The Aesthete sweeps out the garage

The Aesthete's Fleet

It is the time of year when I think about shutting up the shed for the winter as the idea of rolling around on a cold concrete floor does not attract me as it once did. For those of you who have more grit, here is a selection of worthy projects for your careful consideration. 

1974 BMW 3.0 CSI. If you want a good one right now be prepared to hand over 50K so 10K for a wreck sounds alright until you start doing the sums... These are expensive and complicated cars to restore, therefore beyond the range of even the well equipped layman. The body looks awful so the interior and mechanicals had better be retrievable otherwise certain financial catastrophe lies ahead.

For: Without doubt one of the high points of the era.
Against: Yikes!
Investment potential: 1/10 given that it needs a total rebuild. Exercise great caution.

1964 Morris Mini Traveller. Older Minis are a safer bet for the hobbyist and can be tinkered with effectively using a Haynes manual and a set of ring spanners. This charming early wagon version has kept the hard to find bits although a nong has had a go at it and it is missing its front seats and bus tiller steering wheel. These are available from any one of the dealers who prey on Mini fanatics so this looks fairly straightforward to me.

For: The right sort of price for a project.
Against: On its original 850 motor it will be no ball of fire.
Investment potential: 3/10 as long as the structure is sound.

1957 De Soto Firedome. My guess is this car has been imported from the US and was found to be rustier than the owner can hope to deal with. It comes with repair panels and looks reasonable in the photographs but these Virgil Exner styled cars look great even as rusty hulks. The four door pillarless construction may pose challenges as they tend to be a bit rubbery in the middle.

For: One of the best American shapes. And the name of course.
Against: Vast.
Investment potential: 3/10. It is here in New Zealand so no point in looking for a cheaper one elsewhere.

1974 Fiat 124 Sport. The hapless owner has experienced bearing failure and parked this attractive 124 Sport in his shed so at least it has stayed dry for the past while. Oh, and he also confesses that he has lost the steering column. Dear me, how careless.

For: Possibly better that it appears.
Against: There is no point in starting with a wreck. Inspect carefully.
Investment potential: 3/10. At least he is sensible about the price.

1965 Mercedes Benz 230S. The final model fintail has an interesting history and looks like it would respond well to a good tidy up. The budget will go haywire if the chrome needs work or the exquisite interior is scruffy but both these aspects look acceptable and the white paint may allow for selective touchups. The vendor says it has a five speed gearbox which seems unorthodox but a fintail fanatic (are you reading Matt?) could adjudicate on that.

For: A running restoration.
Against: It takes a lot of work to rescue a bad one.
Investment potential: 7/10. Spend 5K prudently on improvements and you will probably come out on the right side of the investment.

And now for something completely different...

1959 DB HBR5. What is this ugly bug, I hear you asking? Deutsch-Bonnet was a manufacturer of bespoke Panhard based sports cars, as if a Panhard was not bespoke enough already. They competed in the small capacity class at Le Mans with these slippery fibreglass coupes and won impressively. You do not get race pedigree like that for the asking price and I would happily clatter down the highway behind the air cooled parallel twin with a Gauloises hanging dangerously off my lip.

For: Idiosyncratic and wonderful. Cheaper than a Porsche 356
Against: Zere is nozing!
Investment potential: 2/10. It is missing a few important parts so polish up your schoolboy French and get online.