At 06:16 PM 3/11/97 -0500, you wrote:
>Today I was on the phone with a friend who just purchased a new body for his
>MGB. ...
>Now apply this theory to the Tiger. If you have a mess of a rust bucket,
>unsafe, and insane to drive, when does it become a "crusher" over a
>conversion, or a wreck over a rebody? Replacing a tag onto another body is
>against the law, but what if you weld a hole section on without ever removing
>or replacing the tag. A lot of aftermarket parts we use on our cars are also
>deemed illegal...so is spitting and speeding in most public places, and I
>have done both. So, where does one make the decision???? Stop speeding,
> spitting, and start crushing to preserve the fabric of a pedigree, when
>actually Tigers are basically a MUTT? Are Tigers purebred?Are they like some
>others, or are they built by , and for, those who like the lines crossed
>every once in a while, creating a hybrid that never could be considered pure
>in automotive snobbery circles???........I ask the distinguished panel for
>answers. And I know many out there are in need (at this moment)as to which
>direction to go.
>
>HW
>
>
The STOA Authenticity Committee rules allow essentially all repairs to the
factory shell that are safe and practical. Front and rear clips are not of
concern, nor do they reduce the legal definition in terms of vehicle
registration. When you apply the drill to the rivets, and relocate the VIN
ID to a different chassis, both the state and STOA consider that you have
crossed the line.
If you have a Chassis that is not restorable on a practical basis, there are
financial reasons to terminate that particular chassis and start over again.
In fact, it is frequently financially more desirable to start with a
cleaner-rust free chassis. You end up with a better and more valuable
example of the marque for a smaller total investment. I realize that the
loss of your "pride and joy" is emotionally difficult. But the Marque is
almost always better off with the retention of the best quality examples.
We typically have two or three examples of unrestored stock chassis which
sell each year in Northern California. Typically these unrestored,
essentially rust free examples go in the $8k TO $12k range. If you're
considering a complete restoration, this is a great beginning. You can
throw lots of money at the "great deal" you got for $3k, and never get a
decent car out of the work. Patience is the name of the game. Wait for the
car you want and spend more to locate the "best fit" for your needs and be
willing to pay more than you really want and you'll never be sorry. The
Clubs and fellow owner/members can be of great help, particularly in
identifying what to watch out for, but you have to provide the tenacity to
find the right deal.
STOA has an active Tiger Authentication Program in process which has
identified about 235 genuine Tiger chassis at this point. The program is
ongoing but this project takes time to get to other regions of the US.
Counterfeit Alpine Conversions are a fact of life. STOA doesn't have a
problem with conversions that do not pretend (register as) to be Tigers. It
is a fact that conversions can be a very nice replications but are not
genuine and therefore will always have a lesser final value. That doesn't
mean they can't be a lot of fun, and provide essentially a similar function.
Originality is not a requirement for the Authentication program. Stock or
modified, all we're looking for are the manufacturing details which signify
that the chassis came down the original Tiger assembly line.
Tom Hall
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