(wistful wishing)

[FredStembottom]

Here's irony for you:

I have life-long dreams of getting a collector car (or 2 .....or 9) when I retire and I have a short list of the ones I would like to find and restore.
But I have pretty much relegated this idea to the trash bin of history since I live right in the city and have only a 1 car garage that leaves 1 of our modern cars outside as it is.

Our New Great Depression survival plan involves staying here because the house is PAID soon.

Besides, I have the city right in my bones and wouldn't like living out someplace where I could have a bigger garage.

Have any of you managed such a "rural" hobby on a tiny city lot?

[Kali]

1. maybe you could rent a space in a more industrial area of town?

I have seen some nice small commercial rentals in Tucson that would be perfect for something like that.

oh and I have a 64 corvair lakewood wagon if anybody would be interested in that for a project!

[Gold Metal Flake]

2. That is a HAMB-friendly car!

There was a thread recently with pix of a guy putting a 409 into a Corvair. In the back, not amidships.

[FredStembottom]

4. Wheelie bar?

The Corvair got in all it's trouble because it's engine hangs behind the rear wheels!

He must have put the 409 right in the back seat?

[Gold Metal Flake]

6. No, grasshopper. In the back.

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=614530&highlight=corvair&showall=1

Reverse rotation cam and dizz.

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=1505280&d=1323561028

[FredStembottom]

8. Ahhhh, tranny in the back seat!

Last edited Sun Dec 18, 2011, 12:02 PM - Edit history (1)

Might spend some time on the front wheels that way.

But... is that a marine engine? MercCruiser?

[Gold Metal Flake]

3. I have not but I have done stuff in apartment parking lots.

Most folk with these issues get a storage unit and store/fix the car there. Smaller cars work well in these situations, and the MGB and MG Midget/Austin Healy Sprite are tremendous bargins right now.

[FredStembottom]

5. You and Kali are both giving me evil ideas!

As for small cars my #2 dream restore would be a BMW 600 - that's an Isetta with a rear seat and 1 rear door.



Here's the most amazing story of my whole life, practically:

I decided I was in total love with Isetta's ever since I was about 4 years old. When I discovered the 600, I just felt like I had seen the most beautiful thing in the world and set myself to get one some day.

Here's the catch: less than 900 of these were ever imported to the USA. So I figured I would never get within 3000 miles of one.

3 years ago, I was talking to a long-time neighbor friend who was upset about all the stuff his grandfather left behind in some storage buildings out in greater Minnesota somewhere (he lived to nearly 100!)

He then said something like: there's even this weird little car in there. A BMW I think. Really weird - with a door in the front - and just 1 door to the back seat - i dunno..... probably too weird to even sell to someone.

I actually got diizzy and staggered, I think. I printed a pic of the 600 and showed it to my neighbor. "Yeah, that's it."
He couldn't have been more bored!

Well, L story S, he still has it in a building somewhere and I don't have it or a building.

But I digress......

[Gold Metal Flake]

7. Those critters are ever so cool.

A local guy has 3 or the smaller ones in his driveway taking up the same amount of space as a Ford Torino.

A micro car can fit in a lot of places. Maybe even sideways in front of the car in your garage. Same for the MG Midget (Sprite).

[FredStembottom]

9. You can stand a Midget up on it's bumper with 2 people, too.

Why lay on the floor?