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The internet and the BCF

59diamond

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How did anyone keep their cars running before [DELETE] the internet and thus the BCF.
It is amazing that you can get answers to technical questions from all over the world.
Back in the "Olden Days" it must have been pretty hard to get any help with problems.
I am glad that I didn't renew my interest in Bugeyes until a few years ago or otherwise I would have been in deep dodo.
 
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Bayless

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So he did serve some useful purpose after all :rolleyes2::jester::wink-new: Seriously, I well remember all those countless hours scouring every junkyard near central Oklahoma searching for anything for my Prefect. That all dried up many years ago. Fortunately the internet did come along and made the search so much easier.
 
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Starting as a teen in the early 70s with my first LBC, it was hit or miss sometimes. There were many things you could still get through local parts places but as time went by those started to dry up. Hemmings was a resource not to be missed then. And hopefully you knew or could meet like minded individuals. I recall in the 80s being told a name for Sunbeam part I should try. But no one I knew then could tell me anything other than a nickname, not location, full name or other information. You had to love the hunt then...
 

George_H

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In the 70s and early 80s we had auto parts stores just for "Imports". The local one for me was called "Imprted car parts" We also had junkyards just for imports. I spent lots of time in both. By the late 80s both were gone.
 

Boink

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In the 60s and 70s many parts were still fairly available (in junk-yards, though the junk-yards did not have the database systems that appeared in the 90s). And, of course, for technical info, it was SUPER helpful to know a geezer that knew everything. To my way of thinking, the big change is in the ability to pose a question and get a quick answer (often with photos). :smile:
 

drooartz

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These online connections have certainly made my foray into old British cars possible. I'm young enough that these cars were on their last run by the time I was born (early 1970's). So I have no "from the period" knowledge to work from. I have met some local folks with knowledge, but for the most part I work pretty isolated -- so being able to ask questions and figure things out via a forum (or similar) is how I've learned what I know about these quirky old cars.

One of the Internet's biggest strengths is connecting widely dispersed groups -- like lovers of old British sports cars for instance. There may not be many folks physically local to you, but with the Internet *all* of the folks in the group become local to you. Very cool stuff, and proof there is more use to the Internet than cat videos. :grin:
 

DrEntropy

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Mark said:
And, of course, for technical info, it was SUPER helpful to know a geezer that knew everything.

My first car was a '65 MGB, in '69. My first exposure to LBC's was MUCH earlier. My Ol' Fella had some eclectic pals. T-Series MG's, Jag XK's, hill climbers and racers. Somewhere in the archives there is a photo of me as a two-year-old, taking a screwdriver to the door latch of an XK-120. We had some great folks around to act as "tutors" as I grew up. After I got my own MG, the local dealership (Boffo Motors, particularly Tom and Jim, the founder's sons) was about half an hours' drive and the guys there were always helpful and willing to pass information on to me as an eighteen year old. Now I AM a geezer!

...lost somewhere among the 'old' BCF were two stories I'd written of some early experiences with the MG and Elan... I keep forgetting to ask Basil if they are still around here someplace.

Now the innerwebs have made it possible to pass on the experience and knowledge, along with being a giant clearing house of sorts for finding parts. It makes for an LBC nirvana!
 
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Gather round children and you shall hear how we found parts in yesteryear...... :smile: I seem to recall they had these thin flexible sheets of material you could actually write on....I think it was called paper? When you were done writing, this was called a letter. And you used to have to go to a place called a post office to mail the letter to someone in a far off land.....like Florida....to see if they had a part you were after. OR, if you were really lucky, once or twice a year, you would load up the wife and kids and family dog and journey to legendary places like Hershey or Carlisle where other brave souls would have journeyed from far and near to engage in an exchange of parts and money.

Now you can join a car club, find parts, restore a car and never leave your house. :smile:
 

Boink

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As a kid in about 1960 (at 8), we used to waive at all drivers of LBCs... as still today... but that happened all the time. Pretty rare now. Always figured I could follow one of them home and learn something.

And of course we were all fearless. Didn't think twice about tearing into something. AND if you got into trouble or didn't have the friend handy, there were still DEALERS with trained mechanics for all these cars.
 

SaxMan

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I'm a little bit older than Drew...born in the late 60s. I remember some of the LBCs as a kid just as their popularity was beginning to wane. In the late 1980s when I was in college, a handful of guys drove them, and everyone thought they were oddballs. I regret not discovering LBCs when I was younger as a lot of the cars could be had for next to nothing. (especially the Big Healeys and MGAs whose prices have taken off). Oh well, better late than never!

The internet pretty much revolutionized the ability to reach out to people with similar interests. In the sax world, prior to the internet, you'd have symposiums and clinics where you got a chance to meet other players and shoot the bull. You could also reach out to your local instrument dealer for help, and he'd put you in touch with someone who could help you. Even the early BBS stuff and e-mail listservs became a huge eye opener. Suddenly, someone from clear across the country had something in common with you.
 

aeronca65t

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In some respects I think it was easier back then.

Because you were often face-to-face with real people and less likely to run into to self-proclaimed "experts" dispensing very questionable information via the internet. The sad fact is, the internet can give voice to people who perpetuate all sorts of incorrect information.

Think I'm kidding?
Even at the beginning of this post we read that tired old saw [DELETE]

The real skill many of us have developed due to the internet is an improved ability to separate the wheat from the chaff. :friendly_wink:

Anyway, in the good old days it was easy to go "around back" in a dealership and talk to a real live mechanic about adjusting SU carbs. I did it plenty of times at Spreen's and Ed Roth's shop. I could drive over to Hank Thorpe's race shop and ask about ignition timing, shock oil or whatever. A Brit named Adrian owned an MG dealership in Ocean Grove. He would happily chat about MGs (and give good advice) anytime you stopped by.

I think we had less total resources but more true, knowledgeable resources back then.

Also, because we were not distracted by the internet, we tended to seek out more local friends with similar cars. I'm not saying that there isn't some of that today (I may go on a local MG Club rally tomorrow), but I think much of it has been replaced by much of the online stuff.

Here's a typical scene of cars at the Trenton State parking lot in 1970 (my car is Spiffy105). A lot of us sports car guy physically hung out together.

tsc-parking-lot-71.jpg



Here's a partial list of MG dealers in NJ when I was in college (I could drive 15 miles and pick up a fuel pump or similar, plus advise on how to install it, the same day).

BERGENFIELD 07621
Camelot Motors Inc. (8)
241 N. Washington Ave.
(201) 385-7676

CHERRY HILL 08034
Ed Roth, Inc. (8)
Route 38 Church Road
(609) 667-8300

DOVER 07801
C M Motors Incorporated (8)
Route 10 -Franklin Road
(201) 361-0017

EAST PATERSON 07407
Steiker Industries, Inc. (8)
10 Broadway
(201) 525-1002

EATONTOWN 07724
Monmouth Motors, Inc. (8)
Rte. 35
(201) 542-2414

EDISON 08817
T T Motors, Inc. (8)
1610 Woodbridge Avenue
(201) 572-2577

ELIZABETH 07208
E. K. Cumming Co., Inc. (8)
416 Morris Avenue
(201) 351-3131

ENGLEWOOD 07631
Kingsfield Motors, Inc. (8)
186 Engle St.
(201) 567-2300

FLEMINGTON 08822
Cher Rick Nemeth Incorporated (8)
Route 202
(201) 782-2322

GLASSBORO 08028
Ed Roth and Son, Inc. (8)
Delsea Dr.
(609) 881-3211

HACKENSACK 07601
Spreen's Motor Sales (8)
458 Passaic St.
(201) 487-5737

HAZLET 07730
Buhler Bitter, Inc. (8)
3290 Highway 35
(201) 264-0198

JERSEY CITY 07305
Rick's Auto Sales, Inc. (8)
1725-33 Kennedy Blvd.
(201) 435-3066

LAKEWOOD 08701
Lakewood Automobile Company (8)
199 Ocean Avenue
(201) 363-4444

METUCHEN 08840
Suburban Dodge, Inc. (8)
85 Central Ave.
(201) 548-3500

MONTCLAIR 07042
Imported Motor Car Co., Inc. (8)
34 Valley Rd.
(201) 746-4500 (212) 349-0296

MORRISTOWN 07960
Auto Imports of Morris County (8)
95 Morris St.
(201) 539-1515

NEWTON 07860
Leonard Motors, Inc. (8)
R.D. 3, Route 206 North
(201) 383-3740

NORTH PLAINFIELD 07060
Bristol Motors, Inc. (8)
Rte. 22 Westervelt Ave.
(201) 755-6400

OCEAN GROVE 07756
A G Motors, Inc. (8)
82 South Main St.
(201) 775-3483

ORANGE 07050
Bekrag Auto Sales Corp. (8)
199 Central Avenue
(201) 676-6070 (201) 676-5200

PHILLIPSBURG 08865
Phillipsburg Motor Co., Inc. (8)
11 Union Square
(201) 859-4218

PRINCETON 08540
Cregar Motors, Inc. (8)
830 State Rd.
(609) 924-0900

RAMSEY 07446
Ramsey Motors Inc. (8)
138 N. Central Avenue
(201) 327-3200

SOMERS POINT 08244
Harbor Marine Imports (8)
611 Bay Avenue
(609) 927-4101

SUMMIT 07901
Cahill-Caffey, Inc. (8)
312 Springfield Ave.
(201) 2,73-4800

TRENTON 08638
Angelo's Motor Sales, Inc. (8)
1440 Prospect St.
(609) 883-3777

WAYNE 07470
Bremen Automotive Ltd. (8)
1107 Route 23
(201) 696-6060
 
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NutmegCT

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Nial - that is a *great* post. Completely agree.

And that list of MG resources from back in the day - how times have changed.
 

PAUL161

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I bought a car from Ed Roth in 70, if I remember correctly. A new Land Rover. Nice list Nial, I remember a few of them. PJ
 

Basil

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Think I'm kidding?
Even at the beginning of this post we read that tired old saw [DELETE]

The real skill many of us have developed due to the internet is an improved ability to separate the wheat from the chaff. :friendly_wink:

I deleted that original comment and your reference to it because 1) you're right, it isn't true and 2) making fun of political figures borders on politics and I prefer to keep such off the forum, whether I'm a fan of the person being made fun of or not. Don't take it personally, I'm equal opportunity in this regard. I recently deleted a post that had a quote attributed to a person that made the person look really stupid, if only it had been an accurate quote. 1) it wasn't accurate and 2) it wasn't that person's own words, it was that person reading a report of someone else into the record. I remember watching an interview of a famous Hollywood type claiming that a person running for office had tried to ban books and thought that Dinosaurs roamed the Earth 6000 years ago. Both of those things were complete bologna (that's the polite term). Turns out this Hollywood luminary had read it on blog and didn't realize it was satire by someone who didn't like the person. I have to wonder how many poor sods assumed it must be true because there was this famous person repeating it.

There is definitely lots of chaff and misinformation out there and it behooves us all not to automatically assume that if you saw it on the internet it must be true.

While I don't disagree that for many folks, and especially folks in populated areas, the old days were better in many ways with better "real" knowledgeable people, but I do feel that places like BCF have helped to bring many folks together, often as real friends, who otherwise may never have meet.
 

Boink

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Great post, Nial.
Forgot to add that it was great fun to link up with owners at rallies. Don't see many of those nowadays, but they sure were common up to 1970.
We also drove our cars rain or shine... and I'll confess to not doing that anymore. Heck, I wouldn't hesitate to drive the Austin Healey across state (300 miles) and back; but then our bodies were younger then too. :fat:
 

GregW

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There is definitely lots of chaff and misinformation out there and it behooves us all not to automatically assume that if you saw it on the internet it must be true.

I like to refer to the internet as the "Mis-Information Superhighway"
 

drooartz

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I do agree with Nial on this -- no doubt that an individual could find a better community "back in the day" with all the dealers and cars on the road. There were just more local folks with that same interest. There are just not the numbers any more. Fewer of us do these now quite old cars, and the shops are fewer and farther between. We just lost our main local shop that understood LBCs, fellow finally retired. And while I am very active in my local club, I'm also an hour from where most of them live.

So maybe the Internet is a solid Silver medalist. The best places (like here) have a reasonably high signal-to-noise ratio and good people to interact with. I certainly would not have been able to do and learn as I have without it.
 
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