[TR] "Retiring from the TR hobby"

[TeriAnn J. Wakeman]

don wrote:
>> This term was used on an earlier email to the list.  Made me think 
>> about the psychology, energy, money, talents, passion and more that 
>> are part of the British car hobby.  I've met many older guys that now 
>> drive newer Camrys and Cougars and similar unexciting cars that once 
>> were enamored with British sports cars.  I've also met a lot of guys 
>> that now drive Miatas instead of old British sports cars (I am 
>> somewhat guilty of this one).  I wonder what happens to make a person 
>> drop this hobby?  One thing I notice is physical- lack of mobility to 
>> either get in and out of the cars, operate the clutch, and to bend 
>> and kneel and lie on the ground to do repairs.  Or just declining 
>> health and need to downsize possessions.  Annoyance with having to 
>> make repairs might enter in to it.  Issues of cost if you have 
>> limited funds.  Impracticality of the cars given modern driving 
>> conditions might be a factor too.  Anyway, that comment made me think 
>> about what happens to us over time, and with age.
I'll admit, but not often, to being on the North side of 60.  For me 
what I am seeing is:

- I'm less willing to put up with spending an hour untangling my hair 
whenever I drive so have gone to wearing a hat that completely covers my 
hair.

- Am more bothered by the glare of sun beating down into my eyes from 
over my glasses and I seem to be less tolerant of my face being wind 
blown at highway speeds on day long drives.  So I am finally installing 
the factory hard top onto my TR3 that I've had in storage for 23 years

- Am finding that wrestling the TR3's steering wheel at low speeds 
through tight turns is feeling more like a chore than fun.  So I'm 
researching rack and pinion conversions.  The Land Rover was converted 
to power steering 10 years ago.

- That I mind getting into my grubby clothes and getting greasy more and 
more so I'm more apt to put things off or have my car professionally 
worked on.  I used to try to be on top of everything and now not quite 
so much because of finances.

- While I've had to downsize possessions and very briefly thought of 
eliminating the TR I very soon came to my senses.  I can always 
rationalize having 2 cars that are both for very different purposes.

- Thankfully mobility and flexibility have not become issues and am 
actually slowly loosing weight  because of lifestyle changes I have made 
near the beginning of this year (which is good).

- I'm thinking more of safety upgrades such as the steel trumpet 
Marchelle  air horns I recently converted to, converting to LED 
lighting, going to the front spindles that won't bend on turns pushing 
the brake pads apart, going to a Salisbury diff to help tame the rear 
end when I punch it (see I can always rationalize things I want)

Besides, My TR3A is my new modern car and I'm nowhere ready to retire 
from either of my cars.

Teriann
1960 land Rover Dormobile, owned since 1978
1961 Triumph TR3A, owned since 1986