Flea Market Score

[Marvin Gruber]

My wife drug me to the Nashville Flea Market yesterday. I'm always looking for some car related stuff but no luck. I saw a pink toy car as I was passing thru one section, shape caught my eye. Went back to check and sure enough, a Barbie Austin Healey. Guy was very reasonable with price so I jumped. My wife looked at me funny when I caught up to her but understood after she saw it up close, then said " I had one just like it". Thinking I might paint it same color as my blue BJ8.
Marv

 

[Gliderman8]

Don't see any rust issues so you're good to go!

 

[HealeyRick]

Don't paint it, they're only original once!

 

[roscoe]

Too bad it didn't come with the oily, greasy, bleeding knuckle, mouth like a sailor Barbie.

 

[BJ8Healeys]

Marv, I can't tell from the scale, but is that a Barbie clock radio, or the larger one?
I found this little number at the Charlotte Auto Fair back in the '90s. It's worth thousands and thousands of dollars because the bumpers were made upside down -- not installed upside down, but made with the overriders upside down -- like the upside down biplane on the U.S. stamp. O.K., maybe not, but perhaps I can be pleasantly surprised if the day ever comes to sell it. Later ones had the overriders turned rightside up. Too bad it's not a BJ8....
I was able to order another one from the manufacturer (bumpers correct) and send it to Patrick Quinn in Australia. That started an e-mail friendship that has lasted for close to 20 years now although we have never met in person. Hope to do that next year.

 

[Healey Nut]

I wouldnt paint it . Those things are very collectable , paint it it pretty much worthless .

 

[Randy Forbes]

Don't paint it, they're only original once!

This!

I've had one of the clock radios by my bedside since the mid-90s__at least. I had one of the very early ones, but my ex-wife asked to keep it (I was after all, keeping the real one). I got lucky and found another one at an All British car show in Toledo in 2001 (shortly after moving there).

My current (2nd/last/final/permanent) wife still has the original Barbie Healey she got as a little girl, around 1962 (she's guessing) and it is mint and perfect; no missing or broken pieces, windshield isn't scratched, chrome not rubbed off, really outstanding condition. I will say though, the Barbie__in the driver's seat__and Ken as the passenger are only slightly flawed: nearly all of Ken's fuzzy hair has vanished...

If I were to stumble onto another one of the clock radios, I'd buy it in hopes that the radio portion lasts longer than the one I have now; the clock works fine, and what do I need an alarm for anyway

 

[AUSMHLY]

I wouldnt paint it . Those things are very collectable , paint it it pretty much worthless .

Currently on ebay, in original box for $250 + $25 shipping.


Dad drove the BJ8 when I was a kid. No wonder this was under the Xmas tree one year for my older sister. I remember the orange color.