William wrote:
<Mark:
<Trust your gut when you get there and are able to meet the seller. If his
<house and garage are a mess, the car is dirty and he has no maintenance
<records, leave immediately. If he's super-anal about cleanliness and you
<could eat off his garage floor, then I'd stay to look over the car.
I must take offense at that generalization. I do my own work on my TR6 at
one of my best friends place. This guy I would and actually do trust
implicitly with my TR6 and any other car I own. He has almost every tool
imaginable to work on our beloved cars. He has worked on them for many,
many years. He has offered timeless, invaluable advice to many of you on
the Triumph list. I stay in lurk mode mostly, but he is out there offering
to help any and all.
At any rate, his garage definitely won't win an award for the cleanest or
neatest, but his tools are clean, and in order and I can find anything I
need, even if I need to fabricate a part. His yard is not particularly
"handsome." His car, until recently, he called "cosmetically challenged"
and it was! His theory is that if it looks good and is broken down on the
highway, what good is it. OTH, if it runs forever, reliably (I know, they
are LBC's <g>), yet is not the prettiest car in the world, well you get the
picture.
If I had followed your advice my car wouldn't be in the shape it is now, I
wouldn't have a best friend, and I'd be much poorer.
Now, I do agree, you must be careful. I didn't know when I met this guy
what he'd turn out to be. Since I wasn't buying a car from him it wasn't
that critical. So, yes, caution is warranted, especially in light of the
conversation that has taken place already. But before I walk out because he
doesn't have records, the garage isn't neat, etc. I'm going to have an
extended conversation with the guy, look over the car with a "fine-tooth
comb", take someone else with me for support and a 2nd opinion, then decide.
You're right, there are plenty of TR6's out there.
Sorry about the soap box. Back to lurk.
Dana Scott
'73 TR6 CF9690UO
Daily Driver
Temple City, CA
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