David Deutsch wrote:
>
> I'm watching the list for almost a year now and am finding patterns.
> There are only a handful of real enthusiasts out there... <snip out long,
>self-serving, opinionated drivel>
> Safety Fast, David Deutsch
David,
Does the term 'bite-me' have any deep meaning for you? I think you've finally
bent over that wing mirror one too many times. Where do you get off getting on
your soapbox thinking that there is some sort of right of passage for a silly
mailing list about these stupid cars? Doesn't just the fact that we're here
qualify all of us as enthusiasts?
I moved to the midwest 9 years ago and gave up motorcycles for MGs. Less bugs
to
eat and, when the SO comes along, there's something to twist other than the
throttle. These are basically dirt simple cars conceived with a few good ideas
that are older than I am. They aren't particularly competitive in any
measureable
field and just about anything from Japan makes a better transportation
appliance.
But, then again that's their charm. Tremendous pride of ownership: History,
memories, the "I fixed it" factor, the comraderie of running with a group, the
pride of owning a classic. After you finish the payments on a Z28 you own a
fast
used car; an MG is just as desirable now as the day you bought it.
I haven't driven my car since October 20th. I shut her down wet and dirty after
600 miles of playing in the boonies. Want to read about it? Go to
http://www.sky.net/~boballen/mg/kcmgcc/FatRun96.html
and click on the picture. So if I commute in my Dodge Dakota I'm not an
enthusiast? Again, BITE-ME!
I get pissed because in this town of a 750,000+ people and an MG Car Club of
over
350 members, I have a hard time scrounging up a dozen cars to make a 500 mile
round-trip overnight. Purpose of trip -- cause the roads are crooked. Takers --
few. But we can get 100+ MGs out to sit in a parking lot and brag about paint
jobs and car wax to compete for some wall plaques that are worth less than $20.
But again, so what. I *really like* some of those people that keep their cars
as
shrines to their anal-retentiveness. I'm thankful I live in a country that has
such wealth and diversity. And I'm thankful for this stupid list so I can hear
about other people who like to go out and drive their cars -- and fix them too.
I like my car because it is rare, I can fix it, it has a wonderful sound, and
it
can drive me into trouble anytime I'm not paying attention. The purists be
damned, the car ain't stock and it's my money and I like it fine. The paint is
worn-out, the interior is in shambles, and it can get deathly hot inside. But
the stuff that turns and bounces is in tip-top shape and as long as the tach is
pushing 4 grand none of that other stuff really matters. Oh, and it's been
known to powerslide around a few dirt roads (myth: you can't go fast enough
to out run the dust.) Want to see the beast? Go check out
http://www.sky.net/~boballen/mg/mymg.html
It ain't a bad looking 20 footer. And, when underway, few get that close.
Personally, I think 'B's are boring, Midgets are a hoot, 'A's are beautiful
performance bimbos, and 'T' owners are loons (they don't GO!). And there ain't
nothing collectable about a rubber-bumper anything but, I'll concede, they make
the best daily drivers. And they made MGs before the War but who cares: they
made
baby buggies too and you can't drive them either. But that is just my opinion
and
the only person who thinks its valuable is me. And I am so very glad there is
such a diversity in enthusiasm or the car shows would be really boring and I
would never learn much.
A lot of the stuff that passes across this list is of little direct interest to
me. But all of it is about MGs (clever coincidence) and I like checking in
several times a day to catch the chatter. I learn a few things and I can dream
of
doing thinks that my life won't let me (Alaska comes to mind). I will only
respond to technical stuff when I can say I've been there. And I'm not
generally
willing to leap on my soapbox and spew forth subjective drivel.
And I ain't an old timer on this stupid list either. Maybe a few months. But I
just figured there might be some of the more timid list readers that check in
here from time to time and they might now think they don't belong. So for them
I'll go on record to say all folks are thankfully welcome -- even those with
stupid, inane, self-serving, caustic, denigrating, and, generally, dumb
opinions.
I hate cats, too.
;^P***********************************
Bob Allen, Kansas City, '69MGC/GT
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