David:
Your rhetorical question is a very good one, and I'm sure will get some
discussion. I agree with you that in most cases any modification from stock
available trim will tend to reduce the value of the car for an educated
enthusiast. Keep in mind though many purchasers are just attracted by a
"cute" car and have no concept of what is original and what is not.
I think that the value is in the eye of the beholder. Personally I'm not in
favor of installing the early steel dash in later cars either.
The oil pressure/water temp. gauge is impossible to see with anything other
than the original steering wheel. Not a really great improvement.
My interest is in building cars that are enjoyable to drive using the most
original parts as possible, as that makes installation and replacement
easier.
To me the later rubber bumper cars are wonderful, because so much can be
done with them, once you accept that in stock condition they were not really
good cars. I think it is great that the perfect MGB V8 conversion car is
the rubber bumper car which many MG enthusiasts do not appreciate, and is
therefore cheap.
Your statement of appreciation of the Abingdon Pillow dash is interesting,
as to my eye the 1977-80 dash is the most attractive offered in the vehicle.
Back in my childhood I installed a 1972 dash in my 1970 because I wanted the
center console and glovebox. In retrospect, I think I prefer putting my arm
on the carpet covered tunnel. A modification I would do again in an instant
was to install Austin Marina armrest/door pulls on the doors. The lack of
door side arm rests until the skinny additions finally arrived always got to
me. Again, the value is in the eye of the beholder.
I am very supportive of absolutely correct original restorations. It is
important to have a historical representation. But my favorite cars are the
ones whose owners have changed the cars to reflect their own tastes whilst
staying within the MG Spirit.
The term MG Spirit for me is evidenced by the specials have been built both
by the factory and enthusiasts over many years for their own enjoyment and
development.
Just because a car is original, does not make it as enjoyable as it could
be. That's why when the cars were new there were so many tuners,
after-market houses and custom fabricators.
Where would we have been if Costello had been only interested in
originality?
Kelvin: avowed modifier of poor defenceless British Cars
>
> Dodd, Kelvin SEZ -
> >
> > I think they were originally ordered in error years ago,
> but are great if
> > you have a 1968- car and want to convert to the early steel dash.
>
> This isn't specifically in response to Kelvin, but to the group
> in general:
>
> I'm just curious if anybody knows what such a modification does
> to the resale value of the car. I really loved my 68 MGB and
> would like to get another some day, but I'd never even consider
> a car that's been butchered like this. I'm not saying it's a
> sin for someone to make a modification like this to his own car -
> it's *his* car after all, but I can't imagine it having much
> resale value, and its historical value is nil. When I'm looking
> for a car, I usually want to find one as original as possible, not
> someone else's "vanity project." Then again, I always liked the
> "Abingdon Pillow" interior. The older dash layout looked
> anachronistic in a car as otherwise modern in styling as the MGB.
> I'm sure I've opened a can of rhetorical worms now...
>
> :-)
>
> --
> David Breneman | And on the tree a star,
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