> Forwarded from the Healey list!
>
> Carlos Cruz wrote:
> >
> > Several of you requested I provide an update on the British Sports Car
> > Center in Houston. Feel free to delete this message if youre not
> > interested.
> >
> > To call the British Sports Car Center a used car lot would be a gross
> > embellishment in some respects and not very accurate. I pulled up this
> > morning following a declared State of Emergency. Houston experienced some
> > of the worst flooding in its history this past weekend. I wasnt sure if
> > they were even open since there were no cars in the gravel area in front of
> > the privacy-fenced lot. The lot itself is about 120 feet wide by 300 or so
> > deep. The front 50 feet is a weed covered gravel lot with a small
> > construction-type trailer in one corner. I parked in front of the open
> > gate.
> >
> > A man wearing grease-covered mechanics coveralls speaking with a thick
> > German accent greeted me at the entry. I inquired about the red MGA I saw
> > last week. The mechanic said it was in the shop and agreed to let me look
> > around. I walked through the gate and was greeted immediately on my left by
> > a 67 BJ8. The now white, formerly BRG BJ8 sat with its tail on the ground
> > because of the missing rear wheels. The car was missing most of its chrome.
> > Its body panels hung loosely while a very large weed grew up through the
> > center of the car since the floor boards have rotted away long ago. The
> > interior was piled in the boot, the transmission and engine missing. The
> > VIN was unreadable sorry registry folks.
> >
> > The fenced lots perimeter was surrounded with small fenced sections,
> > similar to large, covered horse stalls. Some would argue the stall s
> > contained useless junk. Some of us would argue it was a treasure trove of
> > old British hardware. The first few stalls contained the remnants of a few
> > MGBs, an XJS and some TR6s. The entrance to one stall was home to a Bugeye
> > bonnet. The back of the same stall housed the rest of the Bugeye. The roll
> > bar installed in the dirt-covered Healey gave the impression that it once
> > was prepped as a racecar.
> >
> > Further down I noticed the unmistakable bodylines of a Jag XK120. I wanted
> > to get a closer look however the number of dead cars between the 120 and me
> > was going to test my obstacle management capabilities. The ground was
> > covered in waist-high weeds, old doors, rims, tires and several stripped
> > cars. I had to watch every step since I was dressed in business casual
> > attire and street shoes. One missed step would find me wallowing in
> > standing rainwater. I finally reached the 120 to find that the car was
> > nothing more than a shell. The body seemed to be intact with the bonnet and
> > boot lid in place and the doors stacked next to the car. The interior was
> > missing as were the floor boards and the chassis, engine and drive train.
> >
> > The entire lot was peppered with old MGBs, Spitfires and TR6s. Some stalls
> > contained nothing but hoods while others contained transmissions, engines,
> > doors and pile and piles of seats. The back of the lot had a 62 BT7 in
> > worse condition as the one I had seen when I entered. The lower half of the
> > engine block remained in place as did the transmission, less one overdrive.
> > The bonnet and boot lid were no where to be found. The ragtop nearly all
> > deteriorated left behind the skeletal remains of the folding top.
> >
> > Other unique finds included a baby s**t brown MG-GT nearly complete. There
> > was a very large right hand drive Rolls Royce sedan in nearly complete
> > condition and in need of one sure-to-be expensive restoration. The engine
> > and tranny in place as was the interior in very sad shape. There were a few
> > German-make cars and one lonely Datsun 240ZX. About 70 British cars in all.
> >
> > When I left I had similar feelings one would have after walking through an
> > old cemetery. The only difference was the cars served as their own
> > tombstones. None of the cars appeared to have been put there as a result
> > of an accident or other misfortune. It was more like when elephants return
> > to hollowed ground when its time to die.
> >
> > For anyone interested and having more money than you know what to do with
> > it, there are two Big Healeys and a Bugeye in need of a savior. A better
> > starting point however a bigger restoration price can be found in the Rolls
> > Royce. As for the MGA well its an OK looking car from 500 feet doing 55
> > MPH. Close up revealed it needs a full restoration. The mechanic said its
> > a very reliable car if youre only going a couple of blocks and always carry
> > a passenger that happens to be a good British mechanic.
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