Since starting the restoration of my SV, I periodically wondered about
the cars past and how it was used and enjoyed. Was it a daily driver or
a sunny Sunday take a picnic to the lake car? Did teens learn to drive a
stick with this car or was it pampered by an enthusiast?
Well, I am quite a bit closer to learning it full history and have been
in contact with all three of its former owners - I am the forth.
I knew the party that I bought it from owned it about eight years and
drove less than 1000 miles. He kept it in a garage so it never suffered
the elements. The car came to me with a box of old parts and spares. In
the box I recently found a 1984 Victoria British packing slip with the
prior owners address. Hoping he might still be at that address16 years
later, I wrote him and learned that during the two years he had the
Alpine it underwent some body restoration and a respray. It also lost
its front wheel which passed him on a curve one day! He was able to
recall the original owners widowed wifes name and through the internet I
was able to track her down in Florida. I hoping to learn of the dealer
where the car was purchased and maybe borrow and duplicate a photo of
the car, its owner and bride enjoying a picnic by the lake. Or, a pimply
faced teen taking his first ride in a stick shift sports car ;^) What
ever information can gather, it's fun knowing a bit more about its past.
Scott Donnelly
SV
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