Hope this isn't a repeat. I tried to send it this morning, but I think it
got lost in the great computer system in the sky. This is try 2.
Outstanding Mike!!!!! I totally agree. I think we should encourage our
children to get involved with our LBCs. My kids both learned to drive on a
1970 MGB, and were the envy of the whole school. My daughter's graduation
present from VA Tech was a 1974 MG Midget. My son just bought his first
LBC, a 1979 MGB. I know all MG's, and no Triumphs. I'll stand by for the
blast, but parts for the MG's are less expensive than TR parts. With the
kids on limited budgets I encouraged them toward the MGs to learn how to
take care of them. When they are on their own budget and not mine, they can
go for the more expensive cars.
All of the LBC's I've owned have been daily drivers. I once watched a car
restoration program on TV that said there were basically 2 kinds of
restoration, concourse and daily use. I don't believe my cars wouldn't win
a thing at a show, but I sure enjoy driving them. It seems they always turn
heads when your out cruising. I try to maintain the originality, but I'm
not fanatical about it.
I think our goal, as a group, should be to encourage younger people to learn
and enjoy our cars. Each member in my family now has their own LBC. The
Midget we've had for a while, the others have all been acquired in the last
6 months. Each member has picked what they want, then it's up to me to get
them fixed up and running safely. The list is:
74 MG Midget (Daughter's, daily driver)
71 TR6 (Mine, almost done)
73 MGB (Will be wife's, my next project)
79 MGB (Son's, his current project)
Ken Waringa
-----Original Message-----
From: owner-triumphs@autox.team.net [mailto:owner-triumphs@autox.team.net]
On Behalf Of Michael Thompson
Sent: Monday, March 13, 2000 7:47 PM
To: Paul J. Burr; Triumphs (E-mail)
Subject: Re: TRF Etc.. (long)
Hi Paul,
I am very afraid you are right. I remember going to car shows in the 70's
and 80's and seeing oodles of T's and A's (and maybe a little T n'A too) But
it seemed thru the eighties the number took a dive. Our car club tried
different things to get them out, but nothing seemed to work. JC Whitney
used to have lots of pages dedicated to old Fords. Where did they all go?
Did serious collectors buy them up after the wills were settled or are they
all rotting in the grandkid's garages? Are our LBC's that are going to our
kids destined to have thumping stereos, neon lights and hydralic
suspensions? Or maybe just get pushed into a dark corner of the garage.
What can we do to preserve the LBC way of life as well as all of our much
appreciated support network of business'. The answer is: Everyone must find
a new project work on. There are plenty of still unrestored TR's and MG's
out there. Then we must nurture the little greasey LBC genes we passed down
to our children so that they will continue to restore and drive our little
rumbling gems of fun.
That brings me to another observation. When I attended the VTR meet in
Columbus in '99, I noticed a great number of TR's that do not see the
outside of a garage. That is one reason I left the old american car clubs.
They no longer get pleasure out of driving their cars. They are content just
making sure that they are as shiney as possible, then sitting by the car and
watching people look at their pile of parts. I ,for one, use my TR3 to get
to work during 60% of the year and the rest of the time I drive my Series 2
Land Rover. I continually try to educate the masses to appreciate what a
Triumph, MG and etc. are. And yes I get tired of telling them "It's a
Triumph not a MG" or "no it's not a Jeep, it's a Land Rover"
Sorry for going on so long...
Cheers,
Mike Thompson
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