Facing Reality

I began this ’56 Plymouth rebuild blog four years ago with the idea of sharing my frustrations, successes, and learning experiences with others contemplating, or already immersed in a restoration project. Because my car is an oddball make and model there wasn’t a lot in the way of body parts that could be ordered from a catalog, and the people who knew and had experience restoring these cars were few and far between, so the task was intimidating. Boy, was that an underestimation!

What I was unwilling to accept was that we truly live in a belly button world and for every person interested in a ’56 Plymouth there are a hundred thousand sheep enamored with ’57 Chevys. I had hoped to attract readers who wanted to see what else is out there from the glorious fifties besides Tri-five bowties, but apparently there is even a smaller handful of people who fit that description than I thought.

In those four years, despite blog links in my signature on a dozen car and motorsports forums, I’ve managed to attract a grand total of one follower, and while I’m grateful for his interest and loyalty, it’s rather foolish to continue writing for a nearly empty house. I know that some of you drop in periodically, and others stumble in with a web search, but for the most part, there is no interest in either the car or my narrative. Even my letters seeking information and guidance from “recognized Mopar authorities” go unanswered, so I’m pretty much on my own when it comes to research. I can’t even discuss the project on the Forward Look forum, as there is so much ingrained opposition to modifying any part of the original factory design and I’ve discovered that it’s counterproductive to ruffle the feathers of purists. Although it sometimes takes a while, I eventually get the hint.

I think the time has arrived to back out gracefully, with heartfelt thanks to the few who took the time to read my posts, offer suggestions and encouragement, but more importantly just for being an Internet friend with similar interests.

At my age, there is a real possibility that my project may never see the street. However I intend to keep chipping away, and maybe someday I’ll be able to post photos of the old Plymouth under power. If so, it will probably be similar to what a friend used to tell me when he had accomplished something he was proud of, but had been dismissed or ignored by others…”It’s like wetting your pants in a dark suit, you get a warm feeling, but nobody notices”.