MASTERMIND INC.
Michael Rizzuto WWW.MASTERMINDINC.NET
32155 Joshua Dr. mike@mastermindinc.net
Wildomar, CA. 92595 SINCE 1975
951 674-0509
REALITY TV?
Since I have been so busy working on everyone else's cars, and parts, for 35 years my wife has had to wait over 20 years for me to start remodeling our home! Unfortunately now that houses get remodeled every half hour on TV she seems to think that it should take only a few weeks, or months, at most. However I know the "Reality" is it will likely take 3- 5 years from start to finish, that is of course if you pay attention to detail like I do on everything. (We just spent 6 months working on exterior trim repairs and paint alone!)
Unfortunately cars are now being restored every half hour on TV too. Sadly many of my customers have bought into this as "Reality"! Even a lot of my European customers, typically very patient in the past, have now become like most Americans who think everything is instant. All you need is money. If only that were true. While money helps a great deal it is certainly not the cure for every restoration problem. As a direct result of this new "Reality" many people now have completely unrealistic expectations and drive me relentlessly to meet impossible deadlines. If you can imagine dozens of people doing this to you constantly you will get an idea of what my world has become.
By contrast I have devoted 30 years of my life, and spent well into the seven figures, in an attempt to restore one 1957 Eldorado Brougham to absolute perfection. I would rather leave it unfinished than compromise on even the smallest detail. To this day after 30 years of specialization I have yet to see a "Finished" Brougham restoration that would come even close to the very high standards I have set. I want my car to be Exactly how it left the factory (Only with better fit and finish) without overlooking any details or missing the smallest of parts that are currently made of "Unobtanium". All the things you do not see must look (and be) as good as the things you can see. Nothing less than that will satisfy me!
Since I have had the experience of driving a 9,000 mile mint original (Un-restored) Brougham I know first hand what it is supposed to be. It is like driving a Rolls Royce! Quiet in the cabin and as smooth as silk over the road! The vast majority of Brougham restorations out there do not even come close to a Chevy standard! Only a handful have ever even come within a few thousand miles of the Cadillac standard, and absolutely none have ever come within a million miles of the Brougham standard!
Paint and chrome is only a small part of a proper restoration. (Maybe 25%) In my opinion a high quality Brougham restoration currently cannot possibly be done simply because there are still so many parts that are unavailable. The new "Reality" on TV is that this aforementioned 30-35 years of effort would have been completed within a half hour, or an hour at most! At this point in my life I am really not sure if I am crazy, or if the rest of the world is nuts!
Sincerely,
Michael Rizzuto
Michael Rizzuto WWW.MASTERMINDINC.NET
32155 Joshua Dr. mike@mastermindinc.net
Wildomar, CA. 92595 SINCE 1975
951 674-0509
REALITY TV?
Since I have been so busy working on everyone else's cars, and parts, for 35 years my wife has had to wait over 20 years for me to start remodeling our home! Unfortunately now that houses get remodeled every half hour on TV she seems to think that it should take only a few weeks, or months, at most. However I know the "Reality" is it will likely take 3- 5 years from start to finish, that is of course if you pay attention to detail like I do on everything. (We just spent 6 months working on exterior trim repairs and paint alone!)
Unfortunately cars are now being restored every half hour on TV too. Sadly many of my customers have bought into this as "Reality"! Even a lot of my European customers, typically very patient in the past, have now become like most Americans who think everything is instant. All you need is money. If only that were true. While money helps a great deal it is certainly not the cure for every restoration problem. As a direct result of this new "Reality" many people now have completely unrealistic expectations and drive me relentlessly to meet impossible deadlines. If you can imagine dozens of people doing this to you constantly you will get an idea of what my world has become.
By contrast I have devoted 30 years of my life, and spent well into the seven figures, in an attempt to restore one 1957 Eldorado Brougham to absolute perfection. I would rather leave it unfinished than compromise on even the smallest detail. To this day after 30 years of specialization I have yet to see a "Finished" Brougham restoration that would come even close to the very high standards I have set. I want my car to be Exactly how it left the factory (Only with better fit and finish) without overlooking any details or missing the smallest of parts that are currently made of "Unobtanium". All the things you do not see must look (and be) as good as the things you can see. Nothing less than that will satisfy me!
Since I have had the experience of driving a 9,000 mile mint original (Un-restored) Brougham I know first hand what it is supposed to be. It is like driving a Rolls Royce! Quiet in the cabin and as smooth as silk over the road! The vast majority of Brougham restorations out there do not even come close to a Chevy standard! Only a handful have ever even come within a few thousand miles of the Cadillac standard, and absolutely none have ever come within a million miles of the Brougham standard!
Paint and chrome is only a small part of a proper restoration. (Maybe 25%) In my opinion a high quality Brougham restoration currently cannot possibly be done simply because there are still so many parts that are unavailable. The new "Reality" on TV is that this aforementioned 30-35 years of effort would have been completed within a half hour, or an hour at most! At this point in my life I am really not sure if I am crazy, or if the rest of the world is nuts!
Sincerely,
Michael Rizzuto