Hopefully not my last Reading but if this keeps up...

[benebob]

As one who quickly came to realize that Reading isn't about the cars but rather about the great people here. I came away from this years Reading simply horrified by the condition of nearly 1/2 of the cars at Reading. As the car ages it i showing that there is definately a lack of "pride of ownership" among some of the cars there. It was more like a trip to a parts car section of a car meet then anything else.

Of course there were plenty of very nice solid examples there to but the cars quickly went down hill from there. As one who enjoys the build of a project car more than buying a shiney example that you know nothing about I truely hope that these cars are mearly "works in progress" and that next year I will see a marked improvement in many of them. Otherwise, I fear that I won't stick around beyond visiting with some of the many friends I've come to know through the SVX. It is simply not enjoyable to sit by watching the rapidly declining overall condition of the average SVX. Yes I realize that values do not justify the cost of a proper restoration on a 18 year old SVX but pride of ownership should justify it provided it is a car worthy of a restoration. Remember, any restoration is a money loser for the owner. It is simply the owners desire to keep the mark alive (and usually a very understanding better half) which results in a proper restoration not finaical incentives which will likely never come.

I'm not saying any of this to judge any of the owners in attendance as I do realize that everyone is in different situations and had different priorities but rather as an observation of the rapid decline of many cars.

That said it was great to see everyone and meet some of the newer members in attendence. Lets just see what everyone can do to make next years reading a little better and little more lets say "polished".

[SilverSpear]

That I was fearing the most... by the end of the day, these cars brought us together, it is a shame that we neglect them and focus more on friendships and vice versa.

From looking at the pictures I can see that reading 10 was the best. Well this comment also is preliminary now, need to see more pictures of 11.

[Sean486]

Thats a bit harsh Ben, I thought the majority were in very good shape. Maybe 4 or 5 that were pretty rough.

The turnout was small though, I am guessing 10-20 cars less than Reading 10.

[SVXyGirl]

I will say that my Claret that was in attendance was not as pretty as some of the others on the outside. Since it is my daily driver, I've been busy upgrading and fixing the issues with the engine and drivetrain before I drop the money for a new paint job.

Forgive me if my car was considered an eye sore. I still love it anyway...

[benebob]

Originally Posted by Sean486

Thats a bit harsh Ben, I thought the majority were in very good shape. Maybe 4 or 5 that were pretty rough.

The turnout was small though, I am guessing 10-20 cars less than Reading 10.

I think I said that a majority was in very good shape. The downside is that most of those are garage queens that rarely see the light of day. It wasn't just this reading. The downward spiral has been going on since Reading 3, this year it just followed the 09 stock market.

SVXygirl, eyesore hardly, I know not every car can nor should be a concours car as I'm an advocate of "drive them don't hide them" and that's kind of hard to do when you have a 10k paint job. I'm just hoping the bottom has dropped out and the cars slowly begin the hard journey back to a very respectable 20 year old car.

Again as I already said for years, what makes the SVX and Reading unique it the car world is the mixed ownership and the mutual respect. The cars come 2nd to that to me.

[Green1995SVX]

Ben-

I noticed this last year. Some cars which I remember as once being prime examples were now in very rough shape. It was depressing to say the least.

I remember at my first reading, every single car there was in gorgeous condition.

[benebob]

Originally Posted by Green1995SVX

Ben-

I noticed this last year. Some cars which I remember as once being prime examples were now in very rough shape. It was depressing to say the least.

I remember at my first reading, every single car there was in gorgeous condition.

You and your analitly should be glad you weren't here this year. I too have noticed the same decline over the years which is to be somewhat expected. It is the lack of seeing cars which are in the process of going the other way that concerns me. Seriously I'm making these statements to be offensive but in my mind if I only had $500 in the budget I'd spend it on my car rather than a weekend in Reading unless I was new to the scene and needed to get help, parts, etc.

I actually felt horrible taking my TVR to the annual TVR meet in Philly last September. I tried to not even park it on the show field in fact! Mine was by far the ugliest and roughest car there out of the 20-25 that were there. I needed to have some assistance though on running wires, etc that having it there made it so much easier. Again its a marque which is just as value challenged. The most valuable TVR Griffiths which will give a AC Cobra 289 fits in speed and kills it in handling tops out at less than $50k for a concours example. It is all about pride.

[ensteele]

I agree that the friendships that I have made through this amazing care are one of the best benifits. I also see many types of owners which are as varied as the cars themselves. They go from the young owner who has one that is a bit rough, but bursts with pride that they have one at all. It may not be the best, but it puts them in that ownership class that they are so proud of and they want to make it into the best one that they can. Then there are others, young and old that have one, love it, drive it, and don't really care it it is waxed, washed, or missing a few pieces. Then there are the others who want to bring any of them up to the best condition that they can, whether it was a project car, or one of the best in condition. Owners come in all of these different types and that will always make the condition varied in any group.

One of the most fun type of meet that I have been involved in the past years are maintenance meets. Not majoy rebuilds, but belts, lights, brakes, rotors, wiper blades, and other things that can be tackled over a few hours. The members want to fix some of the little things, but don't know how to do it. A couple of the other that do, help them out and the pride that they come away with is amazing! I am sure most members know the good feeling that they have after getting a light fixed on the dash or overhead buttons can make a big difference in the driving experience. It is the thing that you know is wrong, but don't know where to find the bulb or how to install it. You still get the great meet with friends, but get something accomplished as well.

When I look at a SVX, it is really hard to remember that it is an eighteen year old car. Yes, they wear out, but when you look at a group of them, it is also hard to believe that most of them are 150,000 to 250,000 mile cars still going and are still reliable.

Just another thought about this great car and the friends that come with it. I am very proud to be a part of this special group which has added so much to my life.

[NeedForSpeed]

Originally Posted by Sean486

Thats a bit harsh Ben, I thought the majority were in very good shape. Maybe 4 or 5 that were pretty rough.

The turnout was small though, I am guessing 10-20 cars less than Reading 10.

How many SVX in Reading this year? 10-20 less is how many?

Also, I agree with Earl, maintenance meets are an answer .

Nothing feels better than to fix the little stuff, and even better, to help someone else with the little stuff that otherwise would be neglected

To stop the downward spiral, the upward spiral needs a push.

[svxistentialist]

Originally Posted by benebob

As one who quickly came to realize that Reading isn't about the cars but rather about the great people here. I came away from this years Reading simply horrified by the condition of nearly 1/2 of the cars at Reading. As the car ages it i showing that there is definately a lack of "pride of ownership" among some of the cars there. It was more like a trip to a parts car section of a car meet then anything else.

Of course there were plenty of very nice solid examples there to but the cars quickly went down hill from there. As one who enjoys the build of a project car more than buying a shiney example that you know nothing about I truely hope that these cars are mearly "works in progress" and that next year I will see a marked improvement in many of them. Otherwise, I fear that I won't stick around beyond visiting with some of the many friends I've come to know through the SVX. It is simply not enjoyable to sit by watching the rapidly declining overall condition of the average SVX. Yes I realize that values do not justify the cost of a proper restoration on a 18 year old SVX but pride of ownership should justify it provided it is a car worthy of a restoration. Remember, any restoration is a money loser for the owner. It is simply the owners desire to keep the mark alive (and usually a very understanding better half) which results in a proper restoration not finaical incentives which will likely never come.

I'm not saying any of this to judge any of the owners in attendance as I do realize that everyone is in different situations and had different priorities but rather as an observation of the rapid decline of many cars.

That said it was great to see everyone and meet some of the newer members in attendence. Lets just see what everyone can do to make next years reading a little better and little more lets say "polished".

Definitely gone British Ben.

I would say the majority of people who drove their cars there came a long distance. By the looks of things the weather was anti social. After one of the worst winters on record for many locations!

Pride for most of these people is pride in driving there, meeting their friends, pride in driving home and then many using their cars as a daily transport. It's more than a little harsh to say the cars in attendance were not polished to a certain level showing pride of ownership.

BTW, a TVR owner I met in England reckoned that most people thought TVRs were very low to the ground and sporty looking. He reckoned that in their normal and natural environment on the back of a flat bed transporter they were very tall cars, really.

Joe

[benebob]

Originally Posted by svxistentialist

Definitely gone British Ben.

I would say the majority of people who drove their cars there came a long distance. By the looks of things the weather was anti social. After one of the worst winters on record for many locations!

Pride for most of these people is pride in driving there, meeting their friends, pride in driving home and then many using their cars as a daily transport. It's more than a little harsh to say the cars in attendance were not polished to a certain level showing pride of ownership.

BTW, a TVR owner I met in England reckoned that most people thought TVRs were very low to the ground and sporty looking. He reckoned that in their normal and natural environment on the back of a flat bed transporter they were very tall cars, really.

Joe

Actually, the average distance driven has definately gone down. It wasn't so much of a lack of cleanliness or polish but rather countless cars that I couldn't even talk my inspection guy into stickering and yes he stickered my TVR when it barely moved under its own power. Many of these cars were in the exact same state of disrepair as last year. As Mike said it isn't so much a cut on anyone there but rather the sad realization of how quickly the herd is thinning.

Yeah the TVR does fit nicely on top of a flat bed. It isn't the easiest thing to get there though. Quite a few got to take it for a spin, only hiccup was a certain Tom forgetting to turn the radiator fan on but not being to worried as it neared 140 degrees. He didn't realize it was celcius. Maybe he can change that out when he puts a 302 in it this fall. You know I do try to get cars down to a managable weight.

[svxistentialist]

Not having been there I'm just defending my friends.

The point about TVRs is not that they are bad cars, they are not actually built to German or Japanese levels of engineering, to which levels the SVX certainly is. And you shouldn't be able to talk your sticker guy into writing a certificate. By definition compliance should not be a subjective thing.

Cars in use will never be able to have the ultimate garage queen sheen. As they get older and used more they will show more wear and tear.

I personally would prefer to see them used than to see them polished. But when a nice clean garage queen sees the light, I'll slaver with the best of them.

Joe

[benebob]

Originally Posted by svxistentialist

Not having been there I'm just defending my friends.

The point about TVRs is not that they are bad cars, they are not actually built to German or Japanese levels of engineering, to which levels the SVX certainly is. And you shouldn't be able to talk your sticker guy into writing a certificate. By definition compliance should not be a subjective thing.

Cars in use will never be able to have the ultimate garage queen sheen. As they get older and used more they will show more wear and tear.

I personally would prefer to see them used than to see them polished. But when a nice clean garage queen sees the light, I'll slaver with the best of them.

Joe

I couldnt' agree with you more. I've known my inspection guy for years and he can be very understanding when you need to get a car legal so you can sort it outside of your driveway. Even had most everything working when I took it in, just lacking any emissions equipment which is only an issue the first year in PA. After that I can get an exemption based on mileage.

Having been across the pond, I'd even suspect that a full half of the cars in attendance wouldn't get through your process. My TVR included! When you can go to the junkyard and see better examples. The end is nearing! That said quite a few cars look better each year.

As for seeing them driven. That's exactly why I passed mine on. A car needs to be driven and mine wasn't. It got more miles put on it in 3 months then I did in 5 years when it left. I just don't drive a ton.

[svxfiles]

Originally Posted by benebob

Actually, the average distance driven has definately gone down. Bla, bla, bla, Quite a few got to take it for a spin, only hiccup was a certain Tom forgetting to turn the radiator fan on but not being to worried as it neared 140 degrees. He didn't realize it was celcius. Maybe he can change that out when he puts a 302 in it this fall. You know I do try to get cars down to a managable weight.

OK, ok, it was the Tom WITHOUT the little girlie hands!


Sorry T!

[subi-crosser]

Originally Posted by benebob

Actually, the average distance driven has definately gone down. It wasn't so much of a lack of cleanliness or polish but rather countless cars that I couldn't even talk my inspection guy into stickering and yes he stickered my TVR when it barely moved under its own power. Many of these cars were in the exact same state of disrepair as last year. As Mike said it isn't so much a cut on anyone there but rather the sad realization of how quickly the herd is thinning.

Yeah the TVR does fit nicely on top of a flat bed. It isn't the easiest thing to get there though. Quite a few got to take it for a spin, only hiccup was a certain Tom forgetting to turn the radiator fan on but not being to worried as it neared 140 degrees. He didn't realize it was celcius. Maybe he can change that out when he puts a 302 in it this fall. You know I do try to get cars down to a managable weight.

Without actually attending the event, I 'figured' that the numbers would be down from looking at my OWN bank book!
I used to wash my cars every week, now I'm so busy trying to replace the lost income, that the cars get washed when I can't see out the windows.
Everything I try to do costs more and takes longer! I also have a lot less 'disposable' income over the last 3 years!
I'm still working the same job, but my income from it has dropped over $12,000!
My SVX still needs the same paint it needed when I bought it, I have the paint. What I am lacking is the TIME to make it ready for paint.
Times are TOUGH!! (at least in MY world)
I'm sure that a LOT of other members are feeling the 'pinch'.
My SVX had 222K on it when I got it! I have added to the numbers, it's still kinda ugly, but I will keep working on it and playing with it till I get it back into shape. THEN I will drive it to Reading.