I'm currently visiting some frieds in Denmark (using my account through
the magic of telnet), and one of them told me he is thinking about buying
a British sports car. Perhaps the ride he had in my TR-4 last year when
he visited the USA had something to do with it. Anyway, I need some
advice from the net as to what sort of car he should get. Hear are the
criteria:
1) two seats are fine - he almost never carries passengers other than his
eight year old son.
2) should have a relatively easy to use top (not a hard top), since it
rains often in Denmark. A top like the one on my TR where you take the
the whole thing off and put it in the trunk is not acceptable. must also
have roll-up side windows.
3) due to tax structure on cars in Denmark, should have small engine,
probably four-cylinder with about 2000cc displacement or less.
4) must have reasonable reliability if a restored example is purchased,
since my friend is not a mechanic. My TR-4 is an example of the kind of
reliability level we are looking for, a TR-7 is not.
An MGB seems like a good example of what he is looking for, or a
TR-6, but I know in the USA that thre are certain years that are better
than others due to safty and emissions considerations. Also, I suppose
there are other cars avalible in Europe that we did not see in the USA.
Thus, I'd like suggestions of not just models of cars but specific years
that are better and why they are better, as well as tips on how to
separate a good restoration from a poor one on these cars.
Send your sugestions to me directly, and I'll put together a list
and post it for further comment.
Mark Clark
By the way, my wife has finally named my TR-4. She decided on
"Tigger-mobile," that's Tigger as in Pooh and Piglet's friend. She says
only someone whose "tops is made out of rubber and bottoms is made out of
springs" could stand to ride in a car with a suspension like this.
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