Its a funny old world

[samco]

When I owned my first TR7 a speke four speed in Brooklands Green thay were considered an aquired taste. The obligatory "are you a hairdresser" jokes abounded and the side screen brigade hated them, so dare I say it they were quite uncool to most of the motoring world. I loved my car and as a teenager in the early eighties I thought I was quite a dude with my new romantic dyed hair, wild wardrobe and four year old shiny wedge. In reality when I look back many people were probably laughing at me the way I laugh at todays youth with their hats on back to front, their jeans hanging down around their arses and their small family hatchbacks with unfeasiably large spoilers and loud music blaring out. So to sum up I thought i was cool but probably wasn't.

 

Now heres a funny thing.

 

Where I live in Newquay once a year there is an event called the Run to the Sun where petrol heads fromm all over the country come to Newquay to cruise around the town and party for three days. The town is usually gridlocked and locals like myself stay at home. I was working on my wedge and a group of petrolheads had paked at a local car park and were walking into town but got lost and ended up walking past me and my open garage. They came over to ask directions and were instantly blown away by by my now in primer TR7. I lost count of how many times I heard the word cool and after a prelonged conversation about the car and its history (which apparently is also cool) I realised this group of spotty teenagers had no preconseptons of the car and in their eyes it was radical styling powered by a V8. They were then saying how they thought it was again cool that I was doing all the work myself and they marveled when I explained that most people in the classic car world do their own work. I got down books to show them pics of rally TR7's and there were genuinely in awe. Lots of lictures were taken with their mobile phones and after another prelonged conversation they all vowed to come and visit me at the next Run to the Sun and see the completed car.

 

How Ironic life can be.

 

When I was a teenager (about three stone lighter and had hair) I thought I was cool but probably wasn't.

 

Now I am middle aged have an ever expanding waistline a number 4 haircut two kids and and old triumph in the garage I am well cool!!!!

[Guest Wayne S]

HAHAHA!! Thats a brilliant story Samco!

 

I have to say though, its of no surprise to me. Being one of those yoofs (23) I use my Grinnal everyday, its my only car and as well as the TR and classic car events I take it to all sorts of petrol head gatherings like Le Mans in a fortnighht.

As you say, many of my piers have no pre-conceptions of the TR7 /8 and just see it as a cool design with pop up headlamps. I get so many great comments from younger people who stop in petrol stations to invite me to "cruise meets" with their hot hatches etc and remark on the cars cool styling and sound!!

 

Many of them have never seen one before. Mines blessed with purple metallic paint, sports exhaust and compomotive alloys so right up their street.... in fact the only bad remarks ive got about my car came from Triumph enthusiasts..... hehehe

 

Wayne

Edited May 31, 2007 by Wayne S