Date: Fri, 7 Dec 2012 13:49:08 -0800
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From: Gmail <ramblinvan@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: Friday musings on the pleasures of the "old car hobby"
In-Reply-To: <CAFaJG5oFmz=xjeg_n8Rk9Z9P22oVoQzf4nDhzQsAhAEK9T5j+g@mail.gmail.com>
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Of course, this IS the Pacific Northwest!
Sent from my way cool iPhone.
On Dec 7, 2012, at 1:18 PM, Aristotle Sagan <killer.jupiter@GMAIL.COM> wrote:
> Big @ssed Christmas tree.
>
> tim in san jose
>
>
>
> On Fri, Dec 7, 2012 at 12:52 PM, Stuart MacMillan <stuartmacm@gmail.com> wrote:
>> I'm fortunate to have chosen two vehicles, both of which were in production
>> when I bought them, that are now classics and are my "old car hobby." One,
>> of course, is my current '85 Westy, which replaced the '84 Westy I owned
>> from '86 to '06, as well as a '97 EVC I owned from '06 to '09.
>>
>>
>>
>> The other is a 1965 MGB which was actually a college graduation present for
>> my future wife from her father in 1969 (at my urging, and we chose it over a
>> '65 Mustang, being somewhat unusual people). The MGB has grown into a
>> collection. My daughter has a '70 MGB-GT and my son is working on a 1964
>> roadster project.
>>
>>
>>
>> The point of my musings is that without vendors finding and producing parts
>> and accessories for these cars there would be no classic cars on the road.
>>
>>
>>
>> The range of accessories available for both is truly amazing. For my MGBs I
>> can now purchase a custom designed and manufactured supercharger (if I were
>> wealthy), a Ford 5 speed transmission, modern shock absorbers, air
>> conditioning, leather upholstery, etc., as well as a huge number of
>> replacement parts.
>>
>>
>>
>> The Vanagon also has benefitted from enthusiasts finding, importing, and
>> making parts and conversion kits, and I'm hopeful that Volkswagen's "Classic
>> Parts" effort will be robust. When the MGB went out of production in 1980
>> British Leyland put all of their documentation and tooling in the public
>> domain (British Heritage Trust) to allow for unencumbered aftermarket parts
>> production. This has kept the hobby possible and affordable. Maybe VW will
>> do this too someday.
>>
>>
>>
>> I can readily build a $20,000+ MGB or Vanagon Westy that is every bit as
>> drivable and reliable as any modern car (well, almost), and would be a lot
>> more fun and much cheaper than anything available today, not to mention head
>> turning.
>>
>>
>>
>> Appreciate our vendors and celebrate the old car hobby, since you are all
>> hobbyists now by default.
>>
>>
>>
>> May you have lots of Vanagon parts under your Christmas tree!
>>
>>
>>
>> (I'll have a '93 Subaru donor car under mine.) ;-)
>>
>>
>>
>> Stuart
>>
>> '85 Westy, '65 MGB
>
>
>
> --
> Where ever you are, there you be. Unless you're driving my van, in
> which case, you ain't got there yet.
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