I just started formalizing and organizing all of the things that I'd love to
do to my '74 MGB (AKA "Princess Di(e))". So far, I have 23 items on the
"Practical/Necessary" list, and 6 on the "eventually" list, and I haven't
even started on the "performance tweaks" list...
I'm thinking that I really need three MGBs. One to restore to factory-spec
and show, one as a gussied up daily driver, and one as a pushing-the-limits
of-street-legal fun car. I'm pretty sure that Di could go in any of these
directions with some effort. Since I firmly believe in keeping them on the
road, I'm not leaning toward option 1, and since I can't really afford to dump
big bux into her, I'm leaning away from option 3 (besides, a pre-'67 would be
better for such a beast in this state due to the emissions laws.) That seems
to leave option 2 (daily driver) as my best choice for this car for now.
So, let's assume that I decide to keep my B on the road, and not aim for 100
points in shows or 108MPH on the tarmac. Lets assume that all mechanical
modifications are pureley "practical" for an AZ car, Air Conditioning and
upgraded cooling components and that all interior mods are luxury/comfort/
aesthetics (nicer carpet, leather seats and panels, wood on the dash...)
Given all of the above: will I have destroyed the value of the car, or are
there others that can appreciate the modifications and the point of view?
I don't think that any of this is irreversable, and I don't plan on selling
Di, but I thought I'd try to gather opinions before doing anything "drastic."
On a completeley unrelated note: I actuallly found a pair of 1/43 Serie Legende
models of a '67 BRG MGBs One has the top up, and the other is down. I was
quite impressed by the detail, especially at only $14.00(US) a pop.
Back to the original thread. I'll probably be purchasing a "practical" car in
the next few days, so I probably won't feel as _compelled_ to keep Di on the
road as I have been in the past, nor to tweak her as far beyond factory specs.
I see this as both
good and bad. On the one hand, she stays closer to spec. On the other, she's
off of the road when the temperature hits 100F (last week) and Air conditioning
becomes highly desirable.
--
Steve (A relative newbie seeking perspective)
'74 MGB "Di" (A "beater" trying to decide where to turn)
P.S. (It's late, I'm allowed, you read this far, after all...) My S.O. just
doesn't understand why I love this car. A lot of the modifications that I
mentioned above are my attempts to gain a convert (Which is really difficult to
do, when your S.O. drives a Saturn SC2, and has never driven a stick...) *sigh*
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