Rick and all of the rest of you grumpy old men, Merry Christmas. This is a
bit late but I felt that some of your theories about clubs and events are
somewhat flawed. Rick, you are an excellent communicator and have seen and
done it all with clubs....but the reason that most British car clubs end up
being a herd of wheezing geezers is simple. We all lust after the cars of
our youth. Plain and simple. Most Model A and T owners are in an older age
bracket, most T series MG owners fit an age group and so on. What is the
average age of the members of the New England T register? Once that you
have made to the point where you have enough disposable income for a "hobby"
car you have discovered that middle age has caught you. This explains the
lack of young blood in the Brit car hobby. The last big Healey in '67, the
last TR6 in '76, the last MGB in '80. We want the cars of our high school
days. No one wants to let their youth just fade away.
Hot Rod groups seem to span different age vehicles more easily because they
are building a hybrid. Late technology under the skin but the style of our
youth. My own weakness is a Black, very Black 40 Ford coupe with a 283.
Hot Rodders seem more tolerant of vehicles, styles and originality than some
of the "concours nazis" that crop up at Brit car doings. I have never given
it a thought about not being at ease at a rod event in our Brit cars. I
have always felt welcome and spent a lot of time answering questions and
talking restoration tricks. Hey, iron is iron. A 36 Plymouth fender
dollies out and sands just like an MGA fender. Paint is paint. Before the
concours guys in the crowd freak out, not all are militant about originality
and I recognize this. It only takes one picking your car apart to impress
bystanders with his knowledge to make your day.
The days of small local clubs are here! Even if it just a few friends
meeting at the burger joint and parking together a small crowd will form.
So you end up having a small show with no trophies, but next week some other
guy may show up with his car and who knows? Small clubs can have more and
better meetings. The trick is, make it a car club, not a single marque
club. Go for diversity and try to accept other folks taste in cars. They
all can't be as smart as us, right?
As for all hot rodders wanting to put "airplane tires on Model A's", it
ain't true. Most of us only want to do that to the really straight ones
with mint tin. Rust sucks. Most of my cars end up personalized in one way
or another. I'm not a torch wielding wild eyed lunatic putting flares on
MGA's with Big Block engines. But a Black, flamed XJ-6 is possible. My MGB
V-8 is a little more Hot Rod than some that we have owned' but I'm not
ashamed to drive on to a show field anywhere with it. Hot Rod or British
meet alike, I feel that we are welcome because we are "car people". Linda
and I have been active in local and national clubs and have traveled halfway
across the country to shows. Never checked my brain at the gate yet. Never
felt that I had to. We have met some wonderful and interesting people along
the way and I can't recall more than a few that I would just as soon not
meet again. I do disagree strongly with your theory on income and education
determining your place in the automotive enthusist pecking order.
Everyone owns their cars for reasons only important to them. So why get
upset if at a show your car doesn't get the attention or "respect that it
deserves? As long as it makes you giggle drive it. If you bought it to
please yourself then be happy, or move on to the car that your dreams are
made of.(the grammar police will have a field day with me)
Rick, I know what you are saying and you say it well. I agree with some of
your thoughts. If more people showed a fraction of your enthusiasm for
clubs then we would never have discussed the slow death of British car
clubs. They're not dead yet, just tired.
A thought from my pal Bob after a few Balantines,"If you buy a car all done
you are driving another guys car, but if you restore it yourself it will
always be your car".
Merry Xmas to all from frozen Maine
Jack and Linda Emery
'67 MGB V-8 with rare Hyperspace option
'68 TR250 waiting for time
'56 MGA waiting for time
asst. Brit junk
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