Category: Past Indiscretions (Page 15 of 25)

Valuable, if hard, lessons learned

Hello 1967 MGB GT

June 11, 2009 / Roger

I’ve wanted a nice early MGB GT for awhile now, and now I own this example. These early GTs had pleasing crackle-finish metal dashes, old-style switches, low-back leather seats, the early style grille and non-syncro gearboxes–all things I admire.

A friend spotted this for sale (in San Diego) and I’ve agreed to buy it for a very reasonable price, even if you include the shipping. The previous owner bought it in the early 1970s and, aside from the severely sun-faded paint, it’s largely original and runs well.

The car does not have overdrive, which is the only upgrade I’d care to make from the original specification. I have yet to own an MGB with overdrive, which is surprising given how much nicer it makes the car on the highway. Ah, well, I’ll keep my eyes peeled for another non-sycro O/D gearbox…

Goodbye, Vanden Plas

June 7, 2009 / Roger

I sold the Vanden Plas earlier today for just a smidgen more than I paid for it. I like the car and felt it was good value, but I’m going to stick to genuinely old stuff for the time being.

I’ve been doing some long-delayed work on the ’63 MGB–I’ll post a roundup of what’s been happening under that bonnet in the next day or so.

Brrrrr

April 22, 2009 / Roger

I must be getting old, because the ride I took from our place to my parent’s in Port Townsend on Sunday was chilly, and yet it was 50 degrees or more out. We were promised a 70 degree day and it never quite materialized. This photo was taken at the Keystone ferry terminal, I was plenty early for my boat, something that will shock anyone who knows me.
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Vanden Plas Update

April 4, 2009 / Roger

Generally speaking, I’m very pleased with the Vanden Plas. I’ve put a few thousand miles on it and it has returned a rock steady 23 MPG — overall. On the highway it gets very close to 30 MPG.
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Rusty Sawdust

March 7, 2009 / Roger

I took Goldie the truck up to Friday Harbor recently to pick up an elderly bandsaw to add to my growing collection of old Delta woodworking machinery. It was about as beautiful a winter day as you’ll see up here!
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Snow Day

December 27, 2008 / Roger

We don’t normally get this kind of snow down here next to the sea; it was beautiful while it lasted. This photo was taken on Christmas Eve, and the snow is all-but-gone as of today.

Now Those Are Snow Tires

December 14, 2008 / Roger

As it turns out, we did get some snow, albeit a day late. As you can see, the drifts are nearly insurmountable–we may not be able to get out of the house for weeks. (Well, OK, this is a typical Puget Sound lowlands snow, a couple of inches which, none-the-less, sends the locals into a panic.)
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Winter Wonderland

December 13, 2008 / Roger

We were promised a local blizzard and we got…nothing. This is a photo from last year when we got a few inches of snow. (The amount you see here is enough to send all of western Washington state into a panic, with such curiousities as people chaining up on bare roads, abandoned cars in the middle of slushy but otherwise OK roads, etc., etc. It really is quite amusing.)

Vanden Plas: First Day

August 10, 2008 / Roger

I picked this car up on Saturday with the help of my friend Jeff. Seems like a good machine so far, the usual “oh my god, what have I done” moment hasn’t yet arrived (you’ll know when it does). I even got 28 MPG on the trip back!
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Vanden Plas

August 6, 2008 / Roger

Consider: This car was $69,000 new in 1996 (in today’s dollars, that’s about $90,000). I’m paying almost exactly 5% of the 1996 price for this car, in 2008. That depreciation is absolutely mind-boggling; in constant dollars, the car essentially lost 97% of its value in a bit more than a decade. Much as I love Jaguars, I cannot imagine buying one new unless I had chests of gold doubloons.

This Vanden Plas is not absolutely perfect, but it is in very nice condition, with 84,000 miles. I think it’s “Kingfisher Blue,” which is a darkish blue-green, depending on the light. The inside has all the usual excess, including lambswool over-rugs and picnic tables for those carefree afternoons ~~picnicking in wine country~~ gorging on gut bombs at the drive-in. It’s also the long-wheelbase version, which means the rear doors are about ten feet long.