-----Original Message-----
From: aldwyn@sylvancircle.org
To: triumphs@autox.team.net
...So the plan is to buy, and then send it by an auto shipper to my
place if it's not within 100 miles of me (give or take). I am not at
liberty to pick up and travel to look over the car before I plop down
5K-10K on the thing, at the moment (again, unless it's close by). ...
Do any of you Triumph veterans have any suggestions for someone like me
on buying online? Or should I stab my dream in the throat, be patient,
and wait until the one I am looking for comes up close by so I will
have a chance to look it over? :)
==AM==
Aldwyn, you've taken an important first step by joining this list!
Otherwise, I think the overall answer is fairly simple. You have two
choices once you identify a car that interests you: 1) take a plane,
train, bus, whatever to the car and look at it in person; or 2) through
this list and / or through Triumph clubs around the country, see if you
can't find someone who can serve as surrogate "eyes" for you. Offer to
reimburse people for their efforts, of course, although some folks
might actually do this out of the goodness of their hearts. That's what
makes the car hobby so great!
Sure, there's the usual "get all the information you can," "ask for
lots of pictures," etc. But thousands of the best pictures still might
not show everything, and they certainly can't demonstrate for you the
bad bottom end knock in the engine or the severe pull to the right. And
there certainly are sellers who won't or can't crawl under the car to
get detailed photos.
In conjunction with your search, join the closest local Triumph or
British Car club and a national club. Learn all you can from them, and
get hold of reference material related to the car(s) you're interested
in: histories, restoration guides, workshop manuals, vendor parts
catalogues, even sales literature.
In summary, a bit of money and effort spent up front will likely pay
off...and you're likely to make a bunch of good friends in the process.
--Andy Mace
*Mrs Irrelevant: Oh, is it a jet?
*Man: Well, no ... It's not so much of a jet, it's more your, er,
Triumph Herald engine with wings.
-- Cut-price Airlines Sketch, Monty Python's Flying Circus (22)
Check out the North American Triumph Sports 6 (Vitesse 6) and Triumph
Herald Database at its new URL: <http://triumph-herald.us>
________________________________________________________________________
Check out AOL.com today. Breaking news, video search, pictures, email
and IM. All on demand. Always Free.
=== This list supported in part by The Vintage Triumph Register
=== http://www.vtr.org
|