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The 4-door Barracuda at Mecum

dadsbee said:
Just wish people would stop beating on a dead man's dream.... let it go!
Click to expand...

I've been annoyed from the start with those that bash Dave and his efforts.
Just to clear the air on this car….
Dave Walden was a man that used to strive for perfection in his restorations. He spent far more time obsessing over details than most people. He took this car on as a mission to recreate a concept car that that may or may not have been built.
He spent his own money doing it, not yours.
Yes, there are some elements to the car that don't please the eye but the execution of the work is superb. Most of the negative comments that I have seen are from the same people that would never have the skills that Dave had, never had the passion he had either.
He had a successful business for a reason.
The most respectful negative comments follow the theme of the car is ugly but the workmanship is top notch.
As rude as it is to crap on another man's passion, that sentiment is accurate.
I PM'd Dave from this site and on a couple others. He was a talented guy with a thick skin but many of you guys pushed the limits on decency and reasonable manners when commenting on the car.
Did you guys see the black 4 door '70 Valiant he restored a few years prior? How about the white Challenger R/T? Anyone see the 69 Mustang?
Of course not. Those cars set the standard for absolute OEM correctness.
Regarding THIS car though....
$40,000 is abysmally low but....what can be done with the car? It can't be registered and driven on a public road since it has no legitimate VIN. Dave knew this, yet he persisted. He wanted to recreate a concept car and did it to the best of his ability. You can dislike or even hate the roof but look at the build quality and tell me that you've done better.
 
I don’t know the guy. But I assume he was alive in ‘17 when I first saw it. I thought it was ugly. Still do. I’ve owned my ‘70 since 17 yo. Still have it at 60 yo. It’s just my opinion on the car. No disrespect to the guy who built it.
 
Kern Dog said:
I've been annoyed from the start with those that bash Dave and his efforts.
Just to clear the air on this car….
Dave Walden was a man that used to strive for perfection in his restorations. He spent far more time obsessing over details than most people. He took this car on as a mission to recreate a concept car that that may or may not have been built.
He spent his own money doing it, not yours.
Yes, there are some elements to the car that don't please the eye but the execution of the work is superb. Most of the negative comments that I have seen are from the same people that would never have the skills that Dave had, never had the passion he had either.
He had a successful business for a reason.
The most respectful negative comments follow the theme of the car is ugly but the workmanship is top notch.
As rude as it is to crap on another man's passion, that sentiment is accurate.
I PM'd Dave from this site and on a couple others. He was a talented guy with a thick skin but many of you guys pushed the limits on decency and reasonable manners when commenting on the car.
Did you guys see the black 4 door '70 Valiant he restored a few years prior? How about the white Challenger R/T? Anyone see the 69 Mustang?
Of course not. Those cars set the standard for absolute OEM correctness.
Regarding THIS car though....
$40,000 is abysmally low but....what can be done with the car? It can't be registered and driven on a public road since it has no legitimate VIN. Dave knew this, yet he persisted. He wanted to recreate a concept car and did it to the best of his ability. You can dislike or even hate the roof but look at the build quality and tell me that you've done better.
Click to expand...
Thanks Greg! Dave was top notch. As you know he actually sent a Fedx ticket to pick up my 383 exhaust to duplicate and sent it back to me along with complete system for free!

Anyone that hasn't experienced a brain cancer person's moves and motives, I pray you never have to!
 
Kern Dog said:
I've been annoyed from the start with those that bash Dave and his efforts.
Just to clear the air on this car….
Dave Walden was a man that used to strive for perfection in his restorations. He spent far more time obsessing over details than most people. He took this car on as a mission to recreate a concept car that that may or may not have been built.
He spent his own money doing it, not yours.
Yes, there are some elements to the car that don't please the eye but the execution of the work is superb. Most of the negative comments that I have seen are from the same people that would never have the skills that Dave had, never had the passion he had either.
He had a successful business for a reason.
The most respectful negative comments follow the theme of the car is ugly but the workmanship is top notch.
As rude as it is to crap on another man's passion, that sentiment is accurate.
I PM'd Dave from this site and on a couple others. He was a talented guy with a thick skin but many of you guys pushed the limits on decency and reasonable manners when commenting on the car.
Did you guys see the black 4 door '70 Valiant he restored a few years prior? How about the white Challenger R/T? Anyone see the 69 Mustang?
Of course not. Those cars set the standard for absolute OEM correctness.
Regarding THIS car though....
$40,000 is abysmally low but....what can be done with the car? It can't be registered and driven on a public road since it has no legitimate VIN. Dave knew this, yet he persisted. He wanted to recreate a concept car and did it to the best of his ability. You can dislike or even hate the roof but look at the build quality and tell me that you've done better.
Click to expand...
Back in 1982, Rick Dobbertin shocked the Hot Rod, car building crowd with his 1965 Chevy Nova Pro Street. Not the first Pro Street car built, but a roots supercharged, twin turbo, NOS injection… and the build quality was 2nd to none. Still a milestone in big $ builds for me. I loved it, and his workmanship. He built a Pontiac J2000 that I didn’t care for. Then the Orbiter thing. He sold everything to build that. I thought it was goofy looking. I never lost respect for him though. I actually wanted to get a ‘65 Nova but ended up with a ‘70 ‘Cuda. Anyway, no disrespect to the builder. I still love that Nova!

Rescued Icon! Rick Dobbertin’s Famed Pro Street 1965 Chevy Nova SS
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Beating a dead horse has moved on to beating a dead cow working on the dead part.gif

& I'll add my opinion again, like many others did
since it's been brought up again...

A bad project, that spent way more then he should, even if it is his $$$
it's all opinions
He was paying someone else to build it,
& goofy (alleged BS) story about some mailroom BS, hearsay, didn't help

it's an fugly *** car

I don't think anyone/nobody says the guy who did all the fabrication
was dumb or a hack etc. to the contrary, he was praised,
it wasn't Dave either
or that guy didn't have superior talent...
Our opinion is, the design was all wrong, not attractive to the eye,
& we are intitled to our opinions
just as much as, his worshippers all are
& people want to blow smoke up the ***...

or
Guy who did most all of it, very talented
he was a paid fabricator, & probably $150+ an hr
1,000+ hrs & or employed by Dave @4 dr cuda, had contracted to build
said; "Mail Room 'cuda 4 dr" BS storied car

Everyone is intitled to their own opinions
these are mine take it or leave it

& most of US, all didn't get any free **** from Dave either
usually at near NOS prices for repops
& he was an abrasive dude on this forum,
maybe ?
if he (Dave) was a bit less abrasive/argumentative, disruptive
& did it to stand out, sell/hawk his businesses parts all over the -www-
he may have been respected (more), for the FUGLY *** build/4 dr 'cuda design

I don't think anyone said it wasn't a quality build, to the contrary
we just say it like we believe it to be, opinions everyone has one like a bellybutton...
The guy he paid to do the work did a great job, with the design he had to work with...
I doubt anyone would dispute that "fact"

Dave/he designed or had someone else design that thing,
& it was executed to the buyers wants, or needs
(no matter how bad (my opinion) that it looked, after finished)
"A Vision" or thinking outside of the box, all that could be disputed, (?)

Seems like he was just another guy with a lot of money, & he spent it
on building something, that he wanted
no matter how fugly that monstrosity is, it was his pride & joy it seems
it is at no fault of the paid builder/fabricator,
who was dearly paid to perform a service...
It has some cool ****...

IMHFO (everyone is is entitled to them) just an FUGLY *** car, a really bad design
& that is a fact, no matter the guys/owner's health at the time...
Is just an excuse...
Doesn't give you the right to be a prick...
(sorry to his buddies, he was one)

The story behind the car, or why he built it is the "alleged" fraud, tall tale
it all started to off the rails right there, & went even farther when people in the know
(people with 1st hand experiences) all called him out on it on multiple forums
& that was a bad premises for the build, to start with...
But he stuck to his guns, with the bad (fabricated/hearsay ?) BS tale/story...

Maybe ?
if Dave would have just said, he wanted to build the one off 4 dr 'cuda that way
& didn't propagate the BS story, on 10+ MoPar/Car specific sites/forums,
maybe it may have been accepted by the MoPar communties much better,
IIRC He was banned (or left in a huff) from a bunch of the sights...
He deserves the critique he got/gets, he brought most of it, all on himself...

Not trashing the guy who's dead, he had a horrible illness,
I believe most didn't know about, at the time either,
he/Dave is Resting In Peace now, I'd hope...
It's just my perception & what I saw
for well over a year, on a bunch of other sites too...

He could have been such a help to more people here too,
He seemed to rather like to argue with "all the rest" over everything
if he didn't build it, or it didn't come from/made by ECS, "it was junk" mentality...

Constantly

I had a couple go around with him too...

Dave, he had run ins with many, many people, argued & 'flat out insulted' many people
& many members, even on here...
Probably why he was banned (?) or left in a huff (?)...
Being an outright argumentative prick, with blinder on, has no good place here
or anywhere else...

I still have a 1,400 page PM, that I started with some very close/friends members
(5) now, around the very subject 'originally', I thank him for that...

my $1.25
& I don't care what the worshipers all think, it's my perception/views...
 
Last edited:
Budnicks said:
View attachment 1978500
& I'll add my opinion again, like many others did

A bad project, that spent way more then he should, even if it is his $$$
it's all opinions
He was paying someone else to build it,
& goofy (alleged BS) story about some mailroom BS, hearsay, didn't help

it's an fugly *** car

I don't 6think anone/nobody says the guy who did all the fabrication
was dumb or a hack etc. to the contrary, he was praised,
it wasn't Dave either
or that guy didn't have superior talent, Our opinion is, the design was all wrong
we are intitled to our opinion just as much as his worshipors all are
& people want to blow smoke up the designers/former owner's ***...

or
Guy who did most all of it, he was a paid fabricator probably $150+ an hr
1,000+ hrs & or employed by Dave @4 dr cuda contracted to build
said; "Mail Room 'cuda 4 dr" BS storied car

Eveyone is intitled to their own opinions
these are mine take it or leave it

& most of US, all didn't get any free **** from Dave either
he was an abrasive dude on this forum,
maybe ?
if he was a bit less abrasive/argumentative, disruptive & did it to stand out,
he may have been respected (more) for the FUGLY *** build/4 dr 'cuda design

I don't think anyone said it wasn't a quality build,
the guy he paid to do the work did a great job with the design he had to work with
I doubt anyone would dispute that "fact"
Dave/he designed or had someone else design that thing,
& it was executed to the buyers wants, or needs (no matter bad it looked)
no matter how fugly that monstrosity is, it is at no fault of the paid builder/fabricator,
who was dearly paid to perform a service
it has some cool ****
I just an FUGLY *** car, a really bad design
& that is a fact, no matter the guys/owner's health at the time...
Doesn't give you the right to be a prick...

The story behind, or why he built it is the "alleged" fraud
& a bad premisis for the build, to start
if Dave would have just said, he wanted to build the one off 4 dr 'cuda that way
& didn't propagate the BS story, it may have been excepted by the
MoPar commuinties much better, he was banned (or left in a huff)
from a bunch of the sights...
He deserves the critique he got/gets, he brought most all on himself...

He could have been such a help to more people here too,
He seemed to rather like to argue with "all the rest" over everything
if he didn't build it, or it didn't come from ECS, "it was junk" mentality...
I had a couple go around with him too...

Dave, he had run ins with many, many people, argued & 'flat out insulted' many people
& many members, even on here...
Probably why he was banned (?) or left in a huff (?)...
Being an outright argumentative prick, with blinder on, has no good place here
or anywhere else...

my $1.25
& I don't care what the worshipers all think...
Click to expand...

nailed-it.jpg
 
Sorry if I stirred up a hornets nest. The hammer price on the car reflects clearly about the Mecum crowd and guys like me who don’t really know of the builder/dreamer.
 
I’m not paying a premium to buy another person’s dream.
For all the praise and criticism, the car is museum/garage art. It cannot be driven on the street. It will probably not increase in value. Those that seek to own the car know those things.
 
dadsbee said:
Thanks Greg! Dave was top notch. As you know he actually sent a Fedx ticket to pick up my 383 exhaust to duplicate and sent it back to me along with complete system for free!

Anyone that hasn't experienced a brain cancer person's moves and motives, I pray you never have to!
Click to expand...
My stepfather Bob,
recently, very recently died from a stroke, cause by a massive brain tumor,
that he lived with for a couple years...
I know it all too well...
 
I read in a previous Mecum auction, they expected over $200k. $37k is clean ‘72-‘74 318 money.
 
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