Well, folks, it happened in true British Car fashion (i.e. when you
least expect it...).
I spent Easter weekend with my wife's family in a small town about four
hours away. Since I had some time on Saturday I decided to go into town
and try out some mountain bikes. The first shop I stopped at was
located near a residential area so this was a natural place to perform
my test rides. So here I was, riding along trying to decide if I wanted
to spend as much on a bicycle as I spent on Tinker's Damn (a '71 BGT
purchased for $400) when I look across the street and see an MGA parked
in the back of a driveway. All trim/windscreen/grill/etc had been
removed and the body was primed. It appeared to be undergoing
restoration except that was covered with dust and a some leaves.
Instantly I forget about bike shopping and start thinking (with a gleam
in my eye) that maybe this is a restoration project that ran out of
steam. An opportunity maybe?
I wasn't able to get too close but here is what I could tell. As I said,
the body was stripped and primed. All doors, bonnet, and boot lid were
there and it looked perfectly straight (but might
be 90% bondo under closer examination). I could not tell if it had an
engine because the radiator blocked my view but I suspect that it did
not. Also, it had wire wheels.
I did not get a chance to track down the owner but am planning to. In
the meantime I need to educate myself about MGAs. Where else to go but
the mailing list? Does anybody care to give me a core dump on MGAs.
What is their history?
What do they have in common with my '71 GT? What don't they?
What are their good points (aside from their classic styling)? Bad
points?
What is a good source of information on the history of, purchasing,
and restoring MGAs? Moss has "MGA: A History & Restoration Guide"
by Robert F. somebody. Any good?
How available (and expensive) are parts (relative to my GT)?
(And the $64,000 questions.)
What prices are MGAs going for?
Assuming that the owner has all of the trim and miscellaneous pieces
what would be a fair price range to offer him or her?
Assuming that the owner does not have any of the missing pieces what
would be a fair price for the body, frame, and rolling gear? Would
it be stupid to start a project with this as the base?
Finally, about what would it be worth once it is restored?
Thanks for indulging my questions. I will keep you informed.
Dustin Kassman
dhk@hpcvlx.cv.hp.com
Corvallis, Oregon
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