CONCOURS D' ELEGANCE

[Joe Gates]

I suggest that any lister who regularly debates the merits of CdE versus driving/racing collectable or classic cars should read the article by Anthony Hussey (member of the Connolly leather clan) in issue 25, July edition, of "Octane" magazine titled "About as necessary as dog shows...". He offers entertaining perspectives, tantilising the reader with tidbits supportive of each school of thought. Two extracts might whet the appetite - "The gung-ho racers and Bulldog Drummonds who, proud of their redbloodedness, delight in hurling their historic rarities round tracks and up quarries loathe CdE because they claim that CdE cause cars to be ruined by over- or historically inaccurate restoration. Its an interesting argument coming from that quarter but it's true." "That I think cars are for using should be obvious. If CdE proliferate, then we run the risk of more cars being ruined, but I think the pluses outweigh the minuses." Cheers Joe [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[SANDY SANDERS]

My opinion of SHOW TYPE cars would be like being married to Marilyn Monroe and keeping her on the mantle above the fire place. A shameful waste of a beautiful body and running gear. Sandy

----- Original Message ----- From: Joe Gatesjanus@iafrica.com> To: MG-TABC Groupmg-tabc@yahoogroups.com> Sent: Wednesday, August 03, 2005 5:43 PM Subject: [mg-tabc] CONCOURS D' ELEGANCE I suggest that any lister who regularly debates the merits of CdE versus driving/racing collectable or classic cars should read the article by Anthony Hussey (member of the Connolly leather clan) in issue 25, July edition, of "Octane" magazine titled "About as necessary as dog shows...". He offers entertaining perspectives, tantilising the reader with tidbits supportive of each school of thought. Two extracts might whet the appetite - "The gung-ho racers and Bulldog Drummonds who, proud of their redbloodedness, delight in hurling their historic rarities round tracks and up quarries loathe CdE because they claim that CdE cause cars to be ruined by over- or historically inaccurate restoration. Its an interesting argument coming from that quarter but it's true." "That I think cars are for using should be obvious. If CdE proliferate, then we run the risk of more cars being ruined, but I think the pluses outweigh the minuses." Cheers Joe [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Yahoo! Groups Links [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[viv@trax.co.za]

Come on Joe you're stirring the pot so here it comes! As you will have noticed here in SA, some of us manage to enter and win these curious events as well as drive our cars in a serious manner in as many competive and social events as we can get to. We also drive our so called concours cars to and from these events over long distances in all weathers on tar or gravel. Of course they do inevitably degrade from "concours" to "patinated" but this doesn't only happen to our cars! If you are forced to restore your car as I had to with both my TCs which were barn jobs and piles of bits, you might as well do it reasonably correctly - it's just as easy as doing it wrong. Of course, half the fun is to make serious mechanical improvements that the judges can't find..........Once finished, why not give it a pedigree. This is just good business sense. If you are lucky enough to own or find a mellow well used reasonably correct TC with nice little changes that have been done during the car's life (like you did) why not leave it just like this, fix what's wrong, enjoy it and let the rest of us enjoy it too. Cheers Viv

[Jeff Redman]

G'day Viv, A little while back our local MG centre introduced 'Road' classes to the annual Concours. This was to separate the 'Sunday and High Day' MG's (similar to my Tickford) from the everyday users. There are still MGB's that are used everyday, in all weather, as the going-to-work workhorse. (Others...like my TC... never see a fuel tank emptied without a couple of dozen laps being completed in either a hillclimb or somesuch.) A fellow looney and I had the road classes dumped on us. The criteria adopted was the reverse of a proper concours - points were ADDED for stone chips in the paintwork and windscreen... scuffed or feathered tyres gained honourable mention, as did worn carpets and pedal rubbers, and so on. And we all got half-full at the end of the day and fell down laughing. All in all, it proved a success and the once-a-year day has now gone from strength to strength. Life's too short to take things seriously, don'tcha think? Reddo. -----Original Message----- From: mg-tabc@yahoogroups.com [mailto:mg-tabc@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of viv@trax.co.za Sent: Friday, 5 August 2005 5:10 PM To: mg-tabc@yahoogroups.com Cc: janus@iafrica.com Subject: [mg-tabc] CONCOURS D' ELEGANCE Come on Joe you're stirring the pot so here it comes! As you will have noticed here in SA, some of us manage to enter and win these curious events as well as drive our cars in a serious manner in as many competive and social events as we can get to. We also drive our so called concours cars to and from these events over long distances in all weathers on tar or gravel. Of course they do inevitably degrade from "concours" to "patinated" but this doesn't only happen to our cars! If you are forced to restore your car as I had to with both my TCs which were barn jobs and piles of bits, you might as well do it reasonably correctly - it's just as easy as doing it wrong. Of course, half the fun is to make serious mechanical improvements that the judges can't find..........Once finished, why not give it a pedigree. This is just good business sense. If you are lucky enough to own or find a mellow well used reasonably correct TC with nice little changes that have been done during the car's life (like you did) why not leave it just like this, fix what's wrong, enjoy it and let the rest of us enjoy it too. Cheers Viv Yahoo! Groups Links

[1939mgtb]

DRIVE THE CARS!!!!!! They were meant to be enjoyed, not entombed. My $0.02....... Best, Ray "argent saoudien illimit , fanatiques islamistes Occidentalis s, tats de support de terroriste, technologie nucl aire de prolif ration. Un jour elle toute vient ensemble et l dispara t le voisinage."

----- Original Message ----- From: viv@trax.co.za> To: mg-tabc@yahoogroups.com> Cc: janus@iafrica.com> Sent: Friday, August 05, 2005 2:09 AM Subject: [mg-tabc] CONCOURS D' ELEGANCE > Come on Joe you're stirring the pot so here it comes! > > As you will have noticed here in SA, some of us manage to enter and > win these curious events as well as drive our cars in a serious > manner in as many competive and social events as we can get to. > We also drive our so called concours cars to and from these events > over long distances in all weathers on tar or gravel. > > Of course they do inevitably degrade from "concours" to "patinated" > but this doesn't only happen to our cars! > > If you are forced to restore your car as I had to with both my TCs > which were barn jobs and piles of bits, you might as well do it > reasonably correctly - it's just as easy as doing it wrong. Of course, > half the fun is to make serious mechanical improvements that the > judges can't find..........Once finished, why not give it a pedigree. This > is just good business sense. > > If you are lucky enough to own or find a mellow well used reasonably > correct TC with nice little changes that have been done during the > car's life (like you did) why not leave it just like this, fix what's > wrong, > enjoy it and let the rest of us enjoy it too. > > Cheers > > Viv > > > > Yahoo! Groups Links > > > > > >

[MG1948@aol.com]

That's the reason there is chocolate & vanilla! [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]