I'm sure that our friend who lambasted our British cousins is already
sorry he was intemperate with his words. I must say that I've dealt
with with both "professional" (i.e., Melvyn Rutter) and "amateur"
(MSCC member) helpers-enablers-providers in the U.K. and have found
that if I communicate clearly and politely with them, know what I
want, and otherwise don't act like a jerk, that I get what I need, the
quality of both advice and bits is just fine, and generally I go home
very happy indeed.
I AM familiar with snobs on both sides of the Atlantic, and don't
think the quotient of snobs who own Morgans is as high as in the
general population. After all, you know that at some point in time you
are going to be meeting lots and lots of very different people, either
because they admire the marque or because the dam thing breaks down
and you need their help. Most of the Morgan owners I have met ---
including those nuts who have the tricycle versions --- are very down
to earth. Much nicer than owners of... say.... Porsches.
I've also run into good guys and bad guys on this side of the
Atlantic. I think the best way to deal with the whole industry is to
mention the good guys (Rutter and Olde World Restorations fall into
this category) and don't bring up the bad guys at all. As my ma used
to say: "If you don't have something nice to say, say nothing at all."
Chip Brown
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