Rick Feibusch wrote:
Now, it seems that MGs and Triumphs have been embraced by the goatee,
earing and tatoo set, who are driving cheap ragtops for style and see
little difference between these and a Fiat or an Alfa except that they are
a bit easier and cheaper to repair! They look at this old greybeard and
ask, "Why in the world would British car owners want to gather in a park to
talk about their cars?" I say that it's lots of fun. Blank stare! I'm not
saying that these folks won't eventually become enthusiasts but for now,
there is little interest.
<snip>
-when i purchased my 73 b a bit over 4 months ago, i had a goatee...but
i definately know and care that my mg is an entirely different creature
from an alfa or fiat. i regularly purchase _British Car_ and other
publications dealing with mg's and lbc's, and did a great deal of
searching to find a chrome-bumpered mgb with overdrive that i could
afford. i consider myself somewhat of an 'enthusiast,' but i must
confess that the first gathering of lbc-er's that i attended, i was
quite disappointed. while one or two of the group were quite friendly
and helpful in terms of advice, most looked down their noses at my
poor specimen of an mgb. the paint looks horrible, the interior is
not pretty, the bumpers aren't new, and the current grille is deformed
(though i purchased a new one 2 days ago). i drove the car almost
100 miles to the event after having done a fair amount of work
(carbs rebuilt, new fuel pump--though not an su, complete tuning and
valve adjustment, wheel bearings, etc...the car was in storage for many
years before i purchased it) and was faced with people walking around
my baby pointing out its many defects. one fellow made the remark "you
drove here in _that_?" it seems as though if the car is not beautiful
(or at least almost fully restored), it has no place at these events
in the eyes of 'enthusiasts'.
<snip>
When these people tire of their LBCs they will sell them and one of us will
be charged with sorting out the bodges that low horsepower Pep Boys and
backyard mechanics have inflicted on these cars. This is not as much about
a lack of money but more about a lack of interest and information and a
quest for affordable style without involvement. Go figure. We now be
stylish, and all I ever wanted to be was weird. Must be the new generation
gap! See you on the Funway!
<snip>
-i am a married grad student...the fact that my dist.cap, rotor, points, &
coil are not lucas-made, i have cheap carpet that i installed, an after-
market fuel pump, poor paint, etc. is due to lack of money, not lack of
interest and involvement. i have a sound motor that is well-tuned and
maintained, and a working overdrive that i had to re-wire (correctly) in
order for it to engage. restoration for some is a slow process. but i
do not plan to tire of and sell my 'b. this is not meant as a flame at
all, but generalizations about a group should be avoided, (i'm 24--a
member of this generation that you mention), and often one encounters
a sort of snobbery at these gatherings of 'enthusiasts' that you refer
to.
-robert williford (who recently shaved his goatee, but cut his hair
and quit wearing an earring a few years ago...)
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