[TR] "Retiring from the TR hobby"

[Brian Jones]

Gosh, TeriAnn, apart for a deep knowledge in these wonderful cars,
you're an enbler, too. I'm sold. I'll keep my TR. My only wish is that
I still had hair to untangle when I drive with the top down.

Brian

1962 TR4

On 10/11/09, TeriAnn J. Wakeman <tjwakeman at gmail.com> wrote:
> 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
>
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