Double Temptation Barely Resisted

GODDAMN IT!

Yep, that's the perfect way to express what I nearly did today while coming home from work. The lot where I bought Layla (a Catholic charity auto lot, no less) had just received two more little almost-gems, and were willing to part with them for $500 each. One was a dark blue 1972 Triumph Spitfire, not running and with a bit of floor rot, but the rear suspension's shock towers (which usually rust away on Spits letting the shocks pop through the towers and causing a condition called Spit Squat by aficianados) were totally intact. The other, however, was even more tempting. It was a bright red 1966 MG Midget with dual Strombergs and an ANSA exhaust. The little beaut was running fine and its paint was only slightly faded. The rear bumper needed re-attachment, but I'd probably leave it off, anyways. Long story short, I only stopped haggling when I realized that I really didn't have the cash for them both, nor do I need two more near-derelict British sports cars in my garage. Especially since I don't have the space for two more.

Damn it. I wanted the Spitfire. Why me?

Oh I feel your pain... I've come across a few old muscle cars that were cheap and needing of a good home...

One is a 68 Camaro thats about... 3 blocks from me... Pretty little thing. Just faded paint... hasnt run in years it looks like.

Another was a 69 Charger, my dream car... they wanted $9000 for a faded paint vinyl top... It was advertised with a 383 motor. But, I never got around to haggling...

The last car I encountered was by sheer fate. A 72 Nova just parked in this driveway about a half block from a house I was working at. Bricks behind all four tires. Instant thought 'derelict!' A week later I came back left a note, no response. A month later went back to leave a second note, but decided to knock on the door. Turns out it had a blown motor and had been sitting for 4 months and they just put it on the market. The next day I brought it home... it now servers as the base for my Hotrod. Yaaayyy happy ending!

Morale of the story... buy warbonds!....And never pass up on a great deal!

Yep, ran across a 1971 Dodge Challenger R/T recently with a 440 in it for $7,000. It was in really nice shape just need a bit of work. I wanted to buy it so bad but I don't have the money. I will have one someday though.

my dream mustang...i've had it in my sights for years witin blocks of my house...is gone...replaced by a beat to shit 89 LX stang....5.0 but still....I almost cryed...then ate some stake...

Originally posted by TerminalVelocity
my dream mustang...i've had it in my sights for years witin blocks of my house...is gone...replaced by a beat to shit 89 LX stang....5.0 but still....I almost cryed...then ate some stake...

yeah.. it was a cool Mustang.

i didnt know you ate wood?

you mean steak!:finger: You know i've good bust ya on your spelling at least once!... and will you tell me about the fool with the 67-383 Nova... you started into it but trailed off about something like how you were being molestered by A-Man-Duh (Amanda for you folks)... then your line went dead....

You Ok?? hahaha.

Originally posted by RedNeck383


yeah.. it was a cool Mustang.

i didnt know you ate wood?

you mean steak!:finger: You know i've good bust ya on your spelling at least once!... and will you tell me about the fool with the 67-383 Nova... you started into it but trailed off about something like how you were being molestered by A-Man-Duh (Amanda for you folks)... then your line went dead....

You Ok?? hahaha.
The dream car nova, with the paladin licence plate? That he tried to race? By the way redneck hows your mechanic been? :devil: :hehe:

There's a Spitfire GT6 for $3000 Canadian 1 km down the street from me :eek: I'm so tempted, but so broke :(

I'd get the Midget, even if you sell it the next day, you'll make money off of it, and you can have a Midget until then!

Didn't spitfires have like....60 hp?

Closer to 80 :D

It's not about the power... Anyways, the Spitfire GT6 is a differnent story, as the 6 indicates, it's got a 2.5 liter inline 6, making around 150hp, and 160ftlbs. There is a lot more power in the engine, which can be extracted with a better cam, and bigger carbs, higher compression etc.

Also, they are just gorgeous cars!

http://pages.prodigy.net/mikeross/GTSix70.JPG
http://pages.prodigy.net/mikeross/gt6.JPG

http://pages.prodigy.net/mikeross/gt6BRG.html

Hey! These are driver's cars I'm talking about. You don't need a small block Chevy in a car that only weighs in at around 1500lbs. Okay, maybe you do, but not for corner carving like I do. For me, it's enough to find ultra-twisty roads, row down through the gears, hearing that classic British carburetted burble coming from the little engine, and then just tear through the corners, sliding across each apex in pure motoring delight.

ARGH!!! You guys are cruel! Someone keep my checkbook away from me. Layla still needs parts!

But they're like 80 hp... you could barely beat those Honda and Toyota electrical cars.

That green one looks pretty nice though. Nice paint job, nice wheels, its all about the gold. :smoker:

They're not the fastest in a straight line, true. They make up for it in the corners though. Compared to modern sports cars, they're not really any faster in the corners, unless you dump a lot of money into your suspension.

The thrill is in driving them! If you really need that straight line speed, get a Rover 3.5 liter V8. This was the Buick/Olds 215, which was given to Rover in the 60s. It has an alloy block, and weighs less than the original 4/6 cylinder.

A 3.5 liter V8 may not sound like much, but it is in an 1800 lb car, especially when it's making 250hp.

BTW, Octagon, did you catch the SCCA runoffs for E production? A beautiful Elva Courier MK IV won, beating two Miata speedsters, a 240SX, and countless RX7s.

Oh YOU KNOW IT!!! I love seeing the Runoffs. I go down to Mid-Ohio on a regular basis just to shop around for parts for Layla. (used racer parts are many a time as good as new street parts)

That Elva was gorgeous. Did you see the Classic Le Mans coverage? So many 250GTO's, with that V-12 sound echoing down the Mulsanne... Forza Cavaillano Rampante! *faints*

Seriously, Devil. If you drag race a classic British sports car like an MG or a small Triumph, you'll never understand the appeal. The joy is in how ALIVE the cars feel. They're raw, fundamentalist, unadulturated motoring pleasure. You feel the road through manual steering, the straight cut gears in the tranny whine as you accelerate. The car demands more of you, but you feel more satisfied after having mastered it.

I forgot that you are in Ohio! Were you there this year?

I was supposed to go, but my teammate had to work and there's no way Layla was going to make it from Parma (near Cleveland) to Lexington (near Columbus) in her condition.

Damn it. I was going to buy some used Webers down there, too! And maybe a Sebring style airdam, Campagnalo 5spoke magnesium wheels (like the type Ferrari 312B F1 cars used, they're even knock-off), and some other bits and pieces....

*looks at Layla* Oh yeah, and doorskins. *sighs* The pretty ones are always high-maintenance, eh Cbass?

no flames but....uhhh, what does this have to do with street racing?:confused: :wtf:

Too bad there isn't a smiley face for contempt. :rolleyes: :huh:

Yeah Octagon, the classics are always in need of something :(

On a somewhat related topic, I've found an original set of seats for the 924 for $20, and I'm getting a set of black Corbeau Forza fixed seats when I have the $500 to spare.

http://www.corbeau.ca/products/images/forza.jpg

Of course, the tranny and the 4 wheel disc swap will come before that...

Are those $500 a pair or per seat? I would liked a set of seats, but I don't think they would make a rear bench that would match, that, for some reason annoys me.

i know what ya mean poly....they need to invent racing BENCHES haha there are so many "coupes" with back benches and it looks so queer with like red racing seats in the front ..and a bench in the back

supra-rx7, I can understand your confusion. I'm the resident classic British sportscar street racer. My car Layla, a 1970 MGB GT, is currently terroizing my garage by consuming all of its space with parts, parts, and more parts. I'm relating this tale because, for an instant, it looked like I'd have two more little terrors.

Beautiful seats, Cbass. I'm shopping around for used Sparcos and Sabelt four point harnesses for Layla. Somehow, I don't feel safe using the belts in my car that are anchored to the B pillar trim.

Ha, sounds pretty safe to me Octagon ;)

Polygon, the seats are $220 each... It looks like I might be getting a different set of seats, for $300 or so.