[Nobbc] Hood (top) down all the time

[rlmossholder at comcast.net]

Gang,



B  While I was in the USAF and on a temporary duty assignment at RAF
Mildenhall , England, a RAF pilot rumbled past in a spitfire. I had never paid
any attention to British sports cars, but for some reason, that little
spitfire cought my eye. I went over and spoke to the pilot we hit it off and
when he returned he took me for a ride. I was hooked. The moment I returned to
the states, I set my sights on a spitfire. Being an A1C doesn't pay much, I
think I made about $1200 / month, so I had to settle for what I could afford



B  My first British car was a '73 spitfire 1500. I was stationed at Dyess AFB
in Abilene, Texas. The car was a total mess. You could peel back the floor
mats and watch the road go by. I bought the car for $450. The previous owner
said the top was "like new". Well not really. I drove the car all the time
with the hood down, I didn't need it up. Well one summer day, mother nature
reared up and threw a lovely Texas shower at me. I pulled over to put up the
hood and it disintegrated .B  So much for "like new". I was never shown the
operation of the hood by the previous owner, I just assumed it would be fine.
I'm sure some of you may have experienced a "summer shower" in Texas, but for
those of you who haven't, here's a brief explanation:



B  B It's a beautiful day, sun's out, not a cloud in the sky. Oh, look at that
little puffy cloud, ain't it cute? Hey, that little cloud is growing, and it's
getting cooler. What the hell? Pouring rain and you can't see 50 feet in any
direction. 15 minutes later, It's a beautiful day, sun's out, not a cloud in
the sky. B I was drenched. The seats were soggy and had to I peel back the
mats to let the water out.

B 

B The next day I was digging through the boot and found an old catalog from
Victoria British. I rang them up for a new catalog. When it arrived I looked
up a new top. I couldn't afford it,B regardless, B it cost more than I paid
for the car. I had to do something.B I went outB one morning to go to work,
and it was raining lightly. I uncovered the car and noticed the snaps for the
tonneau cover around the cockpit. As luck would have it, I was wearing my AF
poncho which also had snaps around the edge. So I got in the car, snaped the
poncho down and drove to work. I stayed reasonably dry that day, although, I
added a set of goggles to the ensamble. From that day forward, the poncho and
the gogglesB never left the car.B  I wish one of my friends would have taken a
picture of me running down the road. Brown and primer spitfire, camoflage
poncho and goggles. I drove that car for a year like that. The poncho not only
kept the rain out, but when it was cold and snowing, it kept the heat in.
MostB people laughed at me and my little spitfire, but I didn't care. I loved
that little car. So I say, hats off to tops down.



Cheers,

Rich M

'71 spitfire