1968 Austin America (1300) on eBay

UPDATE 12/18 - A buyer used Buy It Now and bought this car for $1000.00

In an earlier post I mentioned that I have a soft spot for the Austin America and once owned one.

At a later date I'll write a post about that car and the amusingly tragic events that, many years ago, lead to its demise before I ever got to drive it.

(Update - That has been posted - You can find it here)

While scouring eBay this morning I found the listing for the one pictured above.

There are not a lot of details in the listing, other than the seller mentioning that the automatic transmission doesn't work properly. This will probably require a rebuild as the transmission shares its lubrication with the engine and it is common for bits of metal shavings to find their way from the engine and into the tranny where they cause all kinds of problems.

These cars are usually loaded with rust, but this one appears to have very little. I would ask the seller if there is any Bondo on the car (especially along the rocker panels) as the rust usually takes hold in structural areas and really needs to be properly repaired with metal. It would also be worthwhile asking about the car's Hydrolastic suspension. It's a very impressive suspension system, but one, if not working, is very tough to repair (at least at home).

As the America shared much of its drivetrain parts with the Mini, parts are easy to come by. Body parts and other Austin America / 1300 parts can be a problem in this country, but are readily available in the UK.

The seller states that this car could be a "daily driver". I don't know about that, but it appears that it wouldn't take much to turn this into a nice car, one that would certainly draw attention at car shows.

An Austin America will never be worth a lot of money, so go into it with both eyes open and realize that this would be a labor of love.

Click here to see the eBay listing for this Austin America.

For more info on the Austin America check out this website