a story about Carlos Ghosn, who was recently ousted as Chairman of both Nissan and Mitsubishi after his arrest stemming from allegations of financial misconduct. Supposedly Ghosn was planning to oust Nissan CEO Hiroto Saikawa as part of a larger management shakeup. Nissan’s earnings have fallen sharply although it still produces the largest share of earnings for the Nissan/Renault/Mitsubishi alliance. Nissan has also been embroiled in a final inspection scandal that has led to the recall of more than one million vehicles in Japan.
I have written before that I think one of Nissan’s problems is simply that it makes too many boring vehicles. Its two “performance” cars, the GT-R and the 370 Z, are very old designs.
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I can’t get this car out of my head:
This car is being sold at no reserve at the Barrett-Jackson auction in Scottsdale, Arizona next month. My wonderful wife, her parents and I plan to attend. (Of course the picture is from barrett-jackson.com.)
It is a restomod and except for being a coupe is very close to what I want. The temptation to purchase it and to avoid the long wait for a build is quite strong. C/2 has already offered his opinion that unless the car is a bargain I should wait to buy a convertible. What do you think? Is anybody out there?
#somanycarsjustonelife
#disaffectedmusings
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Disaffected Musings 
Lol yes we are here
Get that one
Perfect for all
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Thanks, Ben.
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You have been dreaming, recreating, analyzing, this idea for sometime. If you purchase this one and then are not satisfied, what is the cost for buying, using it, selling it and purchasing the one you really want?
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Very good question, CV. The allure for buying this car, or a car like it, is that it could cost just 40%-60% of the cost of a totally custom build AND I could take delivery of it 18-24 months sooner. Those are two powerful pluses. I have dreams, but I live in the real world.
If I were to purchase a car already built I could have it tweaked so that it reaches or approaches my “ideal” build. However, even that build is a compromise because my ultimate build is simply out of my reach financially. I am under no illusions that I could get my money back if I were to purchase a car and then sell it to build one. Except for cars at the very top of the pyramid buying a car is not a financial investment; it is an investment in the enjoyment of life, which has much value even if it can’t be measured.
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… not only are many (most?) Nissan vehicles outmoded and boring, they compound their problem with that awful “rubber band” transmission. (I know you share my disdain for that transmission … ) IMO, Nissan has lost its edge – AGAIN.
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Thanks, 56packardman. Nissan wouldn’t be the first company that lost its way. The question is whether or not they can pull out of the dive.
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On the C2 coupe, IMHO your heart is set on a convertible, so be patient. Who knows someone may have one to sell at BJ in Scottsdale or maybe at one of the other three auctions. Or better yet for sale independent of the auctions. January in Scottsdale is a buyers paradise.
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Very good to hear from you, Philip! Thanks for the advice. I have no idea what will happen.
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The cost to build versus buy is tough, as we discussed before. On building: you control every aspect of the car from frame up. It is “yours” 100%, but so will be the cost of from at least $125K upwards depending on your ideas.
Buying allows you the option of letting someone else eat depreciation and/or get tired of their ride. However, understand many build/buy restomods to burn rubber so most are driven HARD.
Since C2’s even in total restoration basket-cases are peaking past $30K, your build comes at twice the cost (or more) of most builds simply for being a C2. If you want the ragtop to weld on the hard top then look for a ragtop or build it.
It comes down to how soon you want to drive and how much you want to spend.
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Thanks again, Steve, and Happy Holidays. If I were 10-15 years younger and producing a higher steady income then I would just build a restomod and wait. If my aunt had balls she would have been my uncle.
At this stage of my life, the wait and the higher cost for building “from scratch” make buying a restomod a very viable option. I just don’t know how to do an explicit cost/benefit analysis here because so much of this is subjective.
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No real way to do a cost analysis and buying will not give you 100% of what you want and/or you will have repairs to make on a “used” modder……its inevitable since most are driven hard and there are tweaks needing to be done. Plus changes you want to make to make it “your concept”. One should get the chance to build a car just one time.
That said, and said this to you before, you must insure your car has a solid foundation. Many a mod was built on weak or base chassis, why i recommend Art Morrison. Used his creations twice now and nothing will be more solid. Plus, imagine the frame powder coated to the (I think you said you wanted) teal accent color to match?!
With your pre-disclosed time-frame being another year and a half I believe you said, you can look and see what is out there while also keeping an eye out for the donor car. Seeing what that costs will dictate your move vis-a-vis buy versus build from scratch/donor.
Happy Holidays to you and your family as well Sir!
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Thanks, Steve. The empiricist in me is chafing at the lack of opportunity to quantify the decision-making process. I relish trying to make order out of chaos. Of course one can engage in analysis to the point of paralysis.
Art Morrison chassis are very famous in the auto world. The company that I am likely to use does not use a Morrison chassis, but has been using the same one for at least ten years and seems to have had much success with it.
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