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[Spridgets] L(A)JC - Long winded view from the darkside

Subject: [Spridgets] L(A)JC - Long winded view from the darkside
From: robertduquette at sympatico.ca (Robert Duquette)
Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2011 09:19:45 -0500
References: <11791.16458.qm@web30505.mail.mud.yahoo.com>
I knew that someday you would give me this opportunity, if I was patient and
waited ...  :)

So, in a nutshell, you're saying that you are no longer an Alfa male??  ;)
( Ron wrote: until 5 months ago my daily driver was an Alfa Spider )
Robert Duquette

Ottawa ON Canada

1965 RHD BRG Austin-Healey Sprite ( project )

1967 RHD MG Midget ( aka: Miss Marple )

1955 Austin-Healey 100 BN1 ( aka: Carmen
)http://www3.sympatico.ca/robertduquette/temp/2009FallTour.jpg






> Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2011 19:59:04 -0800
> From: soavero at yahoo.com
>
> Auther's note:Bear
> in mind that I went through 4 years of winters in Albany NY with an MGB as
my
> only car living in the middle of the city (I had to literally shovel the
> interior when it snowed); until 5 months ago my daily driver was an Alfa
> Spider. I commuted for 3 years in an S2 Esprit (no frills) as my only car
in
> Florida with Lotus air conditioning and schizophrenic window lifts as the
only
> thing between me and the dehydration ward. I have LBCs. I am no stranger to
> automotive simplicity.
>
> I love almost anything made prior to 1968. I have
> little use for much of the 70s, 80s, and 90s cars. But some modern cars in
the
> last few years...I love them. I love the memory seats in my wife's
crossover
> (that's her choice, and with her having been hit at a light previously with
> kids in a car by a person in a fuel efficient Kia plowing into her car at
30
> mph, I like having that large crush zone around my family, OK?). It sets
the
> mirrors, pedal position, etc. My wife and I each drive her car almost
> everyday, and it's useful. There, I said it. I like her XM radio. We have
even
> used the free-trial On-Star. My daily driver is a C6 Corvette. It does 0 to
60
> in 4 seconds, is an absolute BLAST on the racetrack when I instruct, and
gets
> a no-sh!t 29 MPG if I keep it at 70. I choose closer to 80 - 85 on my
highway
> commute when traffic conditions allow, and get 23-25 MPG easily at that
speed.
> As my brother says, "if I keep my 4 cylinder Audi A4 at 70, I get 26
>  MPG. Not as much as your 400 horsepower pushrod V8 econobox, but still
good."
> To paraphrase Dennis Siminaitis, it is a car that keeps my senses so
occupied
> that I do not feel compelled to make phone calls while driving, and I'm not
> sure I have turned on the radio for more than a few minutes.
>
> We slum the car
> dealerships around here, especially in these gray winter months, and the
> closest is the GM dealer, and they are great people. They know my sons like
> the new Camaro and CTS-V Coupe (552 Hp Cadillac!) and encourage them to see
a
> new color or special edition when they get one in. We spend a lot of our
bad
> weather days at the dealership enjoying the new car smells. We bring donuts
> like Frank does with his upholstery guy or an equivalent. I drove a new
Chevy
> Suburban this weekend. 8000+ pounds of glorious towing capacity, it drove
like
> a car (that's what I want when I have a 400 mile tow), and it gets 20 MPG
on
> the highway. It beats the crap out of my 2002 F-150 XL in every single way,
> and it depreciates to half its value in 2 years so I can almost afford one.
I
> have it on good authority it will get 16-18 towing my exact enclosed
trailer
> with a Sprite in it. My F-150 gets 9 - 10, and tops out at 70 mph. The
> technology is astounding, and I tip
>  my hat. I need it to go to Newfoundland and back later this year, and I
lust
> for one. If I end up being able to swing it and you see me driving it on a
day
> when I don't have the trailer attached to it and think there is some
ulterior
> reason why I have it, bite me. It's my choice, I like choices. Trabants are
> cute, but not when they are mandatory. Too much technology in today's cars?
> That's what I thought about my 87 MR2, 1990 Miata, 87 BMW...and they seem
> quaint now with affordable parts in the aftermarket compared to my
> zero-technology Bugeyes.
>
> Rant/ramble off,
> Ron

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