Hi Keith:
Good words. The difference between us and them is that we must take charge
and be in control. They have lost charge and are controlled.
John McEwen
>Bob Donahue (Still stuck in the '50s) responds to the tons
>stuff on this thread (and I'll jump in too now):
>
>>I never thought of the MGB as being slow, at least not
>>the early ones. You've got 95 hp and 2000 lbs, or something
>>like that. Not fast, but I would think it could keep up with
>>your average economy sedan. Does anybody have the 0-60 mph
>>figures and how that compares to some typical modern cars.
>
>I have no problems with my MGB. Except for the boy racers with
>their hopped up CRXs, and the real performance cars out there,
>I tend to out accelerate most things on the road. I cruise on
>the freeways at 70-75 MPH (without an overdrive). Like I said
>in a previous post, I was slowed down by my buddy in a Porsche
>Boxster on a drive up highway 1. Why? Because he was afraid
>of the car getting away from him! Not a concern to me. My
>lil 'B takes those corners like nobody's business. But,
>one thing folks: ya gotta be able to drive it!
>
>My 'B is the only thing I've ever driven in snow. If you can't
>get to where you are going in the snow in a 'B with the right tires,
>learn to ****ing drive, thank you very much. I guess some people
>really need anti-lock brakes and all that nonsense.
>
>This is one reason why I push the autocross thing. Because
>to autocross you have to drive! That's one of the safety
>factors of a 'B. Nimble. I'd much rather avoid wrecks.
>I'm not the greatest autocrosser in the world. My position
>on the team is as Mr. Kick-you-in-the-butt, and I've been
>pretty successful at motivating my friends and team-mates.
>But, my experience on the track has made me a much better
>driver in the real world! If you don't know how and what a
>car will do it's thing, you can't drive it. That's one
>deal I've got with my fiancee on her driving the Spec RX-7
>as a daily driver: autocross school and one event.
>
>
>>Otherwise: Yes MGs are not practical cars, and the average
>>Joe would hate driving one. But we enthusiasts love the
>>firm suspension, the smell of oil and the dripping of
>>rain in our laps. MGs are fun to drive.
>
>"We choose to do these things not because they are
>easy, but because they are hard." -JFK, the moon speech
>
>Bob, you speak the truth. They are fun to *drive*. And
>that's why the average Joe T. Schmuck would hate it. Joe
>doesn't want to *drive*, he wants to ride in suspended
>animation whilst the suspension, ABS, climate control, etc
>seals him off from reality, because reality is hard to
>deal with, and Joe doesn't want to do anything hard, he
>just wants to live his grid-ite sub-urban life away from
>all the nasties of the world and the people who get
>their hands dirty, and, oh-my-goodness, actually work
>on their own cars. Go to work. Get home in time to
>watch sit-coms. Turn of brain. Might as well be dead.
>
>I've been driving my MGB since I was 16 as a daily driver.
>I had to learn a lot of things. Replace the fuel lines on
>an old car. 'B clutches take a bit of work. Spark plugs
>are important things. Driving requires functioning
>brain cells.
>
>Over the thanksgiving holiday I drove our Spec RX-7 to
>Park City, Utah (from Diego) and back. Yeah, the heater
>works. Yeah, it has nice windscreen wipers. I cruised
>at about the same speed I do in the 'B. I burned about
>as much fuel as I would in the 'B. I went through *more*
>20W50 than I would've in the 'B. The car felt great
>in the corners, but I suspect that has to do with all
>the Spec bits (springs, shocks, sway bars, urethane)
>on the car. The steering sucks. That bloody ball-box
>with noodles connecting it all together. The shift
>linkage sucks. Fourth was funky to find from third,
>and the spring-out from fifth was horrid. At least
>the RX-7 holds the road. The other JapGT I've driven
>was my mom's 280ZX. Same yucky shift linkage, poor
>visibility, handles like a pregnant whale.
>
>Some people accept the challenge of life. Some
>people don't. It will always be this way. Those
>who have worked hard, followed the rally cry of
>"press on regardless" (my apologies) will always
>understand. The best we can do is support each
>other (even if the other guy is driving a TR-7! :P )
>
>It's easy to spot these folks. They tend to have
>scars on their hands, smiles on their faces, time
>to help, and they wave when they pass another MG
>with its top down.
>
>-Keith Wheeler
>
>Team Sanctuary
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