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Re: Houston Area - British Car Center

To: "R. C. Brown" <rcbrown@lucent.com>
Subject: Re: Houston Area - British Car Center
Date: Mon, 11 Jun 2001 17:57:32 -0700
Cc: spridgets <spridgets@autox.team.net>
Organization: WFO Racing
References: <F37fVma0osA91E9GQvn00002038@hotmail.com> <3B252F42.790B4678@lucent.com> <3B2530B5.B53BA643@lucent.com>
The song "Where have all the flowers gone" comes to mind.  "...gone to grave 
yards
everyone..."

"R. C. Brown" wrote:

> > 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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