Stevebrookman

Checked with Footman James insurance. No problem if MOT exempt.

Many thanks, just read this. So my Royale will be tax free from April 1st. Should be good to go!

Thanks all, I also thought free tax was 40 years and over but apparently not- it’s the 1st January 79. Don’t know if changes every year. steve

Just a quickie. Discovered my Royale is now MOT exempt. Looked at insuring it online and no one yet has asked if it's mot'd. Is this general or specific to the sites I've visited. Obviously don't want to find my insurance invalid. PS I will be submitting for an MOT - but I wondered why bother if it's exempt. Steve

Thanks. The only interior photos I have are before I cleaned the inside (that's my excuse!). The interiors seem better quality than the later L322's. I was always going to "upgrade" to a supercharged L322 but will keep this (when i get it back!). Steve

What a first car!! I had to wait until I was 42 to get mine. Mines also a 4.6HSE bought off ebay Boxing day 2006. They are much maligned but mine has only had routine maintenance over the last 13 years. It's had a new set of air springs due to age and also a new compressor a few years back as the old one was getting weak-along with tyres and a couple of exhausts. It's broken down twice in 13 years all due to a dodgy door lock. Spares are very cheap for these. Mine is currently having a "mini restoration" at a very good local specialist-new door lock, sunroof repaired, headlining renewed, most of the security-immobiliser etc removed, air con fixed , gearbox flush and a full oils change and service. Been there about a year-he' had a heart attack so things were put back a while! Fantastic cars to drive-here's mine. Steve

Cannot be surpassed.

I've has a couple of Capris- a 2.0S and a 2.8 Injection. My Royale is far more comfortable and handles better-and with mine having a 3.0 injection engine and 4 speed auto-it's quicker than the 2.8 Injection I had which was a 5 speed manual. My friend had an earlier 2.8 Injection with the 4 speed manual which was much quicker than my Capri. Don't know if it was souped up but the previous owner had got booked doing 139mph in in by plod.

The VX 4/90 looked good-it had apparently £1000's spent over the last 10 years-but the rear end was ripe. Holes in both sills - which originally had been covered with wob and both rear arches were full of filler and bubbling. It did come with two new sills. Still a lovely looking car with the dog-leg 5 speed and twin Strombergs. Steve

Totally agree. The Royale was totally rebuilt with new panels-must have cost a lot more than £6k-a Capri in this condition would be an astronomical price!

Exactly-I thought an HPI check would suffice-just another money maker. Talking about money makers-to bid you need a bidders number-fair enough-I had downloaded and filled in a form to get one on arrival -"just in case". I had already scoped out the Ventora and a rusty VX 4/90 (below) as potential targets if the price was "right". Getting there slightly later than planned and not wanting to "upset" the wife with the line "guess what I've bought" - I thought I'd give it a miss. Myself and my friend settled ourselves in what we thought was the bidding hall-it wasn't - but it was comfortable for watching and listening to the action on the tellies they had up-also tellies in the big sheds where the cars were. I went for a wander and found the actual sale room-but to get in you had to have a catalogue-for sale for £20!

The Ventora was mint-looked under the bonnet-not a spec of rust anywhere.

Went to Brightwells classic auction yesterday. Better than any classic show-you can sit in the cars-open the boot / bonnet plus it's free to get in. Couple of cars took my fancy. Prices seem good-but just remember there is a buyers premium of 12 % on the hammer price-VAT on the buyers premium and 7.5% indemnity fee. The Royale below was absolutely mint (looks like mine through squinted eyes)-£5000 hammer price which equates to about £6000out of the door. Brightwells results show the 12% added - but not indemnity-so the Royale final price is shown as £5600 The star for me was this absolutely immaculate Ventora manual with overdrive-£3136 (not including indemnity). Think my next purchase will be similar to this-£7840 (not including indemnity). Full results list is here https://www.brightwells.com/classic-motoring/leominster-classic-vintage/leominster-classic-vintage-27th-november-2019/catalogue-classic-cars-27th-november/

Just ordered one-will fit my Royale but is it powerful enough? Who cares! A battery delivered for under £13 is an absolute bargain.

Brother had one of these. Remember taking it for a test drive in Brynmawr. It was belting it down. Dropped the clutch ar about 4000 rpm and it took off in a straight line like a rocket - no wheel spin. He was part exchanging a Capri Injection -if you had tried that on a wet road in the Capri we would have been sideways into the hedge. The Sierra was a superb car-he replaced it with a V12 XJS which was even better. Happy old days!