Ok all i need your opinion

I would like input from any and all who would like to respond!

Say you own a very famous for it's division(former) race car. No one knew it still existed until a few years ago. You do not have your car finished yet and someone ask's to make a "tribute car" Altho it will not be the same color(it was 1 color and it was in an accident on the way to a race mid championship season) and repainted another color for which it is well known.

They want to make it the original color(before accident) and it will be set up differently.


What do you guys/gals think? I told him I would think about it.

 

Are you actively working on your own car? Will you make a big bag of money on this race car so you will be able to complete your wagon?

 

It depends on how much I was into racing and my interests in that type car. Also depends who is going to be doing the work and who's money will be involved.
Also if I had to sell the car so others could do this transformation how badly am I attached to the car and will I be properly compensated so I can buy something else.

 

They want to make a "tribute car" of MY car. I own the original.

I just don't think it's kosher to make a tribute of a still existing car. I can totally understand making a tribute car of one that you know for sure no longer exists.

It would be in the first version of the car which is a totally different color but I don't know if I am for them using the name.

And yes I am working on my car I had some health issues that set me back considerably

 

I'm with you. Making a tribute car (read copy) of a car that you know is destroyed is one thing. To copy a car that does still exist leaves room for doubt, not to mention fraud, down the road. Besides, why does the world need a copy when the original is there?

 

Yup, what he said.

 

Imitation; the highest form of flattery. ?

 

Exactly - take it as a compliment. If this is a paying job and you need the work, go for it. What's to consider? Are you worried about the tribute car impacting the worth of your car?

 

LOL it's not paying me SQUAT! I'm not doing the work, someone wants to copy my car!

It took me a few years to research my ride, From the man who raced it to when my dad bought it in the 70's (went thru 3 others). Hell it took me a few years before that to figure out what I had, going from my memory of when my dad bought it and a paper on the window with a magazine photo attached to it.( I was probably 12) I knew something was up when I went to buy a derby car off the man who put it in primer for my dad. He tried to buy it then started to offer more and bug me when I clearly told him the car was not for sale. Something clicked so I started doing some investigating. Mind you he sanded off all the lettering! And never said anything about it!

 

How about pictures?

 

?????

 

If you have the original, and can document it's history, than a tribute car can only raise awareness and interest in the original which I would think would add value to the original. However, I would not give them free access to the original. It probably wouldn't be a good idea to allow every detail to be duplicated exactly. At that point it ceases to be a tribute car and instead becomes a counterfeit. If the party is connected to the car's history in any way, then its always possible that they could have an engine or other parts from the original, that can be documented and that you don't know about. If they used those leftover discarded parts from the original on the tribute, then it becomes a matter of who has the most of the original car.

 

OK - I thought someone had come to you and commissioned you to build them a copy of your car. I understand the situation now and based on that, you have to take it purely as flattery.

When I bought my '64 Impala SS Convertible, my neighbor across the street from me liked it so much he bought a '64 Impala SS Hardtop. Same color as mine. Then he went and put the exact same tires and wheels on it. And then he lowered it to match mine. I had two choices - get mad or embrace the situation. I chose to take the opportunity to use his car as a reference point when I was working on mine. He also motivated me to keep improving my car, since he spent time and money on his. Life's too short to be mad about it.

 

Yes that's the original color configuration

 

This is what is was when it was repainted and is going to be when finished