What is this project?

[Lord Sterling]

It doesn't matter if you replace every last mechanical component or body panel, or just clean it a lot and enjoy driving and owning it

 

+ 1

 

Do you really need a 'label' for your project? Why cant you just accept that you have a bought a car that you like and are simply using it? I realy dont think you need to 'fit in' with all the narrow minded folk who like to slap label on projects and whatever.

 

I bought my car because I like it, I like Rover 800s, I'm a Rover (800) man through and through. I'm a bit of a stickler for originality, I source parts for my car that would have come with it when it was new. When I got it, it was missing its original floor mats and bumper spoiler, I have both these items now, not in perfect condition but they are there. It makes me happy, if that pisses anyone off, they can fuck off.

 

Regarding people wondering why I have bought this particular car, I simply show them my car and all the toys it comes with, i.e. electric rear seats/leccy everything etc...

[vulgalour]

I think it's more about finding something to say that'll make them understand that it's my car and I want to look after it rather than having the incessant "But whhyyyyy?" that you get with this sort of thing. Wishful thinking probably. It's easier to fit in a box so you can explain what you're about without having to go on at length, but I don't seem to fit in boxes, especially with my choice in cars. Your Sterling is a great example of a proper rolling restoration project, doing what's needed to keep it healthy but not so much that you have to wipe the tyres clean every time you park up.

[autofive]

Do you really need a 'label' for your project? Why cant you just accept that you have a bought a car that you like and are simply using it? I realy dont think you need to 'fit in' with all the narrow minded folk who like to slap label on projects and whatever.

 

+1

[Lord Sterling]

Thanks Volks. I dont really consider my car a rolling restoration. Its in a very good condition as it is, all the major mechanicals have been done, it hardly need anything now to be honest, I just want to drive something nice, comfortable and different.

 

I find that being rather stubborn and rather sarcastic usually gets the 'but whyyyy?' types to shut up. I just say - I drive it because I like it. It doesnt look like a bland box and I dont want to 'rAt 1t uP yO!/lower it/stick stupid stickers/alloys on it, I just use it as it is because I like it, end of story.

[Formula Autos]

If you have to call it anything, you could call it a 'refresh'. A sort of intensive maintenance and tidy-up that will keep it on the road for a few years yet, without spending silly amounts of money, and without destroying all the car's patina.

 

The thread on the car is great as well, and not boring in any way. Keep it up fella.

[quicksilver]

Got to agree with everything that's been said - it's your car so do whatever makes you happy. My dad's old Morris Minor was a classic example of this sort of thing, it looked scruffy but was mechanically sound and we had some good times with it because he wasn't afraid to use it. The thing was a complete mongrel anyway as it was a '52 split-screen convertible but a previous owner had hacked it about and transplanted all the mechanical bits from a 1098 saloon. Purists hated it but restoring it to original would cost £££ and make it less usable so what would be the point?

 

I have a couple of vivid memories from shows we did with it. One was in a muddy field and many classic owners took one look at the entrance, turned around and headed for home lest their precious paintwork get dirty - not my dad though, he just charged on through. Another time we were parked next to another Moggie and wondered what the weird beige-coloured stuff under the wheelarches was - turned out he had stuffed foam in there to stop the inside of his arches getting dirty Then he made his elderly mother get out of the car to eat her lunch in case she spilt a crumb inside and cost him a precious concours point. That sort of thing just seems sad to me and I guess it shows that if you restore a car too much you'll become obsessive and afraid to use it.

[mattblack]

So to sum up this thread then...

 

'Your ride, your way...'

 

[MrDuke]

I've never really understood the whole concept of 'concours' anyway. The reality is, that the cars would probably not have been that pristine when they left the showroom, so what exactly are they trying to achieve? Fair enough if you've built a spotless custom that you want to keep perfect, as that's your own ideal, but to pretend that you're preserving a car in original condition by going to lengths that even the original finishing dept & sales team didn't bother with, is frankly a sign of actual mental illness.

I remember once reading about a guy who'd restored a Mk1 Mexico to 'concours' spec, and actually used a ruler and set-square to ensure the brake pipes were running perfectly parallel and evenly spaced. The saddest thing about that example, is that the people who originally designed & built it were intending for owners to just get out there and rag the nuts off of it in the name of all-out fun. But apparently the best* thing to do, is give it some hardcore OCD then mothball it forever.

[Cavcraft]

Hey, we saw some of them today. Never mind your Fiesta XR2 is smoking it's bollocks off, it far better to ignore this and spent 11 hours cleaning the tyres.