Leyland Lawrence

Put the first thread back on.

I've put this back on although i originally deleted it as someone has raised this recently on the open forum. Anyway, I'm picking up a 1980 (V is my favourite reg followed by A and then Y and X close behind) 1500 Spitfire this weekend in bright orange. It is a bit tired, front and rear valances scruffy, numerous little bits and pieces etc but it is amazingly original. Original interior. Original raised numberplates with the BL markings Original purchase reciept, genuine FSH Original key, original radio as fitted by the dealer Just brilliant. It has had some welding, what car of that age hasn't and it generally needs a good overhaul but what do I do with the body? I could take it off the chassis and have it resprayed properly or, as a half way house I thought I could have it properly resprayed EXCEPT front and rear bonnets which would sport the original paint so that at least some of the paint was as genuinely saw the light of day back in 1980

Does anyone know about these? It's a Spitfire Is rectiying this large gap easy or a sign of bigger issues?

I find mopeds some of the most interesting and varied machines out there. Transportation at its purest and most simple. I'd love a 32cc winged wheel

Only 6 left on the road (at present)

I like these and it'll last well but surely a fairly humble spec 99 is not ever worth £19k! http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C586361

I have just spent a shade under £1000 on 4 new tyres for the 2010 Z4. Rear two at the limit and front two are so easily damaged due to wretched low profile tyres that they both have sidewall bulges. Got 20k out of them which isn't bad but staggered at the cost to run a modern car.

I've had a couple recently. If I take off all the trim on the Dolomite, windscreens out, rubbers, brushes, badges, windows, door cards, remove the doors and bonnet the ccar can be resprayed for £2,500 with provisional sum of £400 for unforeseens. Really surprised by how much I like Dolomites so inclined to invest in the car as a daily driver to last years and years and go for it. Two fingers to new cars. All a new car means is that you got a finance agreement.

1. Using a 1 litre jug to collect oil as it left the sump during my first oil change. Nowhere to put the other 4 litres except the drive. 2. Using the blow torch to warm up an already compressed tin of waxoyl which then burst with a deafening bang and I was covered in Waxoyl

When I was bored working there (it was a Sunday and back then we were the only store open in the whole of the city) I'd open up the Haynes manuals and have a good read. There were tonnes of manuals -hundreds (not like now) Highlight manuals were the Mk2 Escort, the Allegro, the 340/360, Fiesta mk1/2, Volvo 480. Read cover to cover. Used to remember the price code for Castrol GTX. I cannot believe they now have a bulb fitting service such is the difficulty of changing a bulb in a modern car. There was a bike section too. Occasionally people would just come in and walk out with a bicycle bold as brass. No payment. Great shop back then for people who actually did stuff on their cars and in fairness a good employer too.

I went into Halfords today for a fan belt which, when I was working in Halfords in 1995/6 was a standard off the shelf item along with alternators, brake pads etc. Now a special order only item -for any car!

Dolomite

http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C478811 The term original seems to be stretching it

Lancaster and Footman James good. I made a claim on an MG Midget and they were decent and honourable £105 for the Dolomite. Think that's about as low as you get. Only insurer I wouldn't touch is MSM Insurance. Had a staggeringly rude email from one of the (presume) owners and wouldn't touch them again. Given I have 4 vehicles to insure it's their loss. I also used Adrian Flux once and wouldn't do so again. What about Peter Best?

Had an interesting chat with an experienced bodyshop owner today. I was moaning about the ease at which the z4 stonechips despite being a modern car/paint. He said that, in his experience, whereas cars historically rusted due to shortcomings in technology and just standards of the day, today's cars have been built more cynically. He said the paint was extremely thin -just good enough to get by really. The cars at the cheap end of the market, Hyundais etc., were particularly thin to the point that re-paints would come out 'richer' because they'd have applied a decent thickness whereas the manufacturer's paint was only a few microns over the primer. I think the techology exists to make cars last for ages but they are intentionally designed not to. My next car will definitely be a Volvo 240 as I don't get the feeling these were built cynically. They really did seem to be built to last.