[Spridgets] Where were you when the LBC bug got you?

Michael MacLean rrengineer.mike at att.net
Thu Oct 27 15:28:06 MDT 2011


    1971.  I was just out of basic training for the Air Force and my first
assignment was Los Angeles Air Force Station working in the mail room.  I
delivered over 400 secrets a day and learned to sign my name like a doctor
because I had to sign so many times a day.
     There was no barracks at this base, so even the single guys had to live
on the local economy and find an apartment near work.  This was before the big
pay raise by Nixon, so I was only making about $200 a month.  We had to live 4
to a single bedroom apartment to afford housing.  I really needed a cheap
car.  One day there was a classified ad in the base newspaper by a captain at
the base for a 1959 Austin Healey Sprite.  I didn't even know what it was, but
he only wanted $150 for it.  (oh, for those days again)  It was love at first
sight, a running Bugeye with a convertible top, tonneau cove and a factory
hardtop.  I only had $50 with me. (25% of my monthly pay before taxes).  The
captain said "give me the $50 and you can make payments on payday.  He handed
over the keys and the rest is history.  I made $25 dollar payments for two
months and starved during that time to have my first Bugeye.  That car taught
me all about working on
 cars and got me all around southern California.  Luckily we had an auto hobby
shop on base, so I could do all required maintenance myself. 
     I have had six Bugeyes since then.  My present car is a 60 which I have
had since 1993.  It will probably be my last.  Maybe.
Mike MacLean
60 Sprite
56 BN2
02 Heritage Springer 

--- On Thu, 10/27/11, Linda Grunthaner <grunthaner at gmail.com> wrote:

From: Linda Grunthaner <grunthaner at gmail.com>
Subject: [Spridgets] Where were you when the LBC bug got you?
To: "Spridget list" <spridgets at autox.team.net>
Date: Thursday, October 27, 2011, 10:10 AM

List I was just discussing with Kirk about when the LBC bug got you hooked,
his was in a VW camper driving past LBC's at San Diego State College and
seeing them on campus in the 1960's I don't recall mine perhaps as my older
brother called out the American cars while in the back seat of the family
car and I saw a MGTD or an MGA and he may have said that is a British car. I
was hooked ever since.

So what did you see how old were you and what year was it when you got
hooked?

This should be fun to see the replies : )
Lin
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