So was drinking last night with my Dad and I came to a decision…

"TheBloody, Oppositelock lives on in our shitposts." (thebloody)
12/22/2013 at 16:44 • Filed to: Graham, Sharknose

So some of you might (probably not though) that my dad has two Graham Spirit of Motion's sitting in the back yard of a property my uncle owns back in SA. I Dad mentioned one thing that he never told me before, one of the Grahams was bought new in 1938 by my great grandfather and at the time he was kind of a baller so he bought the supercharged straight 6 with the side barrel. With this realization I have decided that I can't do anything other than restore both, granted they're in a sorry state of disrepair right now and it's going to cost me around $7000 just for a 40 foot container from Durban to Newark but on monday I'm opening a savings account and will start putting money away every month until I can afford to bring them in.

Here is a picture of an add from 1938 as I have to digitize the photos of the Grahams, those will be coming.

I realize that this project is going to take me years to complete if not just to get them over here to the US, but I just felt the need to share with people who'd care about something like this. My fiancé's reaction was "umm… okay?"

DISCUSSION (15)

Aaron James > TheBloody, Oppositelock lives on in our shitposts.
12/22/2013 at 16:50

From experience I will suggest you do it before you get married. Once you're married ummm ok turns into Hell no what were you thinking

joemcm > TheBloody, Oppositelock lives on in our shitposts.
12/22/2013 at 16:52

Just make sure the future wife is actually bout it. Otherwise, she'll be pissed about you putting that money there cause it's now the couple's money, not just your's.

TheBloody, Oppositelock lives on in our shitposts. > Aaron James
12/22/2013 at 16:56

I get married in 4 months... fuck. Well as the saying goes in SA, "Boer maak n plan". I'll make a plan.

TheBloody, Oppositelock lives on in our shitposts. > joemcm
12/22/2013 at 16:59

One of the reason's I'm marrying her is that she puts up with my car shit. In fact she buys me off road accessories for my Land Rover as birthday/Christmas presents.

Ramblin Rover - The Vivisector of Solihull > TheBloody, Oppositelock lives on in our shitposts.
12/22/2013 at 16:59

Bring back some LR PTOs and odds and ends in the container, and you'll make part of the expenses back in no time. Not even kidding: container from SA = LR bonanza = cash in pocket.

Also, viz Grahams: Hell to the fuck yes.

TheBloody, Oppositelock lives on in our shitposts. > Ramblin Rover - The Vivisector of Solihull
12/22/2013 at 17:01

You're a fucking genius. I should have thought of that.

Kinja'd!!!

Aaron James > TheBloody, Oppositelock lives on in our shitposts.
12/22/2013 at 17:03

it will be an advantage to have a solid plan in place that you can go back and say, "hey I've been planning this since before we got married and you were ok with it then" Marriage is the greatest thing in the world for about 5 years.

Ramblin Rover - The Vivisector of Solihull > TheBloody, Oppositelock lives on in our shitposts.
12/22/2013 at 17:06

You can disassemble an *installed* PTO off a truck in about an hour per, even assuming there aren't piles of the things. Sell in US for $1000, buy in SA for who knows (~$200?) + expense of rear trans cap if the vehicles are staying in use (which, likely they aren't). Capstan winches, likewise. Body panels, roofs, not quite as cheap, but still probably possible to get a 100% return on. Single-light early II front fenders are worth a lot as well.

TheBloody, Oppositelock lives on in our shitposts. > Ramblin Rover - The Vivisector of Solihull
12/22/2013 at 17:20

My dad happens to know of an old military Land Rover wreckers yard some where in South Africa and is planning a 6 month trip next year when he retires. Yes, yes, this will work nicely... Series II/IIA's, III's ect...

Ramblin Rover - The Vivisector of Solihull > TheBloody, Oppositelock lives on in our shitposts.
12/22/2013 at 17:53

I just had another thought: if either of the Grahams' chassis is too far gone, or you need to 2-into-1 the running gear, you could always put a Graham body on a Series...

TheBloody, Oppositelock lives on in our shitposts. > Ramblin Rover - The Vivisector of Solihull
12/22/2013 at 17:55

I could but, they've been stored in Pretoria South Africa which is much like southern Cali. Those frames were beefy as fuck so I'm guessing that they are saveable. I'm thinking if the engines are too far gone I could always drop a 350 chevy in there with a super charger. Maybe paint one Plumb crazy and the other Midnight blue...

TheBloody, Oppositelock lives on in our shitposts. > TheBloody, Oppositelock lives on in our shitposts.
12/22/2013 at 17:59

and building on that, maybe even put bags on one and turn it into a sled... oh the possibilities!

Ramblin Rover - The Vivisector of Solihull > TheBloody, Oppositelock lives on in our shitposts.
12/22/2013 at 18:02

I'd say supered Olds or NA Hilborn or tri-carb Y-block or nailhead, if it comes to that.

350s are declasse'.

TheBloody, Oppositelock lives on in our shitposts. > Ramblin Rover - The Vivisector of Solihull
12/22/2013 at 18:05

I'm just spitball'n here, although a blown 215 might be an option...

joemcm > TheBloody, Oppositelock lives on in our shitposts.
12/23/2013 at 01:09

Then it's love! Congrats man