Lars Rydberg <ekalor@eka.ericsson.se> writes
Snip
>As I live in Sweden with a very small lokal market I am about to go to
>England and during a week or so try to fullfill my dream.
>
>Both 2-seaters and 4-seaters in all models are possible as long as there are
>fine examples - either original cars with low mileage or newly renovated
>cars in nice condition. Due to Swedish pollotion regulations I am first of
>all interested in models pre 1977.
>
>Anyone having good ideas how to structure a search...
>Are there any "must" dealers to visit or other contacts to take...
>Anyone having own good or bad experiences to share...
An unrebuilt pre 1977 car may well be rusty, even with low mileage, as
rust proofing was a sad joke until 1986, even then it's a bit patchy. I
would suggest that you concentrate on the older car, normally rebuilt
onto a new chassis. My car is a 1972 Morgan 4/4 2 str in red and has a
market value of UKP13,000, (United Kingdom Pounds), there are a few
similar to this about, but they sell quickly, they represent excellent
value- the rebuilds will cost UKP9-20,000 depending on labour rate.
Someone else has suggested that you join the MSCC and study Miscellany,
an excellent idea, but you've only given yourself a week, so the dealers
and specialists will be the best bet. An alternative would be to ask a
specialist to look for one on your behalf.
Assuming your budget is UKP10-20,000, you should expect to get an
excellent 4/4 and would probably have enough left to convert to left
hand drive, (if you desire). A +8 would be a bit of a squeeze as would a
pre '69 +4, rebuilds tend to be a bit expensive!
Places to try:
The dealers who keep stock, Libre Motive, Wykehams, Lifes
Motors, I & J Macdonald, F.H. Douglass, Harpers, Allon White,
Melvyn Rutter, Brands Hatch Morgans etc.
There are others, but during my search, 5 years ago now, I went to all
of these and they were helpful, but of course, you pay for the dealer
facilities.
In the end I bought privately and paid UKP1500 less than the dealer
price, but took the risk for clocked/stolen/uncleared HP/uneconomic
repair cars.
Some of the smaller specialists, usually one man bands, will inspect a
car for you at short notice for expenses and hourly rate, a private sale
plus this expense and an HPI check could give a reasonable saving,
without excessive risk.
I could assist with the latter route by setting up some appointments in
advance of your visit/sending extracts of Miscellany/viewing the odd
car/checking my usual car comics,(Classic Car, Classic and Sports Car),
for possibles. E-mail me direct if you want to explore this option.
--
Jeremy Edwards
1972 Morgan 4/4 2 str
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