Date sent: Fri, 24 Sep 1999 10:43:54 -0400
From: Tomislav Marincic <TomAndKate@compuserve.com>
Subject: Practical Classics TR4A Restoration
To: triumphs list <triumphs@autox.team.net>
Send reply to: Tomislav Marincic <TomAndKate@compuserve.com>
Hello,
has anyone seen the October issue of Practical Classics magazine?
They are starting a TR4A restoration and the subject is a '66 LHD car
imported from the USA.
These guys paid GBP4700 for the car, plus GBP 1100 in shipping and
customs, for a whopping $9296 total (at 1.6 USD to the GBP). What they got
was a borderline parts car: rusty sills, floors, and inner fenders
(Canadian car); steel pipes for bumpers; no top; trashed interior, blue
over white over blue paint job, lots of nonstandard parts, not running,
etc... It has overdrive, but the solenoid is out and someone has rigged a
hook and line to engage it manually(!).The owner has agreed to spend
GBP15,000 to restore it ($24,000), for a grand total of $33,296...
I'm happy for the car, and I understand this is a labor of love,
but couldn't the owner have found a better starting point? Are TR4 prices
so crazy in England that this makes sense? Is anyone on this list the lucky
guy who sold this car for GBP4700 ($7520)? Was it sold on eBay?
Best Regards,
Tom Marincic
Hello Tom,
This is what we call "Market Mechanism" demand and offer dictate
the purchase price. If you look for a very good or perfect TR4 you
will find dozens, but if you need a rotten one you will have no
choice. In Europe all rust-buckets vanished in the shredder a long
time ago mostly at the age of 10, the rest have been restored at
very high costs. Don't forget that around 90% of all TRs went to the
States and many cars are now reimported to Europe. Of cause
they all come from California that is at least what the Classic car
dealers say. Having seen quite a lot of these so called Californian
cars I suppose that the Californians are not driving along the Pacific
but through the Pacific, no need to go to Canada to find a rotten TR.
But I like California and not only for the TRs.
Best regards
Jean R from Europe
70 TR6PI from here
60 TR3A from the States
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