Decent Buy

[Trevor Jessie]

https://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Austin-He...106196394QQrdZ1

Sure, it needs a lot of body work, but it looks like a clean starting point.

 

[capitalcitycars]

I wish but my wife would kill me!

 

[GB1]

no warranty shucks

make a nice race car shell for Jack

Patrick

 

[longbridgehealey]

I did it, I just finished buying it. I think I might need an intervention here, I just bought a 67 sprite three weeks ago - HOW MANY PROJECTS CAN YOU HAVE AT ONCE? This has to stop, but my next long term deal was my bugeye that is in need of a total makeover, and here this one was. Now I've got two bugeyes to fit into one open garage space. To make it even worse, my girlfriend (about to be wife)keeps saying GO AHEAD AND BUY IT! She's already names the Sprite from three weeks ago the "Flying Tomatoe", and wants to take it out every night. I think we're each others bad influences.
Now I've got to get it from Florida to Maryland!

 

[GB1]

Congrats, I remember when you bought the '67

A new name for this forum could be

lbc anonymous....

 

[drooartz]

You can never have too many projects. I can have too many, but you can't. /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/grin.gif

Nice to see another one will be saved.

 

[kcbugeye1275]

I don't know anything about your 67, but it has a 1275 and a ribcase tranny. It'd be great for the bugeye. It does look like a nice place to start for a project car. A lot of people have spent more for a lot less. Good luck.

 

[Trevor Jessie]

Hey.... where's my finder's fee? /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/wink.gif

Never mind, you'll need the money for new floor pans and such.

 

[longbridgehealey]

thanks, guys! Now for the real problem - how to get it here without driving down to tow it back, which I'm trying to avoid. Nobody will rent you a vehicle to tow with, they don't even put tow packages on the rentals. I can fly to Sarasota for $90.00, and get a tow dolly for three days for $200, but I can't get a vehicle to tow it with unless I rent a truck for $1000, which I couldn't do even if I wanted to. It's starting to look more and more like a road trip, which I don't have time for, I'm getting married in two weeks! Put myself into a mess here, haven't I?

 

[Trevor Jessie]

Looks like it is time to get some shipping quotes.
Or hire someone to make it road worthy and then drive it back.

 

[longbridgehealey]

I talked to "Dependable Auto Shippers", and they want $1100.00. I actually was thinking about driving it home, but I hate to job out the work that I probably could do myself. According to the seller, it needs some brake work, and that's about it. Probably a few other things to drive it this far - the electrical is ok, all the lights and signals, etc - gauges all work, has new plugs, didn't ask about the fuel pump, STILL THINKING!

 

[Trevor Jessie]

Plot out a course and find BCF members along the way that can help if you break down. Budget a couple of days to get some tires on it and make sure that the brakes will hold out and that the steering/suspension is OK. There may be a BCF member near Tampa that would loan you some garage space.

Life should be an adventure.

 

[tosoutherncars]

I did this last summer, with my 1500. I was assured that it was up for a long road trip, so I decided to drive from Sacramento to Ottawa. (!!!)

My advice... bite the bullet, and have it shipped. Sure, driving it is an adventure... but the first time it breaks down and requires a day in the shop (or five, in my case) you've gobbled up everything you would have spent on shipping. I ended up chewing an exhaust valve and clogging up the carb, and required a head job / new valves / carb rebuild plus five days of accommodations (etc.) in sunny Utah. There's a quick three grand or so. If you will forgive the indelicacy... if you can't afford to have it shipped home to you, how will you afford an emergency repair en route?

Which is all to say... get it home. Get a good idea of its mechanical state. THEN, think about driving it. Not as adventurous perhaps, but a lot more fun when it breaks down locally, than in the middle of the desert.

-Duncan

PS - I have the best picture of repairing a blown water pump gasket, in the middle of Arizona, in a massive hailstorm, using a 99 cent exacto knife and 2' of gasget material. I'm out back behind a NAPA, and a car pulls around back. The driver's window lowers, and the female driver says "We were just saying... how much it sucks to be you!" Err... :S Seeing the look on my face, she continues "I'm the owner of the store... we're leaving for the day, but here's our number, if you need any more parts, we'll come back and open up for you." Good folks.

 

[Speedy_Pete]

Maybe the way to go is to buy a cheap tow vehicle down there, (can you rent a trailer for one way towing?) and sell it once you get home. Alternatively, join AAA with a "Get you home" clause, get the owner to tow it a couple of streets away and call the flatbed... And yes, I know how far it is from FL to MD

 

[JPSmit]

Have a friend who is an Auto Wholesaler in Florida - his advice to me when I was looking into shipping Ms. Tris was to go here centraldispatch.com he hasn't used them but knows people who have.

 

[Sarastro]

Believe it or not, my Bugeye was shipped from Sacramento to LA by Federal Express auto shipping. They were about 2/3 the price of the other guys and very professional.

 

[Billm]

This is the time of year for Spring Break for a lot of kids. Maybe some BCFer has a reliable kid who is going down to Fla for a week or so and would haul it back north for $100.00 or so (plus one-way tow dolly rental)?? Just a thought.
Bill

 

[paulsherman]

Have you ever thought of stacking them up in your garage? Build 2 very strong saw horses from 4X4s then put one crossways and park the other under.
I am thinking about that myself as I am looking at another BE which I don't need and I don't have a place to park it or time to work on any of them.
Sounds like you have an understanding wife (to be), almost under contract. Keep her.

 

[JPSmit]

Actually saw that last week - one bay had a lift with a Toyota MR2 on top & a 911 on bottom - both perfect. But had another "rack" with a '58 shell above and a '61 below. Almost think a truck rack - I think they are called headache racks would do.

 

[longbridgehealey]

Hi, everybody - thanks for all of the ideas, and Duncan, you're right, for a lot of different reasons, driving it home is not a viable option right now. I'm looking into the central dispatch idea, I'll let you all know how that works out. My uncle actually also suggested the same people. Now for the "stacking" in the garage idea. I built the garage to accomodate four cars (LBC size), but never planned to really fill it up to that capacity. Too crowded to work on them. But the idea of stacking the 60 Bugeye (not the one I just bought, the one that I've had for 25 years that's been off the road for ten and needs a lot of work) over the new one is pretty attractive.