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Re: Maintaining the Breed

To: <TATERRY@aol.com>, <mg-t@autox.team.net>, <rfeibusch@loop.com>
Subject: Re: Maintaining the Breed
From: "Ray McCrary" <spook01@home.com>
Date: Tue, 6 Feb 2001 21:42:38 -0600
Terry, et. al.,
My first TD had a MGA engine in it.  BUT- I never considered it as an
original car.  My 1622 engined TD would turn 6500 RPM, but it still wasn't
an original car.  It had a different character than did the originals.
"People's choice" awards are great, some of our cars will win no other award
And by the bye, I'm not talking about cars with alternative gearsets, I
refer to the cars with powertrain replacements, and other large scale
changes.  I know that some folks have changed the cars in order to drive
them, or for convenience; no problem, I used to autocross the TD.  But you
don't show them with the "original" cars.
We have a problem in the Sunbeam Tiger community with cars that have been
made out of modified Alpine body shells.  They are fun, but they are not a
"real" Tigger.
 I drive not only our prodified cars, but the originals as well!!!  There's
a rump for every seat; mine fits both! There is room in the group for all!
I don't have any checkbook restorations, as I prefer the "hands on"
approach. There is something not quite....I can't find the word....about
only owning something that you didn't work on yourself.  After all, this is
a hobby!  Fun!
Best,
Ray McCrary
"Speed is Life;
of course Luck and Altitude
are helpful, too."
----- Original Message -----
From: <TATERRY@aol.com>
To: <spook01@home.com>; <mg-t@autox.team.net>; <rfeibusch@loop.com>
Sent: Tuesday, February 06, 2001 8:28 PM
Subject: Re: Maintaining the Breed


> In a message dated 2/6/01 5:47:17 PM Pacific Standard Time,
spook01@home.com
> writes:
>
> << I think the hotrod genre is an interesting subset, but the car really
>  doesn't belong with the original TD's.
>  There are a lot of British cars with powerplant swaps.....but they don't
>  need to be shown with the originals, either.
>  They can be shown separately.
>  And the above is one of the problems with "peoples' choice" voting at
shows.
> >>
>
> Well, Ray, this would leave my TA out in left field and without the ton of
> Peoples Choice awards that it has garnered....Unbeknownst to me when I
bought
> the car it had a A series 1275 drive train installed some 17 years earlier
by
> a gent in New Orleans who just wanted to drive his new baby without oil
and
> water mixing...At the time, I didn't know there was such a thing as a TA
> having been a TC owner before and completely ignorant of prewar MG'ing.  I
> soon learned all about TA's and got much more interested in Prewarriors
than
> in Postwarriors. I left the 1275 in the TA, its part of the history of the
> car...I wouldn't put a TA engine/gearbox in it now because then I couldn't
> put on the next 30,000 miles without the assurance that I now have that I
> will arrive at my destination.....The Brits have dealt with this subject
at
> length because of the proliferation of K3 replicas...they concluded that
if
> you have an authentic chassis, they you have the car.  I suggest we adopt
a
> similar attitude.  Each owner to his own wishes otherwise.  There will be
> plenty of trailer queens and museum pieces to show future generations what
> was what...for me, its the driving!
>
> I get a little upset with check book restorations too but what the hell,
I'm
> just jealous!!
>
> Terry (who also has an Arnolt MG with everything right(well it does have
MGA
> gears) and same with a SA Tickford, one day an NA fourseat too)

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