You guys have got me thinking!
1968 Jack Zent and I are cruising down Main Street in Petaluma, CA. We were in my 1965 Skylark GS four speed. I didn’t much care for my hood ornament and suggested to Jack that I could make a peace sign replacement at work, partly joking, somewhat serious. At that time I was a new fabrication welder specializing in stainless steel with lots of TIG welding experience on food processing projects. I could of made a really good replacement, but Jack said he would rip it off my hood if I did complete that project and install it. He wasn’t a “flower-child”. Maybe I’ll make one in remembrance of Jack and not install it. He is about a mile from me in a veterans area of the cemetery. I would insult him by putting it on my hood. Every time I look at that missing ornament I will think of Jack, he was a really good friend. Keeping him in my memory is a good thing.
You never really know why someone does something different to their ride, it is just special to them. We build our cars the way we want them to fulfill our dreams.