This weekend my son continued his search for the "perfect" car. For a
change he came across two he really liked: A '63 Series II Alpine and
an '80 TR8. Though he was pretty enthusiastic about the Alpine at
first, he has decided to pass on this car because the asking price seems
very high and because of indications that there might be serious rust in
the sills.
This leaves the TR8. He looked at this car after the Alpine and I think
this was pretty much the clincher in his decision to not consider the
Alpine. The cars seems to be just what he's looking for. It's
completely rust free, it's a driver, the body is in good shape, though
the original paint is starting to show its age. Even the top appears to
be in good condition. And the five speed definitely makes it freeway
worthy. He was taken with the more modern amenities of the car, and
impressed with the smooth power of the Rover V8. I went with him to
check the car out and we couldn't detect any serious mechanical problems
with the possible exception of an oil leak. The owner didn't know what
was leaking, but I wouldn't be surprised to learn that it's a main
bearing seal. Even so, the spot on the garage floor where the car was
parked indicated an annoying drip rather than a gusher. I pulled the
dip stick and the oil looked fresh, but his could have been due to a
recent oil change for show. The only other possible mechanical problem
was the air conditioner, which the owner said might work if recharged,
though he made no guarantee. There were some items which will be
requiring near term maintenance. We noticed that all of the balance
weights were missing form the alloy wheels; only the weight stickum
remained. Also the mufflers, at least the ones at the rear of the car
were full of holes, the forward units, which may have been catalytic
converters looked okay from the exterior.
The interior looked good with the exception of the seats, which are in
need of reupholstering. A common TR8 problem apparently. Even the
stereo worked.
The car is due to be smogged today (Oct 16) and the owner promised to
call with the results this evening. Either way, my son plans on making
an offer. If it doesn't pass smog, the offer will be contingent on the
owner doing what ever is required at his expense to get it to pass.
That's a CA requirement, anyway.
The only question is: what to offer? The asking price is $5.5k/or best
offer. Since the asking amount is really a bit above his budget, he was
thinking about $4.8-5k. Does that seem like the going rate?
Since this is of immediate interest, I would appreciate direct feedback
ASAP. Also I'm only on the british-cars list, so replies sent to
triumphs or tr8 won't reach me.
Thanks,
Roland
cobra@cdc.hp.com or Ian.Dudley@amd.com
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