Would You Loan Your MG To Another Forum Member ??

Serious question now. Several years ago when this forum membership was just a fraction of what it is now one of the members and I decided to trade MG's for a month. He had a MGBGT and wanted to made a temporary trade for my 64B. The hubby and I had never met him except for this forum. He lived in Kentucky and we're in Virginia. We did decide right here ( there were no PMs then ) to do so. Each of us drove to Kingsport, TN where we made the switch. On the trade back we met in Abington, Virginia where an MG Club was taking a trip to Grayson Highlands, Virginia and we made the trip with them traded back at the end of that trip. I had a blast in the GT and he said they did in the 64B.

Just wondering how many of you would have did as we did or would even think of doing so. Any old timers remember that trade??


Your turn :)

i sure as hell wouldn't loan one but i would borrow one. good afternoon naomi.

I think I remember that, (cant remember the name right now, wasn't he a lawyer who then moved and I think has maybe sold the car)(white GT?). To certain (most) people I would indeed trade cars for a bit.

Hey Drake I was just down your way this morning and the hubby and I were in the 64B :)

Naomi Wrote:

cfrench Wrote:

Sam! That's him. Does he still have the GT? I miss him here.

cfrench Wrote:

I loaned my 75 B to Kelvin Dodd, of Moss Motors, for use during a multi-day event in NJ, back in 04. Would not do a month trade.

Had I known what I know now..........

When we first got the 69B, I would have loaned it first to Jeff Schlemmer. He'd no doubt put in a shiny new distributor, perfectly set up. Then I'd loan it to Jimmy Hilton. Jimmy would be compelled to replace the ratty old SUs with some nice shiny rebuilt ones. Then I'd probably loan it to Hap and as he wouldn't be able to stand the look of the engine and bay, he'd clean the whole thing up and maybe throw in some performance parts as well. Then, I'd loan it to Dave Dubois and he would have noticed (as he really did from a photo) that I originally installed my SU fuel pump upside down and fix that.

Oh yes, I'd loan it out.

I remember that, and that it worked out for you both.

I would have a really hard time handing the keys to my car to a stranger. If it was someone I know personally and trust explicitly then yes, I might. However there is far too much risk involved, both legally and to my car, to loan it to someone I've only known through words typed on a computer.

Of course I am always willing to give anyone a ride and if I know and trust them enough then maybe a sit behind the wheel for a spell.

I'd let you or Bill borrow either of my B's anytime! How is Sam these days?

bblack Wrote:

I think I would. It would have to be someone that I had known for a long time. I will NOT let a stranger drive my MGs. In fact, I left New Orleans one time because the B&B parking was valet only at a parking gararge downtown 6 blocks away from the B&B. The parking lot would not let me park it myself so I left. BTW, I would NOT let my son drive my MGB, or any other of my vehicles for that matter. Or my wife, even if she could

Edit: I'd also have to be damned sure that my car would not break down with someone else driving it. Right now I can not be sure of that.

Hmmm, I've only traded cars for short drives. Not for days/weeks. Let's see. For drives I've traded cars with Ed Sweeney & Peter Mittler. I know Saul and I have swapped cars a few times and I can remember driving Bill Brett's Bugeye. I know I've let others drive my car, I think that is part of sharing the fun!

You can really learn alot about your car and others by driving another.

I know if my son volunteers to wash one of the "B"s he must have a hot date and wants to borrow the car.

I would have to know somebody pretty well to loan him or her a car for a month.
I have loaded the taxi cab to close friends and have browed a GT from a friend for a week while mine was in the shop.

-bcw

http://www.MG2009.com

Be happy to lend you my MGB for yours any time.

You will have to come over here for the swap though as its not too mobile at the moment.

Oh and the interior is in boxes in my basement along with the dashboard and most of the electrics.

Depends on the member ;) There are several folks on here who I would let borrow my car for short drives any time, but not an extended length of time. James Woolf and I swapped cars for a while on the way back from MG2008 and it was interesting for both of us to see what it was like to drive another B with a completely different character :)

The good thing about working on your own B is that if something goes wrong, no big deal, just fix it, I would have no problem having a friend take the car for the day and enjoy it. Thats what it is for, to enjoy. Dennis70

Naomi, it was Sam Chandler you traded with and the GT is sitting in my driveway right now. He moved from Henderson to near Knoxville and couldn't take it with him at the time, couldn't get it started. He'd probably sell it but I don't know how much he'd want for it.

chuck cougill Wrote:

I'll loan you my trailer

chuck cougill Wrote:

It depends on who it was. I'd definitely switch with Gary Alpern or Art Tobias or Jack or Bob Munch....of coarse, they'd be getting the short end of the stick because all their B's are nicer then mine!

I miss Sams posts also, and I do remember ya'lls trade. Wish he would post some. My brother is coming to get my A coupe tomorrow for an extended loan. Id also trade with most any of the members here that I have known for a long while, but like others have said, I would not trade with someone who does know these cars. It is unreal how many people just dont have a clue how to drive these cars, even older people who should have grown up with the quirks of older mechanicals.

I'd have to say yes as long as I was sure the car was mechanically sound and wouldn't strand somebody.

But I must add that I'd do that with a hardcore MG person...they respect what these cars mean and how much they mean to all of us.

I've met a lot of Corvette owners and I'd find it difficult to loan out my 95 to one of them. An owner of a pre-1970 Corvette maybe, but probably not the owner of a newer Corvette. Generally good people, yes. Car loving people to be sure but not the same as MG and classic car people.

Of course, that probably says more about my own personal perceptions than it does about MG or Corvette owners.

I concur - I would loan my car for short trips like John Moore and I did. My problem is that I was terrified of hurting HIS car and not so much about whether he would hurt my car.

I was brought up to never drive other peoples cars. That being said, I did drive my buddy's Midget once and it was so much more fun than I ever imagined....

I'd loan mine provided it came back with a full tank of gas! But only to someone familiar with the cars and mature enough to take care. I'd certainly swap, too, with someone who has another LBC. Wouldn't even have to be an MGB as I'd like to drive a lot of others, too. Heck, it's just a car. I can't believe I just said that. :)

I offer to loan my cars out all the time and usually get too nervous to drive other peoples' cars. I'd hate to be the one to cause any damage. Then again, if someone crashed my car, I wouldn't get too bent out of shape as long as everyone walked away safe. On the other hand, the legal liability of someone getting killed in/by your car is a bit unnerving and that trust is what would dictate a loan and its length for me.

I would trade with most here.

This thread has me thinking how really rare it has become that I have driven a car I didn't own. I'm not including including rentals when we travel, but only driving a friend's or family member's car. I would like to drive different models of MG's. I don't think I have ever even ridden in a GT or and MGC.

NO WAY ...

Ya gotta be kiddin ... that's akin to loaning out the "girlfriend" to let someone else have sex with her.

roadster65 Wrote:

Trading MGB's with Naomi was a hoot! Loved driving her little ole pull handler roadster. Hope Chuck can get the GT down here to the farm in Claiborne County, Tn, soon.

I have traded for drives with Denniz and offered one of mine to be used on Garys Run this year.....

Has anyone one heard from Denniz?

I have loaned mine out a couple of times, but that was years ago and, unfortunately, not to folks from this forum. There are folks here who I would have no qualms about lending the GT to because they have demonstrated to my satisfaction that they would have the experience and respect that I would expect in such a transaction. On the other hand, I think I'd be more nervous about driving someone else's car, simply because I, too, was brought up not to drive or swap cars that belonged to others, and I would feel really bad if something were to happen on my watch.

David ~ After my GT's 20 yrs on the road AND looking at what you put into yours, I think YOU'd be the one getting the short end of the stick! My poor old beast is a little worse for wear cosmetically, but I keep after it mechanically.

I won't borrow a car or RV for fear of bringing it back with some kind of damage. My fault or not it is not a risk I wish to take especially with someones pride and joy. The demons lurking that loaned car will inevitably cause me grief no matter how careful I am. Superstitious? I guess so.
With that in mind, I an very reluctant to loan my MG to anyone. I resist taking it to a shop for repair as well.
The restored car has a bit of someone's soul between the bits and beneath the paint. That TLC factor is not easily converted to greenbacks after an accident.
Loan it? Not very likely unless someone actually knows the car better than I do.

Nope. Might swap cars for a short hop on a tour, but even then, old mechanics WILL break some time. How would you feel if something vital chose the time you were driving my car to give up the ghost. No matter how you protested, do you think the lender wouldn't think you had something to do with the stripped gear or rattled bottom end, and heaven forfend what would happen if someone pulled out in front of you and wrecked the loaner while you were driving.

Would you really want to risk that sort of bad feeling?

One of the most popular events our club has started having is a "Car Swap Day." We meet at friend of the club's who has a big garage with a lift, a huge parking lot, and located in a rural town that has two-lane country roads, small town streets and a stretch of highway nearby.

We have a course sketched out that gives people a chance to drive someone else's car on all those types of roads, over the course of 2-3 miles or so.

There's no pressure to let other people drive your car, but that's the idea. You set the rules. Some people are more comfortable riding along in the passenger seat, to point out the car's peculiarities. Others (like me) feel pretty comfortable letting anyone I know in the club take my B for a spin on their own ... Although if there was anyone there who I wasn't sure about their driving abilities, I'd hop in the passenger seat.

(It is, after all, my one and only MGB...)

It's a great way to get a chance to drive other versions of the same car, or to try out driving something like a Healey or a Jag E-type, if you've never had the chance.

..... And YES, it's been a long, long time since I last checked in here ....... Hi, everybody who remembers me from back in the day!

WooHoo!! Sam and Kim posting in the same day! Wow, this is a great Naomi! :)

Hey you two, we are still here and missing you. Kim, Judy and i drove down through the DWG last May taking the B to Roanoke. Real nice area. Wish we could have met up.

Hi, Kim, it's been a loooong time! Hey, you didn't mention what it was like to drive Gary's car on the first Gary's Run! Will you be able to join us on this year's Run? It's to be international- half in Canada and half in Washington state. We've missed you.

AND, by the way- congratulations on your election to the position of V. Pres. of NAMGBR. Dick and Peggy

cfrench Wrote:

Nice to have you here Kim. Now where's Charlie?

Naomi, I remember when you did that!

Would I? It would depend on the car, the insurance, and the forum member. I have to be non commital.

Probably. But I think a month would be a bit outside my comfort zone.
Finding someone who is willing to drive one of mine would be the issue ;)

Not too sure if anyone would be happy with the way I drive mine either!

Wow Sam and Kim back on the forum replying to the same post. Ain't life wonderful :) :) :)

A lot more people read these posts and pass through this forum than respond, Naomi.

I'd loan my car to another for an hour, a day, whatever. It can be fun to drive other cars to see how they compare to your own and just for the joy of driving something different.

I've had the pleasure of driving both of Sam's car's; the GT and the white B that Naomi now owns. Heck I even bought a car from Sam and drove it 1700 miles to home. I've also been lucky enough drive John's beautifully restored B (I was taken aback when he threw me the keys). It's really nice when others allow you to drive their pride and joys and I for one would let almost anyone drive mine. I hope some day soon to be able to take Paul’s RB BGT for a spin.

I’ve had friends ask if they can take my car for a spin. I always go with them but I have no problem letting someone else drive my cars. In fact I taught my step-son how to drive a standard on my GT two summers ago. We are now restoring his first car – a TR7.

Last summer, out of the blue, one of our local club members asked me if I wanted to drive his Healey 3000. I know how much effort and money he put into restoring the car that I felt privileged to be asked to take it for a spin. One of the nicest cars I have ever driven.

Well now that we've seen all the people who would happily hand over the keys to their car, is it time for a new thread - who would loan their wife/dog/ Visa card....? :-)

(No way - I LIKE that pooch!)

I have to admit that I'm somewhat surprised at the number of you who would do as Sam as I did --- it was fun :) :) :)