Wanted: Darrin

[Kaiser Ranchero]

Wanted a Darrin project. Would prefer a complete car but will consider a basket case.

[HJ-ETEX]

You are being premature. You had better research the car and talk to current members - even going to a KF National and talking to the members at the Darrin Breakfast. My opinion is that you are going to pay a lot relative to what you have if you buy a basket case. Do you want testimony on this?

[darrin502]

I don't think there are any reasonable priced darrins around. You will spend 30to50thousand for a car that needs a complete restoration. A show quality will cost in the 100,000 pluss area unless you are a restorer or have alot of friends that can do paint uph chrome body work engine etc. I know i have done one. If you have the time and the $$$ go for it it was worth the 9yrs & the $$. I am having the time of my life.

[Kaiser Ranchero]

Thanks for the encouragement. I have been looking for two years and a couple of cars have slipped by, but most club members told me to post here while looking. I will find one eventally.

[darrin502]

You might want to contact bob adams in scotsdale az someone said he had a rough one he might be selling

[Jim B PEI]

Whatever happened to the Ebay one that was missing the doors?

[joefrazer]

Jim, I stopped and had a closer look at that car. It was missing the doors, top well cover and trunk lid, as well as small odds and ends. The car was otherwise in good condition...albeit very dirty from long term storage in an auto body shop...and supposedly ran. It has a Henry J six in it and from the looks of things, had been transplanted long ago.

The seller had a $28K reserve on it and when he and I spoke, he realized that the reserve was a bit high. I know what he paid for the car and told him that if someone waved $20K in front of him in cash, he should take it. My guess is that he still owns the car as he had several other very nice older cars in the same building, so I'm thinking that money wasn't an issue.

I also looked at a car that had the remains of a V8 in it...I think it was one of the fabled Dutch Darrin swaps. It was much rougher having suffered thru long term storage in a dirt floored shed. Everything steel under the car was very rusty so a restoration wouldn't be for the faint of heart. The seller paid $300, in addition to some labor, for it about 10 years ago. I offered him substantially more for the car but he decided to keep it for his daughter (who was 3 when he and I last spoke). I just learned that it did sell for more than my offer. I wish the new owner lots of luck. I know the WD40 and PB Blaster folks will see their stock rising!

[kaiserfrazerlibrary]

Unfortunately for the future market on this car, more of them are going out of the country than you may realize.  Thanks to the efforts of Mr. Hyman and others in "the business" we may see a time where only a handful of Darrins still remain in this country. 

[Kaiser Ranchero]

Joe, any idea where the other Darrin ended up?

[joefrazer]

Coincidentally, my wife was driving by the same storage barn on Friday afternoon and the dorrless Darrin was sitting outside with a couple of guys stading around it. She didn't stop to inquire as to it's status, but it was still in Ohio and with the owner I spoke to as of Friday.

[Kaiser Ranchero]

Joe, how about the one with the remains of a V8? Any idea where it went or if the new owner is happy?

[joefrazer]

The V8 car is now in Wisconsin. I do not know if the owner plans to restore it any time soon. I do know that it's gonna take a few bushel baskets of cash to make it happen!

[kaiserfrazerlibrary]

Adam Harder has the V-8 engined Darrin in Wisconsin

[Kaiser Ranchero]

Thanks for the follow up info. to the both of you.

[Roadmaster49]

Thanks for the encouragement. I have been looking for two years and a couple of cars have slipped by, but most club members told me to post here while looking. I will find one eventally.

Check out that Ohio auction noted above.  They have a project Darrin.