I still say Nice Price (almost typed Brick somehow) because of its attractiveness compared to most kit cars, as well as its embodiment of English motoring Hell. NP is now one vote shy of CP.

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Actually, the Vauxhall Victor was sold in the US through Pontiac dealers in the late 1950s and early 1960s. It didn't sell well and by all accounts it was a nasty, rusty, unreliable little car:

Of course, this ugly thing wouldn't help you with your Lima. Restoring a Victor in the US would have to be an ultimate Project Car Hell.

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On the other hand, to a young Jamesface brought up in a country where the Austin Ambassador counted as aspirational, Panthers were the business. Remember that when the MGB and Capri died, these were just about the only proper sports cars you could get on these backward shores. The dream was always the Panther Six with its alluring combination of futurism and unobtainability, but the Lima was the inteeligent Brit's way of saying "I like fast cars but I don't display my hairy chest in public, attend key-swapping parties or think You're So Vain is about me, so I'll pass on the XJS V12."

On the other other hand, Vauxhall Magnum spares usually require a weekend or two of well-researched junkyard diving even in the UK, so rarity notwithstanding in the US it's crackity crack crack with frosted crack topping and a side order of cracksickles.

But I have to vote Nice Price for sake of the ten year old Jamesface staring up at the Panther Six on his wall and desperate to drive anything, even if it was an Austin Ambassador.

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As rare as it is, as nicely sculpted a physique as it wears, as orphaned as the marque became, it's worth preserving. The 15 grand is a bit on the heavy side, but starting from that number, I'd meet with the guy to dicker him down a few.

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*looks again at the whole-car shot*

Nice Price.

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Repair costs will melt your face off.

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If my Jag has taught me anything, the TH400 isn't a great transmission to be behind a (relatively) high revving engine. The shift points on the GM transmission are far too low. A 4500 shift point at WOT wastes the meat of the powerband.

That said, the price is about right for a 400i in that condition. Around $20k is about normal, and they mostly go up from there. I've seen sellers asking nearly $50k for them, and I think the cheapest I've seen a driver was around $18k. I still kick myself over the $6500 salvage 400i that I missed out on a few years ago.

I digress. My vote is nice price. I'd prefer a manual transmission, but a passable "next best" option would be a full manual, reverse pattern valve body in the existing TH400.

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With that budget, what you are looking for this:

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These cars were not your traditional bling Ferrari's. They were designed for people who wanted a nice Ferrari grand tourer, yet needed something low key due to rising taxes, fuel shortages and increasing attacks on conspicuous consumption, including terrorists targeting the wealthy in Europe. Flash was way out, low key was in. How does a bright red 400i fit into ones low profile personality?

You why these cars had autos? Ferrari thought it would make them more appealing to American buyers. But most of these cars were grey market conversions, so who knows what the deal is with this particular one. At $24k, I'd buy it and drive it into the ground. It'll never be worth much, anyway. Besides, who has money to blow on Ferrari repairs nowadays?

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