This is another feel good about this list story.
About a month ago, I was the high bidder on yet another ebay Bugeye. I have
got way too many now, but the plan (at least what I tell my wife) is to sort
out the best of the litter by the end of the summer and sell the others.
(But honey I have two 1275 five speeds, one Red and one BRG. This is like
Sophie's choice!)
The car was purchased my a check book mechanic, whose very first car was a
Bugeye. He paid $5000, and then put in a 1275, Rivergate 5 speed, disc
brakes, new paint, and new interior, some $13,000 later. Really sad story, in
that this guy was a retiree, and at one point told me that he had to cut back
on expenses and wasn't sure if had enough money to pay to Fed Ex the title
paperwork to me.
This car broke the guy's back.
Anyway at $5400 I thought I found a bargain.
Only one problem, the car was in Florida and I wasn't. It also developed that
the car didn't have the hardware to mount the top and wasn't weather tight.
The holes had been filled in by the body shop.
Seats not bolted down due to the fact the interior shop, installed and glued
the carpeting over the tracks. OK the car is not perfect. Who needs gauges
that work anyway?
So here is where the list came in.
Brent Wolf, who lived about an hour away from the car, picked it up, spent
the better part of a day driving it back to his driveway where it sat for a
few weeks. We found out that the $13,000 restoration didn't include shocks.
Close your eyes Peter C. (This seems like a perfect project to try out my
front tube shock conversion)
Chuck, offered to install a new top in Brent's driveway sometime between the
hours of Midnight and 6 AM on the return from his Sebring thing.
Turns out that I didn't need Chuckster, since I decided it made more sense to
drill holes for the hardware to fit a new top, not the old cracked shrunken
old one.
About the time the list was getting the ying of JustEd (something about we
tight cheapskates and Moss resellers comes to mind) I got the help of yang of
JustEd who put me in touch with a good restoration shop in the area, who is
now installing a new top and getting the car ready to be shipped.
Again, Brent Wolf proved an invaluable aid, he trailed the car down to the
shop.
I will be posting the pics on ofoto with an invitation to the list.
Again thanks to all those who directly helped, but also to the list in
general that creates this atmosphere of cooperation.
David Oliner
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