This is JP Brown examining a basket case Austin Healey Sprite.
This MG has not moved in years - but all the tires still held air.
This is what an 1962 MG Midget looked like new. It cost $2400.
This is the Austin Healey Sprite in front of my house. We had just discovered the right rear wheel smoking.
One thing nice about junker cars in Florida - the bodies have very little rust compared to cars in Pennsylvania where they throw so much salt on the winter roads.
Lulu is away in Limerick - Ireland. So it was a perfect day to find some old cars.
Yesterday - I saw a guy selling an old MG Midget for $500. I sent the link to JP Brown my car nut friend that has restored quite a few old British Sports Cars. He wrote back this morning asking me I wanted to go along to do some dealing for the car/cars. He dropped by at 4 PM and away we went. The MG was on the other side of town.
We arrived at the old Florida Cracker Style home of Mark Evers. He had some really neat toys out in his yard. When Mark came to the door - he and JP looked at each other funny. JP had purchased an old British car from Mark 30 years ago! It's the small world of American pickers.
Mark had two old sports cars for sale. Neither had moved in years. One was a 1962 Austin Healey Sprite - the other was a 1963 MG Midget. Although the cars had different names - they had the exact same body - sort of like a Buick and an Oldsmobile.
JP opened the back of the truck to show a tow bar that was drilled precisely to fit these old sports cars. Two bolts removed the front bumper - and everything bolted up nice and snug. We filled the tires with air - and attached the portable tail light bar - and we were off. We towed the MG first the 10 miles back to JP's home.
Then we returned for the Austin Healey. This one was a bit lighter because the engine was missing. On the way home - the right rear wheels started to smoke. It appears that a brake or a bearing was burning. JP dropped me off at my house - and had another 5 miles to go to be safe at home.
The guy wanted $500 for one car - we ended up paying $300 total for both of them. Some of the cars that JP has restored are beautiful. I have no doubt that one of these cars will be a work of art.
The NADA book sales the cars sell for between $5000 and $15,000 when restored. I am guessing that JP could make much more money just parting out the cars. The deal also included two extra unused front fenders.
NADA book prices on the cars.
For the record and for Lulu who is already fast asleep in Ireland - I did not buy the cars - I just helped with the deal. They are not mine.
