When you're young, you want a car that goes fast and looks pretty. When you're older you want a car that'll last a long time and not give you any trouble.

I went through a similar experience which involved a Triumph TR3, my father, and my own money. My dream car. I asked my father to look at it, as I always used to, and he popped the hood, took a sniff, and told me "This car's had some sort of electrical fire". I was devastated, wanted that car so bad, but took his advice and didn't buy it. The guy who finally did had nothing but trouble with it.

A succession of MG's, sporty American muscle cars, and a few motorcycles has taught me a few things; to buy for the long run, always be ready to say no thanks and walk away, that modified vehicles often run badly and are expensive to repair, and that the old mans advice has saved me thousands of dollars and a lot of headaches over the years. I'd have walked away from any car that didn't have oil in the engine; that says a lot, about both the car and the seller.

Just my 2 cents.

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