It seems pretty simple to me: If you have a sentimental attachment to the
car, do the dumb thing and waste your money fixing it up. If you don't have
a sentimental attachment to it, sell it for whatever you can get for
it.....which, from your description, sounds pretty close to about $1.85.
Bob
>Here is the situation. I have had a 1958 Austin Healey Sprite (Bugeye)
since
>1969. When I bought the car it had over 140,000 miles on it and although
the
>speedometer never worked while I was actively driving the car, I know that
I put
>many thousands of miles on it since. I parked it in 1972 and have never
driven
>it since. Several other restorations and modifications of other cars have
>intervened and now I am thinking about getting back to this car. But I am
very
>undecided about what to do. The car is presently totally dissasembled and
is
>down to a bare frame/body shell (with the exception of one rear spring that
was
>apparently welded in place at some time).
>
>The car was originally from Pennsylvania - which nmeans lots of road salt
back
>then. So here are the body problems:
>
> - the valence on the bonnet is badly dented (numerous times) and torn in
>places.(needs a new valence)
>
> - both lower front "corners" on the bonnet rusted out before I
>originally got the car and were patched with tin and bondo. There is a
sizable
>inverted 'V' shaped gap where the seam should be when all of the bondo is
>removed. One fender is also warped from having the corner pulled in to
close the
>gap (needs two new front fenders)
>
> -rocker panel(both inner and outer) on the drivers side is gone (rusted
>to a fine filligree) I have a new rocker.
>
> - rocker panel on passenger side was replaced before I bought the car
>but was welded on so poorly that it does not line up correctly with other
panels
>(could be fiddled with to fit)
>
> - rear fender panel behind the drivers door has a large rust hole and
>needs at least a patch plate (I have the replacement patch part.
>
> - the lower edge of the back of both rear fenders is totally rusted out
>
> - the rear fender on the passenger side has a large rust hole above the
>wheel opening, a major dent behind the wheel, and a hacked up replacement
panel
>behind the door. The replacement panel needs to be replaced.
>
> - in general, it needs new fenders
>
> - seam along the very back of the trunk and rear body panel is rusted
>out and will need replaced
>
> - drivers floor pan needs replaced, as does the front and rear corner of
>the passenger side floor pan.
>
> - after stripping all the paint I find that there were several repairs
>to the cowl and areas behind the passenger seat that were leaded in many
years
>ago (the car has had at least 4 or 5 paint jobs)
>
> - 1098cc engine (replaced when the 948 put a rod through the engine
>side wall). Engine needs to be overbored .030 and new pistons alone cost
$200+
>(and then it is still a 1098).
>
> - ribcase transmission - will not go into second gear at all -
>currently dismantled and trying to identify the problem.
>
> - currently drum brakes all around and original rear dif
>
> Here is my conundrum - what do I do with this?
>
> Options so far.
>
> Under any circumstance, is it worth trying to repair the steel bonnet?
>The center section with the headlights is in perfect shape and I guess
could be
>of value to someone else. With so much repair, would it be better to just
buy an
>fiberglass copy of the original bonnet and not repair the steel one?)
>
> I figure that I can buy the needed body panels from England for about
>$3,500 and then labor to weld them all on correctly $?) So, for maybe
>$6,000-$7,000 and a lot of my time and effort I could have a somewhat
restored
>Bugeye (which will never be very great because of the patches and bondo and
lead
>still on the car). It would be a fair to middlin' car - low on power and
low on
>resale value. I admit I have grown accustomed to much speedier driving
options
>in the last 32 years and this seems rather boring. I would probably want to
sell
>it.
>
> A second option is to do all of the body work ($$$) and then upgrade to
>a 1275 (?$$$) and a five speed Rivergate conversion, front disk brakes,
nice
>wheels (wire or minilite-like). The car would still lack real vintage value
due
>to all the repairs, but it would be a little speedier and might have some
curb
>appeal.
>
> A third option is to replace the engine with another more powerful one -
>Mazda 13B rotary, Toyota twincam, ??? and a five speed transmission. Put a
>fiberglass racing bonnet on it with flared fenders. Replace the rear
fenders
>with full flared fiberglass replacements. Go to 6" or 7" wide wheels all
around
>and lower profile, wider tires (175/50 or 215/50). There is a yellow Sprite
on
>PDLJMPR with an Alfa engine that seems like a good model. Either an
independent
>rear suspension (I have done one of these before) or strengthened axles in
the
>original dif. Originality is gone, obviously, but the original parts of the
car
>have been eaten away anyway. The result would be a fun car (significant
speed,
>possibly autocross) but would require lots of work on my part to carry it
all
>off.
>
> So colleagues, how go your votes and suggestions?
>
> So far, I am not contemplating selling it since I have had it for so
>long. But if I can't find a viable solution, or if the recommendation seems
to
>be that it is beyond reasonable repair, then I might be willing to part it
out.
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