Ferrari Mailing List: Re: Sports cars

[Rick Lindsay (rolindsay]

Written previously,

>> It is a 1961 Triumph TR3a and it is as close to a true "barn find".
> Sweet car.   How about relating the story behind "barn finding"?

Thanks Paul,

   About 9 years ago while visiting a friend and member of (Scottish) Clan 
Lindsay, I happened to see a sports car 'shape' under a dusty car cover in her 
garage.  When I asked about it I was told that it is a '61 Triumph TR3a that 
belonged to her uncle, who had bought it new.  That man had died a couple of 
years prior to that visit.  Ann's quite elderly aunt gave the car to Ann with 
the stipulation that she was not to part with it - at lease while the aunt was 
still alive.  Ann honored that wish.   That is the story of how the car came to 
be in the garage, under the car cover, just waiting.  I told Ann that when the 
aunt passed away, I wanted to buy the car.  Ann promised the car to me when 
that fateful day happened.
   About 6 years ago the aunt passed away.  Upon learning this information, I 
called Ann and told her that I was ready to buy the car.  She had forgotten 
about the promise, although I had reminded her repeatedly, and had subsequently 
given the car away to a nephew!  I was pissed.  Since then I have had only 
limited contact with Ann, mostly because Nancy and I moved to Houston three 
years ago.
   Jump forward six years.  Ann was a 'rock of stability' for my daughter when 
she went through a divorce.  A week ago I learned that Ann's daughter was also 
going through a divorce.  I called Ann to remind her that my daughter might be 
that 'stable rock' for her daughter.  Ann thanked me - then told me that she 
had been thinking about me and wondering if I still wanted that old car!  
What?!  I thought it was in the hands of some punk ricer kid!  Nope.  The 
nephew didn't want it.  It wasn't a Honda tuner, I guess.
   Anyway, Ann offered the car to me again stating that her daughter could use 
the money as she restarts her life.  We agreed on a price and the car is now 
mine!  I'll get up to Tulsa to pick it up in a few weeks.
   So the story of a 'barn find' isn't as simple as, "I bought this farm and 
lo-and-behold, there was an old Triumph in the barn!"  Still, its an old, 
original car - and its now mine.  And because of this car's status, the 
subsequent treatment of the car will be different.
   Old, original cars (of particular interest) should be 'preserved' not 
'restored'.  The difference seems subtle but is actually profound from a 
historical perspective.  Anyone with enough money can put an old car back to 
factory-fresh condition.  But only a correct, unmolested, un-restored car can 
actually BE factory original.  My quest is to repair as needed, and maintain 
the car in factory-fresh operating condition, not restore it.  As such, it will 
be a piece of British motoring history, and my charge to preserve.

Thanks for asking,

rick