Fellow fiends:
I've just finished reading the many postings prompted by David D.s
concerns for the future of our limited supply of MGs and the hobby in
general. I would suggest that there are a number of factors that could
go either way and thereby have an impact on the recruitment of new
enthusiasts to the fold. Here are a few things that come to mind:
--an increasing number of critical parts will be made out of unobtanium.
Examples include pre-smog heads, lay gears for 3-synchro boxes, good
chrome work, engine blocks for J2s that don't have con-rod holes in
them. Word gets out and folks decide to spend their fun money elsewhere,
say in collecting telephone pole insulators.
--an increasing difficulty in obtaining insurance. This has been a
recent thread here. Some neophytes may reason that if they can't get
insurance for the darn thing, what's the point? Its not much fun as
yard sculpture.
--trouble with emissions standards. This relates, in part, to the first
point. When will air pumps be a cosmetic necessity to pass emissions
tests yet be very expensive? Many restorable cars are missing their air
pumps, so I gather. It is a formal possibility that the dreaded clunker
laws certain doomsayers predict will actually come to pass.
--inappropriateness on the modern highway. Here's one to draw flames,
perhaps, but modern cars go fast, break efficiently, and have great
acceleration. None of those things can be said of lbcs before the A, the
TR4, and the big Healey. The old joke "You can't get there from here"
starts to apply in a T car or a bugeye with a 9xx cc engine. 0-60 in 25
seconds doesn't fit in. ITS DANGEROUS, and not just for the guy in the
TD but for all the rest of the cars that have to get around him. I'll
never forget blowing off a blue TD in my Morgan... yes!
Understand, these are not my predictions, nor are they my devious hopes
for destroying the world, just examples that come to mind of things that
may or may not have long term impact on the hobby and the perpetuation of
the marques. I suggest that depending upon the direction these trends
move in they could have adverse effects on the hobby and all.
enuf 4 now,
Will Zehring
'63 B (and loving it!)
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