A Mini Needs a New Home

Fellow Mini enthusiast and all around good guy, Manuel Barje of Birmingham, Alabama is seeking an adoptive parent for his classic Mini. This rare automatic version has been treated to an upscale interior with leather and wood details. It is air conditioned and has a fabric sunroof.

If you have a Mini-shaped hole in your life, get in touch and I will pass along Manuel's contact details.

Not All Finds Are in Barns

Barn find.  Are you tired of hearing that term? In the last few years, a frenzy has been whipped up over interesting old cars allegedly found in barns. Hardly a (televised) auction passes that there are not at least a couple of  "barn find" headliners. 

Courtesy barnfinds.com

Spurred on by these big dollar auctions and "... In the Barn"  books by Tom Cotter, many casual auto enthusiasts have concluded that finding a car covered in dust inside an outbuilding is their key to instant riches. While some lucky people have had their ticket punched, most go away disappointed but wiser for the experience.

It was inevitable that a web site dedicated to barn finds would appear and it has done so in the form of barnfinds.com. The site depends largely on submissions by readers and not all qualify as barn finds. I think I even saw the term "carport find" in one of the posts.

The vehicles are certainly interesting in that there is something for everyone there. Naturally, I had to browse the British section and came away impressed with the variety. I haven't seen a Berkeley for sale in a while, but one was there.

In some instances, the site is reminiscent of the older, more established Bring A Trailer web site but that certainly won't keep me from looking in on it frequently.

An "A" for Effort

My brother, Alan, of whom I've mentioned in these ramblings has just become an owner of an MGA. This 1961 1600 Roadster spent its life on the Gulf Coast, its last twenty years locked away in a garage. 

But She has a Great Personality...

I heard about the car through the Internet grapevine and thought it might be worth looking over. I didn't have the time, space or resources for another car, so I passed it along to Alan who has had a hankering for one for a number of years. He made contact with the owner who was trying to clear out his mother's house and get it ready for sale. The owner had plans to restore the MG "one day", but the expense of restoration and having it hauled from south Alabama to his home central Florida meant that it was time to let it go. 

Alan looked it over and made a fair offer which was accepted. The seller is graciously allowing the car to remain in the garage until Alan finds space for it near his house. 

The MGA is complete, bodywise with the aluminum panels all present and accounted for. The fenders (wings for the UK audience) had been removed and primed at some point. The engine and driveline are unknown quantities at the moment, but they will be inspected as soon as the car is moved to its new home. 

At this point Alan is not sure of his next move. He may disassemble the car and sell the parts to other MGA restorers or he may consider reasonable offers for it as it sits. Stay tuned.

Update - Alan has decided to sell the car on. I'll be happy to pass along messages if you're interested.

For Sale: A Used Ford

Image courtesy of Fiskens

History? 

Check.

Patina?

Check.

Lustworthiness?

Check and check.

This road-registered Ford GT40 is currently for sale through the Gregor Fiskens organization. This UK based seller of high-end historic vehicles is offering this significant car on a "if you have to ask" price basis. By browsing the advert for the car, you can see that it covered itself in glory back in the day:

  

• First European win for GT40 (Magny-Cours, 1965)
• Trophy du Congac (1965)
• Class Win, Nurburgring 1000KM (1966)
• Class Win, Targa Florio (1967)

According to the Fiskens web site, the car has been owned by one UK resident for the last thirty years.

Buy it, bring it to the US and hear "it's a kit car, right?" 

Hey, Man - It's a Hillman

It's a Hillman!

Hillmans aren't too thick on the ground here in the states so it's a bit of an event to find one that hasn't been rodded or on it's way to returning to the good earth through corrosion. 

Here's a Hillman Husky station wagon for sale right here in south Alabama, listed on craigslist.org. The photos aren't much to write home about but the seller claims that it is in reasonably good condition. White isn't the most exciting color for a classic but you'll probably not see another one on the southern British  car show circuit. 

Another Fine 50 Year Old

Last year, the classic British car enthusiast world celebrated the half-century anniversaries of the Jaguar E-Type and the MK I MG Midget. This year is a continuation of the golden anniversary of the golden age of the British auto industry with the 50th birthday of the MGB and the Triumph Spitfire.

For those Spitfire enthusiasts sufficiently deep of pocket, the car reputed to be the 1962 Earls Court Motorshow stand car is up for sale in Switzerland. The current owner of chassis #1 (FC1) is open to offers for the car. An ad in the UK-based Classic and Sports Car magazine shows a photo of a white car in rather nice condition. An email link is helpfully provided. 

Any guesses as to how much it will go for? 

Hemmings Takes On eBay Motors

I am delighted to see that our friends at Hemmings Motor News announced that they are now offering a completely new service where you can sell your auto parts via a special corner of the Hemmings web site. The Hemmings staff apparently saw that sellers of parts were often lost in the sea of cars offered on their site and in print. They also likely heard the collector car hobby's complaints of high fees and abuse of sellers by eBay Motors. 

In a nutshell, Hemmings is providing:

• A flat $4.99 fee
• No cut of the sale
• A three month listing (or until it sells - whichever comes first)
• PayPal payment option

I have had extensive experience selling parts on eBay Motors and grumbled each time I reviewed the fees taken for listing, selling and transactions (read PayPal). These ever-increasing fees and stories of scammed sellers (with little recourse through eBay) lead me to cancel my account of many years standing.    

Check out the full story at Hemmings.

Future Razor Blades

My intrepid brother, Alan, got word that there was an MGB in a local scrapyard willing to give its' all for possibly your car. He dropped by Barry's U-Pull-It in beautiful downtown Theodore, Alabama to give the old car the once over and report back if there was anything of value to us MGB drivers.

It turns out that it is a '71 model - the same year as Alan's first MG. As expected, the boot and cabin floors have pretty well  returned to the Earth from whence they came, but there are a number of useful bits left under the bonnet and in the interior. Some of the body panels could be salvaged, too. There may even be a few no longer made items - small as they may be - still on the old girl.

 It looks like it was painted in the unusual 1971-only color that BL called Bedouin and it was likely a low-spec MGB due to lack of wire wheels and overdrive. 

The MGB That Might Have Been

The slow motion death of MG in the late seventies is well documented in books and online. Most MG enthusiasts know the story of how BL poured what resources that were available for sports cars into projects for Triumph. With the Leyland faction in charge of the shotgun-married consortium, they were able to finance such Triumph models as the Stag, TR7, TR8 and various engineering dead ends while MG made do on a relative pittance.

The "Aston" MGB at its unveiling

When the word come down from on high in 1979 that the MG marque would be retired and the Abingdon assembly plant would be closed, the management of Aston Martin saw an opportunity to both save the marque and create a sports car that would slot below the current Aston offerings. When Aston chairman Alan Curtis found enough big name investors to demonstrate both expertise and solvency feelers were put out to BL. They expressed interest in hearing what the Aston group had to present.

A Russet Brown MGB roadster was dispatched to Aston Martin where famed designer William Towns created a facelifted version of the venerable sports car that was to replace the MGB in 1981, according to the plan. This stopgap measure would allow Aston enough time to develop a true successor to bring to market in 3 to 4 years time.  As predictable (for the 1980s) it had a "wedgy" look.

The most obvious changes to the standard MGB was the addition of the taller MGB GT windscreen and vent windows. This solved the problem of the standard windscreen being so short that it interfered with a taller driver's vision. The front bumper of the production MGB was cut down and a small grille returned to the scene. In the rear, extra taillights were added and the fuel filler was located behind a door. It was given a lovely metallic gold over black paint job and white Wolfrace wheels were added. 

The "Aston" MGB today (Courtesy Nutley Sports & Prestige Centre)

The car was finished in a matter of days and the presentation to BL went forth. Aston's offer was for the ownership of the MG name, the Abingdon plant and the rights to the MGB. BL countered that they were only interested in licensing the use of the MG name. As negotiations dragged on, Aston developed one of its many cash flow problems, the exchange rate for the Pound Sterling made it difficult to sell British products overseas and a number of the financial backers pulled out. BL closed Abingdon, put the MG name on ice and focused their energies on their own failure. 

The prototype, however, lived on and it is now for sale in the UK. 

The car is in the inventory of a dealer in Nutley, East Sussex and they would like to get nearly £30,000.00 (approx. US$45,000) for it. 

The details of the car can be found here. 

"Fonz's" Triumph Up for Auction

Courtesy Bonhams

The Triumph motorcycle that had its seat warmed by the buns of Arthur "Fonzie" Fonzarelli (played by Henry Winkler) is to be auctioned by Bonhams at the Petersen Museum on November 12th. 

The 1949 Triumph Trophy Scrambler Custom was once owned by stuntman Bud Eakins who gained famed by jumping the barbed wire fence as a stand-in for Steve McQueen in the film The Great Escape. The bike is not in a velvet lined box and it shows its scars.

2X Cylinders = 2X Fun

You may recall an earlier post wherein I found a deal on a factory hardtop for my trusty MGB. The trip that brought that particular bit of good fortune my way came about when a group of us gave ace car restorer and all-round top bloke Mike Darby a hand in getting a couple of cars back to his shop in Silverhill, Alabama from Meridian, Mississippi. 

In addition to a pre-war MG, Mike repurchased an MGB GT that he had converted to Rover V8 power for the owner some years back. As usual, the GT was finished to Mike's typically high standard when it was delivered to the owner. Over the ensuing years, the owner had focused on a couple of other projects and felt the need to sell it on as it had sat unused for some time.

Mike has made good progress on the car by getting it running reliably and stopping surely. A flawless respray in bright red is the icing on this particular cake. Still to go is the interior trim, exterior chrome and installing the bonnet.

Richard Cunningham and I paid Mike a visit yesterday while he was working on a lovely MG-TC that he is restoring for an out of town client. Richard needed to press in some new rubber bushes on his E-Type trailing arms and I rode along to enjoy the gorgeous almost-fall weather.

I saw the GT sitting outside Mike's shop, engine ticking quietly while it cooled off from a run. Mike noticed my interest and asked if I've ever been in a V8 'B. I hardly had the negative answer out before he motioned me into the passenger side and he had the 3.5 liter V8 started. We got out to the rural road that fronts Mike's property and he buried the throttle. Since Mike failed to tell me that the passenger seat wasn't fastened to the floor, I found myself looking at the ceiling of the car as the tach needle shot up the scale. 

The sound of the aluminum V8... oh, mommy. 

Mike ably demonstrated that the car is very docile at low speed and the torque is such that downshifting the Rover 5 speed is an option unless you just wanted to hear that lovely exhaust note. Acceleration is astounding in that the view from the passenger seat is typical MGB, so the unusual amount of "umph" doesn't compute mentally at first but after a few miles it is nothing short of grin inducing.   

The car is for sale and my inner hooligan has been throwing temper tantrums almost non-stop since my ride. My inner accountant, however, has been tapping his pencil on my depleted bank book. 

I hate my poverty.  

A Rare Breed In The US

One of the blogs that I visit frequently is the entertaining Rusty Heaps blog run by the very talented Roger Los. Rusty Heaps is his public affirmation of his problem of serial-British car purchasing and the trials and tribulations that it brings.

Photo Courtesy Roger Los

A few months ago, he bought a Rover SD1 - the V8 kind. I've had a soft spot for this particular Rover model and it appeared that Roger bought himself a "good 'un". On one of my comments to a post of his, I casually mentioned that I admired the car and thought that the Gulf Coast would make a great home for it. Today, I got a message it could be mine if I was interested and had the ready cash. 

Well, one out of two ain't bad I suppose.

This car is not perfect, but it is rather rare in that it requires deft hand-foot coordination to swag cogs. Yep, it's a manual gearbox car - just right for wringing out that Rover-improved Buick aluminum V8. Roger is quite forthcoming abut the condition of the car, and I think it can be yours for not a lot of greenbacks.   

It's in Whidbey Island, Washington - worth the trip just to take in the scenery - so let me know if you need a navigator when you bring it back home.     

Update: Sold on Ebay.

An MG with Room for the Family

Only 116 in existence says the seller

Back in the prewar days, MG had designs on competing head to head with the likes of Bentley and SS-Jaguar in the high performance saloon car market. Large MGs such as the SA, VA and WA models were creditable offerings from the company known more for smaller sports models.

During one of my recent trolls of the Hemmings Motor News site, I ran across this lovely 1937 MG VA for sale by the owner. This car checks all the correct boxes for me with its' suicide front doors, tall wire wheels and two tone paint scheme. Powered by a 1-1/2 liter pushrod four cylinder engine, the pace would be considered leisurely today since the output was only around 54 BHP.

Production ended at the outbreak of World War II with a total of just over 2400 built.

It could be mine for only $39,000.00. One more reason for me to hate my poverty. 

Grab This Tiger by the Tail

Only 536 built in 1967, says the seller

While browsing the Hemmings Motor News web site, I ran across this very  pretty 1967 Sunbeam Tiger. The seller claims that it has been given a complete restoration and has been the recipient of several show awards. You can own it for just $90,000.00. Ee-yow!

Ron Wolverton - get your Tiger back on the road.

Jaguar XK8s for Toyota Camry Money - or Less

I'm lusting in my heart

Way back in 1996 Jaguar introduced the replacement for the venerable XJS - the stunning XK8. I can recall the first time I clapped eyes on the new sporty cat at one of my early British Car Festivals at Bellingrath Gardens. Joe Bullard's  Jaguar of the Gulf Coast was a major sponsor of the event and used it to introduce the new Jag to the Mobile area. It pushed all the right buttons for me - except in the ready cash department.

Fast forward a few years and the XK8 is in its second generation and called simply XK. Now toting a window sticker with a total price that can exceed $100,000, I began to look into the value of older XKs - just lookin', not buyin'.

A quick visit to Hemmings Motor News' web site found these loverly cats:

• 1997 XK8 convertible - 48K miles. Garage kept, full Jaguar service history. Dark blue metallic -$12,900.00

• 2000 XK8 convertible - 52K miles. Three owners from new. White with navy top - $13,900.00

• 1997 XK8 coupe - 63K miles. All service records. garage kept. Maroon metallic - $12,500.00

• 2003 XK8 convertible - 66K miles. Full dealer service. Black on black on black - $19,000.00

If you like a little more competition in your life, you can take your chances with Ebay. I recently heard about a locally-owned 2006 XK convertible with less than 25K miles on the clock for an opening bid of less than $19,000.00 - American!

For the same (or less) money that a Japanese beigebox costs, you could be driving an honest-to-goodness grand touring machine.

And Now, This Word from Our Sponsors

OK, maybe not a sponsor but I wanted to let the three of you who read this humble blog know that there is a very nice Jaguar E-Type bonnet for sale and it happens to belong to Richard Cunningham and me. 

Some of you may recall that Richard and I bought a 1969 coupe a couple of years ago with a plan to break it for spares. In the time that's passed we've shipped parts all over the world, keeping other E-Types on the road and modestly funding our car-related interests. We've got several large pieces left, most notably the body tub and bonnet. The tub has rust in the sills, floor and boot (no surprise there, right?) but is pretty straight everywhere else. The doors are gone, but we have the hatch. If you have a slightly bent SII E-Type, this tub will yield some very nice body panels.

The bonnet is in very nice condition, barring some surface corrosion and a couple of curb dings under the chin. This is an original bonnet that has had a couple of coats of paint in the past. It will need media blasting and fairing of the corrosion areas on the top, but it would be very easy for an accomplished restorer to do. We will sell the bonnet for a fraction of the cost of an inferior reproduction unit.

The photo does not really do the bonnet justice. The last paint was dark maroon and it has faded to flat brown. The coat under the maroon is light grey. Altogether, it looks more scruffy than it really is. The pieces are located in Daphne, Alabama and I would be happy to forward photos on request.


Now, back to our irregularly scheduled programming.
 

A New Cat in the Neighborhood

The gentleman from whom Richard Cunningham and I recently acquired this '72 Triumph Spitfire, contacted me about another car he has in his possession. It seems that he has a friend in Louisiana that has a 1968 Jaguar E-Type coupe that he would like to sell. It is reputed to be low mileage and in fine drivable condition. He invited Richard and I to drop by and have a look at it - maybe we would be interested?

Well, tatty Spitfires and shiny E-Types are horses of two very different colors. While I would like to bring a Jag home, the financial reality prohibits it. 

In any case, the gentleman looking after the car is more of a Detroit iron kind of guy, although he has made some interesting points about possibly keeping it himself. Richard and I will have a look and offer any advice or leads that we can. 

In the meantime, get in touch if you think you would like to adopt a kitten.

This just in- Richard and I had a look at the car and it appears to be a very solid vehicle. It has an older repaint on a very straight body. The car sat for about two years and needs a thorough clean up. The current caretaker is going to go through the fuel system and make sure that everything is clean and tight before he starts it up (we did not hear it run). It would be a nice driver for a future restoration. 


The odometer is showing 39K miles and there are receipts for work back to 1987 that show 37K miles then. 


He is looking for offers in the mid twenties.  

One for the Brave Restorer

I'm always trolling the Internet to feed my classic British car fantasies and I find myself a regular visitor to the  purveyors of the particular crack cocaine that is my addiction. Case in point: Gullwing Motor Cars in Astoria, New York always has a nice selection of cars in various conditions from show-ready to basket cases.

One that falls somewhere in between is an intriguing 1934 MG J2 that the seller claims is a 30 year barn resident. The car sports Texas plates with the last tax sticker dating to 1972 or 77 - the photo is unclear. As you can see from the pictures, it is rather rough and the engine is sitting where the passenger's legs should be.

The MG J2 was powered by an 847 cc overhead cam, crossflow head design four cylinder engine. It shared this engine with various Morrises and Wolseleys of the day. Driving the car might be a bit of a challenge for inexperienced drivers as it has cable operated brakes and a completely unsynchronized four speed gearbox. In two years of J2 production, MG cranked out just under 2,200 of them. 

Craigslist Cortina

You can find anything you want (I know, your mental stereos are already ahead of me here) on Craigslist it seems. Have you ever had a deep hankering for a Ford Cortina? Me neither, but they are interesting.

The seller of this car says his 1969 Cortina GT (!) has its original paint and interior. Being a vehicle of the 1960s, that's saying a lot.

This is a Mark II Cortina produced from 1966 through 1970. Ford cranked out over a million of them with engine choices (in the UK) from 1.2 to 1.6 liters displacement. They could be had in four door, two door and estate (that's a station wagon, pilgrim) versions. Brand new it listed in a US Ford dealer for $2,313.00. They were withdrawn from the US market in 1970.

You can buy this little jewel for $6,500.00 and it's located in Fairfax, Virginia. Let me know when you pick it up.