Car # 3 - 1966 Corsa 140 Convertible
I came very close to buying this
car. It had the kind of features I was hoping to find and its
shortcomings, while there were a few, didn't seem beyond the scope of my
abilities. It may be that I was hung up on the first Corsa convertible I
had found. I had no idea there would be others.
This car had had some body work done
to it, that much was evident. The floor panel on the driver's side was a
replacement, but was a flat piece of metal rather than a true panel. This
itself was a little rusty. The hubcaps were mix-and-match from a '65 and a
'66, and the interior was a little rough. The engine was solid, if a
little smoky, the tires were shot. The driver's side door hung a little
limply. On the good side, the owner had already purchased all the
replacement seat covers, carpets , gaskets, etc., etc. etc. The parts were
there to do the resto work. This seemed possible. I looked into how
much it would be to ship this car to Toronto and got so far as to come back,
cash in hand.
Before closing the deal, though, I
took one long, last look. Then I saw it: that replacement floor
panel had let go all along the driver's side of the car. The body was
sagging without the support of the floor. That's why the door wouldn't
shut right. That was enough. Still lacking a proper garage, I
couldn't deal with a car that really couldn't hit the road. I let it
go. There was a good car in there for someone. Just not me.
Not then.
Back to the
Quest
