November 2008
Monthly Archive
I think I have to Sell Some Cars
Posted by Michael on 28 Nov 2008 | Tagged as: Classic Rallying, Healey Stuff, Used Parts
I hesitate to say this, but I think the time has come where I have to admit that I have more projects than I’m ever going to finish and more cars than I’m ever going to drive. I always dreamed of having a decent sized shop at home where I would be able to work away on these projects and get them restored to the condition I wanted but circumstances have changed as, to an extent, have my interests. So, after some sleepless nights thinking about it I have decided to find new homes for some of my cars.
Over the last few years I have whittled things down to more manageable proportions; there was a time when I had about 12 projects either awaiting work or on the go but now some have been finished and some have been sold so that number has dwindled to five.
Now that I have made that decision I have to wrestle with which cars have to go.
First there are the two minis which have been in indoor heated storage for years. These two are the last of the 22 minis that I imported from New Zealand in the early days of this millennium.
This picture is proof positive that 8 minis will fit into one 40′ shipping container. You have to remove the wheels and build a fairly substantial trestle to support the top layer, but it can be done.
The whole exercise was prompted by the numerous inquiries that I received from customers of Precision Sportscar who were looking for minis to restore. Because minis in their day were the cheapest cars available in Canada they were all driven in the winter and as a result rotted away to the point where they were well beyond economical or safe repair. On the other hand however, cars in New Zealand never see salt and therefore rust is virtually unknown.
The two I have left are ones for which I had plans. One is an 1971 Mini Estate. I bought this one in Christchurch and it had been a competitor in a local fun event named the “Undie 500″.
The 1971 Mini Estate is very solid and an ideal candidate for restoration.
This picture was taken as I was preparing it for shipping From New Zealand.
These are somewhat rare in North America and my intention was to restore it as a Mini Traveller, the model which is affectionately known as a “Woody” like the one in this picture.
I don’t own this one sorry to say.
The problem with the original Mini Woodies is the wood. This timber, which is purely decorative, has a tendency to absorb water and rust the metal beneath it. The Estate is a Woody without the wood and the wood, which apparently is ash, is available as a kit. A great project that I’m just not going to get to.
The other mini is a regular 1978 sedan completely solid with a few minor battle scars but again a great starting point for an easy, inexpensive and fun restoration project.
I had great plans to turn this into a vintage racer but again it just isn’t going to happen.
Next on my list is my 1970 MGBGT. I always loved the BGT as a model; it was a brilliant design for its day and I have owned this one since 1975. That’s 33 years!! I’m the second owner and I haven’t used the car since about 1982 which is long before digital cameras so I don’t even have a picture of it but here is a site that describes the model. The car started life as a right hand drive with wire wheels and overdrive and was imported into Canada by a chap who immigrated from the UK. He traded it in on a Jaguar XJ6 at our local British Leyland dealer and I remember him calling me not long after I had bought it, when he was suffering from a bout of sellers remorse, and asked if he could buy it back. I converted it to left hand drive using all the correct components and drove it for several summers before I bought my first Healey.. just never seemed to get back to it.
Reluctantly I think my Bugeye Sprite race car has to go as well.
The Bugeye Racer at Mosport in the mid 80s
This car has a very interesting history. It is a 1960 model which was purchased new by Downton Engineering as a racing test car in which their sales manager Mr. Val Gardner competed until 1964 when it was purchased by the Ecurie Cantons de l’est Enrg. of Granby Quebec. After passing through the hands of Dr. Terry Conner, Kris Harrison, Tom Haubert and David Sarsby my brother Roger and I bought it in 1982 and we both raced it very successfully in VARAC for a few years.
This is a photo of Tom Haubert racing it at Mosport with a special fiberglass nose in the ’70s.
I’m also considering selling my 1992 Mitsubishi 3000 GT VR4. This model was never imported into Canada but this one has been legally imported and licensed.
I have really enjoyed this VR4 but Winter Storage Space has become a problem.
This has been my occasional summer driver for the last few years and, unlike most VR4s, is in remarkable original condition. From the time I read the first Road and Track road test of the VR4 I decided that one day I was going to get one for myself. This 320 BHP, twin turbo, intercooled, all wheel steering, all wheel drive grand touring coupe was, at the time, the fastest road car that they had ever run through their slalom test course and even today its performance is impressive. It now has over 100K miles on it and is fast, comfortable and reliable
How much you ask. Well I’m open to reasonable offers but they would have to be close to these. The $us prices were the the equivalent at the time of writing but should be taken a a guide only.
Mini Estate : $CDN8,500 ($US8000)
Mini Sedan : $CDN 4,800 SOLD
MGBGT : $CDN7,500 ($US7100)
Bugeye Racer : $CDN11,500 SOLD
Mitsubishi 3000 GT VR4 $CDN16,500 ($US15,600)
If you are interested in any of these please contact me.mailto:magicareprotect-usedparts@yahoo.ca