Then & Now

by Pat Williams

I have been a Moss Motors customer for at least 44 years. The first receipt I have, which was filled out by hand, is dated September 20, 1980, and was for $61.27. I had driven 150 miles up to Goleta for two windshield post pads, door seals, boot seal, and a rear view mirror.

$100 bought me a 1960 Austin-Healey 3000 in 1974. Although the car was complete, it was a wreck, but the price was right for a 20-year-old college student. I picked up the car in the Hollywood Hills and trailered it to my parents’ house in Newport Beach to begin the long process of restoring the car.
Finding parts was nearly impossible in 1974, although a British Leyland dealer occasionally had a few. Over the next few years, while I finished college, the engine and carburetors were rebuilt. Another year and a half was spent at the body shop getting repainted.

By the time the car returned from the body shop in 1980, Moss Motors had been growing their inventory of Healey parts and I started calling monthly to order the items needed to make the car really drivable. The flyers in the mail showing new parts were like leaving a bowl of candy in front of a child—irresistible.

Remember that first receipt? Those parts are all still available from Moss. I checked then-and-now prices. Those windshield post pads I bought in 1980 cost me $3.49 each. Today they’re $4.49. The trunk seal was $15.25. Today it’s $34.49. The rear-view mirror was $15.25 and today it’s $38.99. Over 44 years, that beats the rate of inflation by a lot.

After all these years, Moss Motors still plays a big role in keeping our car running. Now, I am usually replacing something that has worn out—most recently a new propeller shaft seal and silicone rocker cover gasket to stem the endless oil leaks. The car is running so well these days that I would be very tempted to repeat the drive across the country that my new bride and I took in 1986. Luckily, she was a good sport when I announced a stop at Moss Motors to pick up a part while we were on our honeymoon trip to Santa Barbara. Maybe I can take her back for our 50th anniversary?