Last drive of the season.. what did you do?

Last . ..what? We're going 250 miles to VA beach on Oct. 26. Hope the weather's good but if it ain't, well....

 

That's 6 TDs. A 7th (Schu) still possible & that boy drove it last year with no kind of roof at all.

 

Last drive . . . ? Sheeee-it!

 

Oh...and did I mention it's a PCA sponsored show?

 

Sign up, boys: the season ain't hardly over yet.

You got that right.

 

I'll have my "last ride of the season" when they pry my cold, arthritic fingers off of my frigid, lifeless steering wheel.  I've got MONTHS left.

 

Thanks to Charleston Heston, who's now way too old to even suggest that response.

Last ride?  Well, if there is a threat of snow (inches or fractions thereof) and salt or brine is applied to the road surfaces, that will be it until a rain washes it away.  However, the Farmers' Almanac says that this will be a colder and wetter winter, so we will see.  I keep that Red Man at the ready for all seasons. 

We're just now entering the best driving season of the year here.  You can actually drive in the middle of the day with the top down and not be sweaty when you reach your destination. I'm lovin' it!  I may have to leave the top up in January, but that won't stop me from driving the Speedster.

The only reason its the end of the driving season for me is that my insurance runs out today.. back to storage insurance and the start of the winter projects.. new top, new seat upholstery...

After being off the road for over a year I'm very close to getting my IM back.  My 6 months insurance usually runs out at the end of October, but this year I'm going to renew it for a full year and drive my IM through the winter months.

is 'storage insurance' simply the absence of collision, liability and towing?

What percentage of full a coverage policy would that be? 

Most classic car policies are annual and are already priced for limited driving.  You can suspend all coverages expect for Comprehenisve if you have your car on a regular auto policy.

6 months insurance, collision, comprehensive, fire, theft, and liability runs me about $450. Storage insurance same coverage less collision costs me about $35 for six months.

Simon, six months at $450 seems high for a limited driving policy.

 

I'm fully covered, plus 50mile towing, on a stated value, limited driving policy from Haggerty for less than $300 a year.

Unfortunately, here is BC the auto insurance is government based.. the main policy is held by ICBC (insurance corp of BC) making it rather high. Comprehensive theft etc, can be held by other insurance companies, but because of the monopoly our ICBC has it is what it is.. My annual policy on my 2000 Saturn is around $925 to and from work and insured for my kids to drive.. how does you local insurance compare?? 

Ouch!

Simon, there's something to be said about the benefits of head to head competition.

 

Haggerty insures my VS, but I shopped about for my other three vehicles:

2001 Saturn SL (no comprehensive or collision)....$211.56

1991 S10 (no comprehensive or collision)............$182.08

2002 S10 (with comprehensive and collision)........$331.81

          $735.45 annual premium

BUT...

I wouldn't be surprised if our current administration isn't salivating at the enhanced revenue possibilities of federalizing our entire auto insurance industry...for our own benefit of course!

         

Thanks for the feedback.. always knew I paid too much.. probably comes down to number of insured motorist... there are more cars in California than all of Canada..

 

that being said, Full medical insurance only costs me around $100/ month for the whole family..

 

We pay one way or another.. 

 

 

Our Hagerty's ins. for the CMC replica is $343 per year, no deductible, not sure what the towing is, becuz we also have AAA for all of our cars (4),  and any car we happen to be riding in, 100 mile towing. Our med ins. premium from my wifes employer, both our  payment and theirs is $1400 per month!!  Give me single payer med. ins. anyday anytime!  My sister and her husband travelling in France, needed minor medical services, foot injury from walking around... $0, yes that is zero cost, all they wanted was her birthdate and some ID. Patched her up and sent them on their way, merci beaucoup.

CA IS ALWAYS GOOD DRIVING ALL YEAR LONG. JUST LOOK AT JIMMYS POSTS

ON A SIDE NOTE SINCE VINCE HASNT RETURNED THE MIATA I HAVENT BEEN CRUISING

As a recent immigrant from BC to California I can vouch for all the costs plus the fact that driving season never ends.  Pic from Sunday at the Rock Store - a lovely 72*F (22*C for Simon).

 

Simon, nice color combo .  You should have driven up to Comox to visit my cousins.  Too bad I won't have my speedster in Vancouver for Christmas.

That there is one SWEET MG TC behind that no-count fake plastic VW kit car!

Went out for a 100 km cruise today to enjoy the fall colours.  This is probably one of the last  good days of our season.  It was a beautiful sunny 64 degrees, which isn't bad for the great white north this time of year.

"a driving season that never ends", and an iconic TC...WOW!

 

Ed, since you pilot a  TD maybe you can shed some light on why the TC (to my knowledge) was never replicated?

 

Producing eight bolt together fiberglass body pieces, and finding some outfit in China to fabricate chromed radiator grills shouldn't be that difficult. It seems the only stumbling block would be a resource for quality 19" knock-off wire wheels and the spindle hubs.

It was a very nice 1947 TC (per the license plate).  Owner was nowhere to be found, but I could see 97xxx miles on the odo and a LOT of tools on the floor/storage area.

 

My car had the girls smiling.  I hear LA girls like plastic 

The Devil made me do it.....I knew I had a serious overheating situation going on weeks ago and my backyard observation was that I had a badly blown head gasket in my low bux Soob conversion. The last ride home showed no coolant anywhere to be seen and nothing but steam coming out the vent of the reservoir overflow tube. The weeks of good weather got to me yesterday and I filled the bugger up again, bled everything and took it out for a 20 minute rip. Got back home again with no fluid and steam coming out the vent. It started up again just fine this morning. The leafs were great, the engine seems amazing. The engine gets replaced this winter.

@DMAC  - great pic @ Rockstore! One of our favorite cruises.

 

@Jesse - I bet that was a fantastic drive!

 

@Simon - beautiful scenery!

 

Thanks for sharing those pics! 

Carl,

 

Can't speak for the TD replica manufacturers...but I have a couple guesses as to why the TD was replicated and the TC wasn't.

 

I suspect the original TD was more popular in the states, then the TC. Kinda makes sense then that the TD would be copied.

 

The first TD replicas were VW Type 1 based. And the TD is a better fit on a Type 1 pan.

 

The track of the TC is only 45", while the TD is 50" compared to the Type 1 at about 51".

 

Wheelbases are all almost the same: TC and TD are 94 " compared to the Type 1 of 94.5.

 

As far as that grill...no one currently makes TD or TC grill reproductions, for a replica or an original. When one occasionally appears on ebay it will sell for thousands!

That radiator 'grill sells for thousands'?

I'll bet there's some guy in China whose ears just pricked up.

 

He probably operates a small two or three man struggling metal fabrication shop that's right across the alley from a chrome plating shop...and...he's aware of a guy in Vietnam that's using eBay to market chromed bumpers to vintage car restorers here in the states!  

Great pics, Jesse.

 

Carl:

 

The TC was a right-hand-drive-only vehicle. And I think you hit the nail with that "if only there was a ready source for 19-inch wire wheels" comment. Track-width differences notwithstanding, those wheels are the main thing that separates the TC from the TD. So if FiberFab tried to make something they called a "TC Replica" chances are excellent that it would be indistinguishable from the TD Replica anyway.

 

And right on the MG grill shell. They're not often sold for "thousands" but usually close to a thousand. And you can't really make a TD or TC (or TB, TA or P car or Type Y Magnette) without one. Preferably the right one since they're all a little different.

 

Ah for the simple life of a Tub--no grill at all and the only detail concerns teardrops or beehives; bumpers or no bumpers.

Still driving, although mostly solo now.

 

I've been using the car as my non work-truck daily-driver all summer-- running errands, going to meetings, etc. Once you get over the anxiety of leaving it unattended, it opens up a world of possibility.

 

I'm going to Chicago this weekend (500 mi +/- total) this weekend for medical stuff, and to see my daughter/son-in-law. Jeanie will be taking the train up Thursday night, and driving back with me Sunday afternoon. I'm meeting Marty for lunch Thursday and Tom Boney for dinner. This will likely be the last "drive" of any length for me this year.

 

The "winter project" list is lengthy this year, and I hope to have everything done by early May, rather than mid-June (as is my fashion)-- so I need to get rolling. The engine is coming out for some "sumthin' sumpthin'", on which I'll update once underway. If I can swing it, I hope to be putting in a legit track-approved roll-bar as well.

 

FWIW, Autumn is FAR better driving than Spring. The roads are clear and dry, the days are bright and sunny, and a carburated car never runs better than it does on a "crisp" Fall day. In my world-- the crops are down, bringing back unobstructed views around the corners. It's warm enough that the engine comes up to temp nicely, but never so warm as to cause any concern. When the sun goes down and the temperature gets chilly, putting the top up is still better than slogging along in the mini-van or whatever. Driving a speedster in October is magical.

 

November 1 is my earliest target date for putting it up and tearing it down, no matter how long "the list" is. In this part of the world, anything sooner is just wasting gorgeous days.

 

I'm still doing this, but I think I'm about a week past my "sell-by" date.

We're in the midst of a fabulous "indian summer" here in New England....pushing 70° today, light, low overcast burning off later, but Pearl will probably sit while I'm out pedaling my bike to the "Vanilla Bean Cafe" in Pomfret, CT for lunch.  2 hours out, 2 hours back, about 750 ft. Vertical climb per hour (and 750 ft descent - it's those New England hills).  I'll be pedaling through my college campus - Nichols college in Dudley, MA ........for real!  Graduated in '74!  (No, the family doesn't own the place.)

Speedster sighting near Chicago.

Simon, I would have thought that out there on the Island you could drive your Speedster year round?  Hoping to take mine out today, probably last drive but not due to weather.  Pending shoulder surgery means no driving for 6 weeks then likely be into winter here by then.  Maybe go for a run up the Niagara Parkway.  I've seen another black Speedster on the Parkway twice...anyone here?

Met Marty for a nice business/catch-up lunch in the western suburbs, got a shoulder looked at (at the best orthopedic clinic in the world), and met Tom Boney for dinner in the city last night. It rained all the way up and more, but is sunny today.

 

Drive 'em!

Taking every opportunity to go for a spin; out for a couple of hours today.  54 degrees and sunny.  Really don't want to put the car away for winter!  Here are a couple more fall shots.

Jesse, last year I had the car out till mid November... wind chill at 120km at -1 was quite the drive, had a perma grin frozen on my face.. opted for 6 months insurance that ended on the 13 of October, I have quite a few things that I want to do to the car over the winter, first off is the Top as I have run the past two seasons with out one, the weather in Victoria is quite un predictable, so having a top should give me more time on the road, I am also going to have my seats re-upholstered (quite worn). I also want to pull the motor, fix some oil leaks and re-torque the heads etc.. Be back on the road in the spring.. all being said I did manage to put over 4000 kms on the car this year.. Entered the car in half a dozen car shows.. tons of smiles..

Whoooa!!! Simon  -1@120KM  would be a seriously cold ride.  Hats off to you, 4000 KM in a year without a top would mean you've probably got wet a couple of times.  A top is on my to-do list as well this winter as I have been getting by with a toneau cover.  Good luck with you're other winter projects.

At -1 I would say 'hats on' to Simon!  Holy crap that's cold.

Keep in mind thats minus 1 Celsius, about 30 degrees for my southern brethren.. I had a choice of driving at 80km and taking 25 minutes to get home , or 120km and 15 minutes to get home... by the way, I did have a toque on my head and a blanket across my legs.. Cold as ice but lots of fun...

Jesse - your car looks pretty dang cool!