I agree with you, Bill. I found Ken's comment pretty entertaining myself.
I, too, owned a Spitfire in high school -- for over half of high
school. I actually got to drive it to school for maybe three months
out of those 2+ years. Some of that was my fault, some of it was the
car's.
My 12-year-old Honda gets me to work and back every day, no questions
asked. Has done so for over 2 1/2 years, having spent three
(planned) days in the shop in that time. If I had to drive to SoCal
tomorrow, I would check the oil and go. When something is in the
process of breaking, I can generally still drive it until the next
weekend/opportunity to fix it. It is basic, reliable transportation,
and I have very little emotional attachment to it -- I'll be sorry to
see it go only because it is paid for and costs just $30 a month to
insure.
My Triumphs, on the other hand, I would not think about taking on a
long distance trip without giving a thorough checkup, and I would be
hesitant to rely on either (even if they were both restored!) for
daily transportation. My boss is nice, but... If something even
started to sound awry, I'd pull it off the road for further
examination. As for emotional attachment, well, I've had one since I
was 16, and I won't part with either for love or money. Driving the
Spitfire puts a smile on my face in a way that no Honda ever will. I
haven't actually driven the TR3, but trust that it will be the same.
I think we should all recognize that we're all here on the list
because we love the cars, and any comments such as those made by Ken
are meant in a good-natured way. No need to pile on anyone for such
a comment.
Ken -- hope you're still with us.
Dan
>Hey everybody lighten up and take this the way most likely Ken meant it.
>Triumphs have never been known for their "reliability" Every LBC I've ever
>owned I've worked on it just as much as I have driven it. But I *like* to
>work on them!! We are all a little "nuts" to love these *at least* 20 year
>old cars the way we do! Who in there "right mind* would save some of these
>rusted out hulks, restore them, and spend more to restore 20-40 yr car than
>buy a new one (with A/C!) We are all crazy. Think about how much you work
>on, bust knuckles on, and love every minute of it. Any "sane" man would
>question our hobby. I personally drive a car built 40 yrs ago, before I was
>born (I'm only 35) whenever I get the opportunity. I certainly work on it
>more than I do the old "LBC support vehicle" in the driveway. I remember
>back in High School my friends saying I must be a masochist to own a
>spitfire that I had to drive for two weeks and spend the next week(end)
>working on it. (Balancing carbs, etc.) I certainly didn't take offense with
>his comment. I laughed. Just as Ken intended for me too. Why would he be
>on this list if he thought we were all stupid. Lighten up. Geesh.
>
>Bill
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Dan Buettner - Des Moines, Iowa - mailto:danb@thelittlemacshop.com
1977 Spitfire, FM64159U, now with an O too. Runs & drives, but shakes
like crazy; needs new tires and a steering/suspension rebuild.
http://home.earthlink.net/~nickndan/gmachine/greenmachine.html
1957 TR3, TS15098L. Needs an O. Undergoing frame-off restoration begun 9/99.
http://home.earthlink.net/~nickndan/TR3/TR3.html
1988 Honda Civic 4WD Wagon. Gets me to work and back home again every day.
No home page. (go figure)
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