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In Reply to: RE: Olddude55? posted by Batman on July 11, 2017 at 18:01:43
OK, here's the deal. I still have all my shit, I don't hate on the Asylum or anyone in it. Just one day took a hard look at all the LPs and all of the hardware accumulated, and freaked. Who's gonna deal with this if I get hit by a bus? Plus, I feel shame; consumerist, greedy, spendy, you don't need all this stuff you old bastard you. Time to get unencumbered.
So buh-bye VA quick, before I get sucked in again (didn't work obviously). Delete the profile, sell the shit. Run fast, run silent, run deep.
Wasn't so easy though. Jeez, do I really wanna get rid of those Art Blakely albums? The punk albums? The Beatles fer cryin aht lahd?
The shit is still in situ. Not actively trying to sell. Not buying any more rekkids but still pullin' em out and spinning a side or two here an' there.
But I'd flip it for a decent MG Midget/Austin-Healey Sprite in less time than it takes to lift a tone arm.
No smarty-pants comments about old British sports cars, pliz.
Edits: 07/14/17Follow Ups:
In fact, just today I disposed of 4 shelves worth of highly flammable finishing supplies. Too old and decrepit to build anymore and my cremation is better left to experts.
Now I'm eyeing 4 more shelves of dust coated high efficiency drivers but, but, it's GOOD STUFF!
The albums are seldom played but a part of me and if I wave goodbye to them and the front end how can I justify keeping the mono blocks?
I've have had the 45 amp for sale for a long time because after all these years I deserve a top of the line Stradivarius....
...unfortunately seems the DHT SET craze has passed us by.
I've sold everything off before and was semi-sorry (should have kept the gear. The LPs were blah).
Think part of my issue, got tangled up ripping LPs to CD for everybody and his brother, made the whole thing into a job instead of fun. CMOS in the ripping PC is coughing up blood, no more ripping looks like, if I just give it time...
But the trade off is a sports car. I've got feelers out, have gone at least that far.
Cobalt? Most people think that my '04 GTO is one of those things, in spite of the custom plate that plainly and clearly exclaims 'GTO'!. While this car can run rings around my late TR-7, the Triumph was waaay more fun. And it had ice-cold home-made A.C. along with the drop-top. Perhaps I need to find a TR-8.
The Triumph handles as though there are suction cups on each tire. I put a set of Webers on mine, plus re-curved the distributor. Also had a tubular exhaust header. But still only 90 or 100 horses.
only 90 horsepower (and I'm certain more than a few of those horses had died by the time the car fell into my hands) but it was the most fun-to-drive car I ever owned.
TR-8 had the great 3.5 engine that Buick and Oldsmobile gave up on, right? If I'm remembering my British engine-swap lore, the Rover V-8 is 40 lbs lighter than the B-series engine in the MGB.
I wouldn't be unhappy with a TR-7 or TR-8, only problem they're in the smog era. Would rather have something not de-smogged.
Lurking ghosts are fine. We just needed to know you were okay....
So, let me get this understood...Is this fascination with a vintage sports car something like a mid-life crisis ? I had one of those, circa 2000-2001. I craved either a restored muscle car (had a few in my youth) or a certain 1958-'59 Chevy/GMC NAPCO conversion Suburban. After checking a few affordable choices, my wife reminded me how silly it would be to spend our hard-earned money on a car/truck still needing resto. She asked, "How about another Mini...?"
Way back when, 1981, our honeymoon car was a beat-up '67 Austin Cooper 998. In spite of the British normalities of car maintenance, that car was way too much fun. 46 mpg by the way...She reminded me how I once retrieved her younger sister from a movie theater, along with five friends, and proceeded to drive them all home through the upstate NY twisty roads. While that was not a fun drive, I was then convinced we could definitely fit our two kids in the back seat.
So, I began researching which sporty tin-top cars our budget could afford. Between a Honda CRX, VW Scirocco or Mini, the Mini was by far the most affordable, at that time...In the eighties, old sports cars had little "lifeline" help available. The auto-parts stores were the only life-line...But, after the internet boom, car clubs abound in every state. Not only is there a British car club in most populated states, there were actually two nearby Mini Cooper clubs and numerous active restoring "dealers" within fifty miles.
Like the now defunct NJ Mini Owner's club, I am sure you can locate some sympathetic British car lovers, as I did with a wee bit of research and phone calling. I wanted an everyday driver car, not a show piece. I wanted to autocross again, reliving some adventures of youth. When I mentioned to a Brit tech not too far away that I wanted an everyday driver, he was very enthused and invited me over to his barn full of British sports cars and over 25 Minis.
I cannot fit inside many of the sports cars I always dreamed about. Lotus and TVR (highest recommendation for you, if you can fit comfortably) just did not want my extra large frame inside. Like those, my knees hit the dashboard of a Sprite/Midget. Man, did I want a frogeye...But, the Mini has an unbelievable amount of room inside, for two. Like any other sports car, tight turns may cause some shoulder rubbing, but the Mini handles better than anything, within "normal" speeds.
More importantly, Original Cooper S Minis have the best brakes, period. Seriously, you get the ultimate in dodgeability, very surprising speed and fantastic brakes. And, those brakes fit inside those little ten inch wheels ! Even with twelve inch wheels/tires, the Min will outhandle most contenders. In dry weather, my 68 Cooper S with roll-up windows, outhandled and outbraked our WRX ! Sure, I could drive the WRX as wildly as I could the Mini, but the Mini handles gracefully. Taking a right angle turn with the WRX at 45 mph causes sideways drifting and gas-on correcting, while the dry-suspended Min simply pivots gracefully with g-force of 1 reliability.
Okay, so why am I trying to convince you that a vintage Min could be the choice ? Because, the Spridget family requires way too many upgrades for any practicality. Their rear suspension swing arms are a major problem. Their street brakes will never compete with the normally fantastic brakes of Lotus, TVR or genuine Coopers. Their soft-tops are and will always be a pain. BTW, there were some genuine 1990s Minis with convertible tops; now very rare and sought after.
I could go on, but you have to drive some cars, my friend. You have to research and decide. The old points distributors can easily be updated with Pertronix pointless innards and the Aldon race distributors can negate any vacuum advance. So can the original Cooper S distributors, which will fit the 1275 Spridget engines. The fun never stops with real sports cars...it just gets interrupted when they break...
No mid-life crisis, it's been an entire life's obsession.
My wife's cousin's husband bought himself a TR-3 a few years back, it was retirement gift.
I've been out in a couple of times. I'm not a jealous person but that car makes me green.
Right now, I have aCobaltSS and I know it will run rings around that TR. It looks brand-new, and it's so clean there's no rust on the nuts and bolts under the car. Replaced the front struts a few weeks ago, piece of cake.
It's the fastest car I've ever owned, corners perfectly flat, goes right where you point it but...but...no remote shift linkage is ever going to be as good as a shifter mounted directly on the tranny. Electric power steering is numb as hell, can't hold a candle to manual steering in a lightweight car. It's got a stinking CANBUS which radically complicates even simple shit like changing the stereo. It's nearly twice as heavy as a Spridget. It's got a sunroof but that's just not the same as a roadster. And it's aCobalt. It doesn't matter than a Cobalt SS was once the fastest front-drive small car around the Nurburgring, or was one of the fastest cars in not one but two Car and Driver Lightning Laps. It's still aCobalt.By the way, the Spridget is live axle, not swing arms. The later Midget MkII (and Sprite MkIII) uses full semi-elliptical rear springs instead of the quarter-elliptics like the Frogeye. Front discs from the later cars are easily adapted to the older Spridgets and most of them have been updated at any rate. The only Midge I will avoid is the MkIV.
And I'm not looking to drive really fast (at least, this is one of the selling points I'm using on the trouble and strife), just have fun. It'll take plastic surgery to get the smile off my face.
Edits: 07/17/17
Glad to know you're OK, neighbor. Hope you enjoy whatever path you choose to follow.
Bill
You're good, Ghost.
I've been retired for 10 years and I'm still messin' with hi-fi stuff. Not as agressively (think disposable income) but still........
I wanted that Sprite real bad when I was in the Navy in 1960. Some things, I just have to let go, doncha' know?
So, I say enjoy what you have, because at some point, sooner or later, you won't have it anymore.
Cheers!
"If people don't want to come, nothing will stop them" - Sol Hurok
...Spitfire for a short time but never got it roadworthy and ended up giving it away.
Later Gator,
Dave
Opus 33 1/3
Love 'em, but prolly $50K for a good one.
Spridget, MGB, far far less. A TR6 isn't out of the question, but the Spridget is my fave, preferably pre-Federalized which would be up to and including 1966 model year.
Locally, good Spridgets and MGBs $7-$10K depending on the year and the amount of butchery done by previous owners.
Opus 33 1/3
And I've got a strict definition of what a sports car is: Two seats, top either goes down or is removable, rear drive, stick shift, and it has to be as light and uncomplicated as possible.
It's not about going fast, either. My current car can run rings around an MG or Triumph but it's got back seats, it's a coupe, and it weighs 2700 pounds. It's just not a sports car.
I could afford a good Midget. Rilly. And I'd love it, feed it, and take really swell care of it.
Gave these racing mustang all they could handle and then some.
Opus 33 1/3
And the Mini and Midget share the same engines.
But the top doesn't go down on the Mini.
The answer is always........Miata! ;)
if somebody else asked me for advice.
I'd consider a Miata, but it would have to NA, preferably with no AC or power steering.
Would consider Miata, would prefer the Midget. Marks I, II, or III.
Miatas are not "like reliable Lotuses" as they were touted for awhile. They are not neutral steerers, nor are they as quick as you might hope for. An upgraded Spridget will be quicker and will handle better, undoubtedly. Of course, the Miata reliabilities do have an advantage.
Since both cars are VERY SMALL, why not consider the best handling small cars ? Yes, the vintage Minis ! Even the newer BMW owned MINI, with that cool, full sun-roof could be a winner ! Consider a non-Cooper S with that sunroof option. The newer MINI Cooper S are plagued by understeering. Their speed can get you in trouble, whereas the non-S handles much more neutrally, assuring fun drives...
to somebody else. Few people these days are willing to put up with any maintenance other than an oil change, let alone dealing with breaker points and twin SU carbs.
But I'd much rather have the Midget. First thing I learned to do on a car was tune up my old '71 Pinto and the muscle memory is still there.
I love the vintage Minis, but BMC never made a convertible or roadster.
Later Minis, no stinking CANBUS. Preferably no computers at all, but NO CANBUS.
Opus 33 1/3
2005-2010, bought me a six month old 350Z. It was fun. Stick, the back seat was a stupid joke, put in a nice stereo which you couldn't really hear above 50MPH, LOL. It was pretty fast, too, which I didn't need. Got the coupe because the rag top had a big old butt look to it.
I like your idea.
But, don't wait too long.
"If people don't want to come, nothing will stop them" - Sol Hurok
I'm ready to rush right out in a buying frenzy, however there are WAF issues.
When are there not?
I was feeling flush at the time and the old Ford I was nursing was ready for bed. Just did it. Somehow, nothing happened. Go figure.
"If people don't want to come, nothing will stop them" - Sol Hurok
Helped me find a girlfriend at least.
I'm still wise in the ways of the breaker point and the carburetor. Skilled am I with a timing light.
Doesn't have to be perfect. After all, some of my records are scratched. There's dust on the turntable.
Edits: 07/14/17
Do you know what BOAT stands for ? Yes, "Break Out Another Thousand" was the norm for boats with tops. It is the new norm for any old car...
One of the considerations of owning vintage or newer sporty cars, is the price of Premium fuel. Not terrible, but worthy of considering. There are some cars, worthy of "motoring" which can run on regular grade 87 fuel. In fact, there are now some turbos which can run on regular !
I am not sure of all the Miatas, but most of the older British and all MINIs will require premium 91 grade. Likewise, all BMW, Shaguar and Audi need the expensive gas to run right...
Research can be a key...There is tons of info online and via the car clubs. You know, I just recalled a time when our stereo obsessions were shared by fellow enthusiasts. That was a long time ago...Well, sporty car owning can still be like that...literally a fun hobby...
and I'll concede that old car ownership can get expensive but it can cost even more to repair late model cars that are no longer in warranty
And I'm a decent wrench. I've rebuilt engines (well, one engine at any rate), installed complete performance suspension kits, etc. I can even paint and repair seats. Been at it a long time.
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