End of the world, Time travel hypothetical question - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

TylerH860 · #1 04-12-2014, 06:43 PM

Say the world was about to come to an end, but you have the ability to travel back to any point in time to live out the rest of your days. How far back would you go?

For me, it would be 1947. I'd amass a fortune based on future knowledge and would bail out the Tucker car company, allowing them to reach full production and go from the big 3 to the big 4. I'd also get in on the ground floor with German imports recovering after the war as far as a US dealership network.

Until my Tucker arrived, I would drive a '47 Town and Country Woody. I would live in Chicago becoming a tycoon then move to Southern California, living a life of leisure and travel. I would do some weekend racing with my alloyed body 300SL and later my Ferrari 250GTO. When the Vail Ski resort starts up in Colorado in the mid 60s I'd spend plenty of time there too. I'd probably spend alot of time in Europe hanging around the F1 scene and chasing down rare pre-war cars to stash in my collection.

When Southern California gets too nasty, I'd probably move to Scottsdale. I'd be about 70 when I buy my 1991 560SEC brand new. The golden years will be spend on philanthropy and riding the tech bubble wave. If I live to see the end of the world, I'll be so old that I won't care.

MTI · #2 04-12-2014, 06:54 PM

Detects Danger Before It Arises

cmac2012 · #3 04-12-2014, 07:46 PM

Well yeah, if you could take present knowledge with you, about any point in the 20th century would allow you to get rich in a hurry. Xerox, IBM, Microsoft - all the big ones, you could get in on the ground floor and not sell off as soon as your investment tripled.

I'd go with 1960 if that were the case. High quality dentistry was just taking off.

I'd buy a Plymouth Barricuda or two with a Hemi, and any old Ferrari that was going for a decent price.

engatwork · #4 04-12-2014, 08:01 PM

I would want to live in America as a native American indian and I do realize that I'd probably be expired by now (57).

Jim B. · #5 04-12-2014, 08:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cmac2012

Well yeah, if you could take present knowledge with you, about any point in the 20th century would allow you to get rich in a hurry. Xerox, IBM, Microsoft - all the big ones, you could get in on the ground floor and not sell off as soon as your investment tripled.

I'd go with 1960 if that were the case. High quality dentistry was just taking off.

I'd buy a Plymouth Barricuda or two with a Hemi, and any old Ferrari that was going for a decent price.

The Plymouths were radically designed for 1957, along with the other Chrysler cars.

Billboards in Marin County, CA. took full advantage of the new "Forward Look"

A picture of the new 1957 Plymouth Fury coupe on billboards proudly proclaimed:

"Suddenly, it's 1960!".

The Plymouth Barracuda came out for the first time for the 1964 model year.

I remember that my History teacher for my sophomore year in High School, a stunning looking very young single African American gal, (first African American person teacher at the school ever hired in this all-white area), showed up in a BRAND NEW 1964 Barracuda.

It reminded me a LOT of that old song "Abigail Beecher" - (our History Teacher).

Hey, everybody get out of the street now
I hear the roar of an XKE now
Sloppy sweater and pony tail
And the cop on the corner is turnin' pale
Whoo! It's Abigail Beecher, our history teacher

All the kids are just crazy about her
Central High would be a drag without her
She knows her history from A to Z
She digs the Monkey and the Watusi
Whoo! It's Abigail Beecher, our history teacher

Whoo!

We're out in the hall and a-changin' classes
Plays guitar, wears blue sunglasses
She's prim and proper and a real swinger
She's gonna be a rock-and-roll singer
Whoo! It's Abigail Beecher, our history teacher

Whoo!

History class is getting' bigger and bigger
They come from miles `cause they really dig her
The P.T.A. was real sore
When she walked in with a red surf board
Whoo! It's Abigail Beecher, our history teacher

Whoo!

C'mon, girl
Aw, you're too much!
Whoo!
C'mon, girl
Whoo!

FADE

Freddy Cannon Abigail Beecher - YouTube

cmac2012 · #6 04-12-2014, 09:49 PM

^ Hey, good find.

I meant buy the 'cudas when the time came, IIRC it was '70 with a Hemi that goes for high six figures these days.

I just did the math. A '67 Ferrari 330GTC went for approx. $15k new. These days they seem to fetch $750K. I just did the math, that's just under 9% a year accrued value, not shabby but not as overwhelming as I'd thought it would be.

Mölyapina · #7 04-12-2014, 10:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cmac2012

Well yeah, if you could take present knowledge with you, about any point in the 20th century would allow you to get rich in a hurry. Xerox, IBM, Microsoft - all the big ones, you could get in on the ground floor and not sell off as soon as your investment tripled.

I'd go with 1960 if that were the case. High quality dentistry was just taking off.

I'd buy a Plymouth Barricuda or two with a Hemi, and any old Ferrari that was going for a decent price.

I'd buy a Bugatti 57. Go for the gold.

MS Fowler · #8 04-13-2014, 07:39 AM

"Plastics"

MS Fowler · #9 04-13-2014, 07:55 AM

My time travel fantasy centers around Edsel Ford--always in his fathers' shadow, and under the old man's thumb; a tragic figure.
I'd take the dual Master Cylinder idea back to say 1934, just to get his attention. I think it would overcome the elder Ford's distrust of hydraulic brakes. Then I'd follow up with a subtle safety campaign--long before it became fashionable, collapsible steering column, more secure door locks, no sharp projections on the dash, safety glass everywhere--all to show that Lincoln is concerned about the safety of your family.
Follow that up with a new engine series, just for Lincoln, based on the Small Block Ford at around 350 cid and in a mild state of tune to produce only about 200 HP--but that would be enough to stand above the crowd, and give plenty of room for future development. I think the elder Mr. Ford would love the inherent simplicity of the stud-mounted rockers, as well as the efficiency of the OHV configuration. Then comes the torque converter, and the fully automatic transmission by 1937. Throw in the modern climate control, and ventilating systems, maybe even A/C. All this eventually filtering down to the Ford cars, but always starting with Lincoln, and making it "The Standard of the World".
Hopefully it would be enough to allow Edsel to enjoy being President of Lincoln before his early death.

aklim · #10 04-13-2014, 08:42 AM

About 20 years back so that when my useful life is over, the world is over. With the knowledge I have, (make sure to write it down somewhere), buy the right lottery tickets, get myself independently wealthy so I can afford the "high maintenance women" and enjoy my life. It isn't too primitive 20 years ago so it isn't so bad.

Hatterasguy · #11 04-13-2014, 02:48 PM

I don't know I would think around 100AD Rome would be kind of cool. I'd like to try my hand at pillaging and burning cities.

cmac2012 · #12 04-13-2014, 02:55 PM

Cool for, I'm going to guess, 20% perhaps of the participants. You get in the wrong cohort and it could be short and brutal. But yeah, I'd love to be able to visit the era, with a secure round trip ticket that is.

I caught my favorite part of Gladiator on TV yesterday - that part when they've left N. Africa and are coming into the outskirts of Rome via horse drawn wagon. Oh man, what a cityscape. No wires, no billboards, no high speed travel, just good architecture rising up over fields of crops. I know we'd miss the modern stuff now that we've known it but the ambience, the aesthetics of that scene really draw me.

MS Fowler · #13 04-13-2014, 04:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hatterasguy

I don't know I would think around 100AD Rome would be kind of cool. I'd like to try my hand at pillaging and burning cities.

That would depend on if you were the pillager, or the pillagee.

My wife loves "Downton Abbey" and other shows of that era. She thinks she would have like being part of the landed gentry. I remind her, it would be more likely she'd be a scullery maid, or worse. It did depend very much on who was your father.

Dubyagee · #14 04-13-2014, 06:11 PM

I'd go back and work with Tesla. Talk him into getting paid in advance and figure out that free energy thingy.

John Galt · #15 04-13-2014, 06:29 PM

What if you could go back in time and kill Hitler in the early 30s? But what if killing Hitler meant you were never born, and therefore couldn't go back in time to kill anyone? Would history then change at all? Time travel is littered with paradoxes.