Hi Joe,
Actually, there's a lot of people who have LBCs and
only drive them once or twice a month. I friend of mine
in Van Nuys has a lovely GT6 he drives maybe twice a year!
On the other hand, one fellow from our local Triumph club
commutes to L.A. everyday in an MGB-the TR4 is a weekend/
back-up car! I drive my Spitfire everyday-it's my one and only, now.
As for safety, there are a lot of Miatas out there and I don't think a
Spitfire
is any less safe than a Miata. I know that even though my Spitfire is
considerably smaller then my ex-'93 Nissan Sentra, the Sentra dinged and
crunched really easily went anything hit that thing! (It always amazed me
that
something so big, and sturdy loking could crumple so easliy!)
So, no, you are not crazy! I would say-go for it! (But, I *am* crazy! ;-) )
Laura G.
Vita brevis est: rapide agite, vigore strigate!
----- Original Message -----
From: Garner, Joseph P. <JPGarner@UCDavis.Edu>
To: <spitfires@autox.team.net>; <triumphs@autox.team.net>
Sent: Monday, March 13, 2000 2:20 PM
Subject: Sensible advice please
>
> Hi everyone,
>
> I need some sensible (and perhaps sobering) advice.
>
> Here's my problem....
>
> In my search for a used car on a tight budget, I have happened upon a 1974
> spitfire 1500. Every sensible nerve in my body tells me not to be so silly
> and to go and put the money down on that tercel i saw earlier in the week,
> but this is the first car i have seen which I am really excited about.
> Perhaps it is because i am an englishman in california and it is a
beautiful
> reminder of home, but at the moment i am sturggling with the urge to
> purchase with my heart and not my head.
>
> I have done as much research as i can (the TVR website was so helpful!),
and
> have enlisted the help of a friend of mine who is a better mechanic than i
> am to go and give the car a first look the car over in the flesh. I would
> not buy it if there were any mechanical or body problems of note, and i
> would get a professional mechnic to check it over first. But my main worry
> is that if the car does turn out to be sound, then i have to decide where
it
> really is appropriate.... in short, I hardly drive anywhere, living within
> cycling distance of work, my only major trip is a 2 and a half hour drive
> (sacramento to palo alto) that i make there and back maybe twice a month.
Am
> I crazy to think of doing this in an (albeit) mechanically sound spitfire?
> Or in other words, am i crazy to consider buying a mechanically sound
> spitfire for the purpose of making that round-trip twice a month? My
> particular concerns are mechanical reliability, and crash-safety (which is
> why i said it was a head-versus-heart tug of war going on here!)
>
> All honest opinions would be very much appreciated!
>
> thank you all for your time
>
> cheers
>
> Joe
> ___________________________
>
> Dr. Joseph Garner
> University of California
> Department of Animal Science
> One Shields Avenue
> Davis
> CA 95616
> USA
>
> Phone: (530) 754 5291
>
>
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