Do you ever have something happen that just REALLY gets under your skin, and
you have to say something to someone to get over it? If you have, you'll
understand the following:
This past weeked was the annual 'Swap Meet/Car Show' for the local British car
club. My wife and I have been attending it for the past 5/6 years and know
most of the people in the club - even though we're not members ourselves. Why
aren't we, you ask? You'll see ...
As usual, about 3 weeks ago, I got a call from the defacto head of the club,
inviting me to the swap meet. He's not the president, but as the owner of the
local British parts store/repair shop/junkyard, he seems to have the most
influence of all the members I've met. The swap meet is always held at his
shop. I try to stay on speaking terms with him, but my wife can't stand him as
he always treats us like we're not as smart as he is (case in point, last year
I tried to buy some used TR6 steel rims from him for my 4A so I could roll it
around the shop, and we got into a argument as to whether they would fit - I
finally walked away without buying the wheels) I disagree with his practice of
buying restorable cars(I tried to buy one from him at one point)and stripping
them for parts, but I figure he is running a business and I keep my opinion to
myself.
Anyway, we took my wife's Stag to the meet, parked and tried to look around.
The chief mechanic from the repair shop came over and offered us $10,000 for
the Stag on the spot, which we declined. In the conversation that followed, I
mentioned the fact that it didn't have the original engine. The mechanic said
'You did the Rover conversion? That's great, can I see it?' I said I had a GM
V6 not the Rover, which he said was ok but seemed to lose interest. I watched
him walk over to his boss and speak to him, gesturing towards us as he spoke -
so I knew the details of the Stag would soon be known to all the members.
A little while later, after we had finished looking around and were returning
to the Stag, we saw some people standing looking at our car. As walked along
the line of cars, my wife overheard someone saying "You don't want that piece
of s**t, it's been converted - it's nothing but trash now". We came around the
van we were walking next to to see the mechanic standing there talking to the
people looking at my wife's car! When he saw us, he couldn't leave fast enough
to suit himself. We stayed and talked to the people who were looking at the
Stag, answering their questions about how we liked the car and where they could
find one, then left for home. I looked at my wife and told her that we would
no longer be attending ANY function of the club, nor would I be buying any
parts from his company in the future.
I have been asked many times why I won't join the local club, or support their
events and here is my answer: Why would I possibly want to join a bunch of
snobby, elitist, narrow-minded drunks(I forgot to mention that the swap meet
ends every year with an all-night cookout and drinking party), who seem to
think owning an 'original' car somehow makes them better and smarter than
everyone else, and anyone who makes a change or modification to their car has
committed some type of sacrilege?
I enjoy the interactions I have with the people on this list, and certainly I
respect those people who try to restore their cars to original condition. I
also greatly appreciate the fact that many of us on the list do make
modifications to our cars, and are not ostracized for it. So my 'membership'
has been and will continue to be this list only
Phew - ok, I'm done. sorry I rambled on so.
Raymond L. Hatfield
'65 TR4A IRS, O/D, SAH Tuned "Chance"
'73 Stag 4.3L, Auto, A/C, etc "Molly"
Little Rock, AR
Come visit the Michelotti TR Website:
http://www.geocities.com/michelotti_tr
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