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Hi, Rick. Regarding your first point, I have 2 comments - people tend to be
interested in the cars of their youth, so for many of a slightly older
generation than us (I am 64) that would mean cars from the '40's and '50's.
I've been to hot rod shows locally where many of the owners are in their
late 60's and '70's. I guess many of us around my age saw these little
British cars putting around in the '60's when we were kids and that kindled
our interest (I had a friend growing up whose Dad had an MGB-GT). I have a
nephew who is big into cars and he and his friends are into '80's cars like
BMW's and MR2's (he and his dad, my cousin, actually own several '80's BW's
and a first-gen MR2). So, while I wouldn't say the current generation isn't
into cars, it's just not the cars we like. And of course, current mod
trends include things like air bagging cars so they can be lowered to
within an inch of the pavement, negative camber wheels, loud farty
exhausts, crazy lights, etc. It;'s not what we like, but that's probably
part of the point...
Dan D
'76 MGB
Central NJ USA
On Tue, Nov 15, 2022 at 7:01 AM Richard Lindsay <richardolindsay@gmail.com>
wrote:
> 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
> _______________________________________________
>
> Mgs@autox.team.net
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<div dir=3D"ltr">Hi, Rick. Regarding your first=C2=A0point, I have 2 commen=
ts - people tend to be interested in the cars of their youth, so for many o=
f a slightly older generation than us (I am 64) that would mean=C2=A0cars f=
rom the '40's and '50's. I've been to hot rod shows loc=
ally where many of the owners are in their late 60's and '70's.=
I guess many of us around my age saw these little British cars putting=C2=
=A0around in the '60's when we were kids and that kindled our inter=
est (I had a friend growing up whose=C2=A0Dad had an MGB-GT). I have a neph=
ew who is big into cars and he and his friends=C2=A0are into '80's =
cars like BMW's and MR2's (he and his dad, my cousin, actually own =
several '80's BW's and a first-gen MR2). So, while I wouldn'=
;t say the current generation isn't into cars, it's just not the ca=
rs we like. And of course, current mod trends include things like air baggi=
ng cars so they can be lowered to within an inch of the pavement, negative =
camber wheels, loud farty exhausts, crazy lights, etc. It;'s not what w=
e like, but that's probably part of the point...<div><br></div><div>Dan=
D</div><div>'76 MGB</div><div>Central NJ USA</div></div><br><div class=
=3D"gmail_quote"><div dir=3D"ltr" class=3D"gmail_attr">On Tue, Nov 15, 2022=
at 7:01 AM Richard Lindsay <<a href=3D"mailto:richardolindsay@gmail.com=
">richardolindsay@gmail.com</a>> wrote:<br></div><blockquote class=3D"gm=
ail_quote" style=3D"margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,=
204,204);padding-left:1ex"><div dir=3D"auto">Hello MG friends,<div dir=3D"a=
uto">=C2=A0 =C2=A0I 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 Toure=
rs, all dominating the collection of British marques. Just guessing, I esti=
mate 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 own=
ers, and another a worrisome trend.</div><div dir=3D"auto">=C2=A0 =C2=A0Fir=
stly, almost all of the MG owners and restorers were gray haired old men. N=
ow, 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 bec=
ause 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=C2=A0languis=
hing or worse, decaying in garages and storage.=C2=A0</div><div dir=3D"auto=
">=C2=A0 =C2=A0Secondly, I wonder about the whole car hobby in general. Wha=
t cars are being restored today? Sixties 'muscle cars' may always b=
e popular but so many of them are resto-mods, not restorations. But what ne=
wer cars can be restored?</div><div dir=3D"auto">=C2=A0 =C2=A0I recently ga=
ve 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 m=
any hobbyists can diagnose, repair, and restore serial computer networks li=
ke 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 g=
oes out, they all go out! Well, except in the XK8, if one component like th=
e transmission reverse safety switch goes out, the whole network goes down.=
Everything from the engine to the seat position computers! And do you thin=
k Jaguar sells the diagnostic tool to find the 'burned out bulb'? Y=
ea right.</div><div dir=3D"auto">=C2=A0 =C2=A0My point isn't to critici=
ze 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 gran=
dson 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 British cars that we can. Wait! Don't we alr=
eady do that?! My wife says that, "I never met an 'old junk car=
9; 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 sessio=
ns 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 i=
n 'busted knuckles'.</div><div dir=3D"auto">=C2=A0 =C2=A0As we say,=
'YMMV' but my grandson loves my old cars and he can handle a Whitw=
orth spanner quite expertly. My granddaughter likes the cars too but 'M=
y Little Ponies' are more fun, for now.</div><div dir=3D"auto"><br></di=
v><div dir=3D"auto">Yes, YMMV,</div><div dir=3D"auto"><br></div><div dir=3D=
"auto">Rick</div></div>
_______________________________________________<br>
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</blockquote></div>
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