>I am concerned about how all my cars work in all kinds of weather. This is
>because I expect all my cars {that are currently on line} to be able to go
>anywhere at any time. Be it down to the store or a thousand miles away.
Ah, then let me explain the concept of the Car Wardrobe, TeriAnn.
(You've already got a clue about it, I can tell, by what you're
thinking about with regard to the commuter British-car purchase.)
The idea of the Car Wardrobe is that you have different cars
that all do a different set of things well, and that you can
pick and choose from among them to have the most fun on a given
day and for its particular application. I think a good baseline
British car wardrobe for me would include:
- Sunny-day commuter: MGB, TR4/250/6, or any other car that
is sufficiently durable, easy to repair and find parts for,
and tough to endure the daily grind of Bay Area commuting.
Must be a convertible; fully synchronized gearbox is a
big plus (I've done this in a Spridget with a crash first
and it's easier with synchros). Seats need to fit well
enough for the time I'll be in it.
- Sunny Sunday-morning car: Well, this can go either of two
ways. You can either go for leisurely rides through the
country with your well-heeled chums going fairly slowly
through the bends, or you could get up at dawn to see if
you can better your time from Felton to Saratoga along
Highway 9. For the first class, I'd like something like
a TC, Roger Garnett's PA, an immaculate 100M, or (if
the family was to accompany me) a YA Tourer. A Morrris Minor
convertible would be a good family-picnic-on-a-sunny-weekend
car, too. For the other, I think I'd like a '74 Midget with
the usual mods -- 1380cc engine, VP6 cam, fixed SUs, LCB
header, tube shocks, 13 x 6" Panasports (now you see why I
specify a '74) with A008RTUs, 4.3 rear end, etc. Either
that or a Lotus Seven (as long as I'm wishing...)
- Rainy-day commuter: Mini Cooper or hot-rod 1275 with front
disc brakes, etc. Alternatively, an MG 1100/1300, or an
MGB-GT, though the fuel economy of the A-series-powered
cars makes them a practical alternative.
- Family's bad-weather car: MG ZB Magnette, black and maroon
Varitone preferred. With a strong 18G engine, four-speed
synchro trans, front disc brakes and a larger front anti-
roll bar at least. If I get really silly, the 3.5L from
a Rover/TR8/MGB-V8. Yeah, that's the ticket.
- Touring car for up and down 101: Jag saloon. V12 if I can
afford the gas.
- Tow car: Jensen Interceptor. Nothing beats a Yank V8 when
you have to pull a load. (Hmmmm, can you put a Class 4
hitch on a Cobra? :-) Maybe the ZB with a V8!
- Race car: An MGB or a TR or a Spridget or a Spitfire or...
(Lately I've been thinking about adding a vintage race
car to the stable some day, probably after I scare myself
real bad and think about my family growing up without a
daddy; a vintage car for racetrack fun, an autocross car
for fairly safe competition -- someday.)
So that's one cut at it. Right now, my car wardrobe only
includes two British cars, one running and one rolling, both
MGBs. I think I've got most of the classes right, but I am
always looking for ways to justify thinking about different
kinds of cars! What do you folks think?
>I too have a managerie of cars. Mine is all British. I choose all British cars
>because they are fun to drive, easy to work on, and distinctive. I believe
>these cars were designed to be driven and not locked away or brought
out on >rear occassions. All my cars need to be able to be driven in
all kinds of >weather.
I've driven my B in the rain; for what it's worth, if you
plan to get a B for rain use, get one with the post-'72
dash. That lets you duct cool air to your face while keeping
the demister on the windows. It works pretty well, if not
quite as well as a modern car with an air conditioner that
can pump dry air to the windows. I prefer not to drive this
B in the rain, if I can help it, because of the few leaks
the chassis has; I don't like the thought of the rust that
is probably forming while it's out there. That's what
disposable cars are for.
>If one was set up for racing, I probably would not expect it to be all weather
>roadable or maybe not even roadable at all.
Good expectation. Of course, my race car isn't even trackable
until it gets a motor... Still, note that a Production-class
British convertible probably has the windscreen removed and
the top stowed (specifically stated in the rules, BTW -- if
your car has a convertible top, it must be either removed or
folded to race). Then there's Sam's ITB car, which is still
street legal. The roll cage makes it a bit of a fiddle to
get in and out compared to a stock B, and the top is a kludge,
but it works. If you were to race a closed British car in
Improved Touring, the only way you could tell it was a race
car was from the roll cage (and the exhaust note, and maybe
the pieces of grass in the windshield frame... :-) So it
depends on the class you choose and the compromises you want
to make.
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