>>Thought I would start something new.
>>Thought it would be a lot of fun to hear why we started to drive British
>>Cars, or what it is that attracts us to these little cars that don't
always start ,
>>always leak and when they cease to go forward it is always at the most
>>unopertune moment.
As a "newbie" to the list I can say I've enjoyed the stories so far.
For myself . . . I can't exactly say what attracted me to the class first.
In fact, my first recollection of a "unique" automobile
was a BMW Issetta that my dad bought when I was about 4 or 5.
It didn't run, but he would prop me behind the wheel and push
me up and down the block. Of course, he was 22-23 at the
time and the car probably didn't weigh much more than a big
motorcycle anyway.
I do remember being enthused by "sports cars" even when I
was 6 or so. It was a Jaguar (140) "drop head" that a neighbor
had. He dropped the head (put down the convertible top) and
took me and my dad for a ride. I remember sitting behind the
adults in the front seats and watching the world rush by.
My pop always had an affinity for German cars and when I
was 14.5 we bought a 1963 Porsche 356 convertible. It
ran but was missing the front hood. I paid $350 for the car and
bought a used hood from a local mechanic for about $50.
Though I wasn't licensed to drive we lived in a small rural
community and the local cops pretty much ignored me.
I putted around town for several months (going back and
forth to our land to tend to horses, etc.) and then my dad
had a brilliant idea: let's take the engine out and teach me
how to work on cars!
As I posted in an earlier post, I have the mechanical
ability of a rock. Oh, I can tear stuff up alright, but by
the time I took everything apart on that little 4 cylinder
engine I just knew I'd never get it back together. I sold
the car a couple months later for $500 to a local dentist.
If I'd only known what it'd be worth today!
Anyway, I took my "profit" (along with a resolve to never
take an engine apart again) and bought my first MG.
It was a 1960 MGA and to this day is my favorite car
of all times.
When I rounded the corner and saw the "A" for the first time
I fell in love. Though the previous owner had replaced the
beautiful wire rims on the back with "cragar" mags and
extra wide (drag race style) tires the car still had that
beauty and graceful styling that sets it apart.
I replaced the oversize tires with stock wire rims. I also
replaced the tiny "chain" steering wheel with the original
style wheel.
Drove the car for more than 5 years, and to this day get
weepy eyed when I see another one. If I can afford it
then that'll be the next MG I buy.
I'm going to go beat my head against the wall now for
ever selling that wonderful car.
Carl Franklin
carlf@dustdevil.com -- Home PC
franklin@mg.cloudccc.cc.ks.us -- Office PC
<http://www.geocities.com/wallstreet/4199>
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