Regarding the discussion about sacrilege, I'm always intrigued with the hint
of "them versus us" because, as Pogo once said, "We have met the enemy and
he is us."
Some thoughts:
1. One of the ways many of us got infected with the LBC virus was by souping
up old VW Beetles. Years ago JC Whitney and Cal Custom gave us all sorts of
bolt-on stuff, some of it purely cosmetic, but for many of us it was our
first experience with basic performance tuning, like changing the camshaft
timing and bolting on a Weber carb as we tried to emulate Porsche
performance. And it led a lot of us into more performance tuning, an itch we
carried over to our Triumphs and other LBCs.
2. Often when I go to LBC shows, I'll seek out folks with TR7's to see how
they handled particular restoration problems. It's not unusual to get a
shrug of the shoulders with the answer, "I don't know, I just sent it to the
shop and paid my money." So it's not just the "other" guys who don't always
have the same dirt-in-the-fingernails investment in their sports cars.
3. I thought Fast and Furious was interesting in that it delved, however
superficially, into the world of street racing -- not an environment I know
much about. That world, the world of Lowriders, and other like it are
fascinating cultures that revolve around the car -- with the vehicle helping
to define the character and individuality of the owner much more extensively
than, say, my casual relationship with my TR7. As for cultural impact, look
at the religious-oriented Latino air-brush art that came out of Southern
California and is closely associated with the customization of automobiles.
4. I think you can appreciate both worlds. As exhibit "A," I point to my
son who helped with the TR7 rebuild, enjoys driving it around with the top
down, and also buys magazines about the latest souped-up Hondas, Miatas, and
Ferraris.
And when it's all said and done, if I have a choice between striking up a
conversation with the LA kids and their Hondas, and talking to someone who
just shelled out a lot of money to buy a completely restored TR3 that he
knows nothing about, I'll hang with the LA kids every time.
Just my nickel's worth.
Bruce
1980 Inca Yellow TR7 Convertible
Chapel Hill, NC
"Send lawyers, guns and money." - Warren Zevon
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