# SDMB car enthusiasts - prepare to gasp! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 17, 2007, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-car-enthusiasts-prepare-to-gasp/392639 "2007-02-17T19:00:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2007, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-car-enthusiasts-prepare-to-gasp/392639/61 "2007-07-28T18:07:25Z")
That makes much more sense. ---
**Author:** ![FlyingDragonFan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c89c15/32.png) [@FlyingDragonFan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlyingDragonFan)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2007, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-car-enthusiasts-prepare-to-gasp/392639/62 "2007-07-28T18:21:37Z")
It makes more sense compared to the original story, but why would someone build up a collection like that, and then just let them rot in storage? I could see collecting them as an investment, but then to let them all fall apart? ---
**Author:** ![Pushkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2007, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-car-enthusiasts-prepare-to-gasp/392639/63 "2007-07-28T18:55:39Z")
Especially since so many European cars from that era seem to rust so well. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2007, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-car-enthusiasts-prepare-to-gasp/392639/64 "2007-07-29T04:41:16Z")
[QUOTE=FlyingDragonFan] It makes more sense compared to the original story, but why would someone build up a collection like that, and then just let them rot in storage? I could see collecting them as an investment, but then to let them all fall apart? [/QUOTE] I often see collections of rotting cars, both IRL and in the ‘Ran When Parked’ column in _Classic Motorsports_. I suspect the mentality is that people will buy an old car with the intention of ‘fixing it up’ or doing an actual restoration. But they don’t get around to it. Then they see another car that they just can’t pass up. Maybe it’s ‘rare’, or maybe they think they can use it for parts. Eventually they have more cars than they know what to do with. If the guy was an auto dealer in the '70s I suspect he got many of the cars on trade-in for much less than their actual value. Maybe he thought he could restore them and put them on his lot, but he never got round to it. ---
**Author:** ![Pushkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2007, 9:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-car-enthusiasts-prepare-to-gasp/392639/65 "2007-07-29T09:47:44Z")
He could still make a packet selling them to people looking for a project that doesn’t require much work. ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2007, 9:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-car-enthusiasts-prepare-to-gasp/392639/66 "2007-07-29T09:55:12Z")
[QUOTE=Tuckerfan] a wrecked Tucker would probably worth more than $25K now. [/QUOTE] _And as Tuckerfan steps out of a bar, more than a little tipsy, a bidding war breaks out between the ladies._ ---
**Author:** ![bathsheba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9e8a1a/32.png) [@bathsheba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bathsheba)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2007, 10:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-car-enthusiasts-prepare-to-gasp/392639/67 "2007-07-29T10:37:48Z")
[QUOTE=Johnny L.A.] [MG Magnette](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MG_Magnette). I read an article on them last year. IIRC they pop up for sale from time to time; but good examples are hard to find, as they were very prone to rust. [/QUOTE] There are three here in my hometown (Adelaide), all in good nick if I remember rightly: [http://www.mgcars.org.uk/farina/register/mkiii.htm](http://www.mgcars.org.uk/farina/register/mkiii.htm) Rust not so much of an issue here. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2007, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-car-enthusiasts-prepare-to-gasp/392639/68 "2007-07-29T14:28:56Z")
[QUOTE=bathsheba] Rust not so much of an issue here. [/QUOTE] Yep. I very rarely saw rusted cars when i lived in the Mojave Desert. For a long time I saw MGs listed as ‘California cars’, California being kinder to classic metal. Nowadays I’m seeing more classic cars listed as ‘Arizona cars’. ---
**Author:** ![bathsheba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9e8a1a/32.png) [@bathsheba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bathsheba)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2007, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-car-enthusiasts-prepare-to-gasp/392639/69 "2007-07-29T22:14:28Z")
[QUOTE=Johnny L.A.] Yep. I very rarely saw rusted cars when i lived in the Mojave Desert. For a long time I saw MGs listed as ‘California cars’, California being kinder to classic metal. Nowadays I’m seeing more classic cars listed as ‘Arizona cars’. [/QUOTE] There’s a thriving business here importing California MGs and converting them to RHD. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2007, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-car-enthusiasts-prepare-to-gasp/392639/70 "2007-08-03T20:45:28Z")
Never mind. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-car-enthusiasts-prepare-to-gasp/392639.md?page=3)