I just joined the Austin Healey Club of America and would like to immediately
take advantage of my new membership by asking for some advice. I was the proud
owner of a 1959-60 Bugeye Sprite and I cannot get the fun of driving that car
out of my mind, now 46 years later.
My question to the club is simple: how realistic is it for me to consider
owning another one of these great little cars, taking into consideration the
following:
7 I am seriously mechanically challenged and would need to rely on
someone else to help me maintain this car.
7 I would want this car for the pleasure of driving it around town
during the decent weather and probably garaging it during the winter (I live
in upstate New York).
7 I am not interested in buying a car that would be considered "show
quality", but I would want something that is in great working order and looks
good. Ideally, I would like a car that has had both a drive train upgrade from
the original and front disc brakes. Since I am not as concerned with
authenticity as I am about drivability and reliability, additional
modifications or upgrades would be welcome.
7 I would want a tonneau cover and rag top, but not necessarily a hard
top.
7 I cannot afford to spend a fortune on this obsession of mine, but I
would gladly pay a fair price for what I am expecting.
Given all of the above, how realistic am I being? And, what might I expect to
pay for what I'm hoping to buy? I know nothing about the process of purchasing
an antique or classic car, let alone maintaining one. And I have a few
additional curiosities which may be a bit naove:
1. As I recall, my Sprite ran on regular leaded gas. How does one deal
with that issue?
2. What about seatbelt and other safety laws?
3. How difficult would it be for me to locate someone skilled in the
mechanics of 1960s British sports cars? And where would I start to look for
such a person? Should I find my mechanic before seriously looking for a car?
4. How difficult is it to find a decent, drivable 1959-60 Bugeye Sprite?
Is this a pipedream or can I take this notion seriously?
5. Assuming it is possible to find one of these cars in this day and age,
how quickly might I be successful? And where should I start looking? I've seen
a couple of these that look good on e-Bay but the thought of buying something
like this sight-unseen frightens me.
Okay.that's probably enough for a trial balloon. Let me send it up and see
what happens. Any thoughts or advice will be greatly appreciated. But, I'm
still learning and considering, so no sales pitches yet, please J
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