For the love of the birds....

[72beepbeep]

I think I need to blurt out my thoughts which have been tightly packed away for a few weeks/months now. Let me start and compliment you guys on the creativity and workmanship you put into your cars. Some of the projects and pictures I have seen on various threads are absolutely jaw dropping! I know we belong to a certain family/brotherhood, first of all for having a passion for mopars but more importantly for the birds themselves!

In New Zealand here all the metal work and panelbeating has to be certified and performed by a registered panelbeater or structural engineer! We cannot arm ourselves with welding equipment and go to battle especially if our projects have been flagged by the New Zealand Transport Authority for rust and structural weakness upon entry into the country.

Having no father figure in my life also means I'm a wee bit behind when it comes to the more technical aspects of restoration and using specialist tools. However to compensate I have an amazing mother who instilled the seed of hard work into my tool case of values, so I'm lucky to have had the chances to work until my hands turned raw to save up and send my car to an engineer for a full body restoration. Unfortunately so many project cars are abandoned in NZ for this reason. No one can afford such luxuries so beautiful specimens are lost and forgotten about. It takes a certain grit and mindset to finish projects here, even ordering parts takes up to 3 months to arrive from the time of purchase on eBay.

It is absolutely inspiring and amazing to see the work you guys have done on your birds yourselves! Gionni's Pro Runner thread has some pictures that are flawless! This whole forum even is very warm and offer endless wisdom and really does make an effort to form bonds to really make us a big family. I have not seen anything like this on any other forum I have visited. I like how we are all a "get it done, but do it right" group. So let me say fellow enthusiasts that the more you work harder on your cars and show just how much you have sacrificed to bring them up to standard, you offer hope and enlightenment to the few of us tucked away on a couple of islands in the corner of the earth.

[71bird]

Thank you for the kind words to everybody here.But there is really only one reason we do, or can do what we do, and that is because SO many good people have died in dirty ditches so that we could have fun the way they did.

[gcoupe72]

Thanks for expressing what I've felt since finding this forum.
I can't imagine the challenges you face getting some of the parts we take for granted!
This is another inspiration for us all to work a little harder on our 'birds.
Are there any technical or trade schools where you could get the credentials you need to do more of your own work?
I know us 'Yanks" gripe about government intrusion in our lives, nice to be reminded how lucky we really are!

[road chicken]

Thats exactly why I come to this board.

[sdweatherman]

Sounds like its time for the people to rise up and overthrow the government! .....Or maybe just gather up all car enthusiasts and petition to have that particular law softened a bit. Good luck with your project!
Scott.

[GTXS]

Sounds like its time for the people to rise up and overthrow the government! .....Or maybe just gather up all car enthusiasts and petition to have that particular law softened a bit. Good luck with your project!
Scott.

Do I smell a revolution brewing?? Where do I sign up!!

[road chicken]

A lot of Pro 2nd Ammendment Rallyes going on this weekend, that's a great place to start!

[71_bronze_gtx]

Think he meant the NZ government. So try Auckland or Christchurch for those rallyes.

Might be easier just to emigrate to the US of A. I think Obama and the INS are running a special. If you can find your way in illegally, by any means necessary, we'll start you on the road to citizenship. I'd suggest the California border with Mexico, but make sure you're wearing the kevlar vest. Border patrol won't bother you, but the drug lords might. By the time your bird arrives, you may be naturalized.

[road chicken]

I know, but the party is getting started here as well.