Hi Rick - very well put - thank you.
Cheers,
Len Drake
Kelowna, B.C.
>Dear Listerateers,
>
>Regarding recent postings on: Kit cars, clubs and Jack Emery's Drivel:
>
>As an auto journalist, I have covered Kit cars and events and can respond:
>
>Kit cars have a market of their own and the players come from all over the
>automotive spectrum. Some are rodders who want to build something that they
>could not afford to buy and rebuild into a rod; like an Auburn Speedster,
>a Porsche 550 Spyder (like James Dean died driving), or a 1955 Corvette.
>Others want to "work clean" and avoid all of the scraping and welding
>associated with rebuilding an old piece of tin. Others REALLY want the real
>thing but are unable to afford or restore one but they have enough money to
>buy a "turnkey" (not turkey!) replica and enjoy and maintain it. Still
>others are delusional and actually have convinced themselves that A) A
>plastic bathtub epoxyed to a VW floorpan with an extreamly large chrome
>plated faux grille and some screwed-on flex pipe looks just like a Mercedes
>Benz SSK, and 2) This is a project that can be done in the garage with
>little experience and a cardboard box full of mismatched handtools.
>
>When you get them all together you realize that anyone that actually
>finishes one of these (as about 75% end up never being built) is, or has
>become, as automotively hip as any car enthusiast in any part of the hobby.
>There are some really great kit cars out there like about 2/3 of the Cobra
>kits, The Beck 550 Spyder, Neal Hardy's Allard J2X and the XC53 Corvette
>(that distinguishes itself from the originals by having a ripple-free body
>and reinforcement in the fenders that keeps them from stress cracking over
>time).
>
>Since restored 32 Fords are worth so much it is unlikely that many will cut
>one into a rod so the glass replica is the next best thing. Because of this
>rodders have become more tolerant of kits and I've seen really cool rods
>based on Auburn Boatail roadsters, Shay 1929 Model A replicas, plastic 1958
>Porsches, and Jag XK120 and MGTD replicas. If the builders have no problem
>with this, why should we?
>
>Kit cars seem to have simular problems as motorhomes and cabin cruisers -
>mostly wiring and fasteners. In reality, they require at least as much
>maintainence as an old British car. If you are interested, go to a kit car
>meet and check it out. I personally am too lazy to get into kit cars as I
>know how much work they are. Outside of my Morrises and a few MGs over the
>years, I've opted for mid-sixties Chevy muscle that is cheaper and easier
>to maintain than a number of interesting newer cars. There is no accounting
>for taste!
>
>Someone on the East Coast built a wonderful MGA replica that was mounted on
>a standard MGA frame built up to MGBGT V8 specs and used a Toyota 1600
>twin-cam four and 5-speed box running through a "B" 3:90 rear end. All of
>the trim and bumpers came from Moss. It looked almost totally right-on
>except that since it is hard to replicate the "A" windscreen, the
>manufacturer pulled his molds from an MGA coupe and reconfigured it into a
>roadster with a slightly taller, molded in windscreen frame and a removable
>hardtop. It looked just like a stock coupe with the top up!
>
>Modified British Cars
>
>AS for hotrodded MGBs, I feel that there will be a number of these that
>will be showing up in the future and most of them will be built properly by
>MG enthusiasts. In California, all smog laws have been suspended for cars
>built in 1973 and before. In the past, one couldn't change the carburettor,
>let alone the engine but now it is OK. Range Rover V8s are becoming
>available and soon some smart fabricator will make an adapter to stick a
>Nissan, Toyota or Mustang 5-speed to one and most of the work will be done.
>I've seen MGBs and TR-4s with 5 liter Fords in them but question all of
>that weight on the front end. Other possibilities include Mazda rotiseries,
>and some V6s. Time will tell.
>
>British Car Snobs
>
>Jack - don't be so hard on the British car hobby. There are snobs in all
>corners of the world. The worst are the ones who really have nothing to be
>snobby about, but - - sometimes we confuse purisim with snobbery and that
>is not fair to the purists. These folks might come off like snobs but their
>hearts are in the right place as they really want to keep some sort of
>historical perspective for the people of the future. Sometimes this is
>taken to greater lengths than it should. For example, how many people out
>there would drop a Jag V12 into a Figoni et Falachi Delehey? It would ruin
>a big hunk of its value and be historically incorrect. On the other hand,
>it is silly for purists to bitch about "defiled" MGBs or Mustangs as they
>made so many of them and correctly restored examples are easy to find.
>C'mon folks, give each other a break.
>
>Also there is a great case to be made for All British car clubs. Here in
>California we have three that I know of that are thriving. One in Chico,
>one in Ventura and one in Sacramento. I have considered doing one here in
>Los Angeles but we have enough population to support seperate marque clubs
>so it is not neccessary right now. I've also been thinking of developing a
>British Saloon (sedan) Society that will catch all of the Austins,
>Morrises, Hillmans, Heralds, Rovers, Fords, Vauxhals and Riley 1.5s.
>Anyone down here in LA can call me at 310-392-6605 or use email if you are
>interested in helping form this group.
>
>SOME OF US SPEND OUR TIME SEEKING BRIDGES INSTEAD OF WALLS, I'VE DONE BOTH.
>BRIDGES ARE BETTER!
>
>SEE YOU ON THE FUNWAY!
>
>Have a great Thanksgiving
>
>Rick Feibusch - Venice, CA
>'59 Morris ragtop
>'60 Morris saloon
>'61 Morris pickup
>'69 Malibu Sport Coupe
>'69 Malibu ragtop
>COMING SOON ! ! ! 1959 Renault Daphine (Am I crazy! - You Bet!)
>
>
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