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In defense of Garage Queens

Discussion in 'Vintage (thru 365 GTC4)' started by Texas Forever, Oct 17, 2004.

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  1. Texas Forever

    Texas Forever Eight Time F1 World Champ
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    #1 Texas Forever, Oct 17, 2004
    I have a confession to make. My name is Dale, and I own a Garage Queen.

    No, it is not a Ferrari. It is a 1970 Triumph Bonneville motorcycle. I didn't buy it with the idea of it becoming a Queen. It just kinda happened.

    Here's the story. Most of you probably are not into Brit bikes, but the 1970 Triumph Bonneville would have to be on the short list of anyone compiling a list of the best old Brit bikes. I will not bore you with all the history. But by 1970, Triumph had honed it's craft to the very best that it would ever do. Unfortunately for the Brit guys (but fortunately for the rest of us), in 1969, Honda came with its CB 750, and the rest is history. Triumph quit production in 1983.

    In 1970, I was a senior in high school and had been riding motorcycles ever since I was 14. The low-IQ, knuckle draggers, became Harley guys. The rest of us became Steve McGueen. I never owned one, but I rode the crap out a bunch of Triumphs owned by my friends.

    Fast forward to 1990. I finally brought my own 1970 Bonneville for $2,500. (They were about $1,500 new.) For the first few years, I rode it every chance I got.

    Then came the restoration bills. I ain't gonna say how it cost, but it was a lot more than $2,500. In the meantime, I brought one of the new Triumphs and was amazed at how much bikes had improved. No more starting drill! Even more importantly, no more butt buzzes. I never realized that you could ride a motorcycle and not feel like you were going in for your annual checkup. (Dr. Urotrash can explain further.)

    Plus, following the restoration, the Bonneville looked so damn good. Even today, I go out from time to time just look at it.

    Then, a few years back, I when for a spin and a nimnut soccer mom in a Suburban on a cell tried to make me into a tortilla. That's when I decided to refocus back into sports cars and later Ferraris.

    So now the Bonneville sits in the garage hooked up to its life support -- a trickle charger. I could go start it now (It is a 3-kick maximum to start.), but I have work to do. Plus, I know that it will take at least 20 minutes for my butt to get numb. It also takes a while for the brakes to work right and the tranny to shift properly.

    But I can't bring myself to sell it. It is not a financial thing. It is just too good looking, and it helps me remember when I first discovered power steering with the throttle while running down Thunder Road.

    All this is long way of saying that I now understand why many so older Ferraris end up being garage queens. After you finally get the car fixed up the way it should be, you realize that any long drive is going to cost you some tinkering time or money or both. You also learn that the newer cars give a much better driving experience. You find yourself driving your newer cars more and more due to time and money. But you can't bring yourself to sell your pride and joy. So there it sits with the little green light of the trickle charger as the only sign of yesterday's glories on Thunder Road.

    Dale
     
  2. dretceterini

    dretceterini F1 Veteran

    Apr 28, 2004
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    #2 dretceterini, Oct 17, 2004
    IMO, if you aren't going to at least occassionally use any vehicle, you should sell it to someone who will...
     
  3. Texas Forever

    Texas Forever Eight Time F1 World Champ
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    #3 Texas Forever, Oct 17, 2004
    I don't think you understand my point. It took me a long time to get the bike fully sorted out. I really do enjoy just looking at it. Plus, I don't want to sell it.

    Dale
     
  4. dm_n_stuff

    dm_n_stuff Four Time F1 World Champ
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    Dave M.
    #4 dm_n_stuff, Oct 17, 2004
    Doc.

    Ride it, don't ride it. That's up to you. I have a '74 Triumph TR6 that gets about 100 miles a year put on it. Used to get a lot more, then the Dino showed up, and well..... you know the rest.

    What is the harm in having automobiles or motorcycles as art? Even if it's only art you appreciate. I say keep it, wax it, polish the chrome, charge it, ride it once a year, or just use it any damn way you want.

    When you get tired of it, drop me a PM. I'll ship you the TR6, you ship me the Bonneville, we'll trade art for a while.

    Dave
     
  5. Kram

    Kram Formula Junior

    Jul 3, 2004
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    #5 Kram, Oct 17, 2004
    Ever read any Oscar Wilde? He wrote a play once about corruption, which was represented by aging (the worst sin in Wilde’s catechism). The play was called The Picture of Dorian Gray.

    The only problem with a garage queen is that becomes a sort of Dorian Gray while you become the picture; it remains perfect, you crumble and age. Keep the Triumph and enjoy it, but mark my words, one day you’ll look at it and the damn thing will haunt you. The man that bought the Triumph will have become a memory while the motorcycle remains. Shouldn’t it be the other way around?
    I write this from the perspective of someone awash in polished garage furniture - which I can’t seem to sell. Good luck!
    Kram
     
  6. Texas Forever

    Texas Forever Eight Time F1 World Champ
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    #6 Texas Forever, Oct 17, 2004
    Wow, you've got culture my man. What an analogy! Gets me to thinking. Maybe the better comparison is Moby Dick. You know, you finally get what you've been after all this years, only to hunt for other whales.

    Great post!
     
  7. Texas Forever

    Texas Forever Eight Time F1 World Champ
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    #7 Texas Forever, Oct 17, 2004
    Be careful saying stuff like this, you never know. My best friend had a TR 6. Winds of the old days...
     
  8. Tspringer

    Tspringer F1 Veteran

    Apr 11, 2002
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    #8 Tspringer, Oct 17, 2004
    I drove a TR6 as my every day car for 3 years back in the 1980s. Great little car! Not terrifically fast, but it sure sounded the part!


    Terry
     
  9. PSk

    PSk F1 World Champ

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    #9 PSk, Oct 17, 2004
    While a car or a bike might look cool, they are supposed to make an impression when driving or riding.

    If they no longer do ... time to move on and replace car or bike with picture of car or bike.

    We all change over time, thus do not feel guilty that you no longer love riding your Triumph ... get rid of it so somebody else can reach a personal goal, and you can find something that still looks great but more importantly thrills you when ridden. If you hang on to this Triumph it will only get worse and suffer from not been ridden. When you go to sell it the prospective owners will be talking about garage queens and how it will need an expensive restoration to get right ... as they talk the price down :(

    That is one of the reasons why I'll never have many cars in my collection ... you can only drive/ride one at a time.

    Thus my suggestion is it is time to refresh your collection :)
    Pete
     
  10. Texas Forever

    Texas Forever Eight Time F1 World Champ
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    #10 Texas Forever, Oct 17, 2004
    Pete, I'm a driver, not a lover. But it took me 20 years to buy my dream. It will probably take another 20 more years before I sell.

    All I'm trying to do with this thread is to show that it can be different strokes for different folks. Many of us get all huffy about trailer queens. But, I'm sure that your mama told you that there's always two sides to every story.

    Dale
     
  11. zjpj

    zjpj F1 Veteran

    Nov 4, 2003
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    #11 zjpj, Oct 17, 2004
    No, law school taught me that. :)
     
  12. Glassman

    Glassman F1 World Champ
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    #12 Glassman, Oct 17, 2004
    Dale ,
    I can relate to that. My first real sports car was a 1971 XKE Roadster. I drove the crap out of that car from Montana to southern California and back. Put over 150,000 miles on it in the process. I always swore that I would own a Ferrari some day. Now I own two Ferraris and work seven days a week, and only have a couple of hours every couple of weeks to drive them for a short while. Maybe I should sell them so I can work all the time. Or maybe not!!!
     
  13. patpong

    patpong Formula 3

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    #13 patpong, Oct 17, 2004
    Just don't care what anyone say, Just be all the queen you want.....
     
  14. Chiaro_Slag

    Chiaro_Slag F1 Veteran

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    #14 Chiaro_Slag, Oct 17, 2004
    Very cool Dale.

    I don't care what you do with the bike - It is yours & have the rights to do with it whatever makes you happy. Your happy, I'm happy. :)
     
  15. PSk

    PSk F1 World Champ

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    #15 PSk, Oct 17, 2004
    Yep Dale it is your bike and as discussed before, some of us are very busy and thus the garage queen is an accident.

    BUT that is not what I was talking about. 20 years ago the dream to own this particular bike was ignited. Isn't it a wee bit naive (or hard on yourself) to think that your views on what is the coolest bike, etc. will NOT change in 20 years time.

    Thus what I am saying is that: don't be so hard on yourself, maybe the Triumph Bonnie does not do it for you any more. After all if it did you WOULD be riding it every chance you get ... instead you prefer to ride the modern Triumph.

    For example: My father started off being a real old car nut, even helped out at a museum, etc. ... but over time he changed and started to get keen on much younger cars, like a BMW 2002 Tii. He sold his older stuff ... and moved on.

    Pete
     

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