An open letter about sharing information

[Tucker Fan 48]

I've been a fan of the Tucker for nearly 40 years. Over the past couple years I've
become a lot more serious about learning everything I can and in the past few
months I've learned lots of little known facts about the cars. I've also become
friends with some very wonderful people on this board who like myself, are a little
obcessed with a certain car.

I find it amazing the path that each car has taken. No two are the same. Even
when they shared a common owner they would soon take a different path. The
parts and pieces all got co-mingled and cars that were rotting away are now
winning ribbons for their restorations. Much of that comes because a few people
cared enough back in 1973 to start a club about the car.

Over the years they shared information, swapped parts, and helped each other
keep the cars going. Many of those people have passed on but some are still here
helping us younger old guys learn about the car. Back in those days the members
could dream that they might someday own a Tucker. Some of them did. They
commanded a high price back then but the average guy still still buy one if he
had saved his pennies over the years.

Today that is different. Most of us will probably never own a Tucker. A few of
us can even kick ourselves for not buying one when we had the chance, (sorry
#1011, it could have been special). What we can do is learn about the cars and
the history that makes them what they are.

I've found that many people on the board are more than willing to share what they
know. There are some great discussions that go on here. The one thing that I
find on occasion there are a few people that don't like to share what they know.
Sure it's a free country and no one can force them to share. But why even post
then if all they want to basically say is "I know the answer and you don't". Seems
kinda silly doesn't it?

I'm not trying to pick on anyone or start a fight. I just think we'd all learn so much
more if we share what we do know. Just think if Richard or Larry (just picking
two random names) never shared any of the knowledge they have with the rest
of us. We'd know very little and in a few more years we'd have 10 secret Tucker
cars that were all started at the plant with no paperwork and no one would be able
to say it's not true because nobody would know the history of all the cars and the
parts that went to them.

Sure we all have time invested in tracking down information. But what good will
it do anyone if it never gets shared. No one would know what motor was in which
car if the people that were there over the years didn't share that with us.

If you've got information please share it. There is no one person that has all the
information about the cars, however, there are a lot of people that have bits and
pieces and even a few facts. If everyone would share them a little more freely we
can all learn something and maybe even solve some of the mysteries about the
cars we all love.

From everything I've read in the 5500+ posts on here, along with magazine and
newspaper articles, the answers to most of the questions about the cars are
still available if we ask the right people the right questions and separate the
facts from the fiction.

Hopefully I haven't offended anyone. If I have I apologize. My hope is that we
can open up discussion on a few things and who knows, maybe we'll even find
the rock that #1042 is hidden under.

These cars are part of history. If we don't share history we'll never learn anything.

[Phantomrig]

I agree with you about the sharing of knowledge, but if you know something that you dont wish to share that is up to you, just please keep the fact that you do know something to yourself if that is how you feel. If you dont want to share your knowledge that is your business, but please dont rube that fact that you have more knowledge about something than others do over the open forum, it just makes you look bad. im not saying that those of us that arnt a knowedgable should be spoon feed the info buy the other members that do have the knowledge because that is what research is for, but dont perpously hide something from the community if you know there is no place for anyone else to find it. now this post is just my personal opinion and im shure the other Moderators/Admins have theirs as well but that is up to them to share theirs if they want to.

Please keep this topic under control, I think we are all mature enough not to attack eachother, but if this topic does get out of control I will have no problem deleating post.

[589]

I don't know about the rest of you but I'm about to cry. Someone please hold me.

Seriously, in my less than humble opinion I feel that all info on a long gone car should be shared fully and openly. It's not as if someone is going to repop a bunch of parts with said info and get rich. What's to be gained by keeping information to one's self? The sad fact is that many people pass away and take such info with them.

[Tucker Fan 48]

You make a couple of excellent points!

1.

It's not as if someone is going to repop a bunch of parts with said info and get rich.

What is happening is without the information, things like the "convertible" show up and no one can prove
it false because the information that would prove it absolute is not available.

2.

The sad fact is that many people pass away and take such info with them.

The cars are now 62 years old. Anyone that worked at the plant or bought one new is getting up there
in years and as that information passes on we'll be without it forever unless we get it soon.

[589]

Points? Have you been looking at the top of my head?

The convertible and the recent Monte Carlo based movie cars are perfect examples of the things that get bandied about by those who either don't know or perpetrate falsehoods or misinformation (whether on purpose or through ignorance).

One thing though, I'm not going to tell anyone about my WWII prototype Tucker convertible station wagon that was built up in Canada to avoid the WPB's meddling. Nope, not gonna do it. Y'all will just have to wait until I post it on eBay, then I can afford to buy one of them fangled Riviera or Monte Carlo Tuckers.