On Fri, 15 Jul 1994, I wrote:
> > even if you do most of the work yourself you will
> > probably have $20K in it by the time it hits the road, unless you want a
> > show car, in which case you will spend even more.
>
And Roger Garnett replied:
> Baloney! Excuse my reaction, but you don't have to spend a fortune to own,
> drive, and enjoy these cars! That's one of the real nice things about MG's in
> peticular- parts are still very available, and are fairly priced. Even for
> the Pre-war models.
>
Well, not to get defensive about this, but what we may have here is a
collision of optimism vs. pessimism, not to mention different
philosophies, and perhaps different levels of mechanical ability, Roger's
probably being considerably greater than mine. I also read into Bill's
statement that he couldn't start on the TC until he finished his Morgan an
intention to restore the TC.
I have a fairly severe case of what has on this list been called
shipwright's disease, and an extremely serious disinterest in sitting
beside the road with a broken car. I started with two bugeyes, neither of
which could possibly have been driven without major, major, major work.
So a complete restoration was a given, but I figured parts costs would be
minimal since I had so many of them to choose from. I found that I could
not salvage even one brake cylinder from two cars ($250 for new brake
cylinders). Ditto clutch and brake master cylinders ($120 for sleeving),
ditto clutch slave. They just flat could not be salvaged. Then, all new
flex hoses, yes, but what if there has been a pocket of water sitting in
the brake line rusting away--best install new brake lines. I had 4, count
em, four gas tanks. Put them in the rafters for 4 years so I would be
sure not to pitch a good one. Not one was usable. $130 for a new tank,
then a new gas line... And compared to MG T-series parts, bugeye parts
are *dirt* cheap.
In the end, with 2+ cars of parts to select from, I spent approximately
$10000 for parts, and the finished car is what I would consider an
excellent driver, rather than a true show car. It is reliable, though.
It will go anywhere I have the patience and stamina to drive it. I never,
ever wonder if it will start. Of course it will start. I depend on it
for backup transportation when my Honda Prelude is broken (a role it has
filled twice in the last year and a half).
Because that is the way I like the car to be, I tend to assume others feel
the same way. Seems to me it would not be tough at all to
spend $13000 making a $7000 TC into a nice driver. Also, I think it is
better to assume it *will* cost that much. Maybe Bill's dealer friend
just got tired of driving the MG, even though it was in perfect shape, and
mothballed it. But maybe the transmission is trashed. I would assume
something very significant is wrong, or the car would not have been put
away. Even if it was perfect when stored, there is entropy. If I could
not salvage even one wheel cylinder from a group of 12, I would not assume
I could salvage many of the wheel cylinders from a car that has been
sitting for years.
We have to have perspective about the money, too. $20K is a lot of money,
to be sure. But I am about to spend $16K or so for a T****a Corolla
wagon, which won't be worth diddly squat in 10 years. It is fairly easy
to spend over $20K for a Chevy pickup, and in 10 years, nada. But a nice
TC... won't haul much manure, but a decade from now it will still be
worth something.
I have to agree, though, mine is not the only approach possible. A friend
bought a well-worn but original TC (for about $12K, as I recall) and
drives it everywhere, pretty much the way he got it. He has a hell of a
lot of fun with it, and is slowly upgrading it. So far, if it has let him
down, I have not heard about it. But if it were mine, I would fairly itch
to replace the frayed wire harness, to make it less likely to burn to a
cinder. With (count 'em) *one* brake circuit, I would want to replace
absolutely everything in the brakes. Oh, and wouldn't it be simply rotten
if a skinny 19 inch wire wheel collapsed at 45 mph? Better rebuild or
replace the wheels. And then I would want to remove the body panels, to
rustproof them, and check out the wood, and you see where it would go.
$13K easy.
It *is* largely a difference in philosophy. I have a great deal of
patience with a large job, like thoroughly going through a car from end to
end, and fixing everything that is questionable. I have nearly zero
patience for driving an unreliable car.
Still, the bottom line is that Roger and I agree on one thing--an unrusted
original complete TC for $7K sounds like a good deal. What you do after
that is up to you. If you can make it a reliable driver for another $1K,
which I doubt, it will have been the bargain of the year. Anyway Bill, if
you decide you don't want it, give the dealer my name. I'd try to find
the money somewhere.
Ray
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