Dear Listerateers,
Regarding recent postings on: Kit cars, clubs and Jack Emery's Drivel:
As an auto journalist, I have covered Kit cars and events and can respond:
Kit cars have a market of their own and the players come from all over the
automotive spectrum. Some are rodders who want to build something that they
could not afford to buy and rebuild into a rod; like an Auburn Speedster,
a Porsche 550 Spyder (like James Dean died driving), or a 1955 Corvette.
Others want to "work clean" and avoid all of the scraping and welding
associated with rebuilding an old piece of tin. Others REALLY want the real
thing but are unable to afford or restore one but they have enough money to
buy a "turnkey" (not turkey!) replica and enjoy and maintain it. Still
others are delusional and actually have convinced themselves that A) A
plastic bathtub epoxyed to a VW floorpan with an extreamly large chrome
plated faux grille and some screwed-on flex pipe looks just like a Mercedes
Benz SSK, and 2) This is a project that can be done in the garage with
little experience and a cardboard box full of mismatched handtools.
When you get them all together you realize that anyone that actually
finishes one of these (as about 75% end up never being built) is, or has
become, as automotively hip as any car enthusiast in any part of the hobby.
There are some really great kit cars out there like about 2/3 of the Cobra
kits, The Beck 550 Spyder, Neal Hardy's Allard J2X and the XC53 Corvette
(that distinguishes itself from the originals by having a ripple-free body
and reinforcement in the fenders that keeps them from stress cracking over
time).
Since restored 32 Fords are worth so much it is unlikely that many will cut
one into a rod so the glass replica is the next best thing. Because of this
rodders have become more tolerant of kits and I've seen really cool rods
based on Auburn Boatail roadsters, Shay 1929 Model A replicas, plastic 1958
Porsches, and Jag XK120 and MGTD replicas. If the builders have no problem
with this, why should we?
Kit cars seem to have simular problems as motorhomes and cabin cruisers -
mostly wiring and fasteners. In reality, they require at least as much
maintainence as an old British car. If you are interested, go to a kit car
meet and check it out. I personally am too lazy to get into kit cars as I
know how much work they are. Outside of my Morrises and a few MGs over the
years, I've opted for mid-sixties Chevy muscle that is cheaper and easier
to maintain than a number of interesting newer cars. There is no accounting
for taste!
Someone on the East Coast built a wonderful MGA replica that was mounted on
a standard MGA frame built up to MGBGT V8 specs and used a Toyota 1600
twin-cam four and 5-speed box running through a "B" 3:90 rear end. All of
the trim and bumpers came from Moss. It looked almost totally right-on
except that since it is hard to replicate the "A" windscreen, the
manufacturer pulled his molds from an MGA coupe and reconfigured it into a
roadster with a slightly taller, molded in windscreen frame and a removable
hardtop. It looked just like a stock coupe with the top up!
Modified British Cars
AS for hotrodded MGBs, I feel that there will be a number of these that
will be showing up in the future and most of them will be built properly by
MG enthusiasts. In California, all smog laws have been suspended for cars
built in 1973 and before. In the past, one couldn't change the carburettor,
let alone the engine but now it is OK. Range Rover V8s are becoming
available and soon some smart fabricator will make an adapter to stick a
Nissan, Toyota or Mustang 5-speed to one and most of the work will be done.
I've seen MGBs and TR-4s with 5 liter Fords in them but question all of
that weight on the front end. Other possibilities include Mazda rotiseries,
and some V6s. Time will tell.
British Car Snobs
Jack - don't be so hard on the British car hobby. There are snobs in all
corners of the world. The worst are the ones who really have nothing to be
snobby about, but - - sometimes we confuse purisim with snobbery and that
is not fair to the purists. These folks might come off like snobs but their
hearts are in the right place as they really want to keep some sort of
historical perspective for the people of the future. Sometimes this is
taken to greater lengths than it should. For example, how many people out
there would drop a Jag V12 into a Figoni et Falachi Delehey? It would ruin
a big hunk of its value and be historically incorrect. On the other hand,
it is silly for purists to bitch about "defiled" MGBs or Mustangs as they
made so many of them and correctly restored examples are easy to find.
C'mon folks, give each other a break.
Also there is a great case to be made for All British car clubs. Here in
California we have three that I know of that are thriving. One in Chico,
one in Ventura and one in Sacramento. I have considered doing one here in
Los Angeles but we have enough population to support seperate marque clubs
so it is not neccessary right now. I've also been thinking of developing a
British Saloon (sedan) Society that will catch all of the Austins,
Morrises, Hillmans, Heralds, Rovers, Fords, Vauxhals and Riley 1.5s.
Anyone down here in LA can call me at 310-392-6605 or use email if you are
interested in helping form this group.
SOME OF US SPEND OUR TIME SEEKING BRIDGES INSTEAD OF WALLS, I'VE DONE BOTH.
BRIDGES ARE BETTER!
SEE YOU ON THE FUNWAY!
Have a great Thanksgiving
Rick Feibusch - Venice, CA
'59 Morris ragtop
'60 Morris saloon
'61 Morris pickup
'69 Malibu Sport Coupe
'69 Malibu ragtop
COMING SOON ! ! ! 1959 Renault Daphine (Am I crazy! - You Bet!)
|