Next restoration?

As the finish line is now coming into sight for the Healey I've started to ponder the next project (although swmbo has suggested I take a break of a couple of years so she remembers what I look like at weekends not up to my neck in grime)

I would like something I can drive on the occasional(!) Wet days we get in the UK so something with a fixed roof would be good and something that wouldn't be as big a job as the Healey.

The list of possible so far are

Early land rover
Lotus Elite/Eclat
MGA Coupe

Any other suggestions that come to mind or comments on my provisional list?

Go see John at Spyder Spaceframes, see if there's a Lotus Elan +2 in need of resurrection! :wink:

Might be worth considering catagory rather than marque.

You have in your list

one off road vehicles

2 hard top vehicles

Do you drive off road? do you need to haul stuff? do you need to take kids/grandkids?

Here in Canada, I figure having a car with a fixed top will add at least two months to my driving season.

So, my personal goal is ultimately to have one of each (Midget & (currently) Vauxhall) - will likely end up Midget & Multipla)

Having said that, I am also aware that the Midget isn't getting easier to get into - so could imagine passing on the Midget (likely to my daughter) and getting into a Stag or even a Mercedes or a Corvair.

Finally I have had an unbelievable hankering for a 100 year old (or close to it) car.

and my wild card is hand building an Ulster out of an Austin 7 or a speedster out of a Model T

Not trying to hijack the thread but offering different perspectives on criteria for car #2 (and 3 and 4 and :grin: )

While JP brings up a good point - what do you want to do with the car - sometimes finding the right car is a combination of what gets your juices flowing and what is available. While I am working on a TR4A, I equally lust after a 1951/2 Hudson step-down, or a pre-war (1940-ish) Packard. The TR4A is the most fun to drive, the Hudson a glorious expression of American ingenuity wrapped up in a massive amount of chrome, and the Packard just is a fine car. All three are vastly different!

And don't let me get started on 1970 +/- Mercedes, air-cooled 911's, ... :wink-new:

Mike -

Steve -

Looks like you're looking for a "rare" one to restore. While an MGB GT is not really a rarity, it's a great contender. We love ours, and should you wish to go that way, they are great candidate for converting. We have a GM 3.4 V6; there are lots of Rover V8 conversions out there. The '75 and later models are pretty easy to swap. Plus, you can add air conditioning for a truly great grand touring experience. Check out the British V8 website for lots of examples: https://www.britishv8.org/Photos-MG-Conversions.htm

Cheers!
Mickey

Any Rover 2000 out there?

Popeye said:

While JP brings up a good point - what do you want to do with the car - sometimes finding the right car is a combination of what gets your juices flowing and what is available. While I am working on a TR4A, I equally lust after a 1951/2 Hudson step-down, or a pre-war (1940-ish) Packard. The TR4A is the most fun to drive, the Hudson a glorious expression of American ingenuity wrapped up in a massive amount of chrome, and the Packard just is a fine car. All three are vastly different!

And don't let me get started on 1970 +/- Mercedes, air-cooled 911's, ... :wink-new:

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My dad bought a new Hudson Hornet in 52, what a car! Looked a lot like this. It rode like a dream and was fast. I believe it was one of the fastest US cars of it's day. My dad didn't like it because you couldn't sweep it out, because of the step down, you had to use a vacuum cleaner. :highly_amused: PJView attachment 53106

I had a '49 Hudson for a while back in '57. It was a great car and I would really love to have another one.

The Rover P5 seems to be the car of choice on a Facebook group I frequent. And while I covet a Shadow, it seems the P5 may be the more practical choice. Interesting note: it seems the English government purchased a bevy of P5s at the time and then released them as needed. Seems Parliment, the Royals, the Prime Minister, etc. all held P5s in great regard.

NutmegCT said:

Mike -

Click to expand...

Stop that! :wink-new:

PAUL161 said:

My dad bought a new Hudson Hornet in 52, what a car! Looked a lot like this. It rode like a dream and was fast. I believe it was one of the fastest US cars of it's day. My dad didn't like it because you couldn't sweep it out, because of the step down, you had to use a vacuum cleaner. :highly_amused: PJ

Click to expand...

Nice!! I just love the lines, and I love that it was "high tech" for its time. Thanks for the personal stories, Paul and Bayless! At risk of bankruptcy, I will now stop reading this thread. Or perhaps post a picture of a Packard to complete my anguish that we can never have a large enough garage or bank account...