Holy flaming Lister !!!!
Sorry Kai, I think you blew it on this one.
Just to fan the flames (grin), I bought my TR6 in 1986 when I was 24 years
old. It was rusty and I knew absolutely nothing about British cars. My
parents came from Britain but had firmly adopted North American habits. We
had an Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser with the wood-look vinyl on the sides. I had
no money, I mean no money for fancy original parts. I used a Ford Pinto
master cylinder for a replacement when the original leaked too badly to use.
I used motor oil instead of hydraulic fluid when I couldn't afford to fix
the clutch. Different sized tires on the front and rear. Etc.. Just like
every other 20-something year-old who bought his first car. Just like half
this list I believe. Now after years of repairs and restoration and 5 times
more money spent that I originally paid for the car, it looks great. I still
see lots to do, but the kids on the street don't.
I started being the noisy know-nothing kid, belting up and down the street
with a Kawasaki 2-stroke motorcycle making a terrible racket, howling at
8-10 thousand rpm and no exhausts (didn't know about back pressure) now I am
the stable house in the suburbs drive a Buick to work guy. They all have to
start somewhere. Hell, we did.
I've been around private boat clubs for a little while (25 years). When I
was a kid everybody talked about keeping out the wrong sort. Well they
succeeded... too well. Now all the discussions are about attracting new
members, by any means possible. Every club in North America is meeting and
discussing membership issues. It would make a cat laugh to hear the change
in attitude. The old exclusionary attitudes turn people off. We live in an
Internet age. People expect to be interested by the information that is
available to everybody. Now a club is a place where people of like mind
gather together. Like a list, but with a physical presence. Sounds old
fashioned doesn't it?
So my advise is to spread the message and tell all who will listen about the
LBCs and the frustration and bankruptsy that goes with their maintenance
(sound of violin playing). Believe me you won't attract people who don't
want to come. It's not like that anymore. Get them in the door, then teach
them the ropes. Hey you might like being the old man who knows all the
tricks. The alternative is ending up preaching in an empty church. That is a
boring and futile exercise with the only comfort being that the company is
familiar.
Mark Hooper
72 TR6
-----Original Message-----
From: Kai M. Radicke [mailto:kmr@pil.net]
Sent: Monday, June 25, 2001 12:50 PM
To: Bristol7@aol.com; mporter@zianet.com; vtr@autox.team.net;
spitfires@autox.team.net; triumphs@autox.team.net;
2000-register@autox.team.net
Subject: Age Related Discounts / Younger Owners (was: Further inducement
to get you all to the 2001 convention...)
....
I ask every list member from here on in, to discourage new (but not
inherent) interest in the Triumph marque.
I myself am a case where British car ownership was instilled in me through
family (mother and her brother, my uncle). Between us there were at one
point two MKI MGBs, two TR6s, one TR4A and one Austin Healey 3000. At the
present time the count only differs by the lack of one of the MGBs.
I suppose that is all for now...
Kai
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