For: The Aesthete's weaknesses are well known to all but this is an opportunity for someone.
Against: 17K is a lot for a project it must be said.
Investment potential. 5/10. Not a Grey Lynn villa but neither is it a million dollars.
1959 Marshall Special. I suppose the vendor thinks we all know what this is and some readers indeed may. It looks like any one of the myriad specials that were cunningly got together out of bits and pieces of dubious provenance. The bolt on wires and flat head V8 suggest that some it it dates from the 1930s and a Ford was the the likely donor.
For: The period photo suggests it was quite handsome.
Against: A lot of work to do yet.
Investment potential: 2/10 unless you own a junk yard full of pre-war cars. Oh yes. Of course you do.
1959 Jaguar 3.4 Litre Saloon. I am not sure about the white wire wheels but everything else looks tickety-boo with this Jaguar, including the magnificent interior. One hopes the front seats are still intact under their fleecy covers. The Mk II axle with its wider track fills out the rear wings nicely and the upgrades sound sensible on what is a 120 MPH car. There was not much around to touch it in 1959.
For: What more do you want?
Against: The old Moss gearbox is essentially a three speed unit.
Investment potential: 2/10. It seems that the world has tired of Mk IIs once again.
1986 Rolls Royce Silver Spur. Here is a comeuppance for the bloated Japanese plutocrat who bought this thing new. I imagine it has been left to sit around in a Shinjuku back street while slowly shedding yen until valueless. It is now being sold for the cost of freight so get in now for what is essentially a free Rolls Royce.
For: Cor! What did you pay for that, guvnor?
Against: Check the door pockets for severed digits.
Investment potential. 0/10. What will be left out of 20K after a wood restoration, a new vinyl roof and a good respray? Very little...
1961 Lincoln Continental. Or you could show far better taste and buy this Lincoln. Alright, I know its not actually in New Zealand but would you not be better off putting your money into this rather than some filler laden sledge? Someone has already spent 90K on it and the local dollar is almost level pegging with its US counterpart. And has metallic pink ever looked better on a car?
For: Oh, that black leather interior....
Against: What is wrong with you? Some kind of communist I suppose.
Investment potential: 2/10. Maybe.
Whilst on a Sojourn to England in the early sixties my dad owned a late model mark one jag 2.4 manual, with the wide mark 2 back axle. He thought it factory new at the time, but it might have been changed before he brought it. I suspect they ran out of mark 1 back axles and started putting in the Mark 2 axles, before the Mark2 came out. The spurs a thing isn't it! almost me. Thanks for pointing out the differences in those Alfa Coupes. It often hard to tell in the rear view mirror of a Lancia gamma
ReplyDeleteYes, my father owned one as well. It permanently altered my brain chemistry and made me into the Petrolhead Aesthete. As for the snarky GTV comment we must settle this like men with a race.
ReplyDeleteGoodness me!
ReplyDelete'The spurs a thing isn't it! almost me.'
What is he on, gin, or seedless heads?
Whatever. Your race will be won by a Morgan...
Grant.
Now it's getting interesting!
DeleteNot nearly as interesting as you may think, old chap!
DeleteWay back in the late 60's (if you can remember them you weren't really there) one Peter Baker, an advertising executive (Dog help us) was seen about the Parish of Wellington in a 'special' constructed largely of mid-vintage 14-40 Vauxhall parts and powered by an engine from some sort of pre-historic Bedford, or some-such. (The special later fell into the hands of the late and much lamented Ron Roycroft and the parts were dispersed to two worthy recipients in the South Island, at least one of whom is still alive). The Baker went on to marry Dianna Louise Harland, whose family of expert craftsmen, domiciled in Belfast, had done such a jolly fine splendid job on the Titanic, of famous memory. The Baker saw an opportunity here and miraculously re-appeared retitled as Harland P Harland-Baker, don'tcha know old chap. Known to us all as 'Hyphenated Baker' he went on to own the now incredibly poncy Huka Lodge and then to a further career as a paedophile which can be confirmed by Mr Google without any fear of flying writs...
Sadly he was also active in the construction of a group of fronters and wankers who became known as 'The Country Gentleman's Historic, Racing and Sports Car Club' and who may still exist in some attenuated form for all I know. The late A.R.E.(Dick) Messenger, when invited to join, replied 'I'm sorry I cannot meet your criteria as I have been in trade...'
I attended, as passenger in an Aston-Martin DB2 drop head, a 'bent sprint' organised by 'Hyphenated' on the old Huka Falls road some time in the mid-seventies. A most objectionable character, who I was later to learn was wholly typical of nouvelle-riche Porsche owners from Auckland, had spent the whole day walking around saying things like 'I'm backing Britain, over a cliff - ha ha ha' and so-on. In the event the fastest Carrera 6 was knocked into a cocked hat by a lightly tweaked Plus Eight. Oh, how we laughed...
Your race will be won by a Morgan...
Grant.