How Did I Get into This Mess?

(from Notes on Restoring Bricklin #887)

Originally written: 1993
Last updated: 12/16/04

©By: John T. Blair (WA4OHZ)
1133 Chatmoss Dr., Va. Beach, Va. 23464; (757) 495-8229

I've been a member of Bricklin International (BI) since 1989. Unfortunately, I was not very active until 1993. Everyone has a story of how they got their Bricklin, and so do I. The following is an introduction of myself to the members of the club and a story of how I got my Bricklin.

The Road to a Bricklin
My birthday is in December, so I got my drivers license just before Christmas. My Christmas present that year was the keys to the family car (a 58 Chevy - 348 with the turbo flight transmission) and the keys to the tool box. My dad said "if I was going to drive his car, I'd have to maintain it". My senior year of school, I got a Triumph Spitfire and I've been playing around with British sports cars ever since. In 68, I bought 3 junked TR-3's, to make one good car. Then I put a Fiber Fab fiberglass Jamaican body on it. I spent 5 years working on this project. Since 1962, my dad had been playing with his 1948 Triumph TR1800.

In 1968 I was a freshman in college, but somewhat uninterested in the pursuit of knowledge (I had some other things on my mind). At the end of my freshman year, the school suggested I take a leave of absence for a year or so (I flunked out). About this time, Uncle Sam's Army decided I was a good prospect to fill some of their vacancies caused by the brawl going on in South East Asia. I started to think about that, I really didn't like to camp out, then there were all of those bugs, snakes and other creatures of nature, mud and dirt, long walks through hot woods! There must be another alternative? What I was looking for was a roof over my head, 3 square meals a day, air-conditioning, that's it - I'll join the Navy!

After boot camp, I came home on leave and took the Spitfire to see my girlfriend. On the way to her house, a gentleman in a Olds Jet Star 88 decided to remodel the car. He lost his brakes at 40 miles per hour, while I was stopped for a traffic light. Needless to say, the Spit was totaled. After the dust and the insurance checks cleared I went looking for another car.

To my surprise, there was a Morgan for sale. The owner had the Morgan and an older car. His wife had just totaled the older car when the accelerator stuck. Luckily, neither she nor her baby were hurt, but she decided all the junk would go and they would get a new car. I called the owner, and headed to his house. I didn't pass go, didn't collect $200, but just gave him a deposit on the car! I had the Morgan for 3 days when I was hit in the rear (again I was stopped for a traffic light). Two cars totaled in 21 days should be some kind of a record. My dad and I spent the next year restoring the Morgan.

While over seas, in the Navy, I taught myself to sail. After I got out of the Navy and returned to school I joined the sailing club (which is where I met my wife). About this time, I sold the Jamaican and bought a Volvo P1800 which I restored twice over the next 10 years.

I remember when the Bricklin was hitting the dealerships. We had a local dealer that had a couple of Bricklins which I drooled over many a day. I wanted to sit in it in the worst way! However, the dealer said it would cost $500. No one was getting in the cars unless they really wanted to buy one. As a Junior in college I could really afford one, right?

Finally, A Bricklin acquired
From about 1976 to 1988 I was busy with getting married, starting a family and pursuing my carrier, cars just slipped by the wayside. In 1988 I found 2 Astin Martins for sale locally. I got to within $2000 of purchasing one. I guess it's a good thing I didn't, I probably couldn't have afforded the maintenance on the car. That got me thinking about cars again. While talking with my dad, he suggested I start looking for gullwing car since I'd always wanted one. The 300SL was toooo expensive. That left the Bricklin or a Delorean. I dug my Morgan out of mothballs and started tinkering with it and started looking in Hemmings. I saw a Bricklin in Florida go from $9000 to $4000. Then I ended up having to take a trip to Florida. It must be Divine intervention! I was meant to have a Brick. About this time I found a phone number for Scott Garfunkle. We discussed Bricklins and he told me about Terry Tanner here in Va. I called Terry and made arrangements to go see his shop. He had VIN 887 there. It had ended up in a chop shop. The entire interior, the door skins, and the air system were gone. But the car was basically sound. After much discussion with my wife, we told Terry we'd buy the car. When Terry told me to come get the title, I asked him if he could keep it a little longer. My Morgan had a crack in the chassis that I wanted to get fixed. I also asked Terry to put a new top on the car for me.

The Morgan ended up requiring a little more work than I thought. I had to replace the chassis and do a complete restoration. As I see it, there are three ways to restore a car:

1. If you have lots and lots of money, send it to a restoration shop like White Post.

2. If you have money but not lots of it, do some of the work yourself, but replace anything you can instead of re-working it.

3. If you are on a shoe string (the category I fit into) you do as much as you can yourself. You spend lots of hours re-working pieces because you don't have the money to replace it.

I have documented over 1700 hours in 3 1/2 years doing the work myself, from respoking the wire wheels, to rewiring, to painting. Since I've finished it, it has been in 5 shows and taken 2 2nd places, 2 1st places, and 1 Best Foreign. Now I'm ready to start on the Bricklin.

I found a gentleman, that lives within 3 miles of me, who owns 74 Bricklin which is also a basket case. We aren't really restoring his car, just trying to get it mechanically sound and safe.

Enjoy your car,

John

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