Wedge TR7 Opportunity

[JamesWilson]

I'm in a quandary.

I've a chance to buy a 1979 TR7 FHC. Its been garaged since new with only 4K miles. The original owner was an American that expected to take it back to the US but never got around to it. Its an export specification model with cat converter, air conditioning, 5 speed, rust free and all original down to the tires. The current owner is a garage that thought they'd revive it and unload it- but are finding that harder than they thought, probably because buyers are put off by its left hand drive and being too good to be driven regularly- a concours candidate if ever there was one, and few can just put money in the garage and let it sit.

I really don't need another car, but was wondering what it would be worth in the USA. Has anyone imported a car into the USA and know what hassles are involved with that?

Thinking of doing a little arbitrage trading... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/devilgrin.gif
or maybe just getting it for myself.... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazyeyes.gif

Thanks....

 

[Andrew Mace]

Sounds like an intriguing car. IF the car is to US specification, with the appropriate paperwork, stickers, etc., etc., importation to the USA should be no problem. And I'm sure there would be some market here for such a car, but it's probably a limited one; people here still seem not to show much respect for the "Wedges" unless the top (hood) folds and there's a big AL V-8 block under the hood (bonnet)!

That said, I suspect that the seller might be well advised to advertise the car in the US. Shipping to the US is not horribly expensive; in some cases it's not much worse than shipping from one side of the US to the other (say, LA to NY).

Value in the US (not including shipping)? You *might* be looking at a $7000 or more car, based on the NADA Guide.

 

[sammyb]

Hate to say it -- but the cost of buying and shipping is more than its value here.

FHC TR7s are like a sexually transmitted disease -- people talk about how to get rid of them, not how to get them. 4,000 miles is too much to be a true time capsule (if it had 40 miles, yes.) 4,000 miles says "the car never worked well enough to drive it."

TR7s are difficult to make money on.

 

[ELTGuy]

sammyb is correct...

I love TR-7's and would love to get my grubby mits on a 5-Speed Coupe anyday, but it still wouldn't be worth what it would cost to import from UK. Even if it were to be a "straight up" deal. Buy it and enjoy it yourself I'd say.

 

[JamesWilson]

Thanks, I appreciate your views.

I'll have to think abut it, for the car's priced at £2600 while ones in excellent condition are quoted at £2000; its in great condition but wrong for driving on the left side of the road. Might be nice for a driver, and just the thing for touring the continent though....

Pretty decent Spitfires and Midgets trade for that kind of money, and GT6s for a little more, and MGBs for a little more again. And I might just plow it into my Big Healey project and try to get that finished... eventually....

I'll have to think about this... hard.

 

[Guest]

James,

Honestly imo, you'd do better putting the money into the AH. No way will left hookers fetch good money in the UK - you can't even shift LHD exotics easily, and exotic is not a description applicable to any TR7.

A nice AH will always fetch good money though.

I can see the attraction of a time capsule car, but this isn't - it's got 3950 too many miles.

If it were a 67 Corvette someone here in the US might want it, but the most rabid afficionado isn't going to drop the cash to buy and import this (now of course someone will do it just to prove me wrong). It's just not worth the aggro.