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Re: Plymouth Car Show Trip Report

To: "Darrell Walker" <walker@hprpcd.rose.hp.com>,
Subject: Re: Plymouth Car Show Trip Report
From: steve@europa.esd.sgi.com (Loopy - the spineless boy)
Date: Tue, 16 Jun 92 10:37:57 -0700
Other than the more known MG's, Minis, Morgans, and Triumphs, there was also a
few less known cars at the gathering:

>Some of the more obscure cars at the show included some type of TVR, a Turner
>vintage racer, and several big 50/60s Rolls.  There were 5 beautiful big

It was a TVR 2500M, probably the most common TVR (if there is such a thing!).
It was very clean, and was for sale - $12,500.  A little high, IMO.  $9K - $10K
would be closer to the mark.  The owner claims to be the second owner, having 
owned it for 12 years.  I was a little suspicious when he said it was a 
2400.  There is no such thing as a TVR 2400.  He agreed with me when I told him
it was actually a 2500M.  If your going to buy an obscure car,  then you should
know everything you can about it!

There was another pretty yellow TVR on Sat.  It was a pre-M series 2500.  This
used the second generation chasis from the Grantura Mk3 thru the Vixen series, 
and has a Vixen MK3 body.  It's the classic stubby TVR shape with the small
doors that make ingress fun.  It's fairly similar looking to my Grantura Mk1.
The M series body was lengthened and widened and looks more in proportion to a
standard car (My TVR is the same length as a Spridget, but almost a foot 
wider!).

The Turner was a factory 950S racer.  It purports to be the only such beast in
existence.  It was fairly clean and well used looking, just the way I like them!
It looks like it's often vintage raced.   It kind of looks like a Daimler SP250,
only Spridget sized.  Very unusual.

For half the day on Saturday, my 2nd favorite Marcos showed up - a beautiful 
1800
model (my favoite is the Luton Gullwing of 1961, but only a handful were made).
This used the Volvo B18 engine and has a plywood chassis with one of the most
beautiful and exotic fiberglass bodies on it.  This car sometimes shows up to
the meet in Palo Alto.  

Let's see...  There was a gorgeous MG Magnette (sfisher would have wet his 
pants!).
Dave Bean brought his extra clean Lotus Cortina (sfisher, again, neener neener 
neener!).  There was a modified Lotus Europa, with all sorts of tacky looking 
aerodynamic panels added, and a Mazda rotory.  Saturday had a beautiful Lotus
Elite (Lotus 14) in the parking lot (I just about wet my pants!  Anyone have a
spare $35K they could donate to a worthy cause?).

The swap meet was so-so.  There were many vendors, many selling the same stuff,
and not many buyers.  I hung out at the Dave Bean booth with my friend Mike, and
oogled over the nifty Tilton Engineering performance parts on display.  There 
was
also a brand new Lotus Twin Cam weber head on display ($3400).  Dave Bean and
a few others got together and had them manufactured.  After the meet on Saturday
I got a tour thru Dave Bean's werehouse in San Andreas (about 25 miles from
Plymouth).   Mind Boggling Stuff, including a new Elan Spyder chassis in a crate
ready to be shipped off to a customer in Texas.  We sat around in the parking 
lot
listening to Dave's racing stories (he used to race a Lotus 7 before he started
his business).  

steve valin             steve@sgi.com
        I've just had my brain washed and I can't do a thing with it.




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