Half my car club thinks a member should be kicked out for putting an electric motor in a '69 Mustang.
By @willaok · Culture
He bought the car to restore it, but now he's decided to turn it into an EV 'restomod'. The old-timers in the club say it's disrespectful to the car's history, but the younger guys think it's his car and his right.
The full story
I'm in a local car club. It's mostly older fellas, guys who've been working on classic American muscle since they were kids. We get together, drink bad coffee, and talk about carburetors. It's a good time. The whole point for us is preserving these cars. The sound, the smell, the feel of a V8 engine. It's about history. A few months back, a new guy joined. He's younger, a tech guy, and he bought a '69 Mustang that needed a lot of work. We were all happy to see a new project. We thought he was going to do a proper restoration. Then last week he announces his big plan. He's not restoring the original engine. He's pulling it out and dropping a Tesla motor in its place. He called it "the best of both worlds." Well, that went over like a lead balloon. Our club president, a guy who's been restoring Fords for 50 years, basically told him he was committing a sin. That the soul of a Mustang is its engine, and if he's going to turn it into a golf cart, he can find a new club. The new guy was floored. Said it's his property and he can do what he wants with it. The debate has completely taken over. The younger members think it's a cool project and that the older guys are just being gatekeepers who can't handle change. The rest of us feel like it's a slap in the face to what the hobby is all about. You don't just tear the heart out of a classic and replace it with a battery. The club is literally split down the middle and our weekly meetups are just awkward silence and arguments now.
How people voted
- Facts — 30% (81 votes)
- Depends — 42% (114 votes)
- No Way — 28% (77 votes)
Readers say “Depends” (42%) — 272 votes and 5 comments so far.
What people are saying
@brynnkindof — You don't join a steakhouse and then demand they serve you a salad.
@paigeok2 — Ah yes, the sacred bond between a man and his internal combustion engine.
@plottwistlol — soft.
@owenish — he should add fake horse sounds just to mess with them
@piakindof — lmaooo
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