Mike Sands wrote:
->It is fun listening to bob and Scott talk about the "true meanings"
->of owning and caring for a British hunk of iron. One of the thoughts
->expressed by both bothered me a little. Perhaps my situation is a bit
->different.
->
Probably. My situation has been changing over the time I've owned
the car. I initially got it as a replacement for my totaled Midget with
an eye on selling it in a year or two for a decent profit. That idea
didn't outlive the test drive! I spent the next few years doing what I could
afford, having just gone back to school. And racing. My goal, like yours,
was to have a car that goes around corners very well. To that end, I spent
many a cold winter evening on the floor of the garage tweaking suspension
bits. After winning the VTR Nationals 2 years in a row, someone said to me
'Gee Bob, 'Lizbeth really drives well. Too bad she doesn't look as good.'
Well, I kinda took it poorly. I've spent most of the $$ of late on getting
her to really look sharp. Now she looks good and goes around corners. And
still meets VTR and SCCA's idea about being 'stock'
->But now to the point were I differ. I think the British car still
->does things, the important things, as well as the modern day auto.
->My Super Seven will corner, brake, and steer as well as my Corvette.
->In autocrossing, I am able to run faster times in the Seven. The
->performance envelope is the same until you get over 100mph and I
->don't do that very often. While the performance is the same the
->driving experience is opposite. The Seven has the wind in the face,
->sun on you head, feeling every ripple and rock in the road feeling.
->The Corvette isolates you, couches you in the womb and will only
->let you know what is going on when you approach the limit. I can't
->work on the "black box" but I can sure play with the toy, Seven.
->
My comment about 'Lizbeth sitting in the garage next to the faster,
better handling, cheaper Japanese car was comparing her to my RX-7 SCCA
ITS class race car...It had better be faster! It sure can't be considered
as stock. Personally, I think the TR is better on the street, but at
over about 120, the Mazda takes over. Certainly the TR is a better autocross
vehicle, and in addition, it has the wonderful quality of giving me the
warm fuzzies! It's probably that feeling I treasure the most. And I get it
any time I get behind the wheel.
In my case as well, guess which one is for sale... One of my
great hesitations about not having kids is not having someone to share 'Lizbeth
with in a fatherly way...
iii
|