> Frankly, I could care less about things like the Coventry Inn. I am more
> interested in a good product at a fair price. The hobbies and the
pastimes
> of the owner are not a priority for me.
To my knowledge the money you spend on parts are not more expensive because
of separate entities that are operate under the Runyan 'umbrella.' If
you've ever been to The Coventry Inn you'll see plaques all over the wooden
posts, each plaque is dedicated to someone or group which donated money to
TCI... TCI operating costs are not supplemented by the money you spend on
parts.
I, for one, like things like The Coventry Inn. It ads to the business'
image, it adds character to an otherwise regular mail-order retailer.
I too find the constant whining about their debt and things a bit excessive,
but on the contrary they're the ones that have tooled up to provide many of
the parts no one else makes. At least "Runyan's Rants" provide a sense of
personal interaction with the owner... ;-)
TRF is very much a family business, and I support that also. Their
employees (of which I know a few) are enthusiasts to the bone. Their
catalogues are much more detailed and are filled to the edges with
information you will not find in any other catalogues! And for the most
part their prices are not too far out of line when you look at Moss' or
VB's, in fact often they are just a bit cheaper.
Do remember that the "hobbies and pastimes of the owner" are what brought
you The Roadster Factory to begin with and there would be a great void in
the parts available if TRF did not exist.
--
Kai M. Radicke -- kradick1@ic3.ithaca.edu
1974 Triumph TR6 -- http://www.pil.net/~felix
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