Bob Lang pondered:
<Hey, maybe I'll buy my next TR out there and drive it back this way...>
Been there; did that. In 1985 I found a 1965 TR4A in some electronic ads here
at Xerox. The car was in Thousand Oaks, CA: IRS, Surrey top, overdrive,
$1,000.
I bought it. My cousin stored it from February to September, when I flew out
to
bring it home. It needed lots of work: tune-up, oil change, hoses, rad flush,
rear
springs, exhaust, timing chain, charging system, etc; I spent ten days
servicing,
upgrading and driving it around before heading east. The trip to Rochester, NY
was uneventful, except a ticket in Utah for 75 mph (speedo wasn't working,
either).
I have since rebuilt the front and rear ends, engine, cooling system and other
stuff, and put another 20,000 miles on it. That's the "good" news. The bad
news: the car had previously lived in Boston and Denver; the frame looks like
swiss cheeze. Next winter I will pull the body and replace the frame! It will
get
fresh paint and chrome and interior then, too.
My advice: carefully examine your California purchase for signs of its earlier
life.
I bought mine sight-unseen and (especially considering the price) have no
regrets,
but there are much better cars in California and they are worth ferreting out.
There are plenty of CA netters - even TR specialists! - who could be your eyes,
taking much of the worry out of the purchase.
Good luck with your quest!
George Haynes
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