Hi all, Been away for a week now, driving the MGBGT to Seattle and back.
It's the first real road trip I've taken in this car, having bought it when
my kids were little, and since then we've had to take our trips in the
bigger family cars. Two 10 year old boys, tent, sleeping bags, ice chest,
stove, suitcases, etc., and I all managed to fit in the car without a
luggage rack! It was a great trip, but only saw a total of 3 MG's the
whole time. Tried to do as many windy roads as possible within our time
schedule of 6 days. Minor car problems getting out of Seattle, fuel pump
started to go, but a minor tune up (Lucas points had closed, checked carbs)
got me back on the road again, even though the fuel pump is still faulty.
I have to congratulate our Alaska MGers for their 17,000 mile trip, as even
2,000 miles with small boys seemed like a lot! I forgot how achey you can
get driving in the car for 10 hours. Time to redo the driver's seat
upholstery.
As for cars with soul, it's my opinion that a person who loves a car and is
willing to deal with whatever idiosyncrasies that car posesses imbues that
car with a certain soul just by their very relationship with it. These
MG's are part of most of our pasts, lusted after or purchased in youth and
fondly remembered now. We maintain them because we love them, even if they
are no longer particularly fast or cutting edge. Some people seem to be
able to find modern cars with which they can develop the same kind of
relationship. More power to them I say! Somehow, even though I tried to
foster a soulful relationship with the 93 Saturn I drive the family around
in, I was never able to do so, and much to my husband's chagrin, I insisted
on keeping the old MG. Technology has advanced, I'd really like to drive
the MGF, but until I felt comfortable and educated about its workings, I'm
not sure if even another MG would make me feel the same way as I do about
the one I own now. Fresh car smells are fine, but I still feel more
comfortable with the old oil kind of smell of my MG. Drive whatever kind
of car makes you happy, and take car-bashing with a grain of salt. I think
people do it because they have never found another vehicle that they feel
the same way as they do about their MG. I know I haven't. Of course, I
may have missed the whole point of this conversation, as I unsubscribed
from the list to go on my trip so only came in for part of the discussion!
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