Which car would you keep?

[Saito2]

I potentially have too many full size cars at the moment and may have to part with one. The two in question are a 1986 Corvette and a 1966 MGB. The '86 Vette has been in the family about 28 years now. My late father purchased the car before I got my driver's license around 1990. I have alot of memories in that car. We went to Corvettes at Carlisle every year until he got a 2008 Corvette. He offered me the '86 at that point and I got it. It doesn't quite get me excited like it used to as my automotive taste have evolved. I'd never seek one out nowadays, but the memories and importance of this particular one are strong. 

The MGB was a restoration project between my father and I. I did all the mechanical work, bodywork and painted it. We had fun working on it together but I never drove it much at all. When it was done he took it home and tooled around with my mother on sunny weekends for about year before he got lung cancer, dying a very painful death (I unfortunately was present for all agonizing 4 hours of it)  in less than a year. I do like driving the MG. Its not dead-on my taste as I don't like convertibles (wish it was a B-GT)  but its still a pretty cool little car. (hope to find a hardtop).

So, if I had to keep one, which one? My father was my best friend (aside from my wife) and we had a good relationship. I'm highly sentimental and nostalgic was makes the decision tough as both have importance but in different ways.

 

[martinjpayne]

Easy, the MGB: as a restoration project between the pair of you it is imbued with the spirit of your late father, because of the work he put into it.

[Frog Jumper]

I'm a big fan of MGs - my dad had a 1948 MG-TC when I was growing up...

But I'd say the Corvette...

Terry

ETA - I read that as a 66 Corvette, not an 86...  Keep the MGB...

[Jonathon Gillham]

I agree with the MG too since it was a project. Unless the Corvette is a special edition or something but I don't think there were any of note in the 80s?

Which would your Mum prefer? Would that help you decide?

[Saito2]

I thought MGs would likely be popular here . No, the Corvette isn't special today but it was back when I was in high school. Dad ALWAYS wanted a Corvette since he was a kid but he was careful with his money. When the time was right he bought the '86 used. At the time, it was incredibly fast, (still) took corners on rails and was considered a "hot" car. I could care less about what other's think is cool so that's of no concern. There are many many years of good times with that car and my Dad wanted me to have it. My mother on the other hand, complained about getting in and out of it plus the stiff ride.

Back in those days, I was strictly a muscle car guy. Now, I like a bit more balance. While the Vette can pull close to 1G on a skidpad, its dynamics are heavy and ponderous. I daily drive a foxbody 5.0 Mustang, which can't out perform the Corvette, but is a bit more balanced and feels less "big" in a way. I find the concept that Miatas are "girls" cars to be ridiculous so the MGB being smaller and more nimble fits more in with my current interest. But, other than working on it together for about a year, I have no memories with my father attached to it. My mother loves it and I actually let her drive it most of the time. She had a MG Midget in her youth while my father progressed from muscle cars like a '64 Oldsmobile 442 to British sports cars like a Spitfire and new TR7.  

[Blista]

Sell both and start over with something else?  It sounds like you're attached to both of them, but don't really want to keep either of them.

[Wooders28]

I'd keep the Vette, MGB's were unreliable (unless you MX5 swap), susceptible to rust, slow ,the soft tops leaked and the removable hard top was a pain to lift on and off on your own (and store).

Also, the C4's are fairly cheap right now, but on the rise, so (hopefully) go up further in value.

[StrokerBoy]

Neither of 'em are my cup of tea, and both would be easily replaced if necessary.  However, it comes down to personal sentiment here.  Imagine you've sold 'em both.  Which one causes the biggest pang of regret if you saw it drive past or came across an old photo of it ?

[MICHAELs TopForce17]

Give your mom the mgb and you keep the vette. Any pictures ?

[Saito2]

We actually trade off at the moment, although she never drives the Corvette and rarely drives the MG being in her mid 70's. I feel stupid for feeling this way at all. They're just objects in the end and I try my best to not be materialistic. Nostalgia can be a sickness.

[markbt73]

You could sell both, and look for a good BGT... or even a rough BGT, and do the GM 3.4 V6 swap...

(but keep in mind I have a BGT, and love it dearly)

[svenb]

Shame about your father, I  went through the same last year with my dad, lung, bone and lymph cancer he died later November.

He left a MG TC 1949, triumph tr3a sapphire cosworth and Escort cosworth. My brother has the sapphire and I've got the Escort which I won't sell! He brought it new in 95 and the sapphire in 90.

I only consider the Escort and sapphire to be of real personal attachment so their staying.

So my advice is you MUST keep both.

You may never get the chance to buy them back once they've gone!

Sven

[MadInventor]

I wouldn't let either of them go. If they aren't your only 2 cars then get rid of something else (Maybe the Mustang) and use them instead. They both have sentimental attachment and once they're gone they're gone. I wish I'd kept my old bucket of an '86 Firebird, as  my son would have loved growling along in it with the T roof out.

[Kingfisher]

On 7/14/2018 at 2:25 PM, martinjpayne said:

Easy, the MGB: as a restoration project between the pair of you it is imbued with the spirit of your late father, because of the work he put into it.

^ This. My father and I restored a '79 Silverado in the early 90's to be my first vehicle. It was rusted out and had a trashed diesel motor in it that we swapped for a gas motor. We started when I was 14yrs old working on it nearly every weekend and had it ready to go when I got my license at 16yrs old. When I was 18, I sold it to a friend because I wanted something different. That friend wrecked it 2 months later, completely totaling the truck. I've regretted selling it ever since. Every time I see one of that body style, I remember driving mine.

 

 

Also, what transmission is in that corvette?

 

 

[Saito2]

5 hours ago, MadInventor said:

If they aren't your only 2 cars then get rid of something else (Maybe the Mustang) and use them instead.

I'm down to 4 cars (hey. I've gotten better, I was in the double digits ). My Nova is a car built like my first car as a kid. My 5.0 Mustang was the dream car I couldn't afford as a kid, now my daily driver. Then there is the MGB and Corvette. My wife has a Sonic and we have a Nissan Rogue family vehicle. Due to my daughter's condition, she will only ride in the Sonic or Nissan. Maybe when she's older I can hand one of those cars (Sonic or Nissan) down to be free of it.

3 hours ago, Kingfisher said:

My father and I restored a '79 Silverado in the early 90's to be my first vehicle.

Interestingly enough, at my day job, I just completed a '76 for a father/son who got in way over their heads attempting to restore it. I had to explain that they shouldn't route fuel lines through headers and excess brake line shouldn't be wound around header tubes either 

3 hours ago, Kingfisher said:

Also, what transmission is in that corvette?

Sadly, the Corvette is an automatic. This kills the car for me. I hate automatics and have converted virtually every automatic I've owned into a manual. The problem with the C4 Vette is the conversion price is more than the value of the car. The car has the Z51 package but the thought of the automatic downshifting at the wrong time in a turn is not good. Automatics in sports cars go together like chewing gum and walnuts for me.

[Kingfisher]

2 hours ago, Saito2 said:

 

Interestingly enough, at my day job, I just completed a '76 for a father/son who got in way over their heads attempting to restore it. I had to explain that they shouldn't route fuel lines through headers and excess brake line shouldn't be wound around header tubes either 

Who allowed them to use tools? Wow. That's crazy. 

2 hours ago, Saito2 said:

Sadly, the Corvette is an automatic. This kills the car for me. I hate automatics and have converted virtually every automatic I've owned into a manual. The problem with the C4 Vette is the conversion price is more than the value of the car. The car has the Z51 package but the thought of the automatic downshifting at the wrong time in a turn is not good. Automatics in sports cars go together like chewing gum and walnuts for me.

Same here. I won't buy a car with an Automatic. I've owned a few when I was younger, and just hated driving them. Got any pics of the MGB?

[Saito2]

21 hours ago, Kingfisher said:

Got any pics of the MGB?

 

On 7/17/2018 at 9:00 PM, MICHAELs TopForce17 said:

Any pictures ?

DSCN0483 by Scott Weiland, on Flickr

DSCN0482 by Scott Weiland, on Flickr

Here's a couple of pics of the B Dad and I restored. I'll look for some Corvette pics.

[Wooders28]

On 7/28/2018 at 4:18 PM, Saito2 said:

Sadly, the Corvette is an automatic. This kills the car for me. I hate automatics and have converted virtually every automatic I've owned into a manual. The problem with the C4 Vette is the conversion price is more than the value of the car. The car has the Z51 package but the thought of the automatic downshifting at the wrong time in a turn is not good. Automatics in sports cars go together like chewing gum and walnuts for me.

Bought an Jaguar XF Sportbrake in November,  apart from loads of little things going wrong, it's got a grandad box. I kept getting told autos had changed (pardon the pun🙄) and that manuals were on the way out, but it's woeful,always in the wrong gear, and even in sport with flappy paddles,  rubbish. 

It's up for sale, as soon as we can get the now failed air con fixed...

[Jonathon Gillham]

2 hours ago, Wooders28 said:

Bought an Jaguar XF Sportbrake in November,  apart from loads of little things going wrong, it's got a grandad box. I kept getting told autos had changed (pardon the pun🙄) and that manuals were on the way out, but it's woeful,always in the wrong gear, and even in sport with flappy paddles,  rubbish. 

It's up for sale, as soon as we can get the now failed air con fixed...

My one has been faultless and while I agree with the sentiment about manual v auto I think the 8spd in the XF is far better than most autos I've driven. I wonder if the climate makes the difference between the 2 cars?

[Wooders28]

7 hours ago, Jonathon Gillham said:

I think the 8spd in the XF is far better than most autos I've driven

It's as if it writes a letter to the gearbox to change, I've gone around the corner and halfway down a straight before it decides to change down, and as for getting off the mark, I'd class it as dangerous, the only way to get the thing to move is to hold it on the brakes and wait for the turbo to spool, before controlling the launch with the brakes.

8 hours ago, Jonathon Gillham said:

I wonder if the climate makes the difference between the 2 cars?

Its a british car, thought it would be designed for this climate ,it's maybe just a Friday car, a Friday before a bank holiday weekend...

[Kingfisher]

On 7/31/2018 at 10:53 AM, Wooders28 said:

It's as if it writes a letter to the gearbox to change,

Reminds me of all of the episodes where Top Gear complained about automatics, lol.

[Wooders28]

5 hours ago, Kingfisher said:

Reminds me of all of the episodes where Top Gear complained about automatics, lol.

Changed their tune a bit now! 

“‘Why,’ I wailed inwardly, ‘would anyone ever buy a car with a manual gearbox these days?’ It’s like saying, ‘I don’t need a television with a remote control. I’m perfectly capable of walking over to it and changing the channel myself.'”

Those who favour a manual transmission, “are the sort who choose not to have a washing machine because they prefer to clean their clothes in the local river.”

 

[Nitomor]

Sorry to hear about your Dad,

I realise I'm late to this. Which one would he want you to keep/which one reminds you more of 'him'? I'd go with that one, to me that sounds like the 'Vette, which would have been my choice of the two anyway 

Shame you have to get rid of one, but lovely that you have something to remind you in this manner. I would have loved my Grandfather's (who I was very close to) motorbike, my Nan gave it away back in the day when he passed to the handyman and I was only 14 then. It breaks my heart, I have literally nothing to remind me of him apart from a head full of wonderful memories and eyes that instantly well up every time I allow myself to so much as think of him. 

 

[Saito2]

21 hours ago, Nitomor said:

I would have loved my Grandfather's (who I was very close to) motorbike,

Sorry to hear about that. Some folks have no sense of sentimentality. I'm quite the opposite. Due to my internal "wiring" , I can remember just about any experience in "internal movie" form. Thus, the simplest things like a mixer can hold memories. My parents would regularly toss out out appliances in perfect working order just for something new. I'd say to myself "But, I remember using that mixer when I was 6 to make a cake for Dad's birthday." I got a lot of free appliances that way but it also means I have an extra car too.  

[Wooders28]

3 hours ago, Saito2 said:

Some folks have no sense of sentimentality. I'm quite the opposite.

Im the same, I've a soap container in my travel bag, that's got a bit of a crack, but was from when we used to goto the caravan as a child, and made in West Germany!! 

Recently my folks were having a clear out and went to throw away a sleeping bag from the same era, my kids have it now, they love the 70's bright colours!?!