Rusty But Trusty

Normally we stay away from non-running cars here at RustyButTrusty, and this car is more than a quick tuneup away from being driveable. Austin Americas and all their ADO16 derivatives are fascinating for the fact that they offer similar performance to the Mini, but are more unusual (bonus!) and more spacious. Also, they’re fairly attractive in that European 1960s idiom, much like a Type 3 VW or Fiat 1100. My experience with one of these is limited to one I test drove several years ago, and back when I was just a glint in my Daddy’s eye – he had an America as his winter beater in Montreal.

On to our feature car, which is available in Modesto, CA for $850 (judging by the windshield, the price has already dropped once). It looks pretty straight and complete, with all its trim and no noticeable rust – the seller says as much. Seller also says he could maybe get back the original engine, but honestly, it shouldn’t be too hard to find a good option, what with the explosion of Minis here over the last decade or so.

The blue really does look good on this car too. With any luck, this is fairly easy to get to “running project” status, from which point you can debug the car while enjoying it on the road. Or if you’re feeling adventurous, do as the seller was planning and drop in a junkyard Japanese engine with a little more power.