RayMK

Me neither. Mine all left at least 17 years ago and still had intact waterworks. I did have to fiddle with the Rapid 135Ric gear selector rod in that tunnel because the rubber bushes at the rear end had disintegrated. Removal of the rod looked impossible without getting the engine out, so I replaced the bushes with solid metal - bolts, spacers and washers - which surprisingly worked without any apparent downside. Master cylinders required attention on a couple of the cars but they are easy to get at. One job I could not do was replace the rear wheel bearings on the Rapid. It had the semi-trailing arm suspension which was also shared with some of the later Estelles. My garage said they were the most difficult ones he'd ever experienced in his 40 years career.

Not the driver's seat as well? Hope it can be fixed without too much excess/insurance hassle.

That's fabulous! Does it even have the fabled low pivot swing axle at the rear?

I doubt it. Much to my regret that one was scrapped by me in 2006 or thereabouts when its engine was extensively damaged by an errant nut which dropped past the carb butterfly and locked the engine. The car also needed structural welding despite its smart appearance, this all occurring, as ever, when my youngish family was financially demanding. Kids or multiple Skodas? Tough choice, but my wife helped me make the decision.

I was going to say 'I'm not a number plate worshipper: go for standard size,' and searched for a rear end view of all of my Skodas to attach, showing off their smart standard sized plates. Oh. Well maybe go with the original size 😀.

Agreed. The advert does not mention chassis condition, all important on these earlier non-galvanised models. Fixable of course, but a bad chassis would pull the price down a long way.

A familiar vehicle from these pages has popped up again: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/145096723423?hash=item21c8704bdf:g:qLEAAOSw34xkazgm&amdata=enc%3AAQAIAAAA4P7jUNVWDprNVz0s9bZuDFN7GuTKrNGAZEAXH6%2FhYtVCBi4Olyz2vh4DYn1%2Fv9EyoPFBLstuJAtrDJjGSpPw6Qg03QH6A0KbFD5QJVqpRMoUbakJ5MyOEgSHpJ7pfPYUqSZLhq1eqdTzVRU8ZAm3C73ozOvyIVMFyXK5jFnkW4ijk0tsznWRw1vVFyMIlGb5%2BG7ldDNAEcX3B2D%2F85xIiZ89quqxe0LSb59Ki%2Bf28%2BI6mXCZsFQYkOl%2FsHHLNc8%2FT1B5OkJFw8OA1nrKui8auLhWa1QmqN3ndoDjHISwlsok|tkp%3ABk9SR7jVy9SIYg

@SiCI love the way some fans have irregular blade spacing, presumably to prevent acoustic beats/resonances. It's difficult to judge the clearance between fan and rad on the photo. Are you confident that the engine won't swing from torque effects when under load and/or jiggle on rough surfaces and clout the rad? I don't know whether a Spitfire engine has stiff mountings or even how many it has. I suppose that with the transmission going to a chassis mounted diff, one would expect engine movement to be axial with no longitudinal movement, so it should not be a problem. Many years ago I had radiator cloutage by the fan in a Reliant (not the one I still own). It was then that I discovered the need to grease the sliding joint in the prop shaft. Not a problem with your independent rear end.

The open tourer looks like a 1930s BSA to me, judging by the radiator and front wheel drive layout.

Rear wheel steering looks interesting. Is it controlled by the back rest?

My renewal last month was £120 more for the Mirage (2017 reg.) so I changed, going with the company which a comparison site recommended - because it was over £100 cheaper than I paid last year. The old Tipo is already with the company I've switched to for the Mirage but renewal for the Tipo a few months back was hardly different from the previous year. The Reliant is the only car I've got on a classic policy and has not changed much either i.e. within £10 of last year's premium.

...and pull strongly to the left.

Don't know about the LD10 but 1949 was the year of my birth. God I'm old fashioned!!

I've never been in a rear engined Renault but have always liked the R8 and longer nosed R10. Extremely rare in the UK now. Curious colour scheme, but I think I like it.

My brother owns a BSA A10 (1960, I think), an A7 which is in bits and a 175cc Bantam also in bits but not needing too much restoration. He's restoring a Honda CB200 (I think) at the moment, and his daily ride is a RE Interceptor.

He reluctantly sold his other bike the other day, an old one but in excellent condition Suzuki SV650S (carb type). Its sporty riding position was making him ache after about an hour. It is being replaced with a new Kawasaki Z650RS which impressed him when he test rode one a few weeks ago. The BSA is staying. He loves it and has done over 1.1K miles since collecting it on 4th March this year.

@wesacosaI'm impressed. Excellent logic and choice of vehicle. I've owned two Rapids (136 and 135Ric) and and two Estelles (120 and 105) and my son has owned three (two 136 rapids and a 130 Estelle). Head gasket failure is common on these but replacement is straightforward and generally does not become an annual event. I loved the handling of all of them, surprisingly preferring the 105 with its swing axles at the rear. They really make you stay alert, all part of the fun. Our last one was sold about 16 years ago. Buying one now deserves praise and unfortunately £s more than we used to pay - ours were generally in the £600 - £1200 range and still had very sound bodywork.

As someone who is in danger of poking eyes out when cleaning my teeth, I agree. Patience and a very steady hand!

This may or may not help, but maybe yours has been wired in accordance with generic practice as per the diagram below. If so, and the battery continues to hold its charge, it starts ok and there's no constant electrical drain when switched off, then I'd just make sure whatever hacked wires are there are in good condition. With everything switched off, is there any arcing when connecting/disconnecting the battery? It's an old car so it should not be drawing current unless it has a clock, unlike moderns which have anti-theft and other systems always active. When my Ginetta had overnight battery discharge problems, I fitted a battery isolator at the battery terminal so that it could be easily isolated overnight. The continuous battery drain on that heap was caused by a faulty alternator.

12.7V is a bit low at the battery with the engine running. 14-15V would be the typical voltage to expect. It's worth checking that the battery terminals are free of corrosion. If the terminals are a bit crusty, they may not be able to transmit the required starting current and all you will get is a slight click when operating the starter.

When you drove it, the lights and electrical systems were presumably functioning? Try to work methodically i.e. one task at a time, then check for an improvement before attacking the next task. Avoid pulling or waggling ancient wiring but I'd first of all make sure that all connections are good, including the battery terminals. If it all looks ok after cleaning connections which looked corroded or tightened and cleaned any that were loose, maybe look at those bundled/taped wiring lumps to ensure they are still making good contact. Also check the starter motor connections and earth cables between engine and body. Check that the battery can hold a charge by charging it overnight and then trying to start the car. Only then would I look at replacing the relay. Others with more experience of electrics may advise a better approach - but that's how I chase down problems with my old cars.

Haven't seen one of those for years, or for that matter a Datsun Stanza.

A wonderful car in superb scenery, and even better as it did not try your patience. A touch of welding, soundproofing and carpets, maybe seat belts as well, will give you your autoshite paradise.

In 1967 or thereabouts when I was in the 5th or 6th form in Rheindahlen, Germany, my friend and I discovered a battered NSU Prinz 2 which had been dumped in waste ground not far from the school. Naturally, we pushed it up to the highest side of the rough patch, sat inside and drove* the brakeless wreck down the hill for 15 metres or so.... several times. Its tyres still had some air in them but I can't remember whether it still had its engine.

@Barry CadeOnly just seen your post of a few days ago about the 1990s Sonatas. I've also had two of them. I part exchanged the first one for a BMW E28 520i and the second one was bought quite a few years later then part exchanged for the CX GTi Turbo 2 in 1992. The Sonatas both had a distinctive Mitsubishi whining noise from the engine - which stopped on one of them when the cam belt snapped (actually, it got tangled up and derailed when the tensioner seized). Fortunately it was a non-interference unit and was fixed quickly and fairly cheaply. Edit: Photo of 1st Sonata added. I've also added better shots of my Volvo 66 saloon and estate to my post of Thursday, page 8.