aaah, to be among gearheads again

[Cybercollie]

Hi Guys,

First let me thank and congradulate you all for the fantastic resource you have created for yourselves here. I have been reading for weeks and you guys have answered so many of my questions and given me so many ideas that I feel priveledged to now have the qualification to join you.

I purchased a 1991 MKII N/A about a month ago after a multi-year search.

My name is Bruce and I live just outside Montreal in Saint Lazare, Quebec, Canada. They stopped selling MR2's in Canada in 1993 so the after market is virtually non-existant up here and I was really lucky to have found mine. I am in my mid fifties now, which might make me stand out a bit around here but while some might say that buying this car represents a mid-life crises, I know that it is merely a relapse of a disease I had in my 20's and 30's. I have a ompulsion to own and care for classic roadsters. The cars I was buying back then were also about 17 years old or more.

My first was an 1962 Austin Healey Sprite. This was basically a glorified gokart - 85 HP with a 1200lb curb weight. You laugh, but give me a twisty enough road and I could hold off any muscle car of the day. This car not only taught me how to drive established my frame of reference for what made for a good sports car. It made my priorities Agility - Style - Horsepower. In that order. (reverse the order and you get a American muscle car)

Next came a 1974 Triumph Spitfire. I wont say much about this exept don't buy one. Then came my 1963 Triumph TR4. It loooked a lot like a TR6 except for a bump in the hood to house the SU carbs (back then we adjusted the oil levels in our carbs rather than the electronics). Really fun car with one of the first electric overdrives which effectively gave you 7 gears. It could really freak out anyone who was side-by-side with you off the line when they heard you go into 6th and then 7th. Had a kind of demoralizing effect.

Then came my one true love. A 1962 TR3A. This car was loved by gearheads grannies alike. A gorgeous low slung body wrapped around a British Motor Corp. 2.2 liter inline 4 cyl tractor engine. And I mean "tractor" in the sense of down on the farm. You really don't know torque until you have driven something that was designed to pull stumps out of the ground. After I rebuilt and ported this engine the car would do wheelies. In fact it became a skill to prevent them as they do tend to limit your steering ability. This was the only car that I ever owned that I sold for more than I paid for it. And I have regretted that sale ever since. I traded her for a 1982 RX7 which was a great car but to me it represented practicality and I drove it into the ground along with my expensive hobby and it been Corollas for me up until last month.

Now I liked the MR2 MKI when it came out if only because it showed at the time how crappy the Fiat X 1/9 and the Fiero were but it looked too much like the cars of the day which I had been avoiding like the TR7. Too many hard flat triangular surfaces. It seemed like everyone was trying to design a spaceship then. When the MKII came out though, I could only say "WOW, I want one!".

Well I may have thought that my roadster days were over but the fact is that I still checked the classifieds for the cars I liked and when I saw my MR2 advertised with only 40,000 miles I had to go at least see why this was too good to be true. Of coarse it was. The milage was legit. but the car had been badly repaired from an accident and while cometically almost pristine, it certainly hadn't been loved mechanically. So this weekend she's getting calipers, rotors, pads and a few iffy rear suspension parts replaced. I find it best to spend your first money on a "new" old car on the parts that can get you killed - steering suspension etc. After that, who knows. You have filled me with possibilities.

I look at ownership of these kinds of cars as a sort of responsibility. If you bought the car because you saw it as a classic benchmark in automotive design and/or engineering then you must make sure that you pass that car on to any future owner in the same condition or better than you found it. It is like owning a dog or a horse. If you can't afford to feed it, then give it to someone who can. I am not a total purist. I think it's OK if something breaks to replace it with something better even up to an engine swap but I intend to keep mine exactly as it was originally designed outwardly.

Sorry to be long-winded but you said to introduce yourself and I guess you have a handle on me now. I will continue reading the site before I start asking stupid questions.

Cheers,
Bruce

P.S. If any of you don't recognize the names of the cars I have mentioned here, I strongly suggest that you check them out on the net if only to appreciate the design roots of the car you are priveledged to own now.

[Ku-sama]

you think 50 is old? I think we have a few members here in their 60's

[Version135b]

Welcome! We love people who appreciate their cars You'll fit right in!

[lsgheero]

I feel 50+ some days :P does that count......oh well i tried


Nice to have you here cybercollie, agreed on classic cars. The mk1 (80's models) will be considered a classic here in the states soon. GOLD PLATE TIME FOR ME YAY!

[o6spdracer]

Welcome Bruce. You certainly will fit right in here!

[Deb in ATL]

Wow, a Triumph guy! I've got a '68 GT6. Congrats on the MR2!

[Infinateeff]

Welcome! You've had a pretty classic collection it seems.

I think I've got similar mindset when it comes to my MKII. The more I think about it, the more I want to keep it in good condition and as close to original as I can.

[conor]

Triumphs! Very nice

It's good to see more owners like yourself around. Welcome!

[Gairloch]

Welcome, Bruce! You clearly have excellent taste

When do we get to see pics of your 2?

[Cybercollie]

Thanks to all for the warm welcome. I should be able to get some pics of the MR2 up here this week. I have plenty of pics of my other cars but I will need to find someone with a scanner to get them digitized.

Bruce

[muffinman]

congratulations on your find and WELCOME


p.s. i'd also like to see those pics