Too scared to buy a British Car

I had a call from a local guy who was interested in buying an Austin Healey. He had done research and even bid on two cars on ebay. But, he had never sat in a car so he wanted to come over and see one in person. I invited him over and showed him my car, explained what to look for in a buy. What might rust, what might need repair. I noticed he kept asking if the cars were safe. One of the questions he asked was if people in our local club got in many accidents in the cars. I told him that in 25 years in the club, I could not remember any accidents . Then I let him take my car for a drive. After driving for about 8 miles, he asked some more questions about if the aluminum shrouds were strong enough, and that he did not expect the car to be so tight to sit in. He left and then sent me a text that indicated that he had changed his mind, he just would not be comfortable driving a Healey. I thought it was strange that he had done all that research but ended up too worried about the safety aspects of vintage cars. I told him to paint them a bright color, everyone notices the car that way and you get a lot of stares, not accidents.
Oh well, I tried.

I should take him for a ride in mine

Tell him it is an adventure. Sometimes you never know where you will spend the night.

this guy somehow thought the cars were maintenance nightmares also. He thought that a yearly allowance of $5000 for repairs might be needed. Oh well. I guess he needs to buy a Miata.

A yearly maintenance of 5k seems reasonable if you upgrade to bigger and better drivetrains every year!!!

hmmm - was the potential buyer uncomfortable with driving an old, small car? or uncomfortable trying to fit inside it?

I recall a couple of accidents in our club. None were fatal.

I can vividly remember dropping the body onto my TR6 chassis and thinking how it would not fare very well if it were in an accident; that sheet metal will fold like a deck of cards :nightmare:
.....but I still love driving it!

You can't worry about how the old cars crinkle up or bend, because you would never enjoy driving the cars. Years ago seems like fun was the aspect of driving and racing them rather than how many bones got broken. If you are accident prone, forget it.

OTOH better to find out now before he dropped some serious change on a Healey. There are enough abandoned cars or projects where people didn't first ascertain skill levels or even if they fit in the car. And, lots of safer projects Volvo/ Saab even newer jags.

they aren't for everyone.

With modern safety standards and even low end cars looking and having things that would never have been there when most of us were young, today's crowd unless they were exposed to it growing up have no idea what basic motoring was r how things have changed. People think I'm weird for driving with windows and a top I actually have to put up/down without a button and in using a manual transmission. Not to mention how it's become uncommon to start it with an actual key rather than carrying a fob and hitting a button. Yet it's what I've been used to since I started driving pushing 50 years ago and driving with all the modern bells and whistles seems odd to me.

I am with you Luke I just got my first new car with all the bells and buttons We call it HAL. I had a 1953 MG TD and some times I had to use the crank to start it. When stopped next most any other car or truck the TD was small. I never worried about being hit I would be dead. I have driven many different cars some I fit in some never. Most Lotus never fit AH and my TR 6 with the top up tight . VW bus never liked sitting on the front bumper. Army 2 1/2 ton truck safe but for being shot at. Best car I ever drove for any time hands down was JAG XK120. Madflyer

I once saw an MG TD that hit a Cadillac. The Caddy came out 2nd best.
A dentist I know flipped a TD. His windshield got crushed but he walked away without a scratch. And my brother, a student at UVA, went into a ditch in his new MGA, rolled over, was thrown out along with his Zenith Oceanic portable radio and was unhurt. Worst - he had neglected to get insurance and spent a substantial portion of his sophomore year repairing the car.

Those key fob things are OK till you get in and press the start button and the screen says "Fob not Recognized" I had a rental car that did that every third or forth time I would drive the car.
Had to get out lock the car then unlock it get back in and it would start.

David

I only have 1,500 miles and one time I left the FOB in the car already. It was still there when I came out of the store. Now that I know how to turn off the lane changing and cool the seats I guess it will work out ( live in Nevada ) Madflyer

How old was this guy, Jerry? Sounds to me like he should be reading Consumer Reports and settle on a new Rover... :smirk:

The guy was 67. His father had TR3 and TR4s so he remembered the era and the cars. Maybe I scared him talking about what to examine on a Healey before buying? I could not believe that he was willing to bid on cars without seeing them.

Sounds like a dreamer. You must have given him a cold shower of reality with the drive.

The TR3 and TR4 in his Dad's hands must have seemed cool but the reality that the AH did not come with lane departure warning and all the other safety features must have been a shock to him.

David

A lot of people bid on cars without a visual nspection. Lot of the cars shows have to handle these mistaken bidded cars.

What's this key fob thing, or even turn the key to start? My '57 AH has a proper push button.