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Can anyone help? I'm trying not to advertise directly on the messageboard (not in the rules, dear boy!!) but I'm on the lookout for a good / excellent 1200 convertible; I've sold the red one that Bill featured in The Courier to a far braver man than I and therefore have a space in the garage and money in my pocket for the best 1200 I can find. The problem is that I either travel to view a number of mostly unsuitable cars at great expense or buy by photo - hence the red nightmare which had to be sold on due to the photos being much better (and having more metal) than the car itself. If anyone knows of an excellent, fully restored or well cared for example please get in touch with me. Slight mods eg overdrive or engine upgrades ie stage 2 are welcome but the bodywork and interior must be original, and the description should at least be honest. Email me if you can help. A good home awaits!!

This one is for sale at Canleys at the moment...

http://www.canleyclassics.com/carsforsale.asp?uid=...

It looks good to me and I am just soooo tempted by it...

NiG

Thanks for the link, Nigel, it certainly looks okay - or at least I think so, which is the problem...more detailed photos would have helped! The photos I have downloaded show a curved shadow to the bottom of the drivers door which I know from the description cannot be rust breaking through the doorskin; yet when I enquired for further data and clearer photos from Dave in Canleys I was told the car is as pictured. Doesn't tell me much, does it? A phrase like "the paintwork is surprisingly good for its' age" can mean all sorts of things! Having just travelled 160 miles to view a restored 1200 convertible only to find it's a converted saloon in a non-original colour (on a Mk1 chassis with a 13/60 engine for which the vendor wanted &163;5000) it's obvious I need an honest description of any car before I travel. Has anyone inspected this car and can give me an opinion before I get on a plane for another wasted journey? I'm still advertising for a 1200 convertible (getting a lot of replies from owners of 13/60 saloons, for some reason) and find that some owners either flatly refuse or can't be bothered to send or e-mail photographs, and at least one sold his car despite me having booked time off work and flight tickets to view it. I like the look of this one but it will cost me &163;200 at least to confirm that even before I consider buying it!

Ugh - sounds like a 'right old mare' of a search you've got yourself going there. I'm with you however on the 1200 Vs 13/60 front though - such a nice look.

I can ask around for an honest opinion or two - see what comes out. I will also be going to Stoneleigh in Feb and possibly see the car there. I don't know my heralds nearly as much as my spitfires, but I can do a bit of research and if you Email me your specific requirements I could check it out for you if it's available.

NiG

I think that red one is sold but I have seen it, sat in it and generally had a good nose around it. It's not perfect but it's pretty damn close. The doors shut first time without slamming, amazing! There are paintwork chips and scratches to be sorted out, of note around the bonnet catches, they are not major. That's the original hood on it, I've never seen an original Herald hood before. It's got rather too many accessories for my liking but as for originality - plastic on the doors, dealer's tax disc holder on the screen and what looked like a couple of the original tyres. It's pretty much the best original car I've seen. When I saw it, it would have benefitted from some careful rectification of the paint and a damn good clean and polish. For the money I thought it was quite a bargain, especially from a trader like Canley Classics - big back up, good reputation etc.
I do a bit of buying and selling on eBay and I always have a wrestle with desciptions - "The best I've ever seen" could mean I've only seen rusty ones. "Good for it's age" could mean knackered but still on the road - you can't really rely on someone elses description and everything looks good in a photo - especially if it's a nice day and you've just washed it! The only way to really know is to go look yourself or have an impartial and knowledgeable mate go see it for you OR pay for a professional inspection. Also, tell the seller what your criterea are - for example, I sold a NOS GT6/Spit Mk3 quarter bumper to a US buyer recently. I described the chrome as excellent - indeed it was for a 30 year old unboxed piece of New Old Stock and so much better than anything I'd seen elsewhere. He paid good money for it and high shipping costs but was disappointed when he opened it as it was not totally flawless - he is building a flawless concourse car. We talked it over and agreed that he should have asked if it was good for concours and told me what his criterea was - I've never competed in concours so to me it was fine - I wasn't trying to misdescribe it, it was new and had never been on a car but did have some micro scratches. To me that would be acceptable, I don't get down on my hands and knees to look at bumpers when they are fitted. It wasn't a problem, as he said he could sell it on in the US and we parted amicably. The point here is that your criterea is unique and the only thing you should be able to take for granted is that the seller isn't lying to you - everything else is down to interpretation. It's a pain whe you're after something and can't find it but that's the nature of the beast - you can't buy a new Triumph so someone's always had their hands on it before you

Still looking and trying to sort the wheat from the chaff - this Ulster registered example is a perfect illustration of the pitfalls in buying a good Herald - this one has been fully restored at a cost of 7000 pounds and the elderly vendor is now asking for 5000; an absolutely beautiful car with the best interior I've ever seen except a) the commission number shows it was originally a saloon, b) the engine is from a 13/60 and c) whilst it was built onto an unused display chassis I've been informed that it's from a Mk1 Herald instead of the correct Mk2. apart from which it's not in a Triumph colour. I could live with these niggles except for the price which is way too high for what I'm getting. Imagine if I'd travelled to the mainland at a cost of over 200 pounds only to find the immaculate Herald I'd been offered was not exactly perfect, or far from it! Therefore - as before, if anyone knows of an excellent or at least condition 1 example please get in touch with me. Still looking, cash and garage space waiting, and another ad in this month's Courier...

Just a quick note to say thanks for all the calls regarding the red 1200 convertible we had for sale, but that its now sold! I thought that we might struggle to sell a Herald convertible this time of year regardless of its excellent condition, but it seems many people are after such a vehicle. This bodes well for the future of the marque me thinks? It was a shame to sell such a car, quite simply the best most orginal 1200 convertible I have seen in over 20 years, but it didn't fit in with our collecting policy, (prototypes, race cars, etc) and the wife wants a new bathroom!<

)

David

Which means it's a seller's market.. but even those who wish to buy can't seem to find any for sale....

Section : General

Herald 1200 convertible - buying and viewing

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Herald 1200 convertible - buying and viewing

Herald 1200 convertible - buying and viewing

Herald 1200 convertible - buying and viewing

Herald 1200 convertible - buying and viewing

Herald 1200 convertible - buying and viewing

Herald 1200 convertible - buying and viewing

Herald 1200 convertible - buying and viewing