Jeff:
Whereas I understand the rationale behind the TAC program, it does appear
that it has been and will most likely always be for the priviledged who
live on the coast. I have no axe to grind with these folks; we all have to
live somewhere and I just happen to take up a little space in central
Oklahoma. Let's face it; myself and other Tiger owners in this area of the
country will probably never be included in the TAC program. We are just as
interested in the authentication info as the other owners around the
country and see no reason why it should not be made available for the
reasons that you mentioned in your post.
Like all other Tiger owners, I get sickened at the thought of someone
building an "Alger" and then trying to pass it off as the real McCoy. Now,
before you Alger owners get on my case, notice I qualified that comment
with "and then trying to pass it off as the real McCoy." I've got nothing
against hot rodding an Alpine, as long as the owner is honest enough to be
truthful about the car's heritage. Here in Oklahoma, I know of two Alpines
that have had Ford V8's shoved in them but they were attempts at making a
"sporty drag car." One of the cars came up for sale about four years ago
as a Tiger and, when I found out about it, I made a trip out there to look
at it. It wasn't anywhere close to being a Tiger; the car was actually a
total piece of shit (pardon my French). I did have one fellow call me
about it and I told him not to bother. Noone to my knowledge, however,
here in Oklahoma has made a serious run at building a detailed fake.
Frankly, there are not enough people around here who know what these cars
are to make it worth their while.
For us enthusiasts, however, the information that could be provided by an
authentication manual would be, if nothing else, interesting reading and a
fantastic way to increase our knowledge on the cars we know and love so
much. I, for one, would be a buyer of such a manual.
My two cents worth,
Andy Walker
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