Spridgeteers,
This came from the TR8 list but I think we can all agree with Gene's
feelings about driving our cars.
Thanks Gene.
Herb
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From "Gene Thompson" <thatthompsonguy at hotmail.com>
To: tr8@mercury.lcs.mit.edu
Subject: Re: My TR7/TR8/MR2 choice
Date: Tue, 05 Dec 2000 17:06:26 -0800
FILETIME=[C1E1B240:01C05F20]
Joe,
Well, you asked...
Before going AWOL:
Check the various MR2 mailing lists for signs of fun:
http://ucf.ics.uci.edu/~aludeman/mr2/mailing-list/
http://www.listquest.com/goto/mr2
Things you'll get with an MR2:
Better gas mileage.
A quieter interior.
A more reliable car, maybe. It depends on the mileage, etc. A "sorted out"
TR8 can be pretty good, too. A lot depends on the PO, etc.
A wide selection of aftermarket wheels.
More fun on a _really_ twisty road.
The fright of your life when driving in snow or very bad weather.
Total anonymity - Nobody looks twice at a (Gen I especially) MR2.
Things you'll get with a TR8:
A bit faster (potentially a lot faster).
More room - interior and trunk.
A true convertible - this is a HUGE difference.
Easier to work on.
This mailing list!
More stories to tell - Perfect strangers want to know what the heck it is.
A car that not just anyone can successfully own, but that rewards an owner's
attention. Sort of like the difference between owning a sail boat and a
power boat - sailing between point A and point B requires more time, work
and knowledge, but that's kinda the point. Some folks like that, some think
it's just dumb.
I've gotta blurt out a few more random thoughts:
A waxed up Wedge with the top down and a tonneau cover installed attracts
more attention than a keg of beer at a frat house.
It cracks me up every spring when I start driving around. Little kids go
totally nuts when they see it. People in conversation on the sidewalk pause
and watch it go by - they always smile. Women loading groceries into the
minivan at the store stop long enough to say "Nice car!". Friends that don't
know or care about cars ask about it.
Then there's the coupe vs. convertible thing:
I try to drive over to eastern Washington State when I can. In late spring,
the road over Chinook Pass is clear, but the snow is piled up ten feet deep
along the sides. It's often foggy until passing the summit, then the sun
breaks out. I looks just like a Renaissance painting. I drive on through the
rolling hills of the wine country near Prosser, then head north toward Grand
Coulee Dam. If I'm lucky, I can see and feel a storm front moving in from
the west. The air cools and the humidity rises. The hawks overhead leave the
sky, and the smell of the lilacs that grow by the abandoned farm houses
becomes more intense. The sky darkens all around and then quiets as the
distant rain dampens all sound. Soon, I can hear the hiss of the rain ahead.
I turn on the lights and accelerate, driven by a sense of urgent
anticipation. The rain begins; I relax and laugh, every time - if I don't
stop, I won't get wet! I turn up my collar and the heater. I wave and smile
at all the puzzled motorists I pass in the driving rain on Snoqualmie Pass
on the way home to Seattle. I usually stop in North Bend to get fuel and put
the top up before the traffic gets slow and heavy. The long day has passed
like a dream. If I hadn't been driving a convertible, I would have missed
almost all of it. In a coupe, you can't see, hear or smell the world around
you - it's like watching TV.
And of course the Reliable Japanese Engineering thing:
I usually make these trips solo, but when I'm out there in the middle of the
wheat fields, it doesn't feel like I'm alone. It's me and the car - it feels
alive, honestly. I know it inside and out, and I trust that it will get me
home - not a blind faith in the engineers that designed it, but faith that
comes from knowledge of the car itself, gained by hours of taking things
apart and putting them together, and puzzling out problems one at a time. I
keep tools in the trunk, but no cell phone. If something happens that I
can't fix and I have to walk a while, I'll walk. I _am_ out in the Old West,
after all <grin>. It all adds to the experience, sort of like the thrill and
risk of Extreme Sports for couch potatoes.
And the shame of driving a car that will cause people to think that you are
normal:
Many years ago, I got rid of my TR4 and bought an Opel Manta. It was an
excellent car for its time. It handled better, was more comfortable,
quieter, more reliable and looked nice (my 4 was a beater). For two and a
half years I told myself it was the best car I had ever owned. But when I
finally sold it to a friend, it felt like I had just been let out of prison.
It seems I just can't stand having a car without any personality. It was too
"nice", undemanding and ultimately unrewarding. So, I bought an X1/9. Yes,
an insane personality is still better than none at all! I like MR2s, and
have thought of buying one, but I'm just too afraid of winding up with
another snoozemobile.
On the other hand, old Triumphs do have a dark side:
Don't take on a project that is too big for the amount of enthusiasm you
have budgeted. If you hate it before it's finished, it's not gonna be any
fun.
Here's the definitive test:
You overhear someone describe you to a friend as "a little eccentric". If
you think that's a compliment, get the Triumph. If it's embarassing, get the
Toyota. All bets are off if you don't have a good garage and a real car for
a daily driver.
Gene Thompson
'79 TR7, '80 TR7, '81 TR8
Seattle, Washington USA
>From: Joe Gorin <joe_gorin@postmark.net>
>Reply-To: joe_gorin@postmark.net
>To: <tr8@mercury.lcs.mit.edu>
>Subject: My TR7/TR8/MR2 choice
>Date: Mon, 04 Dec 2000 19:26:02 +0000
>
>Gentleman,
>
>I've been on this list since '93. It has helped me keep my TR7 DHC in
>good condition, and been very enjoyable. And I've made some friends
>and been helpful to some. I think I am about to leave...but let's talk
>about it.
>
--------some snippage------------
>I'm leaning heavily toward cutting my losses and buying an MR-2. I
>know opinions from this list will be biased, but I'd like to hear
>them.
>
>Joe Gorin
>Santa Rosa, Calif.
>joe_gorin@postmark.net
>
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