Ferrari Mailing List: Re: My Experience with a Kit Car Owner

[LarryT (l02turner]

Hey Francis!
   What a great way to spend some quality time in old sports cars!  We're 
really poorer for the loss of inexpensive convertible sports cars.  In the 
60s we had a huge selection - whenever we're out driving around I'm always 
on the lookout for sports cars from that era - ran across a small used car 
lot last year and spent a hour going from car to car sitting in each and 
just relaxing in their aura.  The smell is what I really noticed the most. 
There's a odor that comes from old leather, oil, coolant, various car parts 
and sweat that makes each old sports car unique.  There was a AH3000 and a 
early 60s Alfa that really kept me under their spell.  I sat in each just 
soaking the experience in.  It;s something I need to do again!
   Was watching a program on History Channel this am called "Automobiles - 
Jaguar" a series about all the great old cars of the world - and seeing the 
XKE interior brought all the memories back and I commented to my wife that I 
need to get busy putting the B back together.  I had disassembled it to 
paint it and it's now going back together.  She said something about 
finishing the kitchen remodel 1st but then said I should work on the B 
whenever I feel like it.  ;-)
   Anyway - I love those old sports cars - and really miss them.  The US 
safety regulations and emissions laws destroyed a lot of small companies and 
I doubt there was any measurable improvement in safety or emissions 
problems.  They were such a small part of the problem.....

   Merry Christmas!
Larry T (67 MGB, 74 911, 78 240D, 91 300D)
www.youroil.net for Oil Analysis and Weber Parts
Test Results http://members.rennlist.com/oil
PORSCHE POSTERS!  youroil.net
Weber Carb Info http://members.rennlist.com/webercarbs
Porsche Road Test http://members.rennlist.com/roadtest/
.
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Francis Newman" <francis [at] fntn.co.uk>
To: "LarryT" <l02turner [at] comcast.net>
Cc: "francis newman" <francis.newman [at] fntn.co.uk>; <ferrari [at] ferrarilist.com>
Sent: Friday, December 08, 2006 5:47 PM
Subject: Re: [Ferrari] My Experience with a Kit Car Owner


> Hi Larry
>
> I have in the last year managed to have drives in borrowed MG Midget, 
> MGB, TR4a and TR6 and a Stag. All great fun and every one a bit 
> different.
>
> I have also  in the same period driven various Mk2 Jags and an S  Type. 
> Great fun.
>
> Francis
>
> On 8 Dec 2006, at 20:31, LarryT wrote:
>
> > Hi Francis,
> > That sounds reasonable - re: the long legs of the MGC - that was  one 
> > major fault of the B - at 60-65 it was turning 3200rpm or so  (without 
> > OD) - now, there's a 5 speed being installed.  A welcome  addition given 
> > the high cost of the OD units but the 4 speed  shifter was one of the 
> > high points of the MGB - a real snick-snick  experience.
> >
> > Yeah, when B-L began absorbing all the smaller sports car companies  they 
> > diluted the diverse designs and we began losing the uniqueness  of the 
> > smaller manufacturers.  But I guess it had to happen - the  market was 
> > shrinking and with the US emissions and safety laws the  smaller 
> > companies didn't have the resources to upgrade their  designs to continue 
> > to sell to the US market.
> >
> > They're all sadly missed.  The AH3000, various TRs, MGBs, 356s, etc  all 
> > had a special character.  If you get a chance to sit in an  unrestored 
> > example of any of them you'll immediately understand  what makes them so 
> > special.
> >
> > Ahhh, the memories...
> >
> > Larry T (67 MGB, 74 911, 78 240D, 91 300D)
> > www.youroil.net for Oil Analysis and Weber Parts
> > Test Results http://members.rennlist.com/oil
> > PORSCHE POSTERS!  youroil.net
> > Weber Carb Info http://members.rennlist.com/webercarbs
> > Porsche Road Test http://members.rennlist.com/roadtest/
> > .
> > ----- Original Message ----- From: "Francis Newman"  <francis [at] fntn.co.uk>
> > To: "LarryT" <l02turner [at] comcast.net>
> > Cc: "francis newman" <francis.newman [at] fntn.co.uk>; 
> > <ferrari [at] ferrarilist.com>
> > Sent: Friday, December 08, 2006 2:36 PM
> > Subject: Re: [Ferrari] My Experience with a Kit Car Owner
> >
> >
> > > Hi Larry
> > >
> > > I had a friend who had an MGC many years ago. He loved it but   admitted 
> > > it wasn't as good as a B ton the twisties, and not  really  that much 
> > > more performance overall. But great as a long  legged tourer.
> > >
> > > It was slated by the motoring press at the time which probably 
> > > accounts for poor early sales, and then MG was taken over by  British 
> > > Leyland where Triumph was the favoured sportscar marque,  and the MGC 
> > > was probably seen a competition for the TR6 and it  was fairly quickly 
> > > dropped
> > >
> > > Francis
> > >
> > > On 8 Dec 2006, at 17:20, LarryT wrote:
> > >
> > > > Hi Britt,
> > > > You wrote<<modifications......Wouldn't a MGB with a V8 added  really 
> > > > be a replica of an MGC?>>  All the reference  books call  them MGB- 
> > > > GT-V8s - a lot of alpha/numeric stuff but it defines  them pretty 
> > > > accurately.  Sadly they were never officially  imported here  although 
> > > > a few were brought in as gry market cars  - and of course,  some 
> > > > MGB-GTs had a Rover Alum V8 installed to  mimic the original as 
> > > > closely as possible.
> > > >
> > > > But they used different nomemclature in US Vs UK I believe - the   MGC 
> > > > was the straight 6 which I believe was the Austin Healy   engine?  BTW, 
> > > > I spoke with a Brit years ago who said the MGC was  a  White Elephant 
> > > > in the UK that few people wanted or liked.   Does  that ring true?
> > > >
> > > > Later --
> > > >
> > > > Larry T (67 MGB, 74 911, 78 240D, 91 300D)
> > > > www.youroil.net for Oil Analysis and Weber Parts
> > > > Test Results http://members.rennlist.com/oil
> > > > PORSCHE POSTERS!  youroil.net
> > > > Weber Carb Info http://members.rennlist.com/webercarbs
> > > > Porsche Road Test http://members.rennlist.com/roadtest/
> > > > .
> > > >   ----- Original Message -----
> > > >   From: Britt2Asa [at] aol.com
> > > >   To: l02turner [at] comcast.net
> > > >   Cc: ferrari [at] ferrarilist.com
> > > >   Sent: Friday, December 08, 2006 10:53 AM
> > > >   Subject: Re: [Ferrari] My Experience with a Kit Car Owner
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >   But of course the MG was AVAILABLE with a V8 here in the UK, my 
> > > > neighbor has one and its a MGC so unless you want to argue that  its 
> > > > not the original type V8 its not that big a step as they  were 
> > > > produced at the factory that way.
> > > >
> > > >   Didn't the lowly Alpine contribute to the original Cobra  design 
> > > > where the big V8 was shovelled into the little British  chassie?
> > > >
> > > >   On eof the neat things about living in the UK is the huge  number  of 
> > > > very small motor manufacturers that exist or use to  exist 
> > > > here....Bristols, TVRs (until two months ago), Lotus,  Noble, Jenson 
> > > > (which comes and goes every year), ect.
> > > >
> > > >   True these are not really replicas of OTHER cars (and I   understand 
> > > > that point) but I think there is a fine line between  a  replica car 
> > > > (minus its badges) and a "genuine" car with 
> > > > modifications......Wouldn't a MGB with a V8 added really be a   replica 
> > > > of an MGC?
> > > >
> > > >   Its interesting to see the way people feel about these things.  I  do 
> > > > find it funny that a person who copies a type of boat as  close  as 
> > > > possible (maybe the hull design and layout work has  already been  done 
> > > > but they want it out of steel for instances)  would never call  their 
> > > > boat a "replica" no matter how close it  looks to the genuine  thing. I 
> > > > wonder if its because boats are  still largely handmade and  many 
> > > > people don't know the difference  between them?
> > > >
> > > >   Hey, does anybody make flying replicas of WWII aircraft? Now  that 
> > > > would be neat! Would you car guys feel the same way about a   carefully 
> > > > made P38/Mustang/B24 flying replica
> > > >   as you would a car? What if it was a type of plane that there   were 
> > > > none left in flying condition or say the only one was in  the 
> > > > Smithsonian so that the only way you or your kids could  experience 
> > > > the sight and sound of that aircraft was with a  replica. You  wouldn't 
> > > > wear a fake Rolex but would you look at  and admire a  replica plane?
> > > >
> > > >   Britt
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >     Many MGB owners prefer a V8 because
> > > >     of the wonder burble that comes with a bog ol 'merican V8.
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >   BR in the UK
> > > >   1986 328GTS (LHD 89,940km) Died August 19, 2006 Shrewsbury UK
> > > >   1980 400i (RHD 72,000 miles)
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