I know that I'm going mucking here ... but I've often been told how english
cars were designed with the intent that people would want to tinker with them.
so it went ... englishmen like to work in their gardens and on their cars, while
americans just want to get into their car and drive. So we got the big iron with
enough cylinders to keep on running if a few went bad. I honestly don't see a
problem with making mods on my english cars to uprate to modern standards.
And come on lets no hear any whining about destroying the value of the car ...
if you're into it for the money you'll be wrong for two reasons, the first
because there really isn't much there to be had in the end. The people who
are making money on british cars are the ones selling the parts.
I think much of the spirt of owning a brit car is to be involved on a personal
level with the car by fixing it and driving it. In my MGA I really felt
connectd
to the car. I understood it. I knew what all the noises meant, and how it
behaved
I had fitted disk brakes to it and had a heavily modified B engine in it, with
side draft webers, cam, aluminum flywheel, custom headers, bored to 2 liters,
and all that. I always drove it to its limit. That was the great thing, that
this car wasn't so scream'n fast that I couldn't take it to its limit on normal
roads. I used to commute about 40 miles from berkeley to livermore at an
average speed of 90-95 and loved every minute. And I would only put the top
up when I had passengers. If you go fast enough only the back of your head
gets wet in the rain ....
I love the sounds it makes.
Thats what I think the idea is behind owning these cars, not so I can snuff
some other car at the stoplight or to make money, or to get real worried about
keeping it pristine. One of the things thats gives these cars character is that
they are all different because of owners working on them.
just my opinion
eric.
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