Although it’s only temporary storage, I finally have all but three of our old hobby cars in one place at the same time. We’ve had to vacate where we had been storing the cars (a larger area encompassing our spot is being rented to a business), and our house and shop aren’t constructed yet, so my wife and I moved them on Saturday to a different rental area in the same warehouse.
Apologies for the smartphone pictures, we weren’t thinking this move was going to have to take place so I didn’t have a camera ready. Some of the cars you’ll recognize from past comments and posts I’ve made, but some may be a little tougher for you (and it won’t help that the tougher ones are on the back row). Actually, to be honest, the one in the far back corner in this second picture belongs to my son-in-law, but we’ll throw it into the mix anyway. It already doesn’t look as nice as the 12 loose engines and 13 loose transmissions are now against the wall on the right in this second picture. As you folks identify them, I’ll add closeups of each car in the comments. Most run and are tagged and used or are in the middle of being worked on, for those of you that are thinking “hoarder”. As as side note, two of them are for sale (one running, one project car)! No prizes for guessing my favorite marque! Have at it, Barn Finds readers!
Nice collection. Picking a favorite car is like picking a favorite child. I’d hope you love them all equally. I’m not too keen on the cars in the back row, but the favorite I’d have to think is the “elbow scraper” ( Jag, Morgan?) followed by the TR-6? My question, with all those British cars, where’s the oil on the ground? I sure recognize the Austin Marina.
Howard, I can’t say I love them all equally, but I do love them for different reasons! The Marina was an impulse purchase as I watched it go lower and lower on Craigslist after being “totalled” from losing an argument with a Lexus cell-phone user. A little time on the rack later, it became a daily driver for my stepdaughter until her then boyfriend blew the engine (they do that when you ignore the temperature gauge after a hose broke). It sat in the yard for about 18 months before we decided to go LeMons racing after our ChumpCar TR6 team broke up. We have big plans for the Marina in 2016–stay tuned! By the way, there are some drip pans in use!
I think I’ve figured ’em all out, except for the coupe in the back row next to the Moggie. Triumph Italia, maybe?
Nice collection, Jamie!
Having said that, I must also say it’s not exactly to my taste. No Big Healeys, no Citroens and no two-cylinder Hondas….
I’ve owned the Italia since 1987–it’s one of my two favorites. I’ve actually driven it over 60,000 miles as a daily driver. It needs a second body refurbishment at this point as there was a long time where I didn’t have anywhere covered to put it (and it was my only car). I’ve owned two Big Healeys and they are really neat cars–no Citroens or two-cylinder Hondas (yet).
Hey, wasn’t the 1954 HUDSON the first automotive Italia?
Said Hudsons are now worth upwards of $300k, class competitors with the Kaiser Darrin, Nash Healeys etc of the day i believe…
Actually, although the Hudson does certainly pre-date the Triumph, there was an “Italia” in the 1900’s from Italy that predates both! And afterwards, the Intermecanica model that used the Italia name as well.
Where is the Blakely Hawk?
Bookracer, I think you are thinking of Josh — http://barnfinds.com/say-hello-to-my-seven-i-mean-hawk/ He’s the one with the Hawk!
Tell us about the Morgan. Is it a cream color with red interior? What year?
Billy, it’s actually not a Morgan…you can see it a little better in the Italia picture I’ve posted. I’ll be interested to see who comes up with this one first.
Nothing American?
One at the moment, it’s one of the cars not pictured (I’ll post something about it in the future). Once some sales are made, I want to pick up a big 60’s convertible to haul the family around on summer days! My Dad was British and I lived there growing up, so Triumphs were a natural fit.
Nice collection! Judging by the way I try to collect now, I’m sure I had space like this in another life. My wife does not share my feelings.
David, I must point out that some of these cars are hers! She’s just as into this as I am (thankfully!). This is temporary storage; we hope to have the shop finished in a few months.
The ones that attract my attention are back row denizens:
From right to left skipping the “son-in-law” car are the Triumph Italia (top of the class), a Triumph based kit car possibly (?) one of the better looking Moss Motor Company roadsters and the Standard Vanguard saloon.
This is the car with probably the most interesting story. It’s a 1956 Standard Vanguard Sportsman, one of the first examples of “badge engineering” in Britain. Adding fancy fenders and a grille to the plebian Vanguard was originally supposed to make a Triumph replacement for the aging Renown; it never happened and the Sportsman’s heavy price premium over the regular Vanguard doomed it. This car was brought over for the New York Auto Show, where it flopped — it was the only one officially imported and according to the Standard Club is one of 12 left running–which it does very well, I’ve autocrossed it a couple of times (!) and we won a rallye in it last year. We have the history of the car from day 1–the original private owner flew into New York and drove the car back to California! It’s one of the two cars for sale–it’s my wife’s and she wants a different classic.
While you’re close on it’s next door neighbor, you’re not there yet :-)
Obviously not a Moss roadster from the fender detail in the Italia photo. Have seen a photo before, but don’t remember the manufacturers name.
Got it. Your kit car is a Hathaway which has a number of nice styling touches not found on lesser kit cars.
http://www.hathawayhunter.com/Hathaway_Hunter/Register.html
Excellent job, James! I fell in love with this kit when I was in high school, and yes, this is my other “favorite”. I looked for years and was finally able to find this one in 2013. It’s built on a 1969 TR6 chassis. It was off the road for many, many years, and while it’s running now I do plan a cosmetic restoration as well.
great job.
Must feel good to have ‘all your chickens in the one basket’.
Merry Christmas and thanks for all the good reads you provide.
Greetings from South Africa
Thanks, Robert–it will feel even better once the other three are with them (not until the new shop). Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you and all the other Barn Finds readers that I enjoy interacting with!
i do not see a GT6 or midget/sprite ( the yellow car looks to big to be a rebodied one). i do see a lot of cars i would love to own. i am guessing your state does not charge a personal property on vehicles that you have to pay each year. i love the fact that they are drivers and the whole family is involved. thank for sharing.
Actually, there is a tax but it’s very reasonable (hard to believe, but yes). The son-in-law’s car is partially a GT6, so that kinda counts, Jim. Thanks for all your wonderful submissions! I’ve had both a Midget and a Sprite and they are wonderful little cars, but I’ve never owned a GT6 although I’ve been tempted several times.
i was just out getting some exercise when a bright green TR6 came down the street with the top down. i heard it before i saw it. sounded good being run up thru the gears.
My guess its an English convertible. (smile)
Jose, right you are! :-)
Allard????
We bought this from the local fire company back in 1960! This is a real head turner! If they don’t turn their head, we blow the siren, or ring the bell! What a hoot to drive about!
VW headlights?
That’s correct, Luki, they are :-) James figured out what it was, see a post above.
What a fantastic collection!
Thanks, Scotty :-) Want to try to identify any of the others?
I need (not want, need!) the beautiful, blue triumph Herald in the middle-front, but it sounds like it’s not one of the cars that are for sale..
No, Scotty, she’d kill me :-)
Let’s see: In the front row, I see a TR7, Spitfire, Herald, TR6, and Marina. In the back, I see a Spitfire, the previously mentioned Italia and Standard, and a TR6. The classically styled roadster I can’t identify, but it looks familiar.
Great collection! What are your plans for the TR7 and Spitfire projects?
Nice job, Spridget! The TR7 is correct; that’s actually the other one for sale now. Originally I had plans to turn it into a race car; it’s a solid shell and I have two Rover V-8’s, two transmissions (one with the correct V-8 bell housing), a subframe already converted for a TR8 engine and numerous other parts. But our team has decided to keep the Marina going and modify it for speed instead. So this one is for sale.
This Spitfire is one I love for other reasons. I’m the second owner and know the son of the original owner well. This car was my late first wife’s last present to me, and was my daily driver for almost five years after that (rain, snow, ice, whatever). I wouldn’t be afraid to drive it cross-country tomorrow, and although it looks a little rough around the edges, I’m more at home in this one than in any other car I own.
The Herald is my wife’s car, and I don’t think she will ever give it up! It’s actually a very low mileage car that spent most of it’s life on Catalina Island, but had a shunt. I’m planning someday on repairing it a little better than it was when we got it, but Cristina loves to drive it too much to take it off the road for long!
The front row TR6 is a beautiful car that I bought off of eBay 7 years ago and added Richard Good suspension. It is waiting for a new clutch and OD transmission installation, and that seemed like a good time to refurbish the interior and replace the top as well. It’s first up once we finish the new shop.
This TR6 on the back row was mine from when I was 17 until I was 22 (I’m 51 now). I found it a little over a year ago by chance on Craigslist (recognized it from the RX7 seats I installed when I couldn’t afford to get the originals reupholstered) and repurchased it. It’s a l-o-n-g term project; to most folks it would be a parts car (it’s MUCH worse than it looks in the picture); it spent 14 years out in the rain after the person that bought it from me passed. But I will get to it.
Finally, the Spitfire project with the GT6 hood is my son-in-law’s…he’s not exactly sure what he wants to do with it yet!
I fully intend to convert it into a truck bed hard top with a straight 6 under the bonnet when funding and my wife allow me to do so.
Alex, I figured I’d let you tell them that…this crowd can be tough on modified cars ;-)
i like the idea of converting to gt6 motor, there is one in my area that looks and sounds good. every time i hear it run i look for at gt6/tr6 and instead see a spitfire. i wish the factory had made a it a option. then they could have gone SCCA production racing with it. but i think it would be less costly to buy a GT6 then convert a spitfire, plus you could have a extra car. maybe a partnership with you father-in-law. i do not see a need to make a truck out of one. they can not carry much weight and the weight would be behind the rear axle. better to get a pickup that was designed to be a pickup. but it is your car to do with as you like. have fun.
The spitfire I plan to convert was actually given to me as a parts car. One of the two cars not pictured is a 1970 spitfire that is also stored elsewhere that will be put back together as just a unmessed with spitfire. The parts car was going to be stripped for parts was going to be scrapped when I found a picture of a hard top spitfire truck and had the “ah ha” moment of we could use that for gas runs at races, I have the car, and I have a father in law with a literal ton of parts, multiple spare engines/transmissions and a welder so why not.
Is that Morganish car a Royale Sabre?
I believe it’s a malvern.
@ Dutch & Gazzer, James got this one, see above–but thanks for being interested!
OMG! tthat is a dream collection of many of my favorites. grab the stag in OHIO and i may be forced to join you with my collection for a “Love Fest”!… Do you think our spouses would mind?? lol
LOL back! I’ve got nothing but respect for Stags…I owned three project cars that I tried to turn into one a long time ago…never got it on the road and sold the projects on separately. I’ve got a friend that has an original mint Stag that is really wonderful to drive. What’s in your collection?
This pic shows 3 Brit roadsters, TR8 under cover, a 61 GM convert, a 68 C10, and 66 Stang. Three other storage yards hold: 1) 66 GTO, 65 Stang Fastback, 62 Olds Starfire cpe, 72 2wd Blazer; 2) 90 Buick Reatta convert; 90 Reatta parts car; 3) 69 C10 basket case, 72 Suburban body
What a great selection!!!
If only I had your love of those nice little Brits, I’d be able to fit so many of them in my shop. I’m currently maxed out with 3 Americans from 1969, the best year for Detroit IMHO. I could fit more, but I need space for all the cycles, 2 Italians & 2 Brits, both young and old. Can’t wait to see pics of your shop when its done.
What three ’69’s? Inquiring minds want to know :-)
Nice collection! Now that you’ve got them all together, you should take some good pics. Back in the early ’70s we temporarily had 4 cars and we planned to take a photo of them next to our plane. Due to the logistics of getting everyone all together at the airport, we didn’t do it. It would have made a cool pic–BMW 2002, Saab Sonett II, Audi Fox, and a Porsche 356 SC Sunroof Coupe, along with an American Yankee plane. We still have the 356, but the others are long gone now…
Thanks for the advice — I think we’ll do that once we are in the new shop. Thankfully, we have a pair of pro’s in the family, so I don’t have an excuse to not have them taken! I know the others, but I had to google what an American Yankee airplane was — that’s a beautiful little airplane!
We loved it! We did a lot of flying throughout the eastern half of the country, from St. Louis east. We sold it when I got pregnant with our first kid and I could no longer fit behind the controls. Both of us had licenses, back in the day. It was considered something of a sports car in the air…we had the original hot wing version the article speaks of. You had to really pay attention on the runway. Some didn’t like it because of that, but it was tons better than the Cessna 150 we had before it.
Nice collection of cars Jaime. Did the 2000 estate sell? I think my favorite is the Italia, just because of its rarity. The herald and early spit follow closely. Currently have a tr4 bought in 77 by dad and was my first car, 70 gt6 bought at 21, 67 2000 saloon cause family, and a 77 MGB to relive my youth… 100-150 mile daily commutes for 10 years and it dropped to 14 round trip. Mgb is great considering the PO did all the work to bring it out of a 23 year slumber from a blown engine.
Hi, Kyle! Nope, the Estate is just being stored elsewhere — that’s my daughter’s car, I don’t think she’d let me sell it! You’ve got a wonderful set of cars there!
Please. I’m salivating guys. No more pictures of steel climate-controlled buildings for your hordes. I’m beginning the deeper restoration of a 65 Corvair Corsa-powered sedan and 74 Midget in an ice-cold two car garage with poor lighting. At least I have access to a lift and blaster. Merry Christmas y’all!
Alexander, the sad part is that we’re not allowed to work in the storage area…I’m working on two cars right now (my Mom’s Hyundai and a friend’s Spitfire) in a cramped, dark garage with no lift or blaster (but I can disconnect the drier to run either my air compressor or welder)…
Nice collection! I only have six cars – ’60 Anglia,’67 MGB GT,
’74 CB Midget,’78 Datsun B210,+ B210 parts car & a ’68 MGB rolling-
shell (for sale).We have a large 2 car garage,with 3 cars in it.
I once hade 12 cars around here – the neighbors WERE NOT-
impressed.
– Doug (Eureka,CA)
Doug, that’s a great collection! I remember having three Triumphs (Stag, Italia, TR6) in a two-car garage…made for some tight quarters!
Your Vanguard Sportsman. Not my sort of car but a guy in my home town in New Zealand had one that he restored a number of times when I was growing up.
I knew it was different from the other Vanguards but now I know. A while back as I am now 53. Last saw it relaxing in paddock, probably now part of the pasture.
Dean, if you see him any time, the few of us that are trying to keep these on the road could really use some parts (if it’s past saving again!)