Posts Tagged ‘british’

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Project 16 – 1969 Austin America

November 3, 2009

Since finding out my father owned one of these back in the 60s to spare his E-type from the Montreal winters, I’ve had a hankering to pick up one of these innovative and sporty family cars. When Mini Mania was in Milpitas, and I worked down near there, I had the opportunity to test drive a functional car that was for sale for $1400. At the time, the car was just as sharp as the Mini Moke my parents had rented a couple of years earlier while we were on vacation, but I ultimately decided against buying it since my Spider was still busy draining any car funds I had. The great thing about this car is, you can have some of the style and handling of the Mini, but at a far more attainable price.

Speaking of price, here’s an example in Oklahoma City for $2900. Given the questionable status of the engine, a cash offer might net you this for something lower than asking, but as an indoor-stored dry-state car, it has good potential. It also appears to be very complete, right down to the hubcaps and all the trim.

1969 Austin America front

Check out this video to see how capable these are:

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It’s Spitting in Washington – Triumph Spitfire x2

October 30, 2009

Triumph Spitfires have always held a certain attraction to me since I lusted over a very sad looking one parked in a neighbor’s side yard when I was a kid. His was also an earlier model, so while the later 1500 cars redone by Michelotti are a cleaner, better-looking design, these are special in their own right. And while they’re not terribly powerful, their simplicity and lightness makes them a pretty compelling sportscar. Swing axles might make for an interesting driving experience, but again, you won’t be going too fast in one of these.

Check out this example with much recent work and the bidding at $1400 with 3 days to go. The reserve has not been met, but can’t be much higher than the current bid price.

1968 Triumph Spitfire rear

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Better than a Beetle – 1967 Morris Minor

August 12, 2009

Well, that headline is bound to annoy somebody. The closest I’ve come to driving either of those two cars is a Karmann Ghia and a Mini Moke, so I speak with a level of authority that can only be recognized on the internet. That said, I’ve always wanted to try a Minor since it’s got that fun little A-series engine, chassis by Issigonis, and cute styling. The other fun part about these, and the reason they’re suitable here, is parts and upgrades are plentiful and cheap, even though they went out of production 38 years ago. You can also go off the deep end and drop in something like a twincam Fiat motor, the virtues of which I’ve expounded upon in other posts. Body style options are also broad, with a 2-door, 4-door, convertible, pickup and wagon (of course the first two are most affordable).

With that as an introduction, here is our first Morris post. The Moggie in question is a 1967 model listed in Millbrae, CA for $2850. Since it’s a later model, it benefits from the raging 48hp of the 1098cc engine. This puts it behind the 1500 Beetle in power, but it makes up for it in reduced weight.

1967 Morris Minor front

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