NICE SUNNY DAY CARS

Now that the sunny weather is here, I am enjoying driving my MG TF. It is not a restored car, but I still have a lot of fun driving it to shows. People are amazed to see one of these "fat fendered" MGs the way they looked 50 years ago and with bugs on the windshield. The car has a rebuilt engine. It runs good and everything works. It is as much or more fun than a restored one and I am not after trophies. I just enjoy low-cost, wind-in-the-face driving, speaking of which, you can too.

All over the country, there are enthusiasts like Shane Hanke, who buy "driver" condition imported sports cars and fix them up to make good road cars that can add to your summer driving experiences. Shane and his counterparts have a knack for finding inexpensive cars, making them good drivers and "flipping" them for a modest profit. With cars like these, you don't spend a fortune and you don't win trophies, but you get to do some exciting driving on nice, sunny days. Shane and others like him make their cars run good and look good, without spending five figures to restore them. So you get a fun ride without the worry of protecting a high-dollar show car. And most of the cars they resell are newer than my MG, which makes them more user-friendly and driveable.

You can check out Shane's inventory at www.shanes-british-classics.com. Despite the name of his business, he also plays with Italian and German cars. And if he doesn't have something you want, he'll even link you to other cars and other sellers.