Ratdat

One thing that would be wise, even if there's no plans the restore it now... find the parts it needs to be done. The longer that's left the harder and more expensive it becomes. If I hadn't have spent the last 20 years buying Datsun bits, I probably wouldn't be able to restore my cars now. 
 
For some reason I always think the most pov spec cars are the best ones to see in tip top shape. It's also so illogical restoring a mingebag spec car that the idea is mega appealing.

This thread is totally indicative of just how far the forum strayed from it's original purpose.
 
We have criticism of this car because it was 'shit when new', because it's in rough condition  or not a 'classic' and thus not worth bothering with. We have the suggestion that a restored car is something to be shunned or if someone wants to spend their hard earned making a rareity immaculate once more they have no place here.
 
The car is EXACTLY what Autoshite is supposed to be about. The rare, obscure and the unloved. It's condition doesn't matter. It would be no different if it was immaculate...it's still full on weapons grade Autoshite material.
 
Autoshite really has become Autoshit... home of dismal mingebag motoring in any old piece of shit so long as it's dirt cheap... and not forgetting a dash of inverted snobbery too. I despair.
 
 

Modern cars really are quite massive compared to oldies. My R16 was a decent sized family car in it's day and now it looks diddy between this Clio and Focus. I bet it still has more room inside though...
 

Yes indeed... This is qual too...

This thread is totally indicative of just how far the forum strayed from it's original purpose.
 
We have criticism of this car because it was 'shit when new', because it's in rough condition  or not a 'classic' and thus not worth bothering with. We have the suggestion that a restored car is something to be shunned or if someone wants to spend their hard earned making a rareity immaculate once more they have no place here.
 
The car is EXACTLY what Autoshite is supposed to be about. The rare, obscure and the unloved. It's condition doesn't matter. It would be no different if it was immaculate...it's still full on weapons grade Autoshite material.
 
Autoshite really has become Autoshit... home of dismal mingebag motoring in any old piece of shit so long as it's dirt cheap... and not forgetting a dash of inverted snobbery too. I despair.
 
 

Around here it's normally wreckage seen at the side of the road. It seems Lincolnshire's rural roads are popular places for hurling your car into the scenery. Happened upon this sterling effort between xmas and new year in 2008...
 

 
Not only snapping a substantial tree in half but uprooting it as well. Top marks!
 

The Lincolnshire countryside...
 

Around here it's normally wreckage seen at the side of the road. It seems Lincolnshire's rural roads are popular places for hurling your car into the scenery. Happened upon this sterling effort between xmas and new year in 2008...
 

 
Not only snapping a substantial tree in half but uprooting it as well. Top marks!
 

That's cool. I was half expecting this thread to feature one of these...
 

That's cool. I was half expecting this thread to feature one of these...
 

That's cool. I was half expecting this thread to feature one of these...
 

That's cool. I was half expecting this thread to feature one of these...
 

That's cool. I was half expecting this thread to feature one of these...
 

That's cool. I was half expecting this thread to feature one of these...
 

That's cool. I was half expecting this thread to feature one of these...
 

There's a garage down the road from me that just sells cheap second hand motors now but it used to be our local Renault dealers main workshop until about 8 or 9 years ago. I went in recently and had a chat with the bloke who owns the place and it turns out that when Renault moved they left behind most of their stock and loads of equipment which is all still there! So far a bunch of new old stock parts has been aquired as well as a massive load of service manuals and technical literature which I'm currently sorting through.
 
I managed to get this awesome illuminated sign off the side of the building yesterday evening (£20!)...
 

 
..and today I went and did a deal to buy all the special tools and equipment from there. There are six racks of Renault tools like these plus a massive load of older loose special tools packed away in boxes. They were a Renault dealer from 1962 onward so much of it will be quite old I'd think...
 

 
I'm seriously chuffed to get my hands on this HPA alignment kit. It does camber, caster, KPI and toe and came with the rack, instructions and calibration tools...
 

 
Best of all, I scored a couple of diagnostics machines. A Crypton Motorscope from about 1985 which appears to work fine and a proper Renault Souriau system which is untested as yet as the vert hold needs adjusting on the display. That seems to be of a similar vintage judging by the presence of a 5.25" floppy dic drive! Both came with the instruction books and all the leads and attachments and I've got all of the diagnostic data books to go with the Renault machine. The Renault machine comes with all the dedicated Renault connectors but thankfully, also a universal one so it can be used on other makes. It has a CO meter as well which will be well handy. It'll be a great weapon for my workshop if I can get it going (or a nice ornament if I can't). He only wanted £30 each for them so I figured it was worth a go!
 

 

 
There's still a bunch more old stock to have a gander at and the old frontage from the dealership is lying broken in a back shed there. I might have to rescue it anyway as he didn't want owt for it...
 

 
All in all a good days scavenging
 

I might go check this out in the morning. Just fettling mine for it's test now so a few bits and pieces would be most welcome. Any idea what colour interior was in it?

Most peeps here probably know the crud i own but for the benefit of the newer members, here's my current hoard of rusty shite...
 
'81 Dodge...

 
Rusty '81 Escort Ghia...

 
'76 Honda Civic, awaiting some sills...

 
'79 Renault 16TL. Bought for spares but it's too good to break...anyone want it?

 
'68 Datsun Sunny 1000 estate. Owned this one for a looong time but awaiting full resto now...

 
nearly deceased Hyundai Pony pickup...

 
'62 Datsun 312 Bluebird estate, now ready for MOT...

 
'71 Datsun 510 Bluebird, currently awaiting a rebuild...

 
'87 Nissan Turdbird. My daily for only one more day...

 
'80 Renault 30TX slowly making progress...

 
'83 Renault 11 GTL...

 
'77 Nissan Cedric hardtop project-in-waiting...

 
rusty Nissan '84 Cherry Europe GTi..

 
'82 Datsun Cherry GL. Probably a metal donor for the Europe...

 
'68 Renault 16TS. Starters packed in..aaargh!...

 
'81 Datsun Sunny pickup. Was restoring, currently just storing...

 
'77 Datsun Violet 160J SSS. Currently restoring. Got a yellow one one of these too...

 
'83 Renault 5TL. Doing the head gasket currently then up for sale...

 
Got a basket case '73 Renault 5 too...

 
'99 Suzuki Wagon R+ needing sills...

 
Plus a Renault 20TS and a 16GL for spares, and a Datsun 1200 two door saloon, and a Mini 850 and a complete heap of a Honda Acty pickup.
 
Oh and finally...
A Sprite Muskateer from about 1970...

 
'57 Massey Harris 820 Pony...

 
And to round off, I just bought this which I'm picking up tomorrow...
'81 Cortina estate...

C'est formidable!. Those plates rule. I shall be getting some of those for my 510 when it gets registered. Balls to black and silver pressed ones.

I won this and went all the way to Kent to fetch it this morning but came back without it. It's fairly solid but very shabby and battered with really shit paintwork all over (despite the comedy and innefectual T-cutting effort) and a grubby tired looking interior. Lots of broken and missing trim inside and out. The engine is very tappety and the exhaust is blowing very loudly. Overall it's very neglected looking and even further from the description than you could possibly imagine. The main reason for not buying it is despite the seller telling me he had all the paperwork and the V5 "right here", when I got there he had nothing and decided to waste an hour of my time by pretending to look for the V5. I suspect he was hoping I would think he was being genuine and just buy it anyway. He said he got it at auction and I'm wondering if it's a Cat C or something as it's been hit in the rear. Either way the seller is an unapologetic, time-wasting, lying oxygen thief and I hope he gets struck by lightning. Twice.
 
Should it be re-listed... Caveat Emptor

I won this and went all the way to Kent to fetch it this morning but came back without it. It's fairly solid but very shabby and battered with really shit paintwork all over (despite the comedy and innefectual T-cutting effort) and a grubby tired looking interior. Lots of broken and missing trim inside and out. The engine is very tappety and the exhaust is blowing very loudly. Overall it's very neglected looking and even further from the description than you could possibly imagine. The main reason for not buying it is despite the seller telling me he had all the paperwork and the V5 "right here", when I got there he had nothing and decided to waste an hour of my time by pretending to look for the V5. I suspect he was hoping I would think he was being genuine and just buy it anyway. He said he got it at auction and I'm wondering if it's a Cat C or something as it's been hit in the rear. Either way the seller is an unapologetic, time-wasting, lying oxygen thief and I hope he gets struck by lightning. Twice.
 
Should it be re-listed... Caveat Emptor

I won this and went all the way to Kent to fetch it this morning but came back without it. It's fairly solid but very shabby and battered with really shit paintwork all over (despite the comedy and innefectual T-cutting effort) and a grubby tired looking interior. Lots of broken and missing trim inside and out. The engine is very tappety and the exhaust is blowing very loudly. Overall it's very neglected looking and even further from the description than you could possibly imagine. The main reason for not buying it is despite the seller telling me he had all the paperwork and the V5 "right here", when I got there he had nothing and decided to waste an hour of my time by pretending to look for the V5. I suspect he was hoping I would think he was being genuine and just buy it anyway. He said he got it at auction and I'm wondering if it's a Cat C or something as it's been hit in the rear. Either way the seller is an unapologetic, time-wasting, lying oxygen thief and I hope he gets struck by lightning. Twice.
 
Should it be re-listed... Caveat Emptor

I won this and went all the way to Kent to fetch it this morning but came back without it. It's fairly solid but very shabby and battered with really shit paintwork all over (despite the comedy and innefectual T-cutting effort) and a grubby tired looking interior. Lots of broken and missing trim inside and out. The engine is very tappety and the exhaust is blowing very loudly. Overall it's very neglected looking and even further from the description than you could possibly imagine. The main reason for not buying it is despite the seller telling me he had all the paperwork and the V5 "right here", when I got there he had nothing and decided to waste an hour of my time by pretending to look for the V5. I suspect he was hoping I would think he was being genuine and just buy it anyway. He said he got it at auction and I'm wondering if it's a Cat C or something as it's been hit in the rear. Either way the seller is an unapologetic, time-wasting, lying oxygen thief and I hope he gets struck by lightning. Twice.
 
Should it be re-listed... Caveat Emptor

I won this and went all the way to Kent to fetch it this morning but came back without it. It's fairly solid but very shabby and battered with really shit paintwork all over (despite the comedy and innefectual T-cutting effort) and a grubby tired looking interior. Lots of broken and missing trim inside and out. The engine is very tappety and the exhaust is blowing very loudly. Overall it's very neglected looking and even further from the description than you could possibly imagine. The main reason for not buying it is despite the seller telling me he had all the paperwork and the V5 "right here", when I got there he had nothing and decided to waste an hour of my time by pretending to look for the V5. I suspect he was hoping I would think he was being genuine and just buy it anyway. He said he got it at auction and I'm wondering if it's a Cat C or something as it's been hit in the rear. Either way the seller is an unapologetic, time-wasting, lying oxygen thief and I hope he gets struck by lightning. Twice.
 
Should it be re-listed... Caveat Emptor

I won this and went all the way to Kent to fetch it this morning but came back without it. It's fairly solid but very shabby and battered with really shit paintwork all over (despite the comedy and innefectual T-cutting effort) and a grubby tired looking interior. Lots of broken and missing trim inside and out. The engine is very tappety and the exhaust is blowing very loudly. Overall it's very neglected looking and even further from the description than you could possibly imagine. The main reason for not buying it is despite the seller telling me he had all the paperwork and the V5 "right here", when I got there he had nothing and decided to waste an hour of my time by pretending to look for the V5. I suspect he was hoping I would think he was being genuine and just buy it anyway. He said he got it at auction and I'm wondering if it's a Cat C or something as it's been hit in the rear. Either way the seller is an unapologetic, time-wasting, lying oxygen thief and I hope he gets struck by lightning. Twice.
 
Should it be re-listed... Caveat Emptor