I Agree with most of what you say. This list seems to have brought the
watcher in the woods out into the open. From comments that I have seen, it
would appear that a lot of us were on other lists and just watched because we
really did not feel at home, the "spridgets" list seems to have provided a
home for a lot of us. I for one feel that way about the Healey clubs. I
always felt like the ugly sister at the princes ball so ended up not joining
or at least not staying. I would much prefer to be a member of a Spridget
club where the other club members (for the most part) feel the same about my
car as I do and where I feel about theirs the same way they do. I bought the
first two Bugeyes that I ever saw back in the early 60's and have been
attracted to the Spridgets ever since. While I admire and appreciate the
larger cars, and have owned some of them over the years, I do no feel the same
about them as the people who own them. Too many are worried about the value
of their car and are always weighing how much they put in against how much
they can get out. I have never in my life ever considered a car as an
investment and I never will. I weigh the amount that I put in a car against
the amount of pleasure that it will give me in return.
Enough Soapboxing for today
On the main subject of this thread I just spoke to Dick Santana about SMOG.
He says that it is semi-active and is in the process of being fully
ressurrected. I told him about the "spridgets" list and when he gets his
internet connection back up he will give us a look. Anyone wanting to speak
with Dick directly can reach him at his office at (408)227-3276
Larry Miller
----------
From: owner-spridgets@autox.team.net on behalf of Patton Dickson
Sent: 23 October, 1997 11:02 AM
To: trummel@caa.army.mil
Cc: spridgets@Autox.Team.Net
Subject: Re: SMOG - Now a long stream of thought dialog
Reid and the rest of the group,
As a member of the North Texas Austin Healey Club, I can attest that this
Healey club is very open to Sprite Owners.
The reason that I am interested in what happened with SMOG, is that I feel
that
a clubs greatest attraction towards gaining members is the exchange of
knowledge. I also think that a club has the ability to generate excitement
around a particular car. When there is excitement, there is interest, when
there is interest there is growth. Better organization and dedication to our
cars can help get more parts available by showing greater demand, lower the
prices on those parts, and even bring the value of our car up. It is sad that
so many of our cars are being left to rot because they are not worth a
fraction
of the cost of fixing them up.
I know well over a quarter a million of these cars were built between 1958 and
1980. And if you use the years where both the Midgets and the Sprites were
being produced side by side at Abington as the center of the line. the bugeyes
and the 1500's are not really that different. It's hard to believe that these
cars share one basic design for 22 years of production.
I just realize that we are missing out a little locking ourselves in
compartments with the Big Healeys or the larger MG's. I think if any British
car owner needs two clubs, it would be our lot. I defiantly view myself as a
Healey guy, and really wouldn't belong at a MG meeting, but wouldn't it be a
shame if I missed a tech session on replacing the kingpin bushings just
because
it was done on a 72 Midget, instead of on a 1968 Sprite. Our cars will rarely
be the highlight of any MG or Healey event. The value, rarity, or just plain
ole' popularity of our cars big brothers will always steal the show (that's
not
a chip, it is the truth).
We (at least I) don't have the time to be active in two clubs. But what might
happen is that we figure out a committee, group, or club that's main goal is
keeping the link between the Healey guys and the MG guys active.
Our cars share an important spot in LBC land, and or production numbers are
hardly rivaled in any other car. It can be easy to get a chip on your
shoulders about the lack of real resale value (you bugeye guys are lucky in
that respect), lack of vendor emphasis that is placed on our cars, or
relatively small amount of literature (though much of what is there is very
good).
Maybe there isn't a need, I'm not sure, but I wanted to see if there is
interest. This list is really eye opening, because, even though I know most
of
you from the other lists, it is the first time that everybody is getting all
the questions and onsets.
Patton
trummel@caa.army.mil wrote:
> Saw your post on the spridgets list inquiring about the Sprite Midget
> Owners' Group (SMOG), and thought I'd add what little I know and send an
> info copy to the healeys list. I'm pretty sure there are a couple of
> people on the healeys list who can add to this little bit that I know.
>
> I believe that the SMOG was first formed in California in the 1970s. At
> the time, the Austin-Healey Club, Pacific Centre (now Austin-Healey Club
> USA) was for big Healeys only (but is now most certainly for *all* Healey
> enthusiasts) and so the Sprite guys formed their own group.
>
> I don't believe that the SMOG really exists any more. All Healey
> clubs in North America that I know of now welcome Sprites, and have for
> many years. Therefore the perceived need for a separate group seems to
> have gone away.
>
--
'67 Austin Healey Sprite MKIV
My Spritepage (featuring a JAVA Spridget newsgroup) is found at...
http://www.GEOCITIES.COM/TheTropics/Shores/1256/page2.html
|