rfn026

I need help on this. I need your reactions to my definitions. Are they even close to being useful? If they need changing how would you change them?

Restoration – An intervention with the goal of returning the object to a previous state.

Conservation – An intervention with the goal of stopping further deterioration of the object.

Preservation – Placing the object into an environment to slow down further deterioration. Nothing is done to the object. Preservation is about the environment, not the object.

Richard Newton
Is Stewardship Worth Thinking About?

Frankie the Fink

Sounds OK to me but add:

Infatuation - Driving the snot out of a car for the sheer simple pleasure of it, fixing and mainlining what is necessary to keep it roadworthy and presentable.

Railroadman

Absolutely perfect, Frankie!

fyreline

Some interesting points were raised in the article you provided the link to . . . the first that grabbed my attention was this: "Your car was made to be disposable". We sometimes forget that even our Corvettes were not made to last forever. Parts break, things wear out, and the owner had to get to work. Fixing it so it worked trumped historical preservation. I have often said that at this point in my 1962's history, I am not so much the owner as the curator, preserving it for future generations to see, drive and enjoy. But how do you drive and enjoy it without "harming" the condition it's in now? I choose to leave the nicks, dings and scratches, preserve the matching-numbers components, keep it maintained and safely roadworthy, and enjoy it. Yes, that includes driving it. It will likely never be a Top Flight NCRS car, but that's OK. The look on my grandson's face when I wind it through the gears is worth more than any certificate or trophy. Just my opinion, of course - and I respect those who pursue 100-point (or more) restorations, but I question whether they actually enjoy their cars? To each their own.

survivor66

Fyreline, you might be surprised at Flight Judging your car. I was entirely new to Corvettes when mine fell into my lap 4 years ago. It received BG Survivor so I joined NCRS with the intent to try for Bowtie. At Florida regional last year, it did not get the needed sign off for Bowtie, but to my amazement won Top Flight! Several judges commented they love original parts and cars. If the drive train, interior and paint is original, you might be surprised as well.

rfn026

Driving the car is a critical part of preservation.

The true essence of preservation is stabilization. It’s an effort to decrease the rate of deterioration. If you’re serious about preserving your car you’ll develop a maintenance program for the car. This will involve driving the car on a regular basis.

If a car isn't driven it will deteriorate. Driving is a part of preservation:yes nod:

Richard Newton

ohiovet

In the world of Nature the Conservationists remove the dead trees from the forest to make it look pretty.

The Preservationists leave the dead tree to deteriorate and replenish the forest with the necessary nutrients to grow more trees.

In the world of Corvettes the Conservationists restore their cars and look at them and the Preservationists maintain and drive them.

I consider myself a preservationist as it is a lot more fun.

Bruce B

cv67

There ya go driving keeps them from deteriorating period.

Living the opposite of that one sad to see it go south even covered and garaged. Use it or lose it!

Frankie the Fink

Indeed - you'd do much better than a too shiny car with aftermarket features....

rfn026

Conservation is an intervention to preserve the car's historical integrity.

Restoration is an attempt to replicate some previous time in the car's history.

Richard Newton

phil2302

True but you forgot Constipation:

The side effect of the never ending illusionary pusuit of automotive perfection which if achieved tranforms the object from machine to art piece.

ChattanoogaJSB

In my mind at least conservation applies to those interested in protecting a proportion of the supply of something from being consumed or rendered altered. It is a term for the natural realm or a body of commodities in plural.

Preservation is a fine term for conservation of a given unit without restoration, and I think with those two terms (restoration and preservation) you have all you need for the singular unit level.

At least to me.

webfiero

Gary's '66

Ever since I began having a new paint job, re-chroming, stainless polished etc., everyone keeps telling me "you're not going to want to drive it".

Like hell I won't! I'm betting I'll be driving it even more! The worst thing I could do is to NOT drive it. It's been down for 4 months which, is the longest since I've owned it. I can't wait to get it back and put lots of miles on!

Gary

Mr D.

My car was in a box so no matter which road I headed down the end result was the same.

Jackfit

I just love driving and keeping a 50 year machine running. I drive it , I fix it, I drive it some more. People need to see these machines in motion . Passing a car at 80 or more, hand on the shifter, actually feeling the car...

I don't know what I am, except happy for the last 47 years...

rtruman

That's what I do to all my vehicle's ,that way you know your right the 63 I sold in 2007 went all the way to St Louis from Maryland no issue's what so ever .
The Doctor called me back and said I had a Hum Dinger ,Still to this day it stuck with me what did he mean. He had his son with him and I loaded all front brake drums in the back for original parts .

USMC 0802

I'm with Frankie and Jackfit.

I'll be driving mine to work today, even though it might rain briefly.

The humanity!!

Oh wait, I can just put the top up...

As has been stated, I believe cars must be driven if they are to last. I'm barely in my 40s and it's awesome when a C7 driver pulls up next to me and gives me the thumbs up (I see him every morning on the way in), or a little kid stares out the window of the minivan...

Keep driving and have fun!

USMC 0802

No, I'm not worthy of such a feat!

Was out in Dec with the missus with the top down, heater on, etc and it was glorious. Until the freezing rain started...

Trust me - I can move pretty well once it starts to rain!

rfn026

If you're not driving your car you're letting it go to hell. Preservation means that you're not allowing the car to deteriorate.

If you simply park the car all of the gaskets and seals will dry out. You'll get corrosion in the calipers and wheel cylinders. Some people seem to feel that that be not driving the car they're preserving the car. Nothing could be further from the truth.

A car will deteriorate even if you place it in a bubble.

Driving the car is an essential part of preservation.

A lot of you are familiar with the Simeone Daytona Coupe. That car wasn't driven for decades. When Dr. Simeone acquired it the car was a mess. He had to spend a fortune making that car drivable. A lot of the damage to that car came from storage.

The same thing can be said of the Revs Institute Porsche 917. That car was seldom driven when it was owned by Vasek Polak. That causes a lot of problems.

Parking a car for long periods of time is not preservation.

Richard Newton