OUR CARS – TORRENS
AS GT SAID TO HIS SIGMA: ‘WHEN YA GOTTA GO, YA GOTTA GO’
REGULAR READERS might realise that I’ve bought several cars in the past couple of years: a Mazda MX-5, a ’79 Holden Commodore wagon, a chop-top 1980 Bertone-built Volvo 262C, an ’89 Holden Calais V8 and an ’82 Mitsubishi Sigma. A couple of other cars have arrived at my place that I haven’t mentioned much, too: another Commodore project car, another Beetle (or two...or three) and a more recent not-yet- classic Commodore wagon as a daily driver. So it’s a bit busy around here!
And that was one of the reasons why I decided recently to sell something. After a few weeks of soul-searching, I decided my ’82 shed-find one-owner Sigma would have to go.
I’d found the Sigma as a deceased estate on a for-sale site. With less than 100,000km on the odo, the car hadn’t moved in six or eight years but was described as a runner
that needed some minor work. I live in NSW and the shed-find Sigma was in Melbourne so Morley inspected it and came back with the assurance – and the threat! – that if I didn’t buy it, he would!
I agreed to buy it and with a deposit paid, the seller happily retained the car for a few weeks until I could travel to Melbourne, fix the age-related problems and drive it home.
The Sigma required tyres, an oil and f luids change, a battery and some work on the carby before being driven home on an unregistered vehicle permit. Later, once I had the car roadworthy on NSW H-plates, I replaced the headlining, installed fresh dampers and retro-fitted power steering. I happily cruised in the cool old Sigma for nearly 18 months, driving it to the shops and TAFE one or two days per fortnight as well as to many Cars & Coffee-type events.
But with everything else that was going on in my life – cars and other stuff – the Sigma was being parked-in more and more, and used less and less. Sometimes, when I went to start it, the battery was weak reminding me of the fact that I wasn’t driving the Sigma for four, five or six weeks…
Of course, I advertised it in Unique
Cars. Sure enough, I received a few ‘I-work-on-an-oil-rig-but-give-me-yourbank-details’ scam messages and a few low-ballers sent offers of less than half my asking price. But after a couple of weeks, an enthusiast rang and came for a look. He offered very close to my asking price (enough for me to not refuse, but I wondered why he risked blowing his chance on what was surely the best Sigma he’d ever seen!) so now the Sigma has gone to an appreciative new home.