Folks,
Since LBC enthusiasts tend to be Anglophiles, I should properly
introduce myself.
I spent my first thirty years in Cambridge Ontario Canada, the youngest
child of a WWII dispatch-rider who spent three years in England, where
he became smitten with British cars. While I grew-up my father had
Rileys, Austins, and a Nash Metropolitan (Mom loved that car), while my
oldest brother had NSUs and BSAs. My sister had an MGB, Midget, and
lastly a '79 Mini.
My first British car was a '77 TR7 coupe, because it was cheap and
running. It served me for five years, and taught me much about LBCs.
After that I got an '80 TR7 roadster, which I drove 100,000kms, and did
an amazing amount of work on, but it rarely let me down (unless I ran it
out of fuel, because I couldn't keep the fuel-gauge working). The
wonderful first engine died because I didn't change the water-pump from
the old six-vane to the upgraded twelve-vane style. It was too bad,
because that engine was 'correct' straight from the factory; no-one who
drove it had ever felt a stronger stock TR7 engine. My brother-in-law
just completed a full restoration of that car, why I'm not sure, but
it's better than any TR7 that came from the factory (Sprint engines are
pretty nifty). Previously he restored two TR6s, and sold them because
people kept offering him loads of cash.
I also had an amazingly original South African export '46 Royal Enfield
G350 that I bought from the widow of the original owner. I moronically
sold that bike, but to a true enthusiast, so I know it's taken care of.
I'd like a '53 350 Bullet someday.
After my last TR7 I went to Ducati motorcycles, but have recently
re-entered LBC-dome. Twelve years ago I helped a friend strip a '66
'B-GT in my parents' barn. It was very nice car found outside of Guelph
Ontario, that was complete and not salt-driven, but needed
rocker-panels. Steve decided to learn welding on this car, and did a
very good job for a car that was never intended for show. Last year that
same car found its way back to my parents' barn, complete with
anal-retentively bagged parts in labelled boxes with little diagrams
complete with instructions. Steve's wife told him to get down to one
project, and his beloved Midgets won-out.
The story the GT, Basil, is a bit amusing. I saw the car sitting outside
a European car garage, and finally inquired about buying it. The owner
said the car was in for some work, and the car's owner didn't want it. I
gave him an offer, and he said he'd talk to the owner. I found-out
someone else was bidding on the car, and I stopped at $750, as it was
'89 and I was in university. It turns-out I met a fellow the next year
who was in my year, and was also into motorcycles and British cars. The
first time I went to his place, I was surprised to see the same GT in
his garage! He was the one who out-bid me :) So, I think Basil has
properly come home. Steve spent a lot of money on new fenders, hood, and
much else, so the car's well on his way to reconstruction. My plan is to
use as many of Basil's original parts as possible; I even have his
aluminium hood, which is worse for wear as it had heavy, pointy things
stored on it for years in some garage.
I live in Duvall Washington now, and am refurbishing an '80 Fiat Spider
(which another friend recently gave me in exchange for a pair of
fog-lights for his Land-Crusher). This car's name is 'Elda the Warrior
Fiat', as my wife insists this car's female. It's quite a nice car, and
will do nicely through the restoration of Basil. Amusingly, the Fiat has
all the specifications I'd like the 'B to have (2L twin-cam, 5-link rear
axle, four-wheel disk brakes), but I just don't have the same attraction
to it.
Basil the Bitchin' 'B-GT is sitting totally stripped on rebuilt
suspension, waiting for paint. After that I plan to put him back
together pretty much stock, but I have plans for his future. I want to
be driving the 'B still when I'm ninety, so many changes will be made.
Suspension mods will probably come first, as the engine checked-out very
strong before we dismantled the car; strong compression, with a head
that looked freshly re-done. The crossflow head intrigues me, though.
I'm looking to build a 'B that comprises what I consider the best of the
eighteen years of production, plus some of the improvements being
designed now. My wife wants OE-white with red interior, where I'm
leaning towards Iris Blue with the original style blue interior (he came
from the factory mineral blue with blue interior and light blue piping
-- I'm just not keen on mineral blue). I've never seen an Iris Blue GT,
and I may have the first. My wife might win-out though; she often does
:) I also want the most recent style seats with old-style coverings, as
I want head-rests and easier adjustability.
So, I'm aiming to have the 'B fully ready by my fortieth birthday in
four-and-a-bit years, with the Fiat sustaining me until then.
If you're still awake, thanks for e-listening.
David Randall,
Duvall, WA
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