Restoration Shop in Ballard

It's easy enough to sink tens of thousands of dollars into your classic car. When I checked out these vehicles at the restoration shop in Ballard, it struck me that each had some good points and some bad points for your restoration dollar.

1951 Chevy 3100 Advanced-Design truck
Pro: Everybody loves it. Easy to maintain.
Con: Hard to drive.

1962 Ford Thunderbird
Pro: Well-built and powerful. Makes a statement.
Con: Old man's car. Kind of tacky.

1982 Jaguar XJ-S
Pro: It's a V-12 supercar. Surprisingly affordable.
Con: It's surprisingly affordable because it's impossible to keep running.

1981 Fiat 124 Spider
Pro: Fun.
Con: Not very reliable.

1980 MGB
Pro: Fun.
Con: Not very reliable.

1958 Cadillac Coupe DeVille
Pro: Wow power, easy to maintain the drivetrain.
Con: Kind of a money pit - it's got power everything with 1950s wiring.

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Cars For Boat Owners: 1989 Buick Reatta, 1979 MGB

No surprise that these two cars are parked in South Lake Union where the yachts are docked. The kind of person who digs quirky two-seater cars is also the kind of person who enjoys a leisurely life on the water.

Remember Buick? In the US Buick sold 180K cars last year, mostly to grandmothers who grew up with the brand. But in China, Buick is huge - selling upwards of one million cars per year. The Reatta was Buick's plan to actually have something interesting in its showrooms. But it never really caught on, selling only a few thousands copies per year. As for the MG, it's the same story as any British sports car: it's a lot of fun as long as you can afford to give it tender loving care and as long as the gods of inexplicable electrical systems continue to favor you.

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1967 MGB coupe and 1979 MGB convertible

These cars are on the same block and I've no doubt they have the same owner. The coupe is clearly not running. One advantage of living on the posh west side of Queen Anne: you can get away with street-storing your restoration project.

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