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Story by Tim Suddard • Photography by Walter Pietrowicz
Sometimes it see…
FWIW, the Alfa you drove was a Veloce- so the full name was Guilietta Spider Veloce. Well, I'm assuming that by not looking at the VIN, but the engine and tach are indicators of it being the far more valuable Veloce. And some of the prices of those have gotten crazy.
As an aside, it would be interesting to know what the VIN on that Alfa was- as I know what my dad's '59 Spider Veloce was- and it could be that car.
Porsche looks like a roadster (roll up windows) & not a speedster (side curtains) and both bring more then the $80k mentioned. Datsun 2000 would fit nice in this article & affordable price range.
Thanks for an interesting article, albeit too short to get into much detail. I agree the MGA and Triumph are the real bargains of the bunch, at least right now. Almost every component of these cars is readily available from several suppliers via internet, making restoration and repairs easier now than ever before. I'm fixing up an MGA and I'm amazed how much support there is for these cars. While the old BMC pushrod motor is down on power compared to the Triumph, swapping to a larger MGB 1800cc engine is very acceptable upgrade and can be done without hacking up of the original car. A 3-main is a direct bolt in, and if one opts for the stronger 5-main version it's still a pretty simple conversion. There are 5-speed kits, superchargers, big valve MGB and cross-flow heads, and all sorts of stuff available to increase the power and speed. The BMC engines are known for durability, the mechanical components of the car are well laid out and simple, and the chassis is robust. The MGA s a great car for a novice restorer.
I loved this article when it came out a few years back. Interesting to see what prices have climbed the most. Would like to seen more of this type writing.
As the owner of may TR-3s and MGAs over the years, I found the finish quality of th TR to be lower than the MG - gaps and unwelded spots on the frames etc. But the gutsy engine almost made up for the inferior handling - when the rear end bottomed on the frame, that was all she wrote. Even the big Healey took that cheaper route until the very last cars, when they finally built a frame that ran up over the rear end.
I always figured that it was easier to give an MGA, with the inherently better chassis, more power (as Mike pointed out) than it was to give the TR better handling. But I sure did enjoy the TR engine, especially in tuned form.
There are still reasonably priced, great looking ragtops out there for first timers on a budget. I would suggest that the Jaguar X100 XK8 and the XKR can be had in decent condition for less than $10,000. I recently inspected one for a forum member that ran very nicely, needed a little bit of cosmetic work and had a fully functional convertible, and it was $4000! I have a 2002 XKR version that was my daily driver for about 10 years and 170,000 miles and only replaced by an X150 XKR. But I still have it and drive it often. Its obvious ties to the heritage of the XKE are apparent as soon as you see it, and its senuous body is classic and still gorgeous 23 years after its introduction. There are certainly things to look for when purchasing but they are well documented and readily available to those that are interested. 
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