Practically Classics Forum

I think I know why some may "take swipes" at owners of MG's, Minors, Minis etc - I reckon its envy. Either because they want a car like that or because they have another car that they cant get bits for and wish parts were as available as for an Minor, MG, TR etc .....
Ed

GHT wrote:

Luxobarge wrote:As I own an MG and a Minor (and a Jag actually, Rich) I'm getting more than a little irritated by these swipes at the owners of such cars - can we keep it friendly please?

My apologies to you, you are right, generalisations are not helpful. For what it's worth, I rarely go to any classic shows anymore, the lack of any sort of friendliness these days, at some of these shows, led me to believe that for some, the friendly gene must have run down their mother's leg at the moment of conception.
More than once I have been berated for not joining an MG car club. I didn't get something like a list of the benefits or purchase discounts. I got, in answer to: "Are you in the MG club?" "No." "WHY!"
That immediately puts my back up, but as others have said, it's the person not the car club. Enjoy your Minor and MG, and enjoy this forum. I'll keep my thoughts to myself in future. And by only attending vintage events, that's where the cars have running boards, external headlamps, gull wing bonnets and so on, I'm not going to come into contact with anyone from the classic car scene.

Talking Hoarse makes a good point too. I know my brother is envious of that for example. He refers to my MGB as a 'Clit' car, "Because every C word has got one". I don't let it bother me but on the rare occasion I have risen to his comment, I simply say "And why are there so many compared to so few Hillman Imps? Because the MGB is a damned good car and much more popular than the Imp!"

But the key thing is diversity. Classics I don't like are loved by others which makes it interesting. I don't take my own car to shows these days but attend some, and it is great to see the variety on display. Last year I sat in a Bond Bug, I'd never buy one but it was fun to experience one.

Live and let live I say, I have a 2005 Mini Cooper S, it's fun so I don't care what others think of it though sadly it's for sale now.Hell I don't even hold it against JPB for owning a Toyota...

Thanks. I think.

Thinking about Ed's point though, I'm not envious of anyone on the basis of parts availability. Why so? Because every single part, including all of the panels, the trim and even the glass for that huge rear hatch is still available at a day's notice and the same isn't just true for cars of the same generation as mine, the preceding one that gave way to the AE92 cars in 1986 is also supported for most bits, making ongoing preservation a doddle.
Not even my lovely Volvos 142S and 144DL were that well supported when they were around the same age that the Corolla is now and Volvo, unlike Toyota, didn't reduce the cost of their parts for older models so when the 144 needed timing gears, I had to shell out £80 for the kit but they did come in a very nice box so it wasn't a total scalping.

FWIW, to me, the major appeal of an MGB is precisely because of that ease of obtaining parts. Whatever car I have that works - and demonstrates an ability to continue doing so without requiring my constant attention - is invariably used daily while I neglect the "to do" pile that stay an hour or two away from home and don't see much action, so the inherent reliability of anything as simple as MG's finest or the slightly newer but no more complex Japanese device will always matter more to me than the technical superiority of the undeniably more interesting things such as the Imps and NSU Ro80s that I adore, but would break within an average week of work. The exception to that rather loose rule for me is the Dolomites, whose engine tends to suffer its HGF at somewhere between the factory and 50,000 miles but that, once properly repaired and serviced by the book, will last well into the 200,000s with no less a feeling of dependability than that I get from cars that aren't hampered by an unjustified reputation for going wrong.
These days of course, I would need to be fitted to an MGB, rather than getting into it, as getting down to its level is somewhere slightly beyond my levels of agility and mobility, but even that isn't an issue as A60s and Morris Oxfords offer an equally pleasant driving experience but have seats that are much further from the road, as do older Sherpas which I also rate highly for their ability to surprise and satisfy. Especially on a wet roundabout.