Tia is a Derivative of Tiajuana which was in close proximity to the auction site where we picked her up. The Story on her is that we are the 3rd owner, the 1st lived on the east coast and used her as a daily driver to get back and forth to work up until the early 90s where the 2nd owner bought it. She moved from the east coast to the west coast and had the car shipped. She drove the car up until 2009 and then parked it. She then lost the parking arrangement and had donated the car to a local charity for auction which is where we happened upon it in a craigslist ad. My wife loved the car so we made the trip to pick it up. It still has a myriad of issues it will take a bit to work through them all, however it will be a great runner once complete.”

Here are some notes from the second owner I need to add to the history of this car

I did know the owner’s son who is a chiropractor for olympic surfing and some other interesting sport. Clive Bridgeham. I bought it in RI from him. His mother was still alive at the time. Don’t know if it started in Illinois, but it lived in RI until 2003, when I moved to CA. The odometer is accurate and from the beginning. The engine had a rebuild, but using an antique standard “original” acceptable parts. The rear fenders had rust and were repaired. He did use bondo 🙁 The front end had an accident by one of Clive’s friends (parking it into the side of his house at slow speed at least). We bought a second parts car and just directly replaced the damage. Be careful about idle in “Park”, it pops into reverse. So don’t leave it sitting while running, ever. The electric motor died for the top while I had it. But I found it so much easier to open and close without. Someone took it out of the car in the last few years. Also the hood was shut by someone improperly and opened on the freeway while I was driving at night. I was trying to shut it with traffic flying all around me, and that is how the crook in the hood happened. It can be straightened by the right person.

I LOVED this car and had it from 1996 til I donated it for auction. I was a single mom running a pilates’s studio and just could not invest the effort anymore that the care deserved. I hope you get it perfect again. It is a traffic stopper!!!! Seriously, I also have this cool video of it from its beginning. It is in a storage box. When I come upon it I will get it to you. I can’t promise “when” tho :-o. I am soooooooooo happy to know where it is now 🙂 I Love, love loved this car so much!!!!
Sincerely, Janelle

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