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Hello MG friends,
I recently attended an 'All British Car Show' in a neighborhood called
'The Woodlands', here in South Texas. It was a fun show with MGs ranging
from a single 1934 PA through to many MGB Tourers, all dominating the
collection of British marques. Just guessing, I estimate about 30 or so
cars in total were on display.
Two issues came to mind, one obvious from talking with the owners, and
another a worrisome trend.
Firstly, almost all of the MG owners and restorers were gray haired old
men. Now, I won't make any gender related comments but it is obvious that
our hobby and passion lives on, mostly in old people. That's just fine
because retired people have more free time to pursue the hobby. But where
are the younger people? Will there be replacements for us as we fade away?
And what will happen to our cars? I already see too many cars
left languishing or worse, decaying in garages and storage.
Secondly, I wonder about the whole car hobby in general. What cars are
being restored today? Sixties 'muscle cars' may always be popular but so
many of them are resto-mods, not restorations. But what newer cars can be
restored?
I recently gave away a rough Jaguar XK8 because it had a failed CAN
buss, and therefore couldn't pass safety and emissions inspection. Most of
the repair parts for that car are still available, if at better-than-gold
prices, but how many hobbyists can diagnose, repair, and restore serial
computer networks like the Jaguar's CAN buss?! BTW, a CAN bus is a serial
computer network not terribly unlike the old strings of Christmas lights
where if one lamp goes out, they all go out! Well, except in the XK8, if
one component like the transmission reverse safety switch goes out, the
whole network goes down. Everything from the engine to the seat position
computers! And do you think Jaguar sells the diagnostic tool to find the
'burned out bulb'? Yea right.
My point isn't to criticize Jaguar. Rather, it's to make the point that
modern cars, especially the interesting and exotic ones, just aren't really
restorable - not by hobbyists like the next generation of potential
enthusiasts (or us?!). So is ours a dying hobby? I fear so. And in the
extreme, do you want your grandson attempting to restore a 400 volt
electric car? Yikes.
So what should we do? Well, first of all I think we should save all the
old British cars that we can. Wait! Don't we already do that?! My wife says
that, "I never met an 'old junk car' that I didn't love!" I also think we
should introduce our cars and our hobby to younger people, especially kids.
Car shows and tech sessions help with that. Not only might that exposure
help to preserve our cars, maybe, but also there's lots to learn pulling
spanners that wiggling an X-Box controller just can't teach! There is a
kind of perverse value in 'busted knuckles'.
As we say, 'YMMV' but my grandson loves my old cars and he can handle a
Whitworth spanner quite expertly. My granddaughter likes the cars too but
'My Little Ponies' are more fun, for now.
Yes, YMMV,
Rick
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<div dir=3D"auto">Hello MG friends,<div dir=3D"auto">=C2=A0 =C2=A0I recentl=
y attended an 'All British Car Show' in a neighborhood called '=
The Woodlands', here in South Texas. It was a fun show with MGs ranging=
from a single 1934 PA through to many MGB Tourers, all dominating the coll=
ection of British marques. Just guessing, I estimate about 30 or so cars in=
total were on display.</div><div dir=3D"auto">=C2=A0 =C2=A0Two issues came=
to mind, one obvious from talking with the owners, and another a worrisome=
trend.</div><div dir=3D"auto">=C2=A0 =C2=A0Firstly, almost all of the MG o=
wners and restorers were gray haired old men. Now, I won't make any gen=
der related comments but it is obvious that our hobby and passion lives on,=
mostly in old people. That's just fine because retired people have mor=
e free time to pursue the hobby. But where are the younger people? Will the=
re be replacements for us as we fade away? And what will happen to our cars=
? I already see too many cars left=C2=A0languishing or worse, decaying in g=
arages and storage.=C2=A0</div><div dir=3D"auto">=C2=A0 =C2=A0Secondly, I w=
onder about the whole car hobby in general. What cars are being restored to=
day? Sixties 'muscle cars' may always be popular but so many of the=
m are resto-mods, not restorations. But what newer cars can be restored?</d=
iv><div dir=3D"auto">=C2=A0 =C2=A0I recently gave away a rough Jaguar XK8 b=
ecause it had a failed CAN buss, and therefore couldn't pass safety and=
emissions inspection. Most of the repair parts for that car are still avai=
lable, if at better-than-gold prices, but how many hobbyists can diagnose, =
repair, and restore serial computer networks like the Jaguar's CAN buss=
?! BTW, a CAN bus is a serial computer network not terribly unlike the old =
strings of Christmas lights where if one lamp goes out, they all go out! We=
ll, except in the XK8, if one component like the transmission reverse safet=
y switch goes out, the whole network goes down. Everything from the engine =
to the seat position computers! And do you think Jaguar sells the diagnosti=
c tool to find the 'burned out bulb'? Yea right.</div><div dir=3D"a=
uto">=C2=A0 =C2=A0My point isn't to criticize Jaguar. Rather, it's =
to make the point that modern cars, especially the interesting and exotic o=
nes, just aren't really restorable - not by hobbyists like the next gen=
eration of potential enthusiasts (or us?!). So is ours a dying hobby? I fea=
r so. And in the extreme, do you want your grandson attempting to restore a=
400 volt electric car? Yikes.=C2=A0</div><div dir=3D"auto">=C2=A0 =C2=A0So=
what should we do? Well, first of all I think we should save all the old B=
ritish cars that we can. Wait! Don't we already do that?! My wife says =
that, "I never met an 'old junk car' that I didn't love!&q=
uot; I also think we should introduce our cars and our hobby to younger peo=
ple, especially kids. Car shows and tech sessions help with that. Not only =
might that exposure help to preserve our cars, maybe, but also there's =
lots to learn pulling spanners that wiggling an X-Box controller just can&#=
39;t teach! There is a kind of perverse value in 'busted knuckles'.=
</div><div dir=3D"auto">=C2=A0 =C2=A0As we say, 'YMMV' but my grand=
son loves my old cars and he can handle a Whitworth spanner quite expertly.=
My granddaughter likes the cars too but 'My Little Ponies' are mor=
e fun, for now.</div><div dir=3D"auto"><br></div><div dir=3D"auto">Yes, YMM=
V,</div><div dir=3D"auto"><br></div><div dir=3D"auto">Rick</div></div>
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