President Trump

[trickydicky43richard]

Does President Trump have a car collection?

[trimacar]

Yes he does, but it's mostly modern stuff that you'd expect many billionaires to have....not because they're into cars, but because they need to show people they can afford such cars...Rolls Royce Phantom (and a 50's RR), Mercedes McLaren, he had a Diablo but apparently sold it.....so yes, he has some cars, and expensive ones.

 

He likes to surround himself with expensive and pretty things, as do many people.  Hopefully, on his car collection, he'll make the right choices and bring them all together in the end.....

[F&J]

Trimacar posted before I finished... but...I saw a youtube video a few days ago.  Yes, he has a collection.  Oldest one is a Rolls I think.  He has some Mercedes "special very pricey sporty car" around 2003?,  that this video said he does drive himself when he wanted to drive himself.  Probably can no longer do that now? 

Edited March 6, 2017 by F&J (see edit history)

[F&J]

it was in this video

 

.

 

[Doug Novak]

We use to see a Helicopter with Trump written on the side, as shown in the Video. It use to fly over our house a few years ago on a heading towards Washington, but haven't seen it in a long time. I don't know if he was actually on it, or if it was used for other purposes.   

[John_S_in_Penna]

Actually, we were discussing the very same topic

back in February.  Here's the thread:

 

And I don't think anyone knows someone else's

motives for having cars.  We have to be careful

assuming that a wealthy person bought it just to

show off:  Does he drive around the block with

his head hanging out the window, to be seen!

Or does a person buy an item because he really likes it,

and has the money to spend on an unnecessary item?

 

Please don't accept TV's fictional portrayal of those people.

I've met 3 billionaires, or near billionaires, and have

found them to be more modest than the average person.

They may be busy, but they're happy to take a friendly call.

If you met one in the local hardware store, you would

think he was just another guy there to buy fertilizer---

and he very well might be.

Edited March 6, 2017 by John_S_in_Penna (see edit history)

[Restorer32]

We did a restoration for a legitimate local Billionaire. Not too many in our area. He worried more about his hundreds of employees and their futures once he was forced to sell his businesses due to advancing age than most bosses I've ever met. They aren't all Scrooge McDucks swimming in their piles of cash. Most I've met worked very hard to get to where they are.

[trimacar]

I retract my generalization about billionaires.  I actually discussed a car with a multi-billionaire recently, he was very nice to talk with, and he loves big American Classics (think 1930's heavy iron).

 

Just like any upper strata of society, there are straight forward people one enjoys being around, and there are show-offs that one tries to avoid.

[John_S_in_Penna]

Isn't it interesting how people (especially newsmen)

refer to most people by their occupation:

"Furniture store owner Bob Brown,"

"Attorney Herb Brubaker,"

"Aluminum manufacturer Joe Slatoski"---

 

But when someone reaches that specific level of wealth,

his identifying title becomes, "Billionaire Warren Buffet."

His job is not simply being a billionaire!

[lump]

Indeed, we car fanatics should thank heaven for wealthy car collectors and enthusiasts. How many of the rest of us could spend literally millions of dollars restoring or building the super cars? What does it cost to rebuild the engine in a Bugatti, Ferrari, or Duesenberg these days? What should you expect to pay for a pair of missing headlights for a Bucciali or Thomas Flyer? What does it cost to totally restore a top Hispano-Suiza today? Can you imagine having to pay to have quite a few one-off rare parts made from scratch...such as old superchargers, cylinder heads, brass headlights, or four fenders? 

 

My point is not to lecture or "correct" anyone, but to remind us all that it is way too easy to fall into the trap of resentment of anyone with more cash than ourselves. I can't tell you how many times I have heard car guys discussing something about Jay Leno's collection, for example, when someone in the group would say something like, "Of COURSE! He's got all that money!" as though having wealth was somehow dirty.  

 

I too have hob-knobbed with some very, very wealthy car collectors. Some are friends, and others are just nice folks. It is my experience that the amount of wealth someone has is not a good indicator of how genial that person may be. 

 

We are best served by assuming every car collector is a fine person and potential good friend, until they might prove otherwise, in my opinion. 

[Dandy Dave]

Donald Trumps Brother Robert collects Power Shovels of all things. He live's in Millbrook, N.Y. Met him at the Rhinebeck Fair a number of years ago. He wanted to buy my small power shovel that I built from scrap and discarded parts. I had it as a running display at the fair at the time. Dandy Dave! 

[Bhigdog]

Do you have a pix of the shovel........?

 

[CarFreak]

The local billionaire who owns the building where I work is a nice guy although many describe him as eccentric.  Back in the day, he owned MANY beautiful & expensive cars and lots of other 'stuff'.  He decided instead to give away his money to charitable purposes - schools, universities, religious organizations, etc. and has actively been doing that for many years now.  

 

He still has a couple very nice homes, and of course the office building, but most of the cars are gone now.  I do occasionally eat lunch in the cafeteria looking out across the atrium at the 1942 Buick Convertible in the upper reception area. 

Edited March 8, 2017 by CarFreak (see edit history)

[trimacar]

Again, I have nothing against people who have money, it's just that Trump doesn't strike me as a "car guy", but one doesn't always know what goes on behind closed garage doors!

 

It's interesting that there are people in this country who really hate those one-percenters who've worked hard to make a lot of money, yet some of the same people who throw rocks at the rich have no trouble imagining the possibility of winning a lottery.

[John_S_in_Penna]

According the internet encyclopedia "Wikipedia,"

there are 536 billionaires in the United States,

33 in Canada, 27 in Australia, etc., as measured in U. S. dollars.

But how would anyone know that some of these businessmen

truly are billionaires?

 

Is there a box to check on the census form? 

[Larry Schramm]

I would just GUESS by their income tax filings.

[Pilgrim65]

No , but would like one 

pilgrim

[60FlatTop]

I bet Chartreuse News Network can tell you. And there is something wrong with all of them.

 

Reading all this stuff about money reminds me that I am supposed to be working on a proposal this morning.

Bernie

[John_S_in_Penna]

2 hours ago, Larry Schramm said:

I would just GUESS by their income tax filings.

 

---But income tax forms are private, not open

to magazines such as Forbes who list their "400"

richest people.  And being a billionaire is based on

net assets, not income.  Certain people who are

major stockholders in publicly traded companies

are listed in those companies' annual reports, so 

at least those assets can be counted.  However,

the average local businessman who has a medium-

sized company with several hundred employees,

while he may be a friendly car collector, is likely

far from a billionaire.

 

I think those lists are suspect, and the number of

billionaires may fluctuate with the ups and downs of

their investments.

 

Thankfully, money doesn't buy happiness, and any of us

with a '62 Corvair or a '52 Plymouth is probably

at least as happy as any of those considered rich.

Driving an old car is a richer experience than hoarding money.

[Xander Wildeisen]

Money does not buy happiness, but it allows you to look for it in more places.

[Larry Schramm]

2 hours ago, John_S_in_Penna said:

 

---But income tax forms are private, not open

to magazines such as Forbes who list their "400"

richest people.  And being a billionaire is based on

net assets, not income.  Certain people who are

major stockholders in publicly traded companies

are listed in those companies' annual reports, so 

at least those assets can be counted.  However,

the average local businessman who has a medium-

sized company with several hundred employees,

while he may be a friendly car collector, is likely

far from a billionaire.

 

I think those lists are suspect, and the number of

billionaires may fluctuate with the ups and downs of

their investments.

 

Thankfully, money doesn't buy happiness, and any of us

with a '62 Corvair or a '52 Plymouth is probably

at least as happy as any of those considered rich.

Driving an old car is a richer experience than hoarding money.

 

Income tax data would be just an aggregate total without names I would think.  Otherwise how else would you know if the billionaires did not tell you?

[trimacar]

Money doesn't buy happiness, but it sure makes the misery more enjoyable!

 

One of the quotes that's abused day in and day out is the one that supposedly says "money is the root of all evil". 

 

That's not the true quote at all, it's "...for the love of money is the root of all evil".  I don't love money, but I like it.  Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to like me, and never seems to either come my way nor stay around if it does.....

[Bhigdog]

13 minutes ago, trimacar said:

Money doesn't buy happiness, but it sure makes the misery more enjoyable!

 

One of the quotes that's abused day in and day out is the one that supposedly says "money is the root of all evil". 

 

That's not the true quote at all, it's "...for the love of money is the root of all evil".  I don't love money, but I like it.  Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to like me, and never seems to either come my way nor stay around if it does.....

 

Any amount more than what you need to satisfy your needs along with your modest and reasonable wants is just a pain in the ass...............Bob

[30DodgePanel]

I heard he even has a liking for modest European rides from the mid 90's..ish

 

 

[Dandy Dave]

On ‎3‎/‎7‎/‎2017 at 0:09 PM, Bhigdog said:

Do you have a pix of the shovel........?

 

 

Here's a YouTube Video..

 

[Bhigdog]

11 hours ago, Dandy Dave said:

Here's a YouTube Video

 

Yowee! Way cool. Do you use hyd motors for slew and crawl?...................Bob

[Pilgrim65]

21 hours ago, Xander Wildeisen said:

Money does not buy happiness, but it allows you to look for it in more places.

Sure but I'd rather be unhappy with money than without?

[60FlatTop]

Money is often overlooked and not recognized for its excellent lubrication qualities.

[Xander Wildeisen]

31 minutes ago, 60FlatTop said:

Money is often overlooked and not recognized for its excellent lubrication qualities.

 

[padgett]

Speaking in generalities, the generation that made the fortune tends to be the workers and "real" people. OTOH successive generations that just spend it give being wealthy a bad name.

 

One of my fondest wishes is to never think about money.

[Ronnie]

14 hours ago, Dandy Dave said:

 

Here's a YouTube Video..

 

 

That thing reminds me of a derrick I worked on at the railroad. It had originally been  powered by steam and later converted to a diesel engine for power.

[Dandy Dave]

9 hours ago, Bhigdog said:

 

Yowee! Way cool. Do you use hyd motors for slew and crawl?...................Bob

 

Yep. Walk and swing is Hydraulic. In a nutshell, The under carriage is from a Vermeer W1A trencher. Swing gear is from a McCormick-Deering Horse Drawn Corn Binder. Hoist winch is just an old builders winch. Crowd clutches are forward and reversing clutches from a Wayne road and sidewalk sweeper. Motor is a 12 HP Kohler 301 series salvaged from a Jacobson lawn mower. Lots of machining and fabricating. Dandy Dave!     

[auburnseeker]

8 hours ago, Xander Wildeisen said:

 

 

Oh how I know. You can refer back to my garage project last year which is still pending. 

[Bhigdog]

1 hour ago, Dandy Dave said:

Lots of machining and fabricating

 

And even a Trump can't have it. Bravo....................Bob

[Jeff Perkins / Mn]

I once sold a MODEL A FORD (!!!) to a local man who happens to be a billionaire. He played around with the car for a couple of years then parked it. Subsequently he sold it back to me for less than he paid. I repaired/cleaned it up then sold it. When asked by this gent (a couple years later) if I still had the car I replied "I sold it!". He laughed and told me I am the only person who made money off him twice!

[Dandy Dave]

19 hours ago, Bhigdog said:

 

And even a Trump can't have it. Bravo....................Bob

 

LOL.. Yeah. Thinking about Leaving it to the H.C.E.A. (Historic Construction Equipment Association) when I get too old to have fun with it. This way it will be on display for folks to see rather then hid in a private collection. I built it to give folks a look at what the equipment was like in the old days without having to have a Tractor and Lowboy Trailer to haul one of the full size shovels around. Even a small power shovel of 3/8 to 1/2 yard can weigh in at 10 to 15 tons. Although if they were willing to spend what it really takes to build one I would build another providing they did all the leg work to find all the parts on my list plus around $40,000. For labor. I've told a lot of folks at the shows but no one has ever decided to pull the trigger. Dandy Dave! 

Edited March 10, 2017 by Dandy Dave (see edit history)