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Looking for Mr. Good-Car

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NutmegCT said:
J-P - that's exactly what I'm looking for, except for the gasoline engine. Great looking car, for sure. It's the early W120 model, with the original dash and steering wheel, the "tall" false radiator, the original rear lights, original ulonites, and what looks like an original interior.

TM
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An therein is part of your challenge - the more specific the list the fewer your options - and the more likely you will have to pay a premium. Part of that is also determining what you want and what you need what you can compromise and how much work you are going to need to do to make it work. So for instance the 9k ebay listing is a car that ticks all the boxes - model/year/diesel but will also need restoration. The Canadian car ticks model and year - not diesel - but, pretty much seems ready to go. A diesel/ model/ year that is ready to go will be the rarest of all. So, one question is whether you want to make the trip or restore a car and then make the trip? And what are the time and money implications of restoration first.

So, do you want to wrench first and drive later or just drive? If just drive, you have until your start date to find something knowing it may involve a compromise.
 
Still keeping my sights high! Pre-1960 Mercedes diesel - and fortunately not in a hurry.

But still frustrated at how tough it is to get replies from my inquiries.

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Understand your frustration with slow or no replies.

The guy I bought my TR from was and is a slow/no replier. During my negotiations with him I could go weeks between e mail sent and reply received. After I got the car home I spoke to him several times and he mentioned he had found the missing clutch assembly New in the box. So I said great let me know the cost to mail it. No reply to several messages. Almost a year later he sends an e mail what address should I send it to. I reply the same day with my address and 3 month later I am still waiting for a response.
One day maybe.

Good luck with your quest.
David
 
Gentlemen - As I wrote on the 19th, I'm still keeping my sights high! Pre-1960 Mercedes diesel - and fortunately not in a hurry.

Emphasis on *not in a hurry*.

Note - this thread started as a "How do you guys find your cars?" topic.

T.

 
NutmegCT said:
Gentlemen - As I wrote on the 19th, I'm still keeping my sights high! Pre-1960 Mercedes diesel - and fortunately not in a hurry.

Emphasis on *not in a hurry*.

Note - this thread started as a "How do you guys find your cars?" topic.

T.
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*not in a hurry*
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be careful there......we only live so long.
 
Got mine through a friend of a friend.

I was having a meal and a beer several years ago and old cars came up. He said he use to drive a MGB. I said that many years ago I had a TR2. So he brings up the fact that he knew someone who had a TR in his basement and may be willing to sell it. It took several years of on and off negotiations to finally get the car.

I was not actually looking for a car it was almost dropped in my lap.

That is how I became the proud owner of a TR3.

David
 
Thanks David! Now let's hear from other BCF members - how'd you find your car?
 
Time to look on the other side of the pond?

https://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C515563

image.jpeg
 
Thanks Guy.

How'd you find your TR3?
 
Tom said:
Now let's hear from other BCF members - how'd you find your car?
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I found Diesela while on a trip to the local convenience store on a Sunday morning. In the Alfa, I parked beside her as the only other car in the lot. She wore a "Dealer" tag. I got the paper and left the store, almost drove off and thought: 'nahh, I'll just sit and wait a tick." A tall guy came out and asked him if it was his, he told me it was his mum-in-law's and she wanted to sell it. I asked the "how much?" question and when he gave me a number I told him we'd come the next morning and pick it up. Done deal. 185K miles then, we've put close to another 100K on her since.
 
NutmegCT said:
Thanks Guy.

How'd you find your TR3?
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I was watching eBay (on a tight swmbo budget). & called a dealer in St. Louis about a different TR3, that was listed.
that one was to proud for me, But we worked out a deal on this one.

The more interesting thing about mine was her owner from 1961-62, ( Bo_Bogaty) recognized the vn from my BCF post & contacted me. Sent me some pics of "Sheila" in her 1st. Prime! (I have mentioned this before on post, but like the story enough to repeat myself)

The other kind of interesting coincidence is her last registration was in W. N. Carolina (about 100 miles from me), though I bought her in St. Louis.
 
Guy and Doc - thanks for those stories!

I'm beginning to think that these cars find us - and not the other way around.

Online ads don't seem to bring the cars to BCF guys, except maybe in an indirect way, if at all. Maybe I'd be better off not looking so hard!

TM
 
My TR6 fell into my hands when a friend called to say his a/c man was getting married and had 2 cars for sale - a TR6 and a BMW 2002. What's more, he lived about 2 miles from my door. I drove over. Two Hispanics had already purchased the BMW but the TR6 was still there - not running. It had what looked like a new paint job and a quick look showed very little rust underneath so I bought the car for the asking price of $2,500.00 as the seller would accept no haggling. I drove home, picked up a towrope, brought my wife along to drive me home, hooked up the rope and dragged the Triumph home to my garage. Someone had wired the battery backward and fried the alternator and it was missing several parts. I did all the work myself except for a new top and welding up the frame in the usual place in the rear. That was 21 years ago.
 
I drove home, picked up a towrope, brought my wife along to drive me home, hooked up the rope and dragged the Triumph home to my garage
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man you've got nerve!
i can't even imagine my wife towing or being towed.......if this gets back to her I'll deny ever saying it.
 
NutmegCT said:
How do you guys find your old cars? Online, local shop, local car club, print (classifieds in newsletters), friend/acquaintance, inheritance ...
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All of the three I have now were found through online ads, but for two of them I had help.

MGB: I posted a "looking for" post in the BCF MGB forum a few years ago for a RHD MGB. No rush, just looking. I think this was on a Thursday. JP replied with a link to an ad on Kijiji for a car that day. Another forum member let me know he was close and could go look at it. A few phone calls and an inspection was done on Saturday, car deal made on Sunday.

Bugeye: Again, posted a "looking for" post in the Spridgets forum for a RHD Bugeye. No rush, just looking (sound familiar). A while later a BCFer saw a Craigslist ad for a car in Southern California. I had given up on the search (and almost didn't call on the car) but just couldn't resist. Again, a BCF member offered their services for an inspection and a deal was done within a week or so.

Morris: This one was just the result of a nationwide online search one day for RHD cars (yes, I'm obsessed). This time I paid for an inspection, and when it came back OK a deal was done -- car was at a dealer.

I've certainly had the best luck finding things through contacts here on the forum. I'm sure all of us peruse the ads pretty regularly, so that's a lot of eyes on the search. Being able to have folks do an inspection is a real help too.
 
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