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MidgetLover said:
I am curious how others feel about the way, the larger MG and AH world treat our little friends.
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Well, I've been a "big" Healey (1956, 100-4, BN2) owner... and of a couple of early Minis (1962, Mk1 and a '73 Cooperized Mk3), and now a Frogeye (only). I haven't noticed the snobbery at a club or a field meet. About the only quasi-snobbery I've seen was directed to the "new" Minis (which are really BMWs) that arrived at the "All <span style="text-decoration: underline">British </span>Field Meets." But in the final analysis, they were welcomed more as car enthusiats... which is good. Anyone that is enthusiastic about their car should be commended.

That written, of course, most people look seriously down on the converted 100-4s to V-8s. Seems like such a waste to me (given their current value).

I have to admit, though, that I roll my eyes at really <span style="text-decoration: underline"><span style="font-style: italic"><span style="font-weight: bold">bad </span></span></span>restorations (meaning terrible bondo work and very ill-fitting things). :laugh: But, otherwise, all cars have their place, and all owners deserve respect for their choices.
 
Boink said:
MidgetLover said:
I am curious how others feel about the way, the larger MG and AH world treat our little friends.
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I missed that completley. While I'm not outright snubbed, the air does get cool once you mention a RB Midget among some folks. Funny thing is, mine will out run, gets driven more and farther than most others.

I will have to say there is a guy who owns both a big Healey and an A who goes out of his way to show interest and makes you feel welcome.

Karl knows who I'm talking about. :wink: He's a real hoot too.
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I have always loved little cars. If I had Bill Gates money I would have a zillion little cars. I had gas sucking poor handling big cars as hand me downs when I was a kid. I have no desire to revisit that. Heavy cars have never impressed me.
 
kellysguy said:
I drive my car everywhere and as often as I can. IMO Spridget owners drive their cars more than other car owners do.
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Actually....

Slighty OT but one of the things that fascinates me is that there are always at least 3-4 Spridgets for sale on Kijiji (like craigslist) yet other than the bigger British shows i never see any driving. Lots of Bs lots of TR6s but it makes me wonder whether there are abandoned projecs or what - they do typically want good money for them.
 
I have to re-scan it but; I have the dealership bill of sale from when my father purchased his first Sprite in 1959. He traded his 1958 Healey 100/6 and got a brand new, Iris Blue Sprite AND $250 in cash. A deal that he was pleased with then and 50+ years later recalls with no sense of regret. In fact, being a young man during the heyday of sports cars AND living near a sports car track (Thompson, CT) The only car he ever bought more than one of was the humble Sprite. His memories of the big Healey are not great. The Sprite on the other hand...
 
AN5Sprite said:
His memories of the big Healey are not great. The Sprite on the other hand...
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I've heard the same thing. I once had a chance to drive a realy nice A and was horribly disappointed. While I loved the looks of it, performance was a huge let down. The only thing I'm satisfied with to date is a TR6. The 6 doesn't fit me as good as a Spridget. Maybe once I get my 6 sorted a bit more will I like it better. I hate where they put the ingintion switch. The Midget is so much more user friendly. Everything is in easy reach and the door is just the right height under my arm.

Bad thing about the 6 is I drive it a lot faster. Too easy to get in troble with it. One thing I love about the Midget is I can push it hard and not really break any laws.

I once drove a Morgan +8 and felt like I was gonna fall out of it. It looked and felt too much like a kit. Shoulda said Gazelle on it somewhere.
 
kellysguy said:
AN5Sprite said:
His memories of the big Healey are not great. The Sprite on the other hand...
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.

Bad thing about the 6 is I drive it a lot faster. Too easy to get in troble with it. One thing I love about the Midget is I can push it hard and not really break any laws.


I had a XKE once and one of the main reasons I sold it was that I could'nt keep it in legal speed limits!! Every time I looked down at the speedometer I was going too fast. I figured if I had kept it I would have lost my licence. That plus the fact that at the time I though it was getting to valuable for me to enjoy.

Kurt.
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Heh - because once you go small all others just pall?
Once you've had a Midget no others can do it?
After you've had a Sprite all others seem trite?

Seriously I've had MGB's and an MGC and while they were all nice in their way the greatest fun I've had in a lbc has been in my Spridgets.
My Midget has the power to push me back in my seat and the handling that lets me really explore the corners.
I get all the attention a car guy could ever want - seriously too much at times like when I want to go into a shop but 2 or 3 guys want to talk about the car? Ever get that in any other car? Not me. Little kids and their parents have to stop and take pictures of each other by my car and people stop in the middle of crossing the street to gawk.
It's embarrassing sometimes.

:blush:
 
You forgot to say how embarrassing it is at car shows. Everyone stands around Miss Agatha and takes pics with their kids and tells BE stories of their own. It goes on all day right in range of other really great expensive cars. Makes me want to hide my head at times, not much, haha. Ain't it wonderful?
 
My feelings; I've had Jags and TR's but never an MGB or big Healey, though worked on them for more than 20 years. I must admit, I never liked the Jags. Too unreliable, difficult to work on, expensive, unnecessarily complicated, and at the end of the day, Sprites or Minis take FTD at the track.

The A-series is a wonderful little motor, though severely limited by it's 1950s economy head design. Why they continued that design into the bigger cars I can't imagine. At least Triumph used a very nice (tractor) engine.

So for me, the bigger sports cars are just less sporty, like for example a Corvette. And a Lotus is even smaller and sportier than the Sprite therefore a better sports car. Too bad they're so expensive, but that's why there are replicas. :smile:
 
racingenglishcars said:
My feelings; I've had Jags and TR's but never an MGB or big Healey, though worked on them for more than 20 years. I must admit, I never liked the Jags. Too unreliable, difficult to work on, expensive, unnecessarily complicated, and at the end of the day, Sprites or Minis take FTD at the track.

The A-series is a wonderful little motor, though severely limited by it's 1950s economy head design. Why they continued that design into the bigger cars I can't imagine. At least Triumph used a very nice (tractor) engine.

So for me, the bigger sports cars are just less sporty, like for example a Corvette. And a Lotus is even smaller and sportier than the Sprite therefore a better sports car. Too bad they're so expensive, but that's why there are replicas. :smile:
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The only brit cars I really would like to own are a first generation Lotus Elite and a Elan. I should have bought them years ago though, now they have acheived "collector" status and I probably will never get them. Probably to valuable for me to enjoy now as well.

Kurt.
 
I want to thank everyone for their support. Some of this as I mentioned is while I was married in it and did spent my honeymoon in it, is concern for my wife. Because the health issues are very serious, the concern is getting some money so the wife can live well when I am gone.

Yes I know that's what life insurance is for but when your diabetic many obvious things are not available, the point being enjoying the car all these years it would be nice to get something back.
 
MidgetLover said:
I want to thank everyone for their support. Some of this as I mentioned is while I was married in it and did spent my honeymoon in it, is concern for my wife. Because the health issues are very serious, the concern is getting some money so the wife can live well when I am gone.

Yes I know that's what life insurance is for but when your diabetic many obvious things are not available, the point being enjoying the car all these years it would be nice to get something back.
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I understand completely. That thought has crossed my mind too. One thing is for sure, I'll never be able to get out of it what I have in it.
 
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:] I understand completely. That thought has crossed my mind too. One thing is for sure, I'll never be able to get out of it what I have in it. [/QUOTE]

Ah, such is life. Though as the old saying goes: "I started out with nothing and still have most of it left." :yesnod:
 
If you have not had the opportunity to enter a British car show do it this year. I have a 65 square body and usually you don't see many. Usually I'll have a Bugeye or two next to me and we have a great day. We usually get more activity than the usual walk by, pop the hood sit back and plan on chatting the day away. It makes all your hard work realy pay off and it is fun to be able to share experiences and whatever, at the last show we took my tach out and fixed it in a parking lot because someone else knew what to do. If I've been snubbed I have never known it.
Hey you never know you might take a trophy home, I love first place.

Mark
 
HAN8L1965 said:
If you have not had the opportunity to enter a British car show do it this year.
Mark
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I don't know, I'd much rather drive it than look at it. :driving:

Mark, I've been meaning to ask, what is that on the front edge of your hood in your avatar pic? Is that just a reflection?
 
BillW103 said:
I have never been to an all British show. In my area there is a show every Saturday that will draw about 50 cars or more that I go to. Every one there loves the Bugeye. If the big Healey guys don’t like the sprite there the only ones.
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They're great fun. One day for show (with TONS of cars to look at). One day for a swap meet. A wonderful way to spend a weekend. If only they weren't once a year.
 
I've been a member of the Cascade Austin Healey Club for 16 years and have had a Box Sprite for about 6 years. I have always felt welcome and encouraged with my "little Healey" from other members. 99% of the people I have met with British cars appreciate anyone who can put up with the idiosyncrasies of our beasties.

As for anyone that snubs our cars, there is always going to be a bad apple in any group. I just figure their life must already be miserable and they want others to feel the same way.

BillW103, you should try one of the ABFMs. I love looking at all of the great cars, sharing ideas and getting inspired seeing what others have done to enjoy their rides.
 
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