It's in the backyard!

Stuart

-----Original Message-----
From: Aristotle Sagan [mailto:killer.jupiter@gmail.com]
Sent: Friday, December 07, 2012 1:19 PM
To: Stuart MacMillan
Cc: vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com
Subject: Re: Friday musings on the pleasures of the "old car hobby"

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.