R32RennSport
Outlaw Amazonian
- Joined
- Nov 20, 2011
- Location
- Atascadero, CA
Well I went and added another moose to my stable. This one will be much less pretty and a lot more gritty than the Amazon. A budget beater build if you will. I digress though, let's start with the story.
This '73 D Jet 142 has sat in a large gravel lot on the industrial south side of town since 2001. I still remember seeing it first being parked there riding my bike in my high school days before I had a license. I always thought it was an interesting old car with it's striking orange paint even before I had an interest in old cars. I would inquire about the car randomly throughout the next two decades only to be turned away.
Fast forward to last week. As it turns out a client of the shop happens to be manager of the building on the lot that the car sat on. I inquired about the car and he responded that it belonged to the owner of the property who's family had long time ties to a few properties in the area locally. I asked him to forward my information on and that I was interested in purchasing the vehicle. The next day I received a phone call. In the world that is ever growing smaller as I age, it turns out the gentleman who owns the car is well acquainted with my boss from college days AND his sister owns the property that we use as our parking/storage lot for our shop. I was a shoe in after that. We agreed on a price and made arrangements to meet. We made the exchange (which may lead to additional future acquisitions) and I had the 142 towed to our shop.
Upon closer inspection at the shop there was plenty to take note of. Firstly, the interior had been a mouse hotel at some point in it's two decades of rest. Quite sad because the interior had been quite nice at an earlier date and is really very complete. The driver's door panel was found in the trunk which was also remarkably intact. The sheet metal is amazingly straight on every side, all trim is there. The most noticeable body rot is at the base of the windshield and on the leading edge of the hood and trunk. The engine bay was extremely well preserved and I have no doubt that I'll have the engine up and running with little fuse. Worst case scenario I have a set of SU's to throw on while I go through the D Jet.
The plan as of now is to make this into a budget B Sedan Racer/Rally Tarmac budget build for the street (not for competition). Bumpers off, interior out, exterior lights, period aero, and of course lower it and change out the rolling stock. Basically just for fun build and see where it goes, everything opposite of the Amazon but that's why I like it.
This '73 D Jet 142 has sat in a large gravel lot on the industrial south side of town since 2001. I still remember seeing it first being parked there riding my bike in my high school days before I had a license. I always thought it was an interesting old car with it's striking orange paint even before I had an interest in old cars. I would inquire about the car randomly throughout the next two decades only to be turned away.
Fast forward to last week. As it turns out a client of the shop happens to be manager of the building on the lot that the car sat on. I inquired about the car and he responded that it belonged to the owner of the property who's family had long time ties to a few properties in the area locally. I asked him to forward my information on and that I was interested in purchasing the vehicle. The next day I received a phone call. In the world that is ever growing smaller as I age, it turns out the gentleman who owns the car is well acquainted with my boss from college days AND his sister owns the property that we use as our parking/storage lot for our shop. I was a shoe in after that. We agreed on a price and made arrangements to meet. We made the exchange (which may lead to additional future acquisitions) and I had the 142 towed to our shop.
Upon closer inspection at the shop there was plenty to take note of. Firstly, the interior had been a mouse hotel at some point in it's two decades of rest. Quite sad because the interior had been quite nice at an earlier date and is really very complete. The driver's door panel was found in the trunk which was also remarkably intact. The sheet metal is amazingly straight on every side, all trim is there. The most noticeable body rot is at the base of the windshield and on the leading edge of the hood and trunk. The engine bay was extremely well preserved and I have no doubt that I'll have the engine up and running with little fuse. Worst case scenario I have a set of SU's to throw on while I go through the D Jet.
The plan as of now is to make this into a budget B Sedan Racer/Rally Tarmac budget build for the street (not for competition). Bumpers off, interior out, exterior lights, period aero, and of course lower it and change out the rolling stock. Basically just for fun build and see where it goes, everything opposite of the Amazon but that's why I like it.
