In 1969 I took my 68 2 Liter roadster to Ron Tonkin Gran Tourisimo on
Burnside in downtown Portland, Oregon and looked at a beautiful red '64
Ferrari convertible they had imported. They imported Ferrari's to avoid
the federal laws coming into effect. This one was red with a natural
interior and Borani wheels. It was priced at $4,000, AND according to
the information letter on the window it was the one and only Ferrari
built for the street using a fiberglass body. I stood by the car for
about an hour trying to convince myself I should buy it. I could afford
to trade my roadster and buy the car, but a clutch was $500 on the work
bench at the import specialty and Lotus dealer near my home. A tune-up
was about $350, which I learned when Todd Webb and his nationally
recognized Porsche race team could not tune up a Ferrari he was loaned
and he had to pay Ron Tonkin to tune it up for him, and of course there
was the insurance thing as well as trying to get my mother's car out of
the garage so I could put a Ferrari in it. I finally walked away
without the car. Today Ron Tonkin still owns the car. I have been told
it is in his warehouse. The service manager for Ferrari here in Las
Vegas told me that Tonkin is now the importer, and I have seen an F1 car
being unloaded from a cargo van near his warehouse. Oh, and that clutch
today? About $3500 sitting on the work bench. A tune-up/service will
set you back something North of $1.00/mile driven if serviced at
recommended intervals.
Tom
69 2000 - Mr. Hyde
Las Vegas
http://www.datsun2000.com
http://www.nowroc.org
On 12/28/2012 4:37 PM, Pete Peters wrote:
> Ahhhhh, memories. I found a '68 'Vette for $1500, but the insurance for a
> single, under 21 sailor was $3000. Ended up w/ a '72 El Camino.
>
> Even more important, in '73, before the Great Oil Embargo, gas was still
> less than fifty-cents a gallon!
>
> Pete
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: datsun-roadsters-bounces@autox.team.net
> [mailto:datsun-roadsters-bounces@autox.team.net] On Behalf Of Mark J
> Bradakis
> Sent: Friday, December 28, 2012 2:55 PM
> To: datsun
> Subject: Re: [Roadsters] Wanted: Austin Healey Mark III
>
> Years ago my father shipped my old train set out to me here in Utah. He
> wrapped up the bits in sections of the Indianapolis Star newspaper. Here's
> some examples of what was in the automotive classifieds back in 1973:
>
>
> '67 Chevelle, 396, 4 spd. $950
>
> '67 Corvette conv. air, power windows, 427, $2,300
>
> Ferrari, 1959 250 GT, 12 cyl. 2 passenger, excel. cond. $4,950
>
> '53 Jag XK120 show car, $3,395
>
> '64 MGB New red paint, new top, luggage rack, very fast, $1,000
>
> '59 MGA, engine good, body needs work $500
>
> '58 Porsche, runs good, $850
>
> '60 Triumph, 4 spd., looks, runs perfect $300
>
> '64 TR4 wire wheels, new paint, tires, $750
>
> '64 TR4 Rebuilt, mech. perfect, new tires, no rust $850
>
> '56 Morgan Plus 4, excel. orig. condition, $3,500
>
>
> mjb
> ________________________________________
>
> datsun-roadsters@autox.team.net
>
> Donate: http://www.team.net/donate.html
> Archive: http://www.team.net/archive
> Forums: http://www.team.net/forums
> Unsubscribe:
> http://autox.team.net/mailman/options/datsun-roadsters/tom@datsun2000.com
________________________________________
datsun-roadsters@autox.team.net
Archive: http://www.team.net/archive
Unsubscribe:
http://autox.team.net/mailman/options/datsun-roadsters/mharc@autox.team.net
|