At 10:44 PM 6/12/98 EDT, you wrote:
>Hi, I'm 15 years old right now and I'm considering a B for my first car. I
>have recently became "obsessed" with these cars.(I just love 'em) I have
just
>acquired a '66 MGB from one of my relatives. It had been sitting in a barn
>for about 13 years, does not run yet, has 90K miles, body seems to be in good
>shape except for some rust on the floor panels. I have already been offered
>help to pay for most of the cost of getting it going again.......but is it
>worth it!?? I have heard of people having many problems keeping these cars
>running and I am wanting to know if I would be making a wise decision in
>trying to make it my daily driver and first car??? Any advice would be
>greatly appreciated...Thanks
>
>-Jarrod H.
Oh Jarrod, take the car and run! Especially as you are promised financial
help to get it running.
Ok, now more objective. It's an old car. It will have problems. It will
break. You will fix it. It will break again. You will fix it. This is
just about true of any old car. But in the times it is running (and they
will be numerous) you will have an absolute ball! Look, this is the time
of life when you absolutely can afford to have an unreliable car. It's not
like your wife and kids are depending on you getting to work, right? :) A
little story about my first car follows:
I was 17 years old and wanted a sports car in the worst way. I had little
money. Looked at a Fiat 850 spyder in great shape. I passed it up for
stupid reasons though it would have been a stretch financially. Looked at
a Spitfire in better shape. Couldn't swing the cash. Looked at a 1963
Midget. I fell in love. The car was in terrible, terrible shape. Guy
wanted $400 for the car. My dad, bless his heart, despite the fact that he
knew it was an awful car helped me land the beast. He told the guy $350
and =I= drove it home. Wouldn't go over 40 mph on the way home it was that
bad off. My dad and brother worked on it putting another $300 of my money
in it and loads of their mechanical expertise. Car looked like sh*t, but
ran comfortably at 70 mph. I had a blast in the car until it was destroyed
by vandalism.
Since then I've had 6 or 7 other cars. This Midget was my favorite. I'm
now 36 years old and just now again in a position to have an older car that
I don't =have= to have running 100% of the time. What did I buy? A '74
Midget. In spite of the fact that it is on jack stands in my driveway
being worked on I don't regret the purchase one bit.
Now the most important questions - have you sat in it and how did you feel?
Philip
Burgundy 1974 Midget
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