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I recall back in the =E2=80=9880s people saying exactly the same thing =
about the EFI and fuel injection that started showing up in new cars. =
They would say these cars can=E2=80=99t be fixed, modified, hopped up, =
whatever due to the complex electronics.
The kids of today will find a way. It=E2=80=99s a different skillset to =
be a =E2=80=9Ctuner=E2=80=9D, or replace the engine management system on =
a modern engine with something aftermarket, but folks are still doing =
it. And they will find a way in the future.
=20
=20
Steve West-Fisher
N4IK
=20
From: Mgs <mgs-bounces@autox.team.net> On Behalf Of Richard Lindsay
Sent: Tuesday, November 15, 2022 6:54 AM
To: MGs <mgs@autox.team.net>
Subject: [Mgs] Diminishing returns
=20
Hello MG friends,
I recently attended an 'All British Car Show' in a neighborhood =
called 'The Woodlands', here in South Texas. It was a fun show with MGs =
ranging from a single 1934 PA through to many MGB Tourers, all =
dominating the collection of British marques. Just guessing, I estimate =
about 30 or so cars in total were on display.
Two issues came to mind, one obvious from talking with the owners, =
and another a worrisome trend.
Firstly, almost all of the MG owners and restorers were gray haired =
old men. Now, I won't make any gender related comments but it is obvious =
that our hobby and passion lives on, mostly in old people. That's just =
fine because retired people have more free time to pursue the hobby. But =
where are the younger people? Will there be replacements for us as we =
fade away? And what will happen to our cars? I already see too many cars =
left languishing or worse, decaying in garages and storage.=20
Secondly, I wonder about the whole car hobby in general. What cars =
are being restored today? Sixties 'muscle cars' may always be popular =
but so many of them are resto-mods, not restorations. But what newer =
cars can be restored?
I recently gave away a rough Jaguar XK8 because it had a failed CAN =
buss, and therefore couldn't pass safety and emissions inspection. Most =
of the repair parts for that car are still available, if at =
better-than-gold prices, but how many hobbyists can diagnose, repair, =
and restore serial computer networks like the Jaguar's CAN buss?! BTW, a =
CAN bus is a serial computer network not terribly unlike the old strings =
of Christmas lights where if one lamp goes out, they all go out! Well, =
except in the XK8, if one component like the transmission reverse safety =
switch goes out, the whole network goes down. Everything from the engine =
to the seat position computers! And do you think Jaguar sells the =
diagnostic tool to find the 'burned out bulb'? Yea right.
My point isn't to criticize Jaguar. Rather, it's to make the point =
that modern cars, especially the interesting and exotic ones, just =
aren't really restorable - not by hobbyists like the next generation of =
potential enthusiasts (or us?!). So is ours a dying hobby? I fear so. =
And in the extreme, do you want your grandson attempting to restore a =
400 volt electric car? Yikes.=20
So what should we do? Well, first of all I think we should save all =
the old British cars that we can. Wait! Don't we already do that?! My =
wife says that, "I never met an 'old junk car' that I didn't love!" I =
also think we should introduce our cars and our hobby to younger people, =
especially kids. Car shows and tech sessions help with that. Not only =
might that exposure help to preserve our cars, maybe, but also there's =
lots to learn pulling spanners that wiggling an X-Box controller just =
can't teach! There is a kind of perverse value in 'busted knuckles'.
As we say, 'YMMV' but my grandson loves my old cars and he can handle =
a Whitworth spanner quite expertly. My granddaughter likes the cars too =
but 'My Little Ponies' are more fun, for now.
=20
Yes, YMMV,
=20
Rick
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link=3D"#0563C1" vlink=3D"#954F72" style=3D'word-wrap:break-word'><div =
class=3DWordSection1><p class=3DMsoNormal>I recall back in the =
=E2=80=9880s people saying exactly the same thing about the EFI and fuel =
injection that started showing up in new cars. They would say these cars =
can=E2=80=99t be fixed, modified, hopped up, whatever due to the complex =
electronics.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=3DMsoNormal>The kids of today will =
find a way. It=E2=80=99s a different skillset to be a =
=E2=80=9Ctuner=E2=80=9D, or replace the engine management system on a =
modern engine with something aftermarket, but folks are still doing it. =
And they will find a way in the future.<o:p></o:p></p><p =
class=3DMsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><div =
style=3D'mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid =
windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in'><p class=3DMsoNormal =
style=3D'border:none;padding:0in'><o:p> </o:p></p></div><p =
class=3DMsoNormal>Steve West-Fisher<o:p></o:p></p><p =
class=3DMsoNormal>N4IK<o:p></o:p></p><p =
class=3DMsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><div =
style=3D'border:none;border-top:solid #E1E1E1 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in =
0in 0in'><p class=3DMsoNormal><b>From:</b> Mgs =
<mgs-bounces@autox.team.net> <b>On Behalf Of </b>Richard =
Lindsay<br><b>Sent:</b> Tuesday, November 15, 2022 6:54 AM<br><b>To:</b> =
MGs <mgs@autox.team.net><br><b>Subject:</b> [Mgs] Diminishing =
returns<o:p></o:p></p></div><p =
class=3DMsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><div><p class=3DMsoNormal>Hello =
MG friends,<o:p></o:p></p><div><p class=3DMsoNormal> I =
recently attended an 'All British Car Show' in a neighborhood called =
'The Woodlands', here in South Texas. It was a fun show with MGs ranging =
from a single 1934 PA through to many MGB Tourers, all dominating the =
collection of British marques. Just guessing, I estimate about 30 or so =
cars in total were on display.<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p =
class=3DMsoNormal> Two issues came to mind, one obvious from =
talking with the owners, and another a worrisome =
trend.<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=3DMsoNormal> =
Firstly, almost all of the MG owners and restorers were gray =
haired old men. Now, I won't make any gender related comments but it is =
obvious that our hobby and passion lives on, mostly in old people. =
That's just fine because retired people have more free time to pursue =
the hobby. But where are the younger people? Will there be replacements =
for us as we fade away? And what will happen to our cars? I already see =
too many cars left languishing or worse, decaying in garages and =
storage. <o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=3DMsoNormal> =
Secondly, I wonder about the whole car hobby in general. What cars =
are being restored today? Sixties 'muscle cars' may always be popular =
but so many of them are resto-mods, not restorations. But what newer =
cars can be restored?<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p =
class=3DMsoNormal> I recently gave away a rough Jaguar XK8 =
because it had a failed CAN buss, and therefore couldn't pass safety and =
emissions inspection. Most of the repair parts for that car are still =
available, if at better-than-gold prices, but how many hobbyists can =
diagnose, repair, and restore serial computer networks like the Jaguar's =
CAN buss?! BTW, a CAN bus is a serial computer network not terribly =
unlike the old strings of Christmas lights where if one lamp goes out, =
they all go out! Well, except in the XK8, if one component like the =
transmission reverse safety switch goes out, the whole network goes =
down. Everything from the engine to the seat position computers! And do =
you think Jaguar sells the diagnostic tool to find the 'burned out =
bulb'? Yea right.<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=3DMsoNormal> =
My point isn't to criticize Jaguar. Rather, it's to make the point =
that modern cars, especially the interesting and exotic ones, just =
aren't really restorable - not by hobbyists like the next generation of =
potential enthusiasts (or us?!). So is ours a dying hobby? I fear so. =
And in the extreme, do you want your grandson attempting to restore a =
400 volt electric car? Yikes. <o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p =
class=3DMsoNormal> So what should we do? Well, first of all =
I think we should save all the old British cars that we can. Wait! Don't =
we already do that?! My wife says that, "I never met an 'old junk =
car' that I didn't love!" I also think we should introduce our cars =
and our hobby to younger people, especially kids. Car shows and tech =
sessions help with that. Not only might that exposure help to preserve =
our cars, maybe, but also there's lots to learn pulling spanners that =
wiggling an X-Box controller just can't teach! There is a kind of =
perverse value in 'busted knuckles'.<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p =
class=3DMsoNormal> As we say, 'YMMV' but my grandson loves =
my old cars and he can handle a Whitworth spanner quite expertly. My =
granddaughter likes the cars too but 'My Little Ponies' are more fun, =
for now.<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p =
class=3DMsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p =
class=3DMsoNormal>Yes, YMMV,<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p =
class=3DMsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p =
class=3DMsoNormal>Rick<o:p></o:p></p></div></div></div></body></html>
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