Zen and the Art of Collecting Old Cars

Personal stories of collecting and restoring classic cars - Packard, Lamberghini, GTO, Studebaker, Cadillac, Thunderbird, Mercedes-Benz, and more. Includes 32 full color photos of restored classic cars. “... a ‘must read’ for those of us who truly love the automobile.” — Jay Leno. From the Introduction: This book is not about Zen. Nevertheless, Zen pervades its pages. Anecdotally, it's about the hunt for and occasional capture of unique motorcars by one man over a period of six decades. This book details a lifetime of searching, finding, buying, transporting, restoring, enjoying, and eventually selling the products of a hobby gone wild. Reading these true stories of one man's lifelong car-collecting avocation, you'll find the journey seldom follows the anticipated path. As with life itself, there are sudden turns, frequent stops, and frustrating conditions, events, and outcomes. It's probably better to recognize these through others' experiences, rather than stumbling into the pitfalls and darker elements of car collecting on your own and without preparation. As I did. After you've read the car stories, and had an opportunity to observe mistakes made, and the adverse results that often follow, the book's concluding chapter will offer lessons learned across a ­car-collecting lifetime. Take heed. These lessons could help prevent similar mistakes in your own collecting pursuits. Who knows, they might even save you from yourself.Looking back, I wish I'd found something similar sixty years ago to better prepare for the hobby's rigors. Many wasted hours and dollars might have been saved. Above all, these stories should illustrate the difference between learning as you go - flying by the seat of your pants - or gaining information and knowledge before stepping into the rewarding, but also daunting, hobby of collecting old cars. Take the lesson. -- Bruce Valley

A former naval officer, test pilot, Washington speechwriter, and aerospace executive, Bruce Valley is the author of Seahawk: Confessions of an Old Hockey Goalie and Rye Harbor: Poems of the New Hampshire Seacoast. He lives in Rye, New Hampshire, and writes about commonplace matters in our lives, some unseen and unheard, those things which touch our hearts.