"St.John, Kenneth" wrote:
>
> Driving to work today in the sun I was thinking about my
> Spitfire and MGs
> and why we are attracted to one car or another and why.
>
> I bought my '74 1500 about 14 months ago at, of all places, a Ford
> dealership!
>
> I'm curious as to how others got bit!
>
Well, as reluctant as I am to enter into threads like this, I am
going to enter into it.
Flashback, circa 1959, riding my bike to elementary school. 'What's
that light blue car in the parking lot? Why, it says Austin-Healey
Sprite. Those are neat headlights.'
Fast forward about 9 years, between 11th and 12th grade in high
school. One of my buddies returns from a year in France (his dad
was with GM Overseas operations) with a MG TC, rhd, 19 inch wheels,
all the right stuff. We spent the fall and winter tearing it apart
and replacing rotted wood and rusted metal. Another classmate buys
a '66 Spitfire, and a third buys a MG TD. The guy with the TD decides
to do a body off resto, and then needs a car to drive so he locates
a TR4. The buddy with the Spit sells it as he won't be able to
afford the insurance while attending school at MIT. Another buddy
has picked up a AH 3000.
Meanwhile, I am driving my parents Cadillac, and then a '62 Dodge.
We finish the resto on the TC, and the owner of it picks up a Mini
Cooper while in school in Texas. I still have the Dodge. The friend
with the TD and the TR4 decides (his parents decide) that he needs
a more reliable car, and get him a Beetle. The TD (basket case) and
the TR4 are for sale as a pair, $1200 what he paid for the TD a year
earlier. No money, gotta pay for school, nuts.
Fast forward again, the Dodge sheds an axle and is deemed not worth
repairing. Pick up a '66 Chevy. Join the Air Force, go to Denver.
Hey, that's a neat Corvair Spyder convert, take the Chevy on trade?
Ten months later, I am married. Get an assignment to the UK. AF won't
ship either the Corvair or my wife's Maverick over, so what to buy?
Settle on a new Morris Marina 1.8 DeLuxe. Drive the Marina, but still
long for a sports car.
Fast forward to September 1975. We are entering our third year in
England, should be returning in one more year. Let's sell the Marina
and just drive the Mini for the last year. Driving in the gate one
afternoon, Security Policeman asks if I want to trade for a '73
Spitfire. Value about the same, but the Spit is having it's gearbox
overhauled. (Should've known). Send my wife back to the States for
her sisters wedding, take her to Heathrow in the Marina. Swap cars,
Pick up wife in the Spit. She wasn't overjoyed. But at least, we can
ship it back to the States, don't have to buy a new car immediately
on our return.
Two years later, September 1977, pick up Spit at McGuire AFB, and
drive to new duty station in Ohio. At least it's close to Michigan.
Now 2002, still have the Spitfire, it's part of the family. TR3
came and went, also added '73 Stag to the collection.(?) The Spit
turned 100,000 miles in September 1986, doing laps of Waterford
Hills Road Race Course. We then used it for a pace car for the
Formula V/F440/Spec Renault race and the small bore feature.
After 27 years, I still enjoy driving the Spitfire, even though
I more put the car on then get into it. It will make a return
visit to the VTR convention for the first time since 1986, but
I am going to trailer it up, with as much padding as I have, there
isn't enough to do two days each way for either my wife or me.
Cheers,
Doug
--
Doug Mitchell
mailto:dbmitch@peoplepc.com
'73 Spitfire 1500
'73 Stag
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