To Anyone that is Interested:
For months I have been looking for a new LBC. All I really wanted was a
really nice MGA. Not much
to ask for HUH? Living in SE PA. seemed like a good central location and
with the population you
would think no problem.....Looked high and low...ZILCH! Finally I cam across
one in West Chester.
Really great looking car, Price was more than I thought it was worth but for
a show quality A thought I would check it out. First appearances looked
really great. Drove it and ran really well. What more could I ask for. Owner
was willing to negotiate price and I thought I was in heaven.
Then I got the magnet out. Bondo City. Whoever did the restoration really
did a nice job but
was too lazy or whatever to put metal back in the car and took the easy way
out.
Then David Deutsch started talking about V8 B's and other fast cars. But I
was still longing for a
really nice A. Next I found an A in Buffalo NY. Sounded like just what I
wanted. Not show quality
but with a little work could easily be. So one Friday a friend and myself
pack up the car and off
we go to Buffalo. Through rain and snow for 14 hours (round trip) to look at
a real piece of junk.
The owners conception of a little dent in the left rear fender was my
conception of replacing the
whole fender. Now I am really ready to pack the whole thing in and say the
hell with it. I'll just buy a
Miata and be done with it. But that old voice in the back of my head, again
thanks to David Deutsch
kept telling me you want a go fast car. So next I find a AH 3000 in NY. This
time I ask David D. to
please take a look at it. He does, Again Thank You David, and tells me it is
a bargain and that I should seriously consider the car. I do, but still have
quite a few questions on the car to be answered. Asked David for a voice
number to call him, but never got a reply. Figured he did his part
so that was that. FINALLY I found 2 other cars. A Sunbeam Tiger. Now I'm
thinking this is an ideal
GO FAST car. Contacted the owner and he sends me a video tape of the car.
Just what I am looking for. In the meantime I also find a AH3000 in Nebraska
of all places. Not Too far from
SE Pa. HUH. The Healey is a beautiful older restoration with, get this, A
new Ford 302 V8 installed
with all the goodies and done the right way. What a great touring car. So
now I am torn between
the Healey and the Tiger. First I decided to get the Tiger. Told the owner
it was a done deal but
I wanted to have the car delivered. The owner was retired and said he had
all the equippment
to deliver the car but wasn't sure if he wanted to. I told him I would pay a
fair price for his time etc.
We agreed upon $300.00, not bad for a days work I thought, and he said he
would let me know
the next day. All that night I pondered if I had made the right decision.
The more I had thought about it the more I realized I REALLY wanted the
Healey. The next day came and when The owner
called back he said he had decided that he did NOT want to deliver the car.
Sigh of relief on my
part. So I Immediately called the Heally owner and made arrangements to buy
the Healey. It is
going to be delivered this week and like a little kid, I can't wait for my
new toy to arrive.
FINALLY the search is over. A V8 powered healey has got to be a great
touring car. I am past
the stage where I have to race a car, fortunately I got that out of my
system when I was much
younger. But when it was all said and done what I was really looking for was
a British car that
I could rely upon as well having fun driving and I truly believe I have
found the ideal auto.
Beautiful to look at, reliable, and a go fast toy. So Finally The Search Is
Over.....FINALLY!
BTW David, you should tell your friend the Healey in NY is still for sale so
he or one of his friends
so go for it. Hope to see a lot of you at some of the British events this
year. Just look for the
Red AH3000 with the Ford V8 peering from under the hood.....Ken
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*** Remember: Educate Today's Children, So We Don't Have To Punish
Tomorrow's Men ***
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Ken Regenfuse
E-Mail : kenregen@ptd.net
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