Little secret for those of you who have noticed... I love to cause trouble.
Sort of like my MGs, it loves to cause trouble. I'll try to address things
that have been said:
Asked: Why would I drive a car that I would consider unsafe?
In most situations, the MGB is safe. But after driving the little beast 40
miles every day each way, often in the most awful snow, I decided that it was
not safe. So I don't drive it then anymore. If a car cannot be used in all
situations, it is not a daily driver anymore is it? That means it is less
practical.
Mentioned: $6000 is a small price to pay to escape the likes of Al Gore.
While I 100% support escaping Al Gore, at almost any cost, it was once true
that an MGB was a cheap fun car. Being cheap was part of the MG mystique.
But some jerks got rid of the cheap part. This makes it VERY difficult for
those of us who are in college and working part time to buy what was once
almost a god given right for teenagers.
Mentioned: Producing a new car creates far more pollution than driving an
old one.
Yup! No one believes us by the way when we say that, but it is true.
That said, it is assumed that we arent' driving these cars very often.
Those who drive thier MGBs on a near regular basis might be better off with
a late model MG with a cat, or another used car that pollutes less, if you
are concerned about such things. I am not concerned with such things, and
drive a V-12 Jag... But the comment that created the comment was that an MGB
uses an extrodinary amount of fuel considering it's performance. Most MGBs
get about 20 mpg and 100 bhp. An 86 V-12 Jag, 300bhp, gets 19mpg. Obviously
two extremes, but ti proves my point.
Said: It's a very good thing that children were not allowed at that
station......
In New Jersey, if you are under 13 or 16 or something liek that, you are
NOT permitted to get out of your car at a gas station service island. Not
that New Jersey has ever been a role model for the nations laws, it still
shows that getting run over at a gas station is a problem.
>><<MGs are very very small. In accidents, that is not good.>>
>True enough..... but the MG has greater accident avoidance capabilities than
>some of the larger cars.
The accident avoidance is usually 100% in the hands of the driver, not what
is driven. I would agree that you would have a greater chance of avoiding
and accident if you were in an MG. 999 out of 1000 times you are not
colliding with another MG, you getting hit by another car WITHOUT much
avoidance mechanism. Such is the Volvo culture where people slam into each
other and let the "crumple zones" take car of the rest.
>This is the most depressing fellow I've heard in a long time!! You need to
>go out one Sunday afternoon in one of the most beautiful, classic,(little!)
>automobiles ever made (look around your garage, I think there's one there!)
>and get completly lost. Drive it. Feel it. Listen to it. Stop and tinker
>with it. Then find your way home with it. You'll discover WHY the whole
>world is willing to pay these prices and eventually MORE for it!
Yes, on a sunday afternoon, that would be fantastic. Too bad I'm gonna have
to wait until spring to do it. Is an MGB a beautiful little car? Without a
doubt. Should anyone in thier right minds pay $8700, the "book value" of a
good MGB, for the privelge to own it? No, part of the essence of an MG is
that they are cheap cars. Now that the cheap part had been ruined, so has
part of the essence of an MGB. Since I already own enough MGBs, and I bought
them when they were cheap, the essence is still there for me. But I won't be
buying another.
You know, it is pretty hard to get mad at someone who owns an MGB. They must
have some sense. Obviously, they own it for one of the millions of reasons
people own MGBs.
But to say that to be a "true" MG fan, You shall not covent thy neighbors
Aston Martin, is not fully thought out. To say that an MG is not a stepping
stone to something better really derides the reason many people bought thier
MGBs new. Is the MGB a stepping stone for me? Since I've owned one for 6
years I've been sitting on that stone for quite a while, that's a no. But
many people are looking to step up to a "better" car. I don't think those
people should be critisized for wanting a certain car, not being able to
afford it, and using the MGB or a Midget as an interm car. That is what a
Midget has ALWAYS been, a starter car. But these cars are getting so
expensive they aren't starter sportscars anymore.
And about why anyone should be on this list.... This list, as far as I
can tell, is best suited for people who need advice on fixing thier MGs, and
the occasional arguement. So if your MGB breaks down, you need to be on this
list. If it doesn't break down then you aren't driving it.
John
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