Opinion Poll- Rebuild or Conserve?

[bluebirdsback]

Might be able to find one of them burner things for the picket line brother Mike. I'm sure there is one in my plant room that they use to heat the building with.

[d_hipperson]

Make a functioning vehicle and let the whole thing be his memorial. (that's my view). I can't begin to say how amazed I am by the attention to detail and the respect that have been applied to this project.

[Renegadenemo]

We tried to pitch the problem at Gina yesterday but she's way too smart to get caught out like that and the matter was bounced swiftly back in our direction. She did, however, make a rather brilliant suggestion that we're looking into at the moment. Watch this space.

[billcowan]

My opinion for what its worth is that, if it is an original part of the boat and in serviceable condition, it should go back in the boat. Unfortunately if the cover plate in u/s, a replacement will need to be made for aesthetic purposes. As said, The Donald put it there, it should go back there.

[speedboatstuart]

In my opinion the whole idea of this project is to renovate the boat to 1967 spec and the hpc control is a vital part in the boat , also whos to say that the lever werent thrown to and fro during the boats contortions during the crash anyway and after all it didnt play a direct part in the crash itself reinstate it in the boat its the genuine article and saving the genuine article is what this projects about isnt it. If we start thinking too much about whether to leave things as found because DMC touched them on the fateful morning then there would have been no point in starting the project in the first place .

when i visit a museum and see anything like this it is nice to see it where it is meant to be and to be able to imagine it being used for the purpose for which it was intended and historic objects like that need to be in there right place not in a glass cabinet under temperature control for fear of decay if it hits the air and crumbles to bit , repair it then it will last longer.

[Dale]

I have voted for rebuild.
My reasoning being is that I feel with the clear evocative significance that this part is being viewed in here, it only goes to reinforce the fact that it is indeed a vital component in keeping the integrity of the K7 rebuild.

Dale

[woody]

I've voted to rebuild. After the effort taken in getting here I can't see the point in the sentimentaly over this one part. If I ever get the chance to look into the cockpit there won't be a great deal of original bits aside from the structure. From what I gather from the diary, the wheel, seat and dash were all lost either to the lake or to the original recovery by the navy. So to actually see some of the original bits rebuilt and in situ will solicite a more emotive response from me than seeing some dead bits of metal in a display case nearby.

[model-maker]

I don't post very often but I thought I would now. This debate on Rebuild or Conserve, on an item that might or might not be where Donald left it is an easy one for me. I have always been a supporter of restoration but, if there 'is' a chance that the lever was where the great man had put it, then it should be left so! Most of you are so sure that it should be made to work, and then set back in the boat to do so. But surely this would be a chance to show the power involved in that dreadful crash, and just how determined Donald was.

Some seem to be sure that the lever is where the crash left it, rather than where it had been positioned by her pilot. I can appreciate that, but surely there is no more proof of one, than for the other. Either way, you have my support Fred!

I vote for CONSERVATION, as I feel it would not matter, if the lever was original (in boat) or not, whereas the lever installed in a cabinet suitably labelled could tell a story all on it's own.

Merry Christmas to you all. model-maker.

[bluebirdsback]

So what would the caption read on the glass case? "Lever possibly as Donald left it but might have moved during the crash.Most of the front end including the cockpit was destroyed but this lever might not have moved a centimeter" I think the general public in years to come may be slightly bemused by that.

[Renegadenemo]

This discussion has no right or wrong answer but it is interesting to hear and take aboard a variety of opinions. What is especially telling is that the majority have gone for making the lever work and putting it back where it belongs. Such a thing would never happen in the museum world in a million years and we are perhaps the first high profile conservation project with sufficient respect for the public and enthusiasts to ask what they'd like to see in the first place.
We're no closer to making the choice despite having pitched the question at one or two people somewhat closer to the events of January 67 than any of us without any definitive answers. Whatever we do it will be both right and wrong but there's lots to do before we need that lever.