Another Newbie looking for a car

[Sownman]

Hello....

One more old guy here probably getting the first twinges of mid life crisis whos looking for a car from his youth.
I learned to drive in a Renault Dauphine and then got Dad's
Triumph Herald as my first daily driver car. Traded that one in on a Lotus Cortina. Now I'm looking to go back and pick up
one of the unaffordable, impractical, unreliable cars that I so much wanted back then.

My list of desired vehicles runs something like this...

Tiger
TR 250
TR 6/4
XKE

but is still pretty open. I'm interested in a good rust free
driver as I know a competative show or vintage race car are out of my price range. If you know of any good examples
of the above cars in the SoCal area please let me know.

Regards

Steve

 

[DART]

Welcome Steve, as another -probably older- guy with "one of the unaffordable, impractical, unreliable cars " of my youth, I understand exactly where you're coming from. SoCa should be a much better place to find rust free than here on the east coast. That may explain why I've been such a fan of glassfibre.
Lots of members from your area, and am sure they will be chiming in with suggestions.

 

[toysrrus]

Hi There Steve,

"Welcome" to the wonderful world of "LBCs" on the "BCF" from the Pocono Mtns of PA.

Best Wishes in your quest. I can only guess you have a lot of areas to look to find what your looking for. The "Classifieds" here. Your post that`s here now! Try "www.xkedata.com"; "www.jaglovers.com" etc etc. I would post a "Want Ad" here for what your looking for in the "Classifieds". Check out some local clubs as well.

You`ll find something thats "Un-Affordable", "Impractical" and "Un-Reliable"; I`m sure!!

Best Wishes,

Russ

 

[DrEntropy]

Welcome to the fray, Steve. I had a Lotus Cortina MkI for a decade or so. Still have "seller's remorse".

Good list.

 

[aeronca65t]

Steve:

Welcome!
If you've been away from these cars for a long time, the easiest and most-supported is probably an MGB or TR6.

And I'd say the most overlooked (and reasonably priced) is the TR7 / TR8 cars.

An XKE or Tiger in decent shape is in a whole different league pricewise....I guess it depends on how much "mad money" you have.

I, of course, would choose a Sprite or Midget over any of the others, but that's just me. :laugh:

~Click Here~ to see some of the cars for sale by folks on this forum.

G'luck whatever you choose!

 

[JodyFKerr]

Steve,

There's also a fair number of Jensen Healeys floating around SoCal. I'm presently working on a couple of them myself and they're fun to drive.

www.jensenhealey.com is located in CA, and has a list of cars for sale.

Another good trick is to kee an eye on Phoenix. There's still a lot of gems around out here, and they're frequently cheaper than a comparable car in the LA area.

 

[Basil]

Steve:


An XKE or Tiger in decent shape is in a whole different league pricewise....I guess it depends on how much "mad money" you have.

Right! There's "Mad Money" and then there's "Insane Money"

 

[Sownman]

Steve:


An XKE or Tiger in decent shape is in a whole different league pricewise....I guess it depends on how much "mad money" you have.

Right! There's "Mad Money" and then there's "Insane Money"

Please explain a bit. Is it your opinion that any Tiger or E type purchase is insane ? Is there a personal story you'd care to tell ?

Thanks for all the replies and the welcome. I imagine I will be asking enough dumb questions around here to make many sick of me. Please be patient. I have purchased a couple Tiger books and found my way to Norman Miller for help on registry questions.

Steve

 

[Sownman]

I understand before asking this that it certainly varies based on the purchaser's skill and willingness to work as well as the car condition but....

From a monetary standpoint only not satisfaction or hobby viewpoint what do you think is the least expensive route to owning an excellant condition mid 60's car.

1) Buy a cheap poor condition car and completely restore
2) Buy a decent condition car and restore slowly as needed
3) Buy an already done immaculate restoration

Thanks

Steve

 

[JodyFKerr]

Sownman,
Regarding the various model pricing issue, Tigers' & XKE's are simply in a much more expensive price bracket than say, an MGB/TR7/etc.

Expensive is a relative term. I always feel a bit of a twit being self-referential, but take a look at the restoration section of my website. https://www.theymightberacing.com/Restoration/Restoration.aspx

Outside of that information, it's really about what you want at the end of the day. I buy basket cases because I derive the most satisfaction from resurrecting something from a pile of parts. For other folks it's reliving memories. It's not about what others think, it's about what you think, want, and are willing/able to do.

Personally, I always recommend that people buy a nice driver. Get something where someone else has already done all the work for you.

Jody

 

[Sownman]

Sownman,
I buy basket cases because I derive the most satisfaction from resurrecting something from a pile of parts. For other folks it's reliving memories. It's not about what others think, it's about what you think, want, and are willing/able to do.

Jody

I certainly agree that a restoration done yourself (if qualified and having the time) would be the most satisfying experience. My question was strictly monitary. Which route is usually cheapest ? Buy a car already in prime condition, buy a car half way home, or buy a basket case ?

I guess I ask because of having no restoration experience and because of watching too many auctions. I keep reading and hearing about scenarios where a car is being sold with "Over $40K in restoration receipts" Yet the car sells for $32K. It would seem that those scenarios which are all too common are proof that the seller is lying and restoration does not really cost that much or The best route is always to let someone else do/pay for the work. Or anyone who pays to restore any car is nuts.

The exception of course being that you enjoy doing the work.

Steve

 

[JodyFKerr]

Steve,

Ok, from a financial perspective it's always more economical in the long run to buy a restored vehicle. The caveat is that is needs to be a good restoration or you'll be redoing someone else's shoddy work.

When you hear stories about huge dollar reciepts and the like be skeptical. But, if you hire someone to do the restoration, then yes, it will end up being more expensive. On the plus side, you can spread the cost over time.

There are still plenty of nice cars out there (that aren't concours quality) that can be had and immediately driven for a reasonable cost. It just takes time and effort to find them.

Good luck!

 

[DrEntropy]

My take on it is much like Jody's. A properly restored car would be the one with the best value-for-money. The operative word being: "properly". Having someone around who's familiar with the marque you want to own is a good idea. Maybe joining a local enthusiasts' club/group BEFORE you own the thing would be a good move.

The "basket case" is usually the most expensive and can be frustrating to someone unfamiliar with the process. It can also (as Jody pointed out) be most rewarding.

I've done restoration work for a while, even on a few of my own cars. It takes a level of dedication and patience along with the skill and tools. Classic "basket cases" being the pinnacle of RISK-for-money.

Keep us up on where this takes you Steve. This bunch will try and keep you straight. We only have interest in happy ownership, not in seeing anyone have a bad experience with an LBC.

BTW: Basil speaks from the point of view of an XKE owner. One with a sense of humor to accompany his skills as a restorer. :wink: