It’s been a little while since we have done a Reader Finds Recap, so we thought everyone would like to see what your fellow readers have come across over the past few days. There were a number of great finds over the weekend, but sadly they sold within hours of being posted. Thankfully, there were lots of other great submissions. With summer just around the corner, it’s time to start looking for something fun. If you’re looking for a project to work on, take a look at the Austin Healey, the Ford Maverick Sprint, or the Triumph GT6. If spring is already started for you and you’re looking for something that just needs a tune up, check out the Lotus Elan or the Corvette. For those that are into oddballs, the Chevy Vega GT Wagon and the MG 1100 might be of interest. And not to overlook the off-roaders out there, check out the Land Rover Series IIA with diesel conversion. We wouldn’t mind having all of these cars, but if we had to choose we would narrow it down to the GT6, the Vega Wagon, or the Elan. Our thanks to everyone that shared their finds with us!
1975 Corvette L82 here on eBay (Josh M)
1972 Lotus Elan +2 here on eBay (Josh M)
1964 Land Rover Series IIA here on craigslist (Robert J)
1969 Triumph GT6+ here on craigslist (Robert J)
1972 Chevrolet Vega GT Wagon here on craigslist (Robert J)
1964 MG 1100 Coupe here on eBay (Josh M)
1961 Austin Healey Sprite on eBay (Jim S)
1972 Ford Maverick Sprint on eBay (Jim S)
We are trying a new layout for the reader finds, so please let us know what you think!
We actually featured the Corvette back in December of last year. Here’s the link: http://barnfinds.com/1975-chevrolet-corvette-l82/
I sort of want to make an offer on that Bugeye! It would be a big project, but now that we are in Idaho, it would be nice to have something like this for hillclimbs. The NHA puts on a few races here and even encourages vintage entries!
The Elan +2 looks pretty good, and the seller seems to have given an honest description. Looks like you could drive it as-is. Bid to $5K and no reserve. I’m guessing someone’s going to be happy when this ends.
The Sprite could be a good buy too, but assembling it from scratch will be a lot more work than you might think unless the buyer knows these cars or has an assembled one sitting next to it. Some surface rust, so a main expense will be a good paint job. This car isn’t missing its carpeting since they didn’t come with carpeting, only rubber mats on the floor.
I was excited about the Land Rover until I saw the odd turbo Volvo 6 with veggy oil for fuel. IIRC those were VW engines that Volvo used. A very fortunate thing about this vehicle is that the owner never got around to ripping out the original suspension and installing his idea of a ‘lift kit’. A lifted Land Rover running a turbo Volvo/VW diesel burning veggy oil. Right. If you can get the right kind of used oil your diesel can smell like french fries.
Good one Dolphin! Just think, while picking up some food from McDonald’s, you could fill up your tank too.
…not so fast on the Elan…
it’s already at 7600 less than 2 hours after your post and another 5 + days to go…
Yep, how to ruin a Land Rover……..what the heck gets into peoples knuckleheads?
Now on to the Lotus P2. These are my favorite old Lotus, plenty of leg room for tall folk, nice and stable on the freeways, and they, in Lotus fashion can be operated with one finger to steer. With Ford block and tranny these are fun and built right are reliable. A five speed was available in the last years of production but we have yet to find one here in the States. The four speed is more robust though, like a little Ford top loader. This is the second go round as this car was on ebay last week and got up to about $15K +/-.
We have found the prices on P2’s have been on the upswing. What we can’t figure out is why it has taken so long to acknowledge the Ron Hickman design body. The aerodynamics are interesting. Driving down a freeway very little air enters the car with the windows down. They weigh in at about 1900 lbs.
Also my take is this is a 1971. It has the drop down back seat (pre ’72). Many times the car would be registered in the year it was sold not manufactured.
Like to get my mits on the shift knob…………..they are NLA, mine is MIA and looking for an NOS
:)
Interesting that these have some special qualities (not only room but also stability at highway speeds….because of the longer WB?), and that they are finally appreciating. I’m guessing as a Lotus outsider that the shorter WB Elans led the way in terms of value because they were seen as more ‘sporting’, plus had a race history = the usual story in some cases like this. At the extreme of short wheelbases (e.g., Lancia Stratos) they can be very twitchy I believe.
D,
at 6’1″ I have the seat pulled forward on these. Yep, the longer wheelbase on the P2 does indeed increase stability. There were a couple of different fellows that raced these early on but in general they are a fun little twisty tamer in the back country with just enough go and great mileage per gallon. But if anyone is expecting Andretti Lotus power……….that ain’t gonna happen. But the are a hoot.
The dash is quite elegant with frankly to many gauges but it sure does look neat. Let me think, I believe they are just a bit less then two feet longer than an Elan and a foot wider. The wheels are also wider on a Elan P2 vs. the Elan.
For those that didn’t know, Ford makes new blocks for these and almost all parts are available………sep that dang correct shift knob.
Actually although 7 down is refered to as a Austin Healey Sprite it is better known as the Frogeye Sprite due to the fact it looks like a frog about to jump.
Yep and for some reason, it is known as a bugeye here in the US.
Funny to see an MG 1100 after all these years , my brother had an Austin America version of this car.
I woke up one morning and discovered that I couldn’t afford a Maverick anymore! When I was a little kid in the mid 70s, I loved them. In the 1980s and 90’s I hated them. Since the mid 2000s, I guess I got nostalgic and I like them again, but at 1980s prices!
I like the MG also, but I wish they had more of an MG-Bish styled grill. I’m guessing that parts for these would be challenging on this side of the pond?
Vega. Just like my first car. Must resist the urge to rent a trailer and take a road trip……
I remember the Vette last year because it was staged to look like a barn find.
Yep I saw that as well.
the seller with the maverick also has a 75 comet for sale on ebay. i will take the 2002 in the background of the picture of the mg. great finds
The Bugeye, if solid, and it does look solid is an easy car to build/assemble. Get hold of the catalogs from Moss Motors, Victoria British and a few others plus a good shop manual and you can have this car going in 6 months or less, depending on how much time you have to devote weekly.
The big issue is it is WAY over priced at $4000. A good race car build is going to cost you at least $7500 (roll cage, brake upgrades, race seat, belts, fire ext) then you have the engine build, getting hold of the correct R&P ratio (not hard as there are lots of them floating around), going through the trans and possibly going with the ribcage all snychro box at a minimum, wheels and then paint.
Heck, that could be $10k in a blink couldn’t it??? Damn……..
Jesse, I DO like the new layout… lets you get close with fewer key-strokes. I can eat cheerios and surf the latest finds with ease!
The Élan has a certain élan about it.