The current stable

My main business is restoring and providing Mercedes 280SL's for clients and since I get to drive these great cars nearly every day, I start to lust after others.  Before I know it I amass a small stable of great cars.  The problem is I can only drive one vehicle at a time and I've only got so much space from which to run the Mercedes business.  So, some of these cars are coming on market.  I'll try to add more information below every few days or so.  Some of these cars already have their own pages on this site.  Your comments regarding this page are welcome.

If you arrived at this page though a search or web surf, click here to get to the main page in order for the site to be fully functional, HOME.

This '67 Alfa Romeo Giulia 1300Ti >SOLD< has got to be one of the most original remaining of its kind.  Original features: Dash, Floor Covering, Trunk Mat, Door Panels, Bright Work, Windshield, Undercoating, Sound Insulation, Wheels, Wiper Arms, Headliner, Engine, Transmission..........you get the idea.  The Giulia sedan was not even on my list of cars to own (see "The List") until I saw this car and how original it was.  There were probably thousands of these cars made but nearly all are gone, rusted away in most cases.  This car is absolutely solid.  It is nearly the kind of hidden-away-in-a-barn car that we hear about in automotive mythology.  I don't mean the modern equivalent, where the car is used up, driven into the ground, then sat in a field for 20 years, then parked in a barn for a few years and called a "barn find".  I mean, the car was someone's pride and joy for a few years from new when something happened and the car got parked inside and forgotten for several decades.  This car is that pure and honest but it hasn't sat for decades.  Its had regular use.  It was just used sparingly  One of my pet peeves are weak transmission synchronizers.  Alfa is famous for them and this car was no exception.  So, of course I went on a parts sourcing mission that took me all the way to Italy (not physically) to round up all the parts necessary to rebuild the gear box.  Now it shifts the way it was intended to.  Also, the little misfire it had when I first got it started to get worse and a compression test indicated some weak exhaust valves.  So now she's got a fresh valve job.  The twenty year old Michelin tires on it were as hard caveman wheels so I found some quality Vredestein tires in the roughly correct size of 155SR 15.  In addition, new exhaust, clutch, etc, etc. and now she's a total joy.  This is the way to do it; buy a car that some other guy has sunk a lot of research, time and money into and all you have to do is drive and enjoy.  I guess you could look at me as your personal car shopper (assuming I've got a car that's on your list).  Photo page.

1948 Ford F2 - My first truck.  I just wanted an old truck to knock around in on weekends, go to estate sales, pick up mulch or supplies for the two plus acres I have in La Mesa, CA etc.  Well it turned out way too nice for throwing lumber into.  I've probably got as much time in this project as in a complete Mercedes 280SL restoration and if you don't know what that costs, believe me, you don't want to.  I actually wrote a creative non-fiction short story about my acquisition and restoration of this truck.  After over five years it is now ready and ready for a new home.  Photo Page.

1958 Porsche 356A Sunroof coupe - 1600S engine, great driver.  Some photos are now up, click here.  >SOLD<

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1968 Triumph TR250 >SOLD< - My first "The List Car".  See it on my Triumph Page.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1972 Pantera (Pre-L) - More information & coming soon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1984 Alfa Romeo Spider - My daily driver for 11 years.  Click here for more information.

 

 

 

 

 

 

1991 Alfa Romeo Spider w/ 7855 actual miles!
>SOLD<
This is for all practical purposes a brand new car.  More information on my Italian Car Page.

1956 Fiat Abarth 500GT Zagato  -  Sorry, this one is not for sale at this time. 

     Thanks to help from John de Boer who maintains The Italian Car Registry and Abarth historian Wilfried Maak I have been able to find much of the history on this car.
     Luigi Argenti of Bologna purchased this car from the factory on April 26, 1958 and apparently entered it the very next day in the hill climb at San Marino and won the 500 GT class.
     Prior to this,  we are most certain it was the 1957 Turin Show car due to several unique features it exhibits to this day.  These same features identify it as the prototype of the small run 500 GT Zagatos.
     There is much more to be learned about this rare car and I hope to do that in the future.  If anyone has photos of this car in period please contact me.

If you arrived at this page though a search or web surf, click here to get to the main page in order for the site to be fully functional, HOME.