All,
Had some comp time coming to me from my job, so I sent Jon Frampton an email
and asked if I could come see his recently acquired 1967 2000. It may not be
the way you would have chosen to spend some time off, but for me it was
perfect. Jon wrote back and said "Come on over", so I did.
When I got there, I immediatly checked the car out. It is a numbers matching
low serial number 67 2000. All the numbers including the serial number on
the frame match. It is rough of course but mostly there and the radio
console and shift plate were in great shape. The car runs and drives well.
Jon even let me drive the car and although it has some obvious compression
issues and a throttle linkage that can best be described as "creative", the
car did well.
Try as I might I could not find any serious rust areas. The transmission is
sound. The floorboards on this car are pristine. It stil has the carpet
snaps on the floor. The seats are rough but the carpets are pretty good. I
admit to being a little envious as he paid less for a running car than I
paid for one that needed a lot of additional work before it ran. Good for
him. Jon is a very nice guy and if anyone deserved to get this car at that
price it was him.
Jon got into his absolutely fabulous 67.5 1600 and we took off from a street
light side by side. Jon's 67.5 1600 is dialed in and he wanted to see how it
would do against his new 67 2000. Just as you would think, we were pretty
even off the line, but the 2000's top end started to show through as we
climbed into 2nd and I brought it up to 6500 rpm. I left him behind after
that.
Then he let me drive his 67.5 1600. I can't remember driving a sweeter car.
Smooth shifting, fast breaking and great in the corners. People know what a
fabulous car Jon's is to look at. After driving it I can tell you it is just
as fabulous to drive.
We went back to his shop and talked cars for a while. Jon is going to come
to my frame off party and I am sure he wants to see some of the parts off
the car and some of the other quirks as well. All in all I can't think of a
better way to spend a day off, but then again I am a roadster nut.
See you on the road,
Andrew Murphy
1964 1500
1967 2000 Solex
SoCalROC
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