Date: Fri, 08 Sep 2000 12:05:58 -0400
From: "Howard Baugues" <HRBaugues@cadprod.com>
To: spitfires@autox.team.net
Subject: RE: Thanks to all...
Bob,
Sorry to hear that you are considering not acquiring another Spit. I
realize that after all of the time and sweat you have invested, that in
one swift moment it's all lost. If my "Little Red" were to be totaled, I
think I would be lost. I do believe that I would search out another as
soon as I could. Even while owning this one, I look at the classifieds at
VTR & TriumphSpitfire daily to see what's out there. I am currently
changing out the frame on my 76 Spit. Something that I have never even
attempted before, a total disassembly of a car. I have never pulled an
engine before, or replaced a fender, door, or hood, just worked under the
hood doing minor maintenance. But when I bought Little Red in Feb of this
year, I knew she would need a frame repair or change. The spitlist and
NASS gave me the confidence that it is within my abilities and in two
weeks my Spit will be road-ready and cruising again. And on Sept 30, I'll
be running around the Formula One track at Indy in the Indy British Car
Rally.
I tell you all of this, because, without my Spitfire, and the list, I
doubt if I would have ever rebuilt a car from the ground up, and I would
have never had the chance to drive around the Indy F-1 track, or take long
evening drives with the top down, getting "Nice Car" shouted at me from
every kid we pass.
If you make it to the Indy rally, or happen to drive thru Terre Haute, IN,
let me know and you are more than welcome to take Little Red for a cruise.
While it is a lot of labor to restore or just maintain a LBC or especially
a Spitfire, it is a labor of love! I hope you will hang on to the
settlement and think about the joy Algy brought to you. Then maybe you
could browse online and find another similar that would be Algy-2, not the
same, but close. Leave the interstate driving to the truckers and speeders
and get yourself back into a Spit and hit those long and winding country
roads.
Best of luck in any decision you make, and I hope you remain an active
lister.
Howard Baugues
76 Spitfire 1500 "Little Red"
Terre Haute, IN
bauguesh@abcs.com (home)
hrbaugues@cadprod.com (work)
who responded, both on and off list, after my spit got hit on the 23rd.
Final estimates and assessments are in, and its totaled. (frame bent,
hood, near side sill, drivers door, dash support---all done. Upper cowl
pushed over 4 inches or so). Initial estimates were in the 6-8K range.
First offer from my insurance (comp) is 6K. Think I'll take it. I
don't know if I'll get another spit, but I'd like anyone who comes
across mine, TFVDW2AP002206, in a scrap yard to say 'Hi' and pat it on
its nose for me. (His name is 'Algy")
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