When did you buy your first LBC, and what was it?

[Flash_Harry]

1956 I think, a 1948 Anglia saloon for $75. It was a decent little car, but had no oil gauge so when an oil line broke the first warning was the bearings knocking. Not a good thing.

Later I did own a 1965 Sprite, bought in 1968 for $300. It had been vandalized a bit - gauges hanging out of dash, steering wheel broken. Did require new bearings on crankshaft ($18 to have crank turned & magnafluxed) and all new bearings in gearbox. I enjoyed the heck out of that little roadster, and it got about 35 mpg almost all the time.

 

[Bill H]

1960 Bugeye, I purchased about a year and a half ago, I got it running good enough to take for a short drive with virtually no clutch or brakes, but it was a blast. Now on a rotisserie and have floor, bulkhead and spring box completed on one side....on to the other side. Getting there

 

[hcallaway]

1960 Bugeye, I purchased about a year and a half ago, I got it running good enough to take for a short drive with virtually no clutch or brakes, but it was a blast. Now on a rotisserie and have floor, bulkhead and spring box completed on one side....on to the other side. Getting there

It looks good in that picture.

 

[drooartz]

In 2004 I finally lived in a house that had a garage, and decided it was time to find something interesting to drive. Was originally looking for a 65-66 Mustang, but then my wife read about a British car show in the city and I checked it out -- and decided this British car thing was for me. So I made a list of ones I liked and eventually bought a '62 TR4

The TR4 was a rot box, too much for me to handle and not really want I wanted. So out it went and a '59 Bugeye came in -- the Tunebug.

My whole car history:

https://www.drooartz.com/index.php?page=30.2

 

[twas_brillig]

In the mid/late 60s, my Dad was stationed at Edmonton with the Royal Canadian Air Force and a couple of airmen rolled a bug-eye (they and it survived). They couldn't keep the car on the Base so it sat on our driveway for a bit. One of the guys I was taking engineering with in the late 60s lived three hours south in Calgary and his car (summer and winter, highway commuting and all) was a BE - back in the days when the coldest I ever ran into was going to high school one December day with a windchill of -96F.
I met Fran in 1971 and by 1972 she was thinking of a buying a car. One of the guys I worked with had a 100-6 and I was involved with a big-Healey group (and had foolishly bought a 3000 project) and a member had a Bug-Eye that another chap had restored, but needed a little more work. Unfortunately, the 'restorer' was the type that used a hammer to put in bolts. Doubly unfortunately, I didn't realize this until I bought the Blue Lady for Fran. Dang.
I'd been talking to a chap with a yellow BE that he was driving back then, and I ended up buying it so Fran would have a car. Unfortunately, it wouldn't get up the hill out of the river valley on the way home (burnt exhaust valves). Back then, if I had help with the bonnet, I could swap a transmission out in 8 hours. Not anymore. It was sort of yellow, with a lot of primer splotches on it - we called it the Orange Pumpkin. Got the mechanical all straightened out over the years, and sold it to a friend for a buck on the understanding that he'd sell it back in a few years and we'd go 50:50 on parts. He had a neighbour who was a bodyman and they cleaned up all the rust and painted it a lovely Primrose Yellow, and then Mike fell in love with a Morgan and we got it back sooner than expected (and reimbursed him for his share of the parts).
The reason that we'd sold it to Mike is that we'd purchased a disassembled 1962 BJ7 3000 Mk II (first one with roll up windows!) off a friend in the Healey group, and expected to have it running. Well, the road to Heck is paved with good intentions.
The upshot is that we still own them all. The Orange Pumpkin is still Primrose Yellow and has been stored for a few years, but is back on the road (with a few things to iron out) this Spring; the Blue Lady has a completely restored body tub and a Rolls Royce silver paint, and it's the one we're struggling to get the 1275/Datsun installed in. Come heck or high water, it'll be running this summer. And the 3000 went in for a paint job Sept. 2014 and should be home with a swack more incredibly good quality bodywork (plus some mechanical upgrades) this summer.
And we've also got a FrankenBMW (1972 2002, 4 wheel discs; 271 bhp on low boost) that our son has as a summer driver (both kids learned to drive in our old 72 green 2002) and an Inka Orange 2002 (restored body and paint) that has needed just a bit of work for about five years. And a 99 Buell S3 I've been riding for about ten years, and my bought new in 1969 Kawasaki 500 and stored for about 40 years is on the road as well. So, never bought and sold; just a lot of bought and stored. Thank God the price of oil was up and I unretired for 2013 & 2014! Doug
(PS: and almost forgot the 1962 Meyers Manx clone dune buggy that has been running off and on for about 20 years, and my son and grandson are reinstalling the body tub this week and it'll be back on the road and running reliably this summer. Fell in love with the style back when Car & Driver featured the original Manx on a cover about 1964)

 

[59diamond]

My first British car was a 1959 Bugeye that I bought off of a used car lot for $1200 in early 1962.I drove it to college until late 1963 when i sold it to buy my wife of 52 years this June.
In the early 70,s I bought a 70 something MGB and drove it for about a year and then sold it. The company I worked for provided me with a company car for about 20 years.
After retirement I was driving around one day and I spotted a person who later became a friend driving a Red Bugeye. Everything just welled up inside and I knew that I had to have another Bugeye..
i began searching for one and in May 2012 I found a Red One and bought it. although i liked the car it wasn't Old English White like my original one. I put it up for sale and eventually sold it in 2014.
In January I contacted Scott McDonald and asked if he would sell me his 1960 Old English White Bugeye and he agreed.I told Scott I needed it so I could take my wife to our 50th wedding anniversary party.
So in June 2014 that is what I did.
I am now going into my third year of ownership and 60 FROG has won 26 Troohies at various car shows. I intend to keep taking FROG to as many car shows as I can and enjoy driving the car for as long as I can.

 

[drooartz]

...when i sold it to buy my wife of 52 years this June.

Wow, what a purchase!

 

[Jim_Gruber]

Yes and a very cute, nice and understanding one she is. He forgot to say. He sold his BE to buy her engagement ring. She wasn't a mail order bride.

 

[59diamond]

Woops! I meant I sold it to buy her and engagement ring, not to buy her. Nice catch JIM

 

[Bill H]

It looks good in that picture.

That picture might have been touched up a bit
looked good from far, but far from good

Bill H.

 

[SaxMan]

That picture might have been touched up a bit
looked good from far, but far from good

Bill H.

Kind of like my Sprite -- it looks great from 10 feet away. Up close, not so much.

 

[pdplot]

1951 MG TD from Pletcher Ford in Philly. It was 1953. I was in my junior year at UPenn and was driving a 1952 Ford club coupe. I swapped it even up for the TD at $1,100.00, drove it for over 2 years, blew the engine, installed a Lea-Francis engine and eventually traded it even up for a new Renault 4CV. Traded the 4CV for a 1952 TD MK II at $1100.00; traded the TD for a TR-3 in 1956 - my first new sports car. Raced the TR3 as my only car;traded it for a 1957 Porsche coupe;car got hit and rebuilt but I traded it for a 1959 Twin-Cam MG. Kept for about 6 months and traded it for a new 1959 VW Beetle because I was now commuting to NYC and law school. Next LBC was a tattered 1953 MG TD that I restored myself after buying it for the usual $1,100.00 and sold it for $9,500.00. Purchased my current LBC, a '71 TR6 for $2,500.00 about 20 years ago, towed it home on the end of a rope, got it running and I still have it. End of report.

 

[tiiM5]

1966, a 1959 English Ford Anglia. Bought it for $15.00 from neighbor. Flathead four cyl., 3 speed. I was 14, he was a mechanic for city. He showed me how to rebuild the motor and change bearing in tranny. Fond memories of fitting rod bearings, lapping valves with green and red compound twisting the red stick with suction cups on each valve; drove it around neighborhood and to high school when I got my license. I've been a British car fan since. Next was a TR3, Healey 3000, then current Bug Eye which I drove in college and some after. It has been in storage last having been driven in 1979. Getting it back on road now. I saw a Morgan in high school, fell in love with car then and always wanted chance to own one. A few years ago I had the opportunity to purchase a Plus Eight, just a wonderful car that continues my admiration of British Motor Cars.

 

[JPSmit]

I love this thread (please keep them coming!) But it sure feels like every paragraph = a book if you know what I mean.

 

[Jim_Gruber]

My first experience was at June 1968, age 18, my best friend Tony received a new '68 Sprite as a Graduation Present from High School. 3 axle shafts broken in Year 1. He didn't exactly baby this car and never learned that popping the clutch in reverse was root cause of his issue with axle shafts. Car took us on lots of adventures but I was never able to get behind the wheel. The Sprite almost caused the two of us to fail Freshman Year at University of Cincinnati. He kept the car a few years and it became a distant memory. But I always remembered it.

Fast forward to 1999. 3 Years Post Divorce, now owning a house with a really good garage, feeling Mid Life Crisis. Colleen my then GF now Wife were in one of our, we need some time apart stages. I started remembering that '68 Sprite that Tony had 31 years earlier. A buddy of mine had a '69 Sprite that I went and looked at ,. BRG but oh the tinworm had had it's way, no brakes, major rust issues, would not start. but he did have a BE Bonnet that he had acquired 15-20 years previously. I found another '68 Sprite in Cincinnati. Multi colors of Rust, Primer, and BRG. "Rebuilt Engine" well actually a running '66 1098 coupled to a Smoothcase. Horrible interior, described as needing a little hydraulic work, would run if you fed it starter fluid. I bought it for $850 and dragged "Bugsy I home on a trailer.

Needing a little Hydraulic Work meant no LF Caliper, no rear drums, and Pedal box in the trunk. Some head scratching reveals the reason car would not stay running as battery was hooked up Positive Ground instead of Negative. Turned the battery around, fuel pump started ticking, and Vroom, Vroom noises. Drove Bugsy I for 12 Years. Acquired that BE Bonnet, added Miata Seats and a Rollbar, Multi Hued paint became Rustoleum Gloss Hunter Green, New top, New Tires, Rebuilt the front suspension twice, and learned thank to help from lots of folks here, Spridgets Auto-X List. and great folks like Frank Clarici, Peter Caldwell, Trevor Jesse, and many more who've helped me over the years. I sold Bugsy I 2 1/2 years ago to fund purchase of Bugsy II my '59 currently on a rotisserie awaiting floors. I miss that car.

 

[sqbsprite]

I bought my '62 Mk II in 1983. It was a basket case with a MK I bonnet in place of the correct body parts. It had last ran in 1975. Three years later, it was my first car fully restored by myself. I still have it and it still wears the paint I put on it in 1985.

 

[bugedd]

I was looking for a hobby car, something other than my daily driver. My aunt's husband Martin had been into restoring British cars for years, and has owned a Bugeye for over 20 years. My family and I were attending the British car show locally and Martin brought his Bugeye, and my son and I sat in it. My son was crazy about the car (attached pic). The car and I clicked and I set off to find one. In January 2010 I got my first, the yellow beater, and brought it back to life. It had no interior and the PO couldn't figure out how to set points, so it wasn't running. I worked on that one for a few years before I found the unibody was twisted, sold it, and bought another. I think this one will be with me for quite some time.

 

[twas_brillig]

It is both fun and a joy to read through this thread. It seems that a lot of us are 'of a certain age' (more - or less).
Our BE is still struggling slightly with various bits and pieces, but it will be on the road this summer - causing small children (and their parents) to laugh and point and chuckle. Can one ask for anything more than sharing the joy and happiness of what could otherwise only be a lump of inanimate metal? Some days, I feel like the Cheshire Cat in "Alice in Wonderland'. Thanks to all, as we follow the yellow brick road with our LBCs. Doug

 

[RayJames]

I was a freshman at the Univ of Texas in 1965-66. That fall, freshmen were not permitted to have cars on campus. But in the spring I started looking for my first car. I encountered a red 1964 Midget in mint condition which I bought for the princely sum of $1400, which represented about twice my life savings at that point. My Dad made up the difference. Was a great car and I drove it throughout my college years. Took it to Florida one spring break with my roommate, who was from Fla. after graduation, with good job prospects, I traded the Midget for a 1969 Mustang, ordered from Ford just the way I wanted it.

still wish I had both of those two cars!

ray

 

[RickF]

Bought my first Bugeye on January 18th, 1968. It was bought from a used car lot in Fullerton, California for $500. The name of the lot was "Sir Lance's Lot" and they only sold British sports cars. I still have the car today.