Mike Lishego wrote:
<snip>
> Don't get me wrong, I'm not preaching (or at least not trying to!)
>I'm just
> suggesting what could be done when seen from a young'uns perspective.
>Criticism is
> accepted, flames are too, but with less friendliness...
<snip>
Nice post, Mike.
I like these cars because they are simple to work on, cheap to buy, and
fun to scoot down the backroads. On the other hand, I know very few
people that have the same reasons for being in the hobby as I do. I
didn't buy it for the nostalgia factor (perhaps the only evidence that
I'm not an old fart). I bought my first one, literally, because the
Japanese motorcycles became too complex to work on and I thought an LBC
would be fun to tinker with and drive around.
Anyway, to put a point to this post, even among my working peers, it is
very rare to find anyone with automotive mechanical knowledge anymore.
The few that do like 60's American iron. And many of them pay their way
into the hobby as a statement for "having arrived" with a restored car
and a stack on canceled checks.
I've watched three step daughters grow up. Their priorities were an
automatic, a good radio, air conditioning, and it made them look good --
probably in reverse order. They had no interest in my eccentric little
cars. Two of them now drive Jeep Cherokees as their "have arrived"
statement. The third would like a Mustang coupe for her 16th birthday.
There are a lot of teenage boys in the neighborhood. None of them have
ever popped into the garage are driveway to talk about my silly cars.
And from how the act and dress, I am thankful. From the adults, I have
gotten interest in the TR6 but little in the C/GT.
Enough of this blabbering. Perhaps we should be thankful that the LBC
hobby is as it is. With the limited interest, we can still find
excellent drivers under $5K and the car is collectable enough to have a
good parts source. We may all whine about the lack of resale and the
cost of restoration but, if they do start to appreciate fast, guys like
me will soon not be able to afford them.
It's a quandary.
Bob Allen, Kansas City, 69CGT, 75TR6, 60Elva
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