"This is not only inedible, but there's not enough of it." Vivian Stanshall
That story reminds me that when I first started fooling with Bugeyes it
was the late 70's and I often went to Statewide Motors in North Haven,
CT to buy or order parts right at the parts counter including
competition parts. At the time they were a Nissan and MG dealer and of
course still had new cars on the showroom floor.
Even after they stopped producing B's and Midgets I could still order
factory parts right from the Sprite-Midget Centre in jolly old England.
No repro stuff back in the Eighties. Everything came in orange Lucas
boxes, red, white & blue Unipart boxes, or in something with a Leyland
sticker or logo on it. Oh, I almost forgot, the exchange rate was $1.07
at the time! There wasn't any internet but I would either telephone or
drop an order in the mail and receive my parts in 2 weeks time.
There was also an import dealer in the next town north of Wallingford,
in Meriden, CT. They sold Austins, MG's and Triumphs and continued in
business even after the cars stopped being imported, albeit only for a
few years. Oh the stuff I passed-up at that dealer. He had an NOS orange
hradtop sitting there for the longest time, but I had no use for it. I
could never get him to sell the signs at a price I could afford, which
would equate to peanuts now.
The old days!
jay fishbein
wallingford, ct <http://home.ix.netcom.com/%7Etype79/>
http://home.ix.netcom.com/~type79/ <http://home.ix.netcom.com/%7Etype79/>
Larry B. Macy, Ph.D. wrote:
> Mike,
>
> I bought my first Midget (a 76) from an MG dealership in Denver. That
> was in 1978, had about 2300 miles on it. There were brandy assed new
> MGBs and Midgets in the show room. About six months later a friend of
> mine sold her Subaru Brat and bought an brand spankin new 1979 Midget
> from the same dealer. She was so thrilled by the experience of riding
> in ours she had to have one. I actually know what happened to that
> Midget and I cringe every time I think about it. No accident, stupid
> husband/now-ex-husband. She took better care of the car than he ever
> thought about.
>
> The following year the place was a Subaru dealer.
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