My Cars

Having recently been able to look at (and sit in!) a friend’s red 1967 MGB roadster in Fort Collins, I wondered about how Goldie, the pale primrose yellow 1969 British roadster I enjoyed for 12 years, was faring. Happily, Steve (the MG’s new owner) just sent me an update.

As it turns out, the vintage sports car is hibernating during Montreal’s long winter. It also appears that she is in need of a bit of work to be roadworthy again, which is in contrast to last August when Steve reported she was running great. Her oil pressure relief valve may be sticking and the brake master cylinder is leaking now. Fortunately, Steve has a whole school bus of spare parts and the time and energy to tackle these issues. Continue reading »

It’s always great to hear from old friends who were an important part of my life — even the gal who now speaks in tongues or the psycho chick whom I’m not exactly sure why I dated in the first place. Hence, I was thrilled to hear about Goldie today for the first time in two years. It’s not like she can compose a thoughtfully typed out e-mail or post a status update on Facebook. She’s a British roadster, you see. Continue reading »

“Well, I sold the Alfa today,” I told Tori after she asked me what was new.

Yes, it’s true. This was something of a foregone conclusion the moment I purchased the Audi TT Roadster in January, but I waited to list the car on Craigslist until the summer — a better time to sell a convertible. And as I watched Elaina, the ’91 Foglio Green Alfa Romeo Spider Veloce, drive away from my house one last time, I reflected upon my time with her over the last six years. That’s how long she’s graced the garages of my homes or — for a few transitional months in 2005 — was my home. Continue reading »

For a true motorhead, it is pretty remarkable to go more than five years without a new car. It is even more remarkable to do so when his only car is 17 years old and was largely engineered by Italy’s not-so-finest three decades ago. But that is exactly the situation I was in when I finally decided it was a fantastic time to buy a new sports car. Much kudos goes to Elaina — the Alfa Romeo that amazingly turned out to be the second most reliable car I’ve ever owned (after the BMW Z3 which was brand new and fully warrantied while I had her) — for lasting so long despite being put through vigorous tests such as the Great American Western Road Trip. Continue reading »

Top Gear‘s Jeremy Clarkson may have the fashion sense of a junior college student in the 1970s, plus being British and all, he loves to make fun of us Yanks. Yet, when it comes to automobiles, he is widely respected as an authority, a connoisseur, i.e. Someone Who Knows What He Is Talking About.

Most of the time, anyhow. For some reason, he has a habit of dissing my most beloved car marques. For example, when MG went bankrupt (again), he basically declared good riddance to a “stupid car.” Then, during the £1500 Top Gear Porsche Challenge, he gave James May a good ribbing about his white 944 that looked just like my old Turbo. Continue reading »

“How are you doing without the old MG?” is a question I’ve been receiving a lot lately. And the answer may be a surprise:

Very well, thank you. Can’t say I am really missing her. Actually, it’s been a big relief not having to deal with ignition points, valve clearances, dual carburetors, carburetor dampers, distributors, fuel pumps, hydraulic fluid, bewildering electrical maladies, knockoff hammers, tubes in the tires, etc. Maybe I’m still in denial mode.

And of course, there’s Goldie‘s replacement: the Buell. Continue reading »