Judith Winter asks...
> is there anyone out there whose MG/TR is their _only_ vehicle?
This is not a current story, but I once drove a 76 Midget as my daily
driver. I lived in the Washington D.C. area and drove it for 2 solid
years without missing a day of operation due to unscheduled maintenance.
Now, before you do something foolish based on that assertion, I should
qualify the remark. Because it was (and I hope, still is) a British car,
it was prone to a number of electrical and mechanical failures. I, too,
drove home one night with a glove stuck in the steering column to hold
the turn signal switch back to the 'high beam' position because when I
pushed the headlight rocker switch, the switch disintegrated & fell out
from behind the dash. (I had no marker lights, but I could see).
I also drove home one time with the exhaust tied to the car with 14-gauge
electrical wire (every British car owner should carry a roll of this,
but I never expected to use it for THIS) because the exhaust down pipe
rusted out just below the exhaust manifold.
I also drove home two different times with no clutch because the clutch
hydraulic line developed a leak. (The second time this happened, I figured
out the cause. The battery hold downs had never been on the car when I
purchased it. Because the battery sits in a small box between the firewall
& heater core, it could not slide very far or tip over, so I didn't worry
about it. The problem was that the clutch hydraulic line goes down through
a hole in the bottom of that little battery box. So every time I made a hard
right hand turn, the battery slid left into the NYLON clutch line, pinching
it against the (rusty and corroded) bottom of the battery compartment. So
after a few thousand hard right hand turns (who corners mildly in a British
sports car?), the battery slid into the clutch line & a hole formed & no more
clutch. A well-placed bungee cord solved this problem.) Getting the car
started with no clutch meant stopping the engine, putting the car in 1st
gear, and hitting the starter switch. Needless to say, this would only work
on a level or downhill surface (and thank God my battery was fairly new &
strong).
But the catch is that I was always able to drive the car home. But I am
also fairly adept at auto repair and actually ENJOYED making my nuckles
bleed while repairing the car. That car was the most fun car I've ever
owned (not like the appliances I've driven for the last 10 years that
have no personality).
>with no garage?
I did have access to a garage in which to repair the car, but it always
lived outside. It always started fine, unless the temperature was below
zero Fairenheit. The engine would spin slowly when it was cold, but it
NEVER took more than 5 engine revolutions to start. And it ran like a
horse from the instant the oil pressure gauge settled.
> with limited time/$ to put into car?
I had fairly limited $ to put into the car, but I did have the time and
the ability to repair it. And it needed it. Although, if I hadn't driven it
so VERY hard, a lot of the repairs would likely have been unnecessary.
But British cars are not for everyone. I loved that car and wish I still
had it. I sold it because I left it at home when I went back to college
& needed a low-maintenance car. After it sat for a year, getting driven
only once or twice per month, I sold it to help pay for school.
To summarize my experience with a 76 Midget: It was a great, fun car
when I had the time to fool with it, but I sold it when I needed a
reliable & practical (lots of interior room) car. British sports cars are
_GREAT_ second cars, but I would never have one has my daily driver.
Make your own decision,
| GREG BLOCH | blochgs@crg4d.appl.wpafb.af.mil |
| WL/POTF BLDG 18 | 129.48.37.129 |
| 1950 FIFTH ST | |
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