My two cents. I have limited mechanical ability, so I send out engine,
trans , paint , and body work. I do suspension, brakes and detail work.
I restored a 47 TC in 1983, and shot for a car exactly like it left
Abingdon. I retro fitted the original oil filter for example from the
modern element conversion. When I finished, only the Tompkins kit was to my
knowledge not original. Doing this meant no seat belts (stupid) and no dash
rear mirror. ( a $.99) rubber suction cup type is used for driving)
I do drive the car and have gone to GOF's 450 miles away. Yet it scares me
every time an 18 wheeler passes by. I have learned that no matter what you
do, a perfect restoration ( and mine wasn't perfect,) can't last forever.
God the paint has got to oxidize!
Yet this can be fun. Ten years after the car was finished I discovered the
cat eye lenses of the headlights had "Lucus" written across when the
originals had "Lucus" writted vertically. I spent a year hunting down the
right ones. Crazy? Maybe, but fun and something to look for at flee markets.
The second car I did was my TF. Enamel paint. plastic Amco top, and
everything to be a driver. That car has been as far west as California, as
far East as Britain, etc.
Each has its own charm and limits. Never criticize the other. If someone
stays in the hobby, who cares what they paid for their restoration. If
they did it themselves, that's great, but some can't hold a screw driver,
but still love the cars.
I am on the Bd of Directors of the NEMGTR and every few years the question
comes up about the trailered cars. Of course we as an organization believe
in driving them. Every great event and the GOFs encourages the driving of
the cars. However this discussion always results in our feelings that we
can not impose our feelings and values on everyone else. The museum cars
serve a purpose of sorts.
Many years ago British Leyland (I think in 1979) paid a lot of money to
restore a TC for an advertizing campaign. (they still sold MGs then) They
even went through the trouble of printing up the paper labels for the
shocks and brakes. That car appears from time to time ( it was sold a few
times) and is always trailered. That car should be.
My opinion friends, is that the hobby is big and wonderful and restore as
you like by whom you like for what ever purpose you want. My pet peeve is
the guy who spends 40 or 50 grand on a T type, comes to a GOF and other
events, wins a bunch of awards and drops out of the hobby in a year or two.
Yet on the bright side, he then sells his car for 25 to 30 tops and some
lucky person gets a real nice car at a big discount to then have fun with
it. Long enough Mike.
Mike Leckstein
|