Bob Allen fumed:
>How much infighting do you see just among Midget, 'A', 'B' and 'T' series
>owners? How much enthusiam do the owners actually have in using there cars just
>within the same model? These are Sports Cars meant to be driven but there are
>an awful lot of trailer queens and retoration dreams that are owned by people
>that have no intention of ever doing anything 'sporting' with the car.
I've always been bothered by this. I'm also on the wedge (TR7/TR8)
list and they're always picking on MGs. It's stupid. I personally
own: 3 MGBs, a Healy Bugeye, a TR-7, a Renault R-10, and lust after
an E-type coupe (trashed out so I can turn it into a lightweight!).
And Team Sanctuary also has: a 1500cc Midget, two Spitfires, and
(shock!!!) even a FIAT X1/9. And a Spec RX-7.
Outside of the R-10, all sports cars. Being sported. And having
fun. I don't pick on the Spitfires cuz my 'B is worth more. Why?
We have fun.
>The thought of a "British Car Club" that would promote all the marquees is
>hopeless.
Not quite. Go to my home state (and still HQ of TeamSanc), "backwards"
Arkansas. The only Brit car club is the British Motoring Club
of Arkansas, open to all British marques. On a typical night
you'd see MGBs, Midgets, Sprites, MGAs, TR4s, TR6s, Spits, a Jensen
Interceptor, a couple of Jags, a Mini, and a pair of Triumph
motorcylces. The club is strong, and fun....but not enough sporting
going on...so I'd go to the BMCA for social Brit car *fun*, and
spend time with the SCCA for my racing needs.
>The British Sports Car movement is comatose and the prognosis is not good. The
>clubs lack volunterrism, there is way too much infighting, and this seems to be
>a free-for-all for "If you're not gonna do it my way I'll just run off in a
>snit..."
I don't spend so much time with the restoration crowd. I guess I
don't get it...but then my 'B also has no problems on 1000+ mile
trips. I'm always amazed at how little the resto ppl know about
making engines run right, and about the competition history of
these cars. Like my Bugeye: the purists freak over things like
disk brakes on the front, or dual circuit master cylinders, fibreglass
bonnets. Get a bloody clue peeps, when these cars where new a lot
of that precious stock stupidity (that Bugeye/MGA master cylinder)
was tossed aside and replaced with better (or homologated!!) parts
for comp use. Look at the Sebring sprites.
Enough ranting. I'm gonna go work on my 3.9 Rover V-8.
-Keith Wheeler
Team Sanctuary
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