On Sat, 25 Jan 1997 08:34:20 -0800 pbailey <pbailey@qnet.com> writes:
(snippets)
>While I can understand the desire to make money on your
>"projects"don't
>you think you are exhibiting a certain snobbism?I got mine screw the
>others attitude?I can only afford the 1 MG I have. I am not fortunate
>enough to have 7 or 8 sitting around and if the prices were higher I
>wouldn't even be able to have the one I've got.I'll bet you bought
>your
>"projects" for rock bottom dollar from the poor bastard you got them
>from.MGs were originally untended for the common man and average
>mechanic and I hope we don't try to push them up to some sort of
>status
>symbol just to pad our pockets.I'll bve happy to sell my "B" when the
>time comes at a loss if I have to IF I can sell it to a true
>enthusiast
>and not a speculator who just wants to make some obscene profit.Last
>year I was driving around and a guy waved me down and wanted to know
>if
>I wanted to sell my "B" He had either a brit or aussie accent I of
>course said NO but I suspect he was a dealer shipping them out at a
>huge
>profit if we sell our cars to these people we won't have any good cars
>left in the country and the prices WILL go up denying a lot of average
>working stiffs like myself the pleasure of owning one.As for not being
>able to afford to sell a restoration at a loss,why not? You would
>spend
>thousands on a vacation and only have memories and not feel you would
>have to break even You say the restoration process is theraputic what
>is
>that worth?As I said before if you are in this for money you are here
>for the wrong reasons...Pat
>
I think you might be missing the point Pat, as i understood DavidD and
others who responded to this,nobody expects to turn this passtime into a
pot of gold - except of course the odd "unscrupulous" type .
The major question as i see it was how we would pass the legacy on - well
of course as has been mentioned, we wont! - Bs' are a part of OUR lives,
We who grew up with them, have had fun with them have learned from them -
for example, I recently wrote of my fathers pre-war J2 - he would love to
see one or talk with an owner etc but whilst he" likes" my Bs' he doesnt
have any great passion for them;similarly whilst I admire MGAs' and enjoy
them from afar AND even though they are the predecessors of my own cars,
well, they dont do that much for me...nice... but i probably wouldnt
restore one. Our sons and daughters will admire our cars in this way, and
im sure some will take on the mantle down the road (someone mentioned
being a "young" TC owner at nearly forty) but more likely they will drool
over whatever was vogue in their youth just as we do - Its like music -
Im 43 and would still fly round the world to see The WHO perform - you
dont suddenly get to love johnny mathis at 37 or whatever, similarly with
our cars
You mention opportunism, prying the keys from some poor sod who's out of
work so he can buy shoes for his children and the like - i have to take
issue with this, project cars are projects only to us - to the people
selling them, nine times out of ten they are either something purely
surplus to requirements or worn out or a project they never got round to
and finally admit they dont have the bottle for it - after all, sellers
usually set the asking price and dont have to take what is offered only
what they are content to receive.
You will be glad to hear that i have to truncate this soap box diatribe
as the next generation (all three of which are LBC fans ) are pressing
for transportation in the next five minutes - but i reserve the right to
finish this later!!
mike robson
3 cars.3 kids.2 cats.2 dogs and a wery look.....
|