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The Agony and The Ecstasy

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SaxMan

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I've now been an LBC owner for about 8 months. Even with this relatively short period of time, I think I can honestly say that there are few things in this world that can be as frustrating as being an LBC owner, sometimes to the point where I wonder "Why did I do this?". Like when I recently ended up dumping a quart of oil on the ground through a leaking valve cover gasket because I had to change the oil because an oil additive I put in the car raised the oil pressure to the point where it blew the seal on the filter...and that's just one head-pounding moment.

But then, I get the car out on the road when it's running in tune and the engine singing a nice exhaust note, and I feel the utter purity of driving a car with manual steering, manual transmission and manual brakes. Every effort is me communicating directly with the road through the car without any "enhancements". And then, I peer to the side to see your daughter, wind blowing through her hair and having a giant grin on her face...and I know that few things can be as rewarding as being an LBC owner, to the point where I wonder "Why didn't I do this years ago?"
 
guilty your honour
 
Pretty much the definition of addiction -- if these cars were good all the time we'd call them soulless (see Miata). Those moments when everything is right keep us going when all is definitely not well.

I remember reading about a study on mice when I was a kid. One set of mice pushed a button, got food every time. That group only pushed the button when needed. The other set of mice pushed a button but only got food as a result sometimes, randomly. This group sat there and constantly pushed the button.
 
You either have to start with a rebuilt car or a car that has had a lifetime of regular service & repair or have good automotive mechanical skills and knowledge and be willing to do refurbishment front to back or have a good mechanic and a quickly-replenishing wad of cash. These are surprisingly delicate cars when left to degrade. But if they have been competently serviced and if they are kept that way they are very enjoyable and even occasionally reliable.
 
And they like to be exercised regularly. If left in the garage sitting problems will happen you can count on it!
 
Unless it was double gasketed I don't see how it could have blown from an additive.
 
got me on this one LBC [FONT=arial, sans-serif]Lebanese_Broadcasting_Corporation or what else? [/FONT][FONT=arial, sans-serif]Lucas[/FONT][FONT=arial, sans-serif] British Car [/FONT]
 
Because I'm still wary of residual road salt, I have not taken the MGB out in 2014.
And the Midget is just too leaky and cold for Winter driving (to me, Winter seems like it just ended yesterday).

Mostly I just drive the Miata in the Winter.

But yesterday, I decided to take out my ratty, "parts chaser" Midget. It's a '73 I built from scrap parts and powered by a unwanted 948 (35 horsepower!) .

Just a simple ride to the auto parts store. But it was actually pretty glorious! I enjoyed it so much, I took the car out again later in the day just for fun.
I have always owned at least one British sports car over the last 47 years. And I bought my first Spridget (a Bugeye) 45 years ago.
One drive, even in my slowest, junkiest car and it's easy for me to see why I keep coming back to the well. :friendly_wink:
 
:smile:
 
I agree with all that's been said so far in this thread. The interesting thing for me is that my wife totally gets all this and loves to drive the '65 Sprite and occasionally the BT7. In fact, the bugeye I'm restoring will be HER car, and she is way excited about it. She still hasn't decided on the color, and the choices change almost daily. My 16-year-old son also gets it and loves to drive either the BT7 or the Sprite. However, my 19-year-old daughter refuses to drive the sports cars and can barely drive a stick shift all (I have a 69 GMC truck and a 4-runner with stick). She loves to go for rides with me in the cars and we have some wonderful drives together, but she refuses to drive them. I still have hope that she'll figure it out, but I'm starting to despair.
 
The need to gave wheels will eventually win out. Her friends will grow tired of giving her rides.
 
Jim_Gruber said:
The need to gave wheels will eventually win out. Her friends will grow tired of giving her rides.
Click to expand...

The problem is that I have a RAV4 with an automatic, which she drives quite happily. The plan is to make the RAV4 less available to her this summer (when she comes back from college) and force her to get better with a stick. Fortunately, she does not read the BCF!
 
My 2 oldest kids both learned to drive manual trans. cars. Not by choice, Thats what I bought them (94 saturn). Now they both have bought new cars. Both stick shift, By their choice. Even my daughter now knows that she has more control with a manual trans.
 
drooartz said:
Pretty much the definition of addiction -- if these cars were good all the time we'd call them soulless (see Miata). Those moments when everything is right keep us going when all is definitely not well.

I remember reading about a study on mice when I was a kid. One set of mice pushed a button, got food every time. That group only pushed the button when needed. The other set of mice pushed a button but only got food as a result sometimes, randomly. This group sat there and constantly pushed the button.
Click to expand...

And thus was born - Vegas!
 
My oldest daughter wanted a car and someone heard of a Corolla with less than 90K miles for $200.
She jumped and bought it, automatic but that's good for her with MS.
Her next younger sister had a bit more money and asked me to help her find a car, before she even got her license.
A 5 speed Corolla was available that she could afford so she bought it then learned how to drive stick.
She goes everywhere in it now.
Next daughter bought an automatic, but we have a few more waiting in the wings.
Hopefully at least one of them will want to drive LBC's some day. :blue:
 
George_H said:
My 2 oldest kids both learned to drive manual trans. cars. Not by choice, Thats what I bought them (94 saturn). Now they both have bought new cars. Both stick shift, By their choice. Even my daughter now knows that she has more control with a manual trans.
Click to expand...


Don't want to hijack the thread but, had friends who insisted their daughter's drive stick. Then they could never be stranded anywhere by an inability to drive a car - and in college much much less chance of someone borrowing the car. My daughter will drive stick for the same reason.
 
All my kids took their state driver's test here in NJ in manual trans cars.
K-turns, parrallel parking, stopping on hills, etc.

Me on the other hand? Back in '68, my MGA was so sketchy I had to borrow my aunt's 2-speed automatic Falcon for my driver's test. :friendly_wink:
 
My daughter thinks its amusing to watch me run up through the gears. That puts a smile on her face each time we accelerate.

It was over 80 degrees yesterday...perfect day to be out in the car!
 
Geez, back when I took my drivers test I had to use a manual. Otherwise my license would have been restricted to autoboxes only. I guess times have changed.
 
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