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MGs..what to sell..or to sell at all???

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jackq

jackq

Jedi Knight
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As I age and realize I can't do what I could even a couple of years ago, I look at my MGs, Mustang, VWs and numerous other toys...I recently decided to sell about everything and go the way of newer more cost efficient vehicles( and yes more boring). So I started looking at whether I should sell them complete or strip and part them out. That said, the first things that left was the 02 Camaro vert, our 35 ft. class A motorhome, a Cabrio vert and two old Bugs. Still have a few more to go before getting to the MGs when I get a call asking if I'd be interested in another A coupe...crap. May snag it and when the time comes to sell them...maybe a pair would be a good selling point, lots of spare parts.
 
Hey, Jack -

I think I can appreciate your quandary. And while I don't have near the collection of stuff you do, I do have the experience of dealing with Tony Barnhill's cars, parts, shop equipment, etc. after his untimely death. So one word of advice: Should something happen to you, it would be a true gift to your survivors if you had a plan, or at least someone who could step in and take charge.

Does sound like you've got a good start, though.

Keep us posted!

:cheers:
Mickey
 
I've been on a multi-year journey to simplify down -- sold or gave off most of my hobby stuff, down to just one MG. It's a nice feeling, really. This is always a very personal decision, everyone is different. I've certainly had no regrets about anything I've gotten rid of.

So if I get a vote, I'd say clear it all out. If you really miss anything, you can always reacquire. It's just stuff, after all. Peter Egan called it 'the s$^# your kids throw away when you die." :D

Good luck, and do keep us informed.
 
Jack,
I'm at a turning point too. Don't enjoy fixing up old cars the way I once did. Every time I consider selling
something (have made a couple of half hearted attempts so far), I ask myself if I'll regret selling them
later. The answer is usually yes. At some point some or most will have to go but not yet.
Steve
 
This is an interesting thread, though our younger members will not have a clue where you are coming from.

Personally I hope to have many more years of enjoyment out of my toys, but then again it always seems like something goes wrong with something every time you start one up. I have around 7 vehicles that run, but several need something. Years ago I'd have fixed it on the spot, or taken it in for repair. Now days I tend to put it off until I think about it again. The trouble of course is that nothing gets younger/newer sitting around, so batteries go, systems like A/C tend to repond poorly to lack of use, etc.
So even though I might enjoy my ability to hop in or on a variety of conveyances, it is a pain to maintain them all.

`
 
I had a dear friend who had two flawless British sports cars. One was a sky blue 1959 Turner 950S roadster with a Climax engine. The other was a 1957 Jaguar XK140MC drophead coupe. It had a black exterior, red interior and chrome wire wheels. The Jag had 12,800 miles on the odometer when I met him in the early '60s and 12,800 miles on the odometer the last time I saw him in 1971.

I know that sounds a bit strange but it gets worse. At that late date when I came back for a visit from college, the Turner was outside with a small tree growing up through the front bumper. The ragtop had rotted and the car was a mess. The Jag despite being kept in a barn was covered with a thick coat of dust. The interior had been totally and I mean utterly destroyed by rodents. The smell alone was dreadful. Why did all this happen? Around 1959 Alex had become stricken with a chronic infection of the inner ears which left him without a sense of balance. He was only able to walk by relying on his eyesight. That was the end of his driving forever and he was only in his middle '40s.

So you see. At least you were able to enjoy your cars. I'm not going down without a fight. At 62 I've got just about all the classics I'll ever be able to afford and wouldn't part with my MGB roadster or Alfa GTV for all the money in the world. The Fiat 124 spider I wouldn't miss too much. But.... There is one more that I must have and it hopefully be a near perfect B/GT. However, I still buy lottery tickets. You never know. Then there'd be that 246 Dino GT, and the two series one E-types.
 
Basil said:
Speaking of home, where are you located in CO? I went to HS in Aurora.
Click to expand...

Small world -- my wife lived in Aurora for a few years. Her dad was an oncologist with the Air Force (now retired).
 
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