[Spridgets] RWA Midget

[rrengineer at dslextreme.com]

Robert,
    I went to look at a 73 RWA Midget that someone on the list mentioned
was for sale in Calimesa, CA last week.  The car was rust free and the
body very straight.  There was a good engine and transmission in it. 
At least the guy said so and told me it had 60 PSi oil pressure. 
Sounds like he knows Spridgets.  Needed an interior and seats and the
brakes needed work.  It had BRG paint that was faded in spots.  Looked
like it could be a runner with a little effort.  I talked him down
from his $1650 firm price to $1400 with no effort.  I still passed on
this car when I started adding up the restoration cost in my head
after I went on Ebay and saw much better RWA cars going for only 6-700
bucks more.  It sounds to me like you were looking at a parts car, you
not being Frank and all. ;^)
Mike MacLean
60 AN5
56 BN2


Robert Duquette
> As I travelled up to my parents' place last evening, I noticed a white RWA
> Midget with a 'for sale' sign on a parallel street in a town I was passing
> through.  So ... I detoured.  It was a semi-glossed over mess.  New Cooper
> tires.  Top looked newish.  Quick body work (bondo) over rust and rust
> showing through.  Adhesive rubber strip down the sides instead of chrome.
> The rubberized rust coating coming off the bottom with the metal coming
> off with it.  One front fender sprung at the bottom and the other one with
> no seam at the bottom.  etc. etc.  Seats looked good.  There was also ( my
> French isn't good ) an "unfit" permit on the windshield.  While I am
> broke, I thought that it might still be a good idea to find out how much
> he wanted for this 'parts' car.  So, I phoned the number on the car while
> I sat there.  $3000!  I said immediately that I wasn't interested.  He
> proudly told me that he had an estimate for a $4000 blasting and
> repainting job for it and continued to try to
>   sell me on it.  I didn't try to set him straight.  I figured he was way
> too far out to lunch to waste time with.  After I got him off the phone,
> and drove for a while, I figured maybe I should have made an offer and
> left my number.  Maybe I should have checked the date on that permit to
> see how long it's been there.
>
> What would you have done?
>
> Robert D.