On Wed, 8 May 1996, Michael Burdick wrote:
> The fact is, parts availability for our cars is better now than it ever
> was, including when they were new...[snip]...Does anyone remember
> trying to get parts from B(PS)L? (I don't, but I've heard stories
> from old-timers who have :-)
As always, I resemble that last remark! But you are absolutely correct.
I do remember trying to get parts from dealers. Admittedly, where I grew
up and still live (the Albany, NY, area), there were a couple of long-time
dealers with skilled, caring parts dept. managers and employees. (Please
note my intentional exclusion of sales and service! ;-) ) So things
weren't usually too bad here, a pretty good market for British cars.
What so many folks faced back then, though, was a dealer treating the
Triumphs, MGs or whatever strictly as a sideline, poor step-child or
marketing gimmick used to attract customers to the main product, be it
Ford, Oldsmobile, whatever. And often today's Triumph dealer suddenly
became tomorrow's Fiat dealer, or the entire dealership disappeared, to
be replaced by a discount swimming pool outlet.
What you have now, thanks to a bunch of really dedicated folks, is a
supply line that is much steadier. The relatively few (compared to the
number of dealers when cars were current) suppliers getting parts to us
now make much or all of their living from this business, NOT primarily
from tossing mudflaps, running boards and paint sealants on new SUVs
and later performing shoddy servicing on same to help turn a profit.
Needless to say, no one would be doing any of this if we weren't all
hell-bent on keeping these silly cars alive. But most of those folks
currently supplying us with parts are enthusiasts themselves
(ocassionally, perhaps, at the expense of being good businesspeople),
and many of them have worked very hard to keep parts coming or to get
them coming again. And it doesn't hurt that there is some real support
from the British Industry itself (read: BMIHT). Not to knock Ford and
other American companies, who also do support the hobby in various ways,
but I have yet to see anyone authorized to turn out new 1963 Falcon
Sprint hardtop shells -- complete and ready for paint and mechanical bits.
We can build virtually brand-new MGBs or TR6s now, having started with
little more than a VIN plate, paperwork to match, and a checkbook. That
wasn't much easier to do when the cars were still being built!
I'm with those who say let's give the benefit of the doubt here, and be
grateful we're not all out in our workshops hammering out, casting,
molding, machining or forging all our replacement parts. No need to
deify anyone, but we should be grateful to the Al Mosses, Charles Runyans,
Dick Bergers, John Kippings, etc., etc., of the world for helping keep our
cars running and looking good -- as they hopefully are grateful to us
for supporting their efforts.
Sulu, shields up! ;-)
--Andy
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
* Andrew Mace e-mail: amace@unix2.nysed.gov *
* *
* Mrs Irrelevant: Oh, is it a jet? *
* Man: Well, no... It's not so much of a jet, it's more your, er, *
* Triumph Herald engine with wings. *
* -- The Cut-price Airline Sketch, Monty Python's Flying Circus *
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
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