danthecapriman

When Dan's Capri is done, we really should have 'the Ford's of autoshite' meet with this, Dan's Capri, the Sierra bASe, my Mondeo, that mk1 granny coupe being restored, there's other Sierra mk1's on here I think too? All the mk1 foci as well! Stuboy's mk2 mondy etc

It's true, I'm in lurve.
 
I am an honourable sort of chap so I will reluctantly let you have hold of this one, but I'm seriously going to clear out some space and get another. If I find one with a beige/brown interior then you'll never get me out of it.
 
Have another pic, just because.
 

 
Mrs S likes it very much too.

Here's a pic of the Merc with the Granny in the background.
 

Little update from today - the interior finally went back in!
 
Took the opportunity to give it a good vacuum out first, then in goes the sound deadening
 

 
Then the carpet, 
 

 
pausing only to give it yet another scrub and vacuum, before putting the seats in
 

 
Whilst I'm waiting for my dashboard to return from it's holiday in the Netherlands, I removed the rear part of the dashboard holder, to see if I can add some strength back into the many, many broken fasteners.

As a teenager working in car rental we had the Granada 2.8 GL saloons and estates on the fleet, the last lot of estates were the 2.8i Ghia X, it was always a bit of an occasion to drive one and the further away the collection point - the better.
 
I had the opportunity one day to combine both cars discussed here, with a trip to London where we swapped a 2.8GL saloon for 3 SD1 Vanden Plas 3500 EFi, which we hustled back in convoy.  As far as I know over 30 years later one of those Rovers is still on the road.

Well... the Granny's gone.
 
I'm still not feeling better about it having to go, and when it left I even had a bit of a lump in my throat!
 
Still, it's gone to some absolutely top guys and it's safe so that does help.
Thanks Skizzer and Breadvan, pleasure to meet you both and thank you so much for sorting me out. I hope the Granny is everything you expected and you get back home ok with it.

This site http://www.bbceng.info/Eng_Inf/EngInf_32.pdf has the story behind the next generation of 'Type C' Transit van. Only the BBC in the 1980s/early 90s would have had the will (and cash) to entirely rebuild the side door of a Transit as part of a conversion to a recording van that would be used a few dozen times in its entire life.

I drove to Brighton today and had a mega grin when i saw a red A reg Datsun Priare still on it's tin rivit digit plates, you just never see class like that, sadly no photo due to new phone laws but i did get one of this pretty DS in the city centre
 

Here's a pic of the Merc with the Granny in the background.
 

Spent the whole day near enough sorting the rusty rear floor pan on the Volvo. It was far worse than I thought and I've never seen rust like this on a Volvo 740 before!
The worst is sorted now, I've chopped it all out, made new panels from steel sheet and it's welded in now nice and solid. Just got to weld one seat mount back in place, dress the welds a bit and then seam seal and paint. I'll use black stonechip on this since it'll be under the carpets.
Hopefully tomorrow I'll get the last couple of small holes sorted then it should be good for an MOT.
 
The moral to this is not to ignore water leaks! This has clearly been letting water in for some time before I bought the car. The leak was the front fresh air vents in the footwell, fixed a few weeks ago.
 
I've got mild sun burn to my face now and I'm aching like fuck from laying awkwardly under the car. I was absolutely filthy too after I'd finished! All worth it in the end though.

Since a kid I've loved grannys. This was my Birthday present last year from the Mrs tattood on my calf

You totes wimp.  Just do the scratch and sniff test and put on the least minging shirt, same as you do with yer shreddies.  Gonna end up skanky anyway: you should have seen the state of my shirt cuffs by the time I got home after all that car-botherage.
 
I am hankering for more Granny riding.  The SD1 is now going to be put away until I can get the gasket done, as although it runs fine, and has neither oily coolant nor watery oil, I need to get it sorted before I kershonkerate its insides.

Well... the Granny's gone.
 
I'm still not feeling better about it having to go, and when it left I even had a bit of a lump in my throat!
 
Still, it's gone to some absolutely top guys and it's safe so that does help.
Thanks Skizzer and Breadvan, pleasure to meet you both and thank you so much for sorting me out. I hope the Granny is everything you expected and you get back home ok with it.

Here's a pic of the Merc with the Granny in the background.
 

Here's a pic of the Merc with the Granny in the background.
 

Here's a pic of the Merc with the Granny in the background.
 

Here's a pic of the Merc with the Granny in the background.
 

Here's a pic of the Merc with the Granny in the background.
 

Here's a pic of the Merc with the Granny in the background.
 

I wanted one of these when I was very young. My friend's dad had one, a 3L Ghia. His was light brown or bronze.
 

I can't really remember the first car I lusted after but I always wanted a Land Rover as my dad worked for Eastern Electricity and reguarly brought them home. I did get my first one when I was about 19 it was a series 1 long wheelbase and truly horrible. It spent more time broken than on the road but my own fault for abusing it. That still didn't put me off though and I have had loads of the things since. For real proper car lust I remember finding a Jensen 541S on a local farm. I showed it to my dad and he made enquiries about buying it but in the end it came to nothing. I did have one in the end in the late 90's a 1958 541 de-luxe. My dad was well impressed and it was the first car I ever fully restored. I sold it in 2001 as the paint was starting to crack and I couldn't stand to watch it get worse. There is no way I could afford another as they start around the 30k mark now.

This one wasn't mine but the owner of it kindly lent me his owners handbook so I could get it photo copied

They aren't, they are automotive perfection, a long bonnet, sweet fa rear grip and borderline lethal in the wet if the you have a heavy right foot. What more could any man want?

Mk 3 Cortina,a friend's Dad had a new 2000E & it was so different to the Renault Dauphines & 8s that my Dad had at the time.A bit later,2 other friend's Dads had a 2.0 XL auto in daytona yellow,& a facelift 2.0 GT in a pale yellow with a vinyl roof.I missed out on a facelift 2-door 2.0 GT just before I passed my test,but got a pre-facelift 2-door GT after I had a Mini for a bit.Probably the rustiest Cortina I had out of about 10,but I loved that car 

Rear bumper improvements.

 
End result.
Before

 
After

 
Yeah, I'd say that was worth it. I know other methods are available, but I had a pot of the Autoglym stuff, so on it went. I also dabbed Vactan on a few crusty bits underneath and then sprayed Bilt Hamber Dynax UB everywhere to try and keep the thing solid.