What to do, what to do?

My son and I decided to go in on restoring a car together with the purchase of his new home with a spacious 2 car garage. I've had many different autos over the years from American muscle to foreign sport and was astonished at the prices for basket case wrecks online.

During our search I came across an article about TVR. I'd seen one of the wedge ones before and had assume it was a TR7. I was wrong! I knew little of this manufacturer in spite of having owned an MGA, MGB, TR3, Spitfire, and a couple of Jaguars. Wow, this company had a history and a following I could get into. So we decided TVR it is.

I joined the TVR Car Club of North America and requested a want ad to be published online and in their next newsletter to find "a wreck of a car" to purchase. Once the club received my request the wheels quickly turned and Chuck put me in touch with a gentleman in Michigan, Alex, who had seen an upcoming estate auction with a 1973 2500m up for bid. After some great conversation with Alex I decided to drive the 9 hours to the sale and attempt to win the car.

So with my two youngest children we drove through the night August 11th and arrived early at the estate. I checked out the car with Alex's help and knowledge and affirmed what I was planning to offer. Five hours later and a few tools won, the car was up. I won the car at $500 below what my max bid would have been. Hurray! I was now the owner of this single owner, 31k miles 1973 2500m that needed a new home.

After the win I was approach by quite a few people, one being the daughter of the uncle of the owner of the car. She informed me that the car was parked on the property by her cousin in 1994 for him to refurbish it, thus pulling out the seats and sending them to be re-upholstered. Sadly her cousin passed away shortly after sending off the seats. Her father had tried to get the seats back only to discover the upholsterer had passed away. So there it sat for the next 25 years.

Another gentleman, Ian, approached me, and asked what I was planning on doing with it. I informed him of our intent and he offered to have the car towed to his storage facility so that we could safely keep the car and prepare it for transport back to PA. I don't know if its everyone one in Michigan but everyone I was meeting was so very friendly and helpful! We shoved the bonnet in the back of Ian's Ford Transit and the flatbed took the car to the storage facility where Alex, Ian and myself re-attached the bonnet securely and to Alex's advise, taped the windows in as the molding was rotted and they were known to fly out of the car in this state.

It was all ready to go! Thank you Alex and Ian!

With the car safe, Alex had a few things he wanted to show me, so after a short drive we pulled up on where he keeps some of his cars. I was treated to the experience of climbing in and out of his Lotus Europa and the crafty way he suspended a Fiat Spider over it for storage, but that was not all. The next morning Alex met me at my hotel in his 1974 TVR 2500m and handed me the keys! Not only did I get to buy one this weekend but I already get to drive one! Thank you again Alex!

Driving on the highway and cornering on back roads was all I thought it would be. Cant wait to have ours road ready, but for now we are waiting for its delivery.

Subscribe or check back with us from time to time to view our progress, comment, or offer any advise you may have on what to do and not to do during our project. Thanks for viewing and happy motoring, Jonathan A. and Jonathan F.