-- [ From: Bob Nogueira * EMC.Ver #2.10P ] --
Hey it is the weekend, raining, and since I 'm the only one who hasn't
said anything on this topic here is my two cents worth;
John is right, but also has missed one point. While MGs are easy
to work on, there are a lot of morons out there. We are all morons.
Its just that we are morons in different areas than others. My story
follows.
Twenty years ago I was into restoring and racing sail boats. With the
birth of my daughter it became hard to get out to the lake on weekends
and I sought another hobby. Having always wanted a Morgan ( sorry we
all have to start somewhere) bought one and took up auto restoration.
My experience was limited to tune ups and changing tires. Many trips to
the library, lots of visits to restoration shops, membership in the
local Morgan owners group, two years and hundreds of hours later I
completed my Morgan. The first in the local MOG to accomplish that
task, everyone in the group would call me for advise and help every
time they had a problem. At first it was a ego trip. but soon I began
wondering why these guys & gals had to call me . Most had owned a
Morgan for 10 or more years while I was still the freshman member of
the group.
One day I received a call from the guy who put out the newsletter. He
was rebuilding his engine, had all the parts and wanted me to come over
and help, since he had only rebuilt an engine "twice before".
Here was a guy who had done it twice, had the car for ten years, formed
and managed a racing group, asking me, who had only done it once, for
help. During the rebuild he would ask questions about every move he
made. I became quite frustrated that he was so " dumb".
In relating the experience to my wife she advised me to have patients,
" since what comes easy to you may not come easy to them."
I thought about this and decided that I would try to find a way to have
more sympathy for them since it was effecting our friendship. My plan
was to attempt something that I was very uncomfortable doing that
others found easy. The answer was writing ( made it through college
only because my wife proofed all my papers). When it comes to spelling
I can look up a word and miss spell it a paragraph later. My method
of punctuation is best defined as "random'. I own more books on
writing than on cars yet I still can't write worth a damn, try as I
may.
The solution to my problem, I wrote a month tech column for the
newsletter. I know I spent more time on my one page than the editor did
putting the whole newletter together.
One of the things that endeared me to this list was that on my second
posting someone flamed me for a misspelling. The same person also
posted a question that I felt was not only MG 101 and but anyone who
listens to Click and Clack would know! Then I knew this was the place
for me!
I feel very lucky, Fixing MGs comes easy to me, and I get to drive
what I fix. Writing is very difficult for me but then, I don't have to
read it.
Bob Nogueira ( President of the Andy Ramm Fan Club)
PS for you William Buckley types here are some spares, please feel
free to place them as you wish; ....,,,,,,,sssss'''''' """"" ;;;;
aaaa fiffvm.c.vv,dldlrkh ------ REPLY, Original message follows --------
> Date: Friday, 29-Dec-95 11:07 PM
>
> From: Mr John P Elwood \ Internet: (wjad81d@prodigy.com)
> To: Bob Nogueira \ PRODIGY: (NKED65A)
>
> Subject: No, MGs aren't that tough
>
> I have just answered my own question. And, my original note has
stirred
> up a bit more than I have anticipated. Here is what I also have to
say,
> and have said, but perhaps in a better way.
> I have gone to many shows, and seen many places where people who
could
> fix MGs were put on a pedastal and people who as of yet couldn't
were
> told that they will never know aand that thier cars should be "taken
to a
> specialist". I was over at a friend's house (for 8 weeks, but
that's
> irrelelevant), and one of the family's good friends who was an
EXCELLENT
> mechanic and some how managed to pass the old Chevy truck through
> inspection came by. I was introduced as John, the kid who can fix
MGs.
> My friend was Kurt, the kid going to Lincoln Tech who has never
heard of
> ignition timing... (doesn't the box do that?)... Anyway, the look
on the
> face of the mechanic was almost in disbelief. Like I had sold my
soul to
> the devil so I can fix MGs or something. Nobody can fix MGs. In
> reality, nobody can fix Fiats. My statement is that ANYONE
(including
> any moron) can fix an MG without selling his or her soul to Joesph
Lucas-
> I mean the devil.
> Many of you have taken this as an ego blow. You think you are
special
> because your car runs. My MGBs both run very well. The '72 Tourer
> hasn't broken down in three years... after a rather rough beginning
of
> ownership. The '73 GT had a few kinks when I bought it, but $50
later
> all the hydraulics work and I drive it daily about 40 miles. I have
> never taken a class is auto mechanics. I have a Haynes manual, but
only
> used it twice for the wiring diagram. The simple fact is that the
MG is
> a no brainer. It is one of the most simple cars on the road.
> Absolutely everything about this car could have been designed by
your
> grandmother.... It is all just pure logic. Every component's
purpose
> (until 1974) is easily recongnnizable, and how every part works is
> obvious. These cars were designed so that they could be built
quickly by
> people who weren't too bright on an assembly line. The fact that
repairs
> are easy is NOT STARTLING!
> People have also said that I don't understand because I'm 17...
don't
> have kids and a mortgage... la la la. AND that I am lacking in MG
> spirit. I paid for the restoration of the convertible and the
purchase
> and restoration of the GT all with money from working for $4. 25 an
hour
> at a supermarket. I work damn hard for that money so I could have
these
> cars that I LOVE VERY MUCH. If I didn't love MGs, would I have
spent
> $190 on Cecil Kimber's pocketwatch? NO, because $190 is about 50
hours
> of work for me after taxes (yes, I pay taxes. No, I can't vote.
See the
> justice?) to get this watch our of un- loving hands which were not
> deserving of it. DO not doubt that I am infected with hte disease M-
G-B.
> I just don't have something many "MG Experts" have, a serious case
of
> the E-G-O.
>
> John
>
>
>
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