My 15 year old son and I have been doing a lot of cruising in our TR6, in
the cooler hours of the evening, here in Tampabay. We haven't seen any
British cars, but the folks my age that remember the TR6 are always telling
me what a beautiful car, then they want to race? Then there's the Honda
types with those funny loud exhausts(unlike my Monza and header) that want
to race me also. All the while I'm trying to remember, I'm suppose to be a
responsible father? The worst I've done is drop down a gear and run through
the gears a little briskly. I didn't know it at the time, but last night my
son suggested we take a ride over this certain bridge. It turns out that all
the High school kids are informed that this is the place to take your ride
for briskly shifting gears. I think we'll take a different route next time.
By the way, the TR6 handles fast traffic effortlessly and enjoys it.
Phil Smith
TR6
----- Original Message -----
From: "Richard Feibusch" <rfeibusch1@earthlink.net>
To: <Recipient list suppressed>
Sent: Saturday, June 01, 2002 10:25 AM
Subject: British Car Week Report
> Day 6 Report
>
> Listers,
> Well, it's been a bad week for rubber. I washed the Morris this morning
> and noticed that the windscreen wipers are also disolving, and they
haven't
> been anywhere near MBTE laced petrol. It might be age. I've owned this
car
> for 30 years next month and remember replacing most everything but now I'm
> not sure when and the older I get, the less I am able to keep track of the
> time frame.
>
> I probably will go to Pep Boys and after they all get a big laugh (Jack
has
> a great sense of humour!) when I ask if these things come in any colour
> than black (chrome or stainless is against the law in some places as it is
> not "anti-dazzle") and they produce the lime green, flourescent pink, and
> yellow jobbies with the airfoils to keep them on the glass at high speeds
> or in heavy winds.
>
> I will then go over to BAP on Sepulveda and they will tell me that they
> don't handle British parts anymore except by special order and I will say,
> "Dosesn't the "B" in BAP stand for British?" They will then say that the
> "G" in GEON stands for GET LOST!
>
> Then I will call Mini Mania and the wiper blades will be on backorder, so
I
> will go over to see Peter at Marina Motors who will adapt something from a
> Land Rover in kakhi or olive drab that we will paint black. I wish I had
a
> time machine or knew of an interdimentional portal to go back a few
decades
> just to visit the parts store.
>
> I've received a number of emails from folks who live in small towns who
are
> complaining about the lack of Britiron there. I fellow said that he had
> half of the town's British car population IN HIS FRONT DRIVE!
>
> You know, there is an advantage to living in a smaller town. Since I've
> been driving my Morris in West Los Angeles (Venice, Santa Monica, Playa
del
> Rey and Marina del Rey) every day this week I have encountered the most
> awful driving.
>
> Now, my Minor is slow (948/smoothcase trans/42,000 original miles but it
> has no trouble keeping up with the generally bumper to bumper traffic, BUT
> other drivers are CRAZY and have no time for and no appreciation of cool
> old cars - they honk and shake their fists and yell for me to get out of
> their way - I've been repeatedly passed on the right in the parking lane
by
> huge SUVs and cut off in traffic by people on the phone in Benzes. I
almost
> hit one guy who wildly cut in front of me and crammed on the brakes, AS WE
> APPROACHED A LINE OF STOPPED CARS WAITING FOR A RED LIGHT!!!
>
> This is no place for an LBC - It once was a sleepy little tourist town but
> it is now an enclave for type A personality entertainment execs and their
> made-over trophy wives who are much more important than old guys in goofy
> old cars. I might as well be trying to drive a Model T on the freeway!
>
> A few more sightings today; A "New Bohemian" coffee hauser in a tatty
> orange 71 MGB on Lincoln Blvd, A faded yellow Bugeye with a roll bar and
> 13" slot mags (WolfRace to you Brits) with a surfboard strapped over the
> windscreen and rollbar (verrrry 1970s!)in front of a funky art/antique
> store on Abbott Kinney Blvd, a blue TR7 roadster at the bank. There also
> were a pair of Austin Healey 3000s that had made the pilgrimmage to see
the
> wizard at Peter's Marina Motors ( if you haven't guessed by now, one of
the
> only places in Venice that will even look at a British Car). Pete is quite
> a magician - he always makes my money dissappear.
>
> Cheers,
>
> Rick in Venice, CA
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