Allow me to quote an email exchange I had with my Brit friends earlier this week. While everyone in Britain was oohing and aahing over the nuptials of skinnymalink Pippa Middleton to some chinless Brit dude, I was taken by something else: the car which brought the not-so-blushing bride to the church, and I commented as such to Mr. Free Market and The Englishman in an email which basically said “Never mind the bint, it’s the car I love”. And you have to admit, the Jaguar Mk.V is quite a looker:
I was rudely brought back to Earth, firstly by Mr. Free Market:
“All very well on a bright summer’s day — all 3 of those that we get each year — but the first sign of drama & it won’t start.”
…and yet more by The Englishman:
“Agreed — the idea of a ride in one of those is lovely, but actually they are bone rattlers, noisy, expensive to run and at the slightest excuse refuse to start. Demanding attention all the time with mysterious dramas. Of course with the top off they look fantastic, though often they smell a bit of damp leather and dogs. And in the end something a bit more modern with something up top and a decent level of comfort is a better ride.
And the same goes for the car.”
Such cynicism is appalling.
I wonder if one could update one with a proper engine, drivetrain and suspension, to keep the looks and gain reliability? Or is that heresy?
I think I mentioned before that on our wedding day my wife and I rode from the church to the reception in a 1938 Studebaker which had been updated with a modern Chevy V8 engine and the associated drive train. Since it was a limo, therefore a working car, they felt it better to have an engine they could get parts for and work on (not to mention use modern unleaded gas) rather than keep it original. Gotta say, it was nice and comfy, and absolutely beautiful.
One of the bigger car dealers around here (GM) has source some Corvette drive train and chassis and is putting them under a body shell bases on the 58 and 62 versions of the corvette. Kind of pricey, but they look to be a bang up ride.
I see a lot of restorations that use a modern chassis and drive train underneath. Some of my lottery winning will be spent on such vehicles.
Now where is that ticket.
You misspelled appealing.
Brilliant.
Why do the Brits drink warm beer?
Lucas refrigeration.
Wiring by Lucas, Prince of Darkness!
Son’s been rebuilding a Triumph Spitfire. The one real problem is that there’s no good replacement for the wipers, and despite coming from a land where there’s lots of rain, they suck.
Not the same as a bottle of Lucas smoke, but still a pain.