A Rare Breed In The US

One of the blogs that I visit frequently is the entertaining Rusty Heaps blog run by the very talented Roger Los. Rusty Heaps is his public affirmation of his problem of serial-British car purchasing and the trials and tribulations that it brings.

Photo Courtesy Roger Los

A few months ago, he bought a Rover SD1 - the V8 kind. I've had a soft spot for this particular Rover model and it appeared that Roger bought himself a "good 'un". On one of my comments to a post of his, I casually mentioned that I admired the car and thought that the Gulf Coast would make a great home for it. Today, I got a message it could be mine if I was interested and had the ready cash. 

Well, one out of two ain't bad I suppose.

This car is not perfect, but it is rather rare in that it requires deft hand-foot coordination to swag cogs. Yep, it's a manual gearbox car - just right for wringing out that Rover-improved Buick aluminum V8. Roger is quite forthcoming abut the condition of the car, and I think it can be yours for not a lot of greenbacks.   

It's in Whidbey Island, Washington - worth the trip just to take in the scenery - so let me know if you need a navigator when you bring it back home.     

Update: Sold on Ebay.

An MG with Room for the Family

Only 116 in existence says the seller

Back in the prewar days, MG had designs on competing head to head with the likes of Bentley and SS-Jaguar in the high performance saloon car market. Large MGs such as the SA, VA and WA models were creditable offerings from the company known more for smaller sports models.

During one of my recent trolls of the Hemmings Motor News site, I ran across this lovely 1937 MG VA for sale by the owner. This car checks all the correct boxes for me with its' suicide front doors, tall wire wheels and two tone paint scheme. Powered by a 1-1/2 liter pushrod four cylinder engine, the pace would be considered leisurely today since the output was only around 54 BHP.

Production ended at the outbreak of World War II with a total of just over 2400 built.

It could be mine for only $39,000.00. One more reason for me to hate my poverty. 

Grab This Tiger by the Tail

Only 536 built in 1967, says the seller

While browsing the Hemmings Motor News web site, I ran across this very  pretty 1967 Sunbeam Tiger. The seller claims that it has been given a complete restoration and has been the recipient of several show awards. You can own it for just $90,000.00. Ee-yow!

Ron Wolverton - get your Tiger back on the road.

Jaguar XK8s for Toyota Camry Money - or Less

I'm lusting in my heart

Way back in 1996 Jaguar introduced the replacement for the venerable XJS - the stunning XK8. I can recall the first time I clapped eyes on the new sporty cat at one of my early British Car Festivals at Bellingrath Gardens. Joe Bullard's  Jaguar of the Gulf Coast was a major sponsor of the event and used it to introduce the new Jag to the Mobile area. It pushed all the right buttons for me - except in the ready cash department.

Fast forward a few years and the XK8 is in its second generation and called simply XK. Now toting a window sticker with a total price that can exceed $100,000, I began to look into the value of older XKs - just lookin', not buyin'.

A quick visit to Hemmings Motor News' web site found these loverly cats:

• 1997 XK8 convertible - 48K miles. Garage kept, full Jaguar service history. Dark blue metallic -$12,900.00

• 2000 XK8 convertible - 52K miles. Three owners from new. White with navy top - $13,900.00

• 1997 XK8 coupe - 63K miles. All service records. garage kept. Maroon metallic - $12,500.00

• 2003 XK8 convertible - 66K miles. Full dealer service. Black on black on black - $19,000.00

If you like a little more competition in your life, you can take your chances with Ebay. I recently heard about a locally-owned 2006 XK convertible with less than 25K miles on the clock for an opening bid of less than $19,000.00 - American!

For the same (or less) money that a Japanese beigebox costs, you could be driving an honest-to-goodness grand touring machine.

And Now, This Word from Our Sponsors

OK, maybe not a sponsor but I wanted to let the three of you who read this humble blog know that there is a very nice Jaguar E-Type bonnet for sale and it happens to belong to Richard Cunningham and me. 

Some of you may recall that Richard and I bought a 1969 coupe a couple of years ago with a plan to break it for spares. In the time that's passed we've shipped parts all over the world, keeping other E-Types on the road and modestly funding our car-related interests. We've got several large pieces left, most notably the body tub and bonnet. The tub has rust in the sills, floor and boot (no surprise there, right?) but is pretty straight everywhere else. The doors are gone, but we have the hatch. If you have a slightly bent SII E-Type, this tub will yield some very nice body panels.

The bonnet is in very nice condition, barring some surface corrosion and a couple of curb dings under the chin. This is an original bonnet that has had a couple of coats of paint in the past. It will need media blasting and fairing of the corrosion areas on the top, but it would be very easy for an accomplished restorer to do. We will sell the bonnet for a fraction of the cost of an inferior reproduction unit.

The photo does not really do the bonnet justice. The last paint was dark maroon and it has faded to flat brown. The coat under the maroon is light grey. Altogether, it looks more scruffy than it really is. The pieces are located in Daphne, Alabama and I would be happy to forward photos on request.


Now, back to our irregularly scheduled programming.
 

A New Cat in the Neighborhood

The gentleman from whom Richard Cunningham and I recently acquired this '72 Triumph Spitfire, contacted me about another car he has in his possession. It seems that he has a friend in Louisiana that has a 1968 Jaguar E-Type coupe that he would like to sell. It is reputed to be low mileage and in fine drivable condition. He invited Richard and I to drop by and have a look at it - maybe we would be interested?

Well, tatty Spitfires and shiny E-Types are horses of two very different colors. While I would like to bring a Jag home, the financial reality prohibits it. 

In any case, the gentleman looking after the car is more of a Detroit iron kind of guy, although he has made some interesting points about possibly keeping it himself. Richard and I will have a look and offer any advice or leads that we can. 

In the meantime, get in touch if you think you would like to adopt a kitten.

This just in- Richard and I had a look at the car and it appears to be a very solid vehicle. It has an older repaint on a very straight body. The car sat for about two years and needs a thorough clean up. The current caretaker is going to go through the fuel system and make sure that everything is clean and tight before he starts it up (we did not hear it run). It would be a nice driver for a future restoration. 


The odometer is showing 39K miles and there are receipts for work back to 1987 that show 37K miles then. 


He is looking for offers in the mid twenties.  

One for the Brave Restorer

I'm always trolling the Internet to feed my classic British car fantasies and I find myself a regular visitor to the  purveyors of the particular crack cocaine that is my addiction. Case in point: Gullwing Motor Cars in Astoria, New York always has a nice selection of cars in various conditions from show-ready to basket cases.

One that falls somewhere in between is an intriguing 1934 MG J2 that the seller claims is a 30 year barn resident. The car sports Texas plates with the last tax sticker dating to 1972 or 77 - the photo is unclear. As you can see from the pictures, it is rather rough and the engine is sitting where the passenger's legs should be.

The MG J2 was powered by an 847 cc overhead cam, crossflow head design four cylinder engine. It shared this engine with various Morrises and Wolseleys of the day. Driving the car might be a bit of a challenge for inexperienced drivers as it has cable operated brakes and a completely unsynchronized four speed gearbox. In two years of J2 production, MG cranked out just under 2,200 of them. 

Craigslist Cortina

You can find anything you want (I know, your mental stereos are already ahead of me here) on Craigslist it seems. Have you ever had a deep hankering for a Ford Cortina? Me neither, but they are interesting.

The seller of this car says his 1969 Cortina GT (!) has its original paint and interior. Being a vehicle of the 1960s, that's saying a lot.

This is a Mark II Cortina produced from 1966 through 1970. Ford cranked out over a million of them with engine choices (in the UK) from 1.2 to 1.6 liters displacement. They could be had in four door, two door and estate (that's a station wagon, pilgrim) versions. Brand new it listed in a US Ford dealer for $2,313.00. They were withdrawn from the US market in 1970.

You can buy this little jewel for $6,500.00 and it's located in Fairfax, Virginia. Let me know when you pick it up.