Oh dear, why do we do it?

[the pips]

Bit bored today so decided to take a trip down to SWVA in Poole. Quite a few interesting cars but I particularly liked the look of a Reliant Scimitar fitted with a Rover V8 and 5 speed box. I'm really not sure what happened but I came home with a '72 Triumph Spitfire Mark 4!
It's been off the road for 10 years and looks as though it has been restored or at least refreshed. Lots of little faults, tickover was 1500rpm, engine ran warm, the overdrive didn't engage and the back axle screeches above 70mph (stops on overrun) but hey could've been worse!

[Huntsman]

the pips said:

Bit bored today so decided to take a trip down to SWVA in Poole. Quite a few interesting cars but I particularly liked the look of a Reliant Scimitar fitted with a Rover V8 and 5 speed box. I'm really not sure what happened but I came home with a '72 Triumph Spitfire Mark 4!
It's been off the road for 10 years and looks as though it has been restored or at least refreshed. Lots of little faults, tickover was 1500rpm, engine ran warm, the overdrive didn't engage and the back axle screeches above 70mph (stops on overrun) but hey could've been worse!

Commendable behaviour!

[Doofus]

the pips said:

but hey could've been worse!

Just barely.

[Brinyan]

How do these things happen? All makes total sense at the time!
I saw the Scimitar myself & fought the urge not to go for it. Luckily, being in Kent, was too far to trek today, as really liked the look of the GTE. What did it go for?

[the pips]

The Scimitar went for 6950 which I thought was all the money. There was a fair bit of star crazing and chips that went down to the gel coat. Both front wings had what looked like a crack the full length of them which was disguised by the pin stripes. Perhaps to make the engine conversion easier?

[Brinyan]

Can't see details like that in the photos. Thought £2.5/3k was too cheap as a guide, but you never know at an auction.
GTE is certainly an itch that keeps returning for me.
Good luck with your purchase.

[Riley Blue]

I was once asked to value a car by the widow of the owner who had died before he'd got very far with the project. I returned home having commited to buying it but in my garage I already had a perfectly good, roadworthy version of the same car...

[mph]

the pips said:

The Scimitar went for 6950 which I thought was all the money. There was a fair bit of star crazing and chips that went down to the gel coat. Both front wings had what looked like a crack the full length of them which was disguised by the pin stripes. Perhaps to make the engine conversion easier?

Sounds top money for a Scimitar to me.

I passed up an excellent example for £3.5k last year and the long-term owner had it up for sale for months. They do seem undervalued.