Unless that antique lure was made before 1930, wouldn't it have looked new in 1930?

During the first 12 years of marriage, my wife and I rented an 1896 Victorian farm house. We furnished it with numerous antique collectibles and furniture, include a Singer treadle sewing machine and oak armoire. My grandmother came to visit one day. She looked around and then discretely said to my wife, "Some day, Jeff will have a good job, and you'll be able to buy new things."  

Phil,
Just curious. Do new lures catch more fish than old ones (I don’t fish)?  If I did, and had an antique lure, I would likely want to try it out.  (funny how our preferences seem strangely inverted).

6 VOLTS/POS. GRD. NW INDIANA

As far as electrical systems are concerned, "Ford [had] a better idea," in 56.

These $250k resto-things just move collection to collection. We will see them back in 2-3 years with the current caretaker looking for a profit. BJ does the calling and gets them back on stage. Freshest ones bring the most bucks. I look to the first few auction days for our years T-birds and Fairlanes. Some are nice and in line with current pricing. Some are not and you can tell. Amos Mintor “E and F’s” are Saturday cars and aren’t ever driven. 

56 Vic, B'Ville 200 MPH Club Member, So Cal.

I get what you're saying.  I have an old fishing lure collection.  When I buy an antique lure, I don't want one that's been painted or with new hooks, I want one that's exactly the same as it was in 1930.  It all depends on what you want.  On the other hand, I'm not fishing with a 90 year old fishing lure.  It would reduce it's value and I probably would lose any fish that bit it.  I'm driving my 55 Tbird on today's roads, so I modified my car to make it safer and easier to live with.

I am not a fan of so called resto-mods.  I hate to see people cut up a good car to turn it into something that looks old but isn't, where there is nothing left of the original car but the hood ornament.   I just got done watching Barret Jackson where people spend $250K or more for a old car that's not an old car that someone else built. If I built it myself, I could be proud of my workmanship.  If I bought it off a stage, where is the pride in that?  My bet is most of the folks who buy those cars couldn't change the oil in my TBird. Obviously there are people who feel differently.  I remember when the car hobby was for greasy car guys, not a bunch of check writers with manicured finger nails.  

Likely only those who have inherited a car full of ‘band-aid’ fixes, and care about history.
 Sure, when it comes to safety issues, no one want to take unnecessary risks. But, where do we draw the line?  Should we all rip out our steering columns and install modern collapsible units with airbags?  Phill needs an electric fan.  Was that the traditional remedy for a car that overheats? If I remember correctly (?), Henry was a proponent of positive ground electrical systems.  Of course, he was just a senile old man (who only happened to have put the country on wheels), and when GM went 12V/neg grd., by then his ‘know-it-all’ grandson was running things.  But then, Henry wanted to keep making the model T. (which by now, would likely cost less than the gas needed to fill my expensive SUV😁).  Just saying.  Everything in perspective.  The big $ spent now at vintage car auctions are for ‘resto-mods” (likely none that still have Y-Block engines). That’s the way to go if you want a car that only looks vintage, but has all the conveniences & reliability of modern vehicles.  12V conversion offers many advantages (electronic ignition/sophisticated stereo systems/computerized fuel injection/etc.,etc.).  I just happen to think it shouldn’t be the ‘knee-jerk’ fix for everyone who acquires an old car that was improperly maintained. Kids in the 50s seldom kept their cars stock, and along with mag wheels, body customizing, speed equipment, etc., a 12V conversion would have probably been in order,  ‘I’ have blue-dot taillights, an aftermarket dual-point mod. & glasspacks, so I’m no purist.  I wouldn’t go back to bias tires, wet batteries, or non-detergent motor oil for the sake of ‘originality’ either.  Some people just get satisfaction from making old things work as designed, and want others to know that it’s still quite possible. It may be more work than the ‘band-aid’ (I AM sick of rebuilding generators), but possibly rewarding nonetheless.

6 VOLTS/POS. GRD. NW INDIANA

Phil I’ll never understand either. Unless I have a perfect 100 pt show car I only trailer to purest shows and judging I don’t get it. These cars are meant to be driven and enjoyed just like when they were new and to make them safer and better can only be a plus for the masses. Most “spectators” like these Fords look and for 75% or more of us keep them stock appearing for the most part with minor changes and get great compliments. I like my stock appearing radio with AM-FM-Bluetooth, disc brakes and other upgrades parts. 

56 Vic, B'Ville 200 MPH Club Member, So Cal.

Does anyone want to convert their 12v system to 6v?

Not a chance.  A 12 volt conversion has been the best upgrade my TBird has ever had.  I am old enough to remember when keeping a jug of water in the trunk was standard operating procedure.  I run an electric fan to keep my car from overheating.  My old 6 volt generator is sitting in a box in my garage with an alternator keeping my battery fully charged. I still have the 6 volt starter in my car and it starts first time every time and my headlights are brighter than two candles in the dark. How improving a car can be a negative is beyond me? 

Does anyone want to convert their 12v system to 6v?

I have an electric choke on the more modern Holley carburetor on the 292 engine (which I dressed up to look like the original 256) in my '54 Mercury convertible and the choke works just fine on 6 volts.  Alan