So I bought this.........

[alf892]

Back in August I ended up the highest bidder on this

Arrives by alf892, on Flickr

 

It had been stood for 18 years apparently after getting parked in by a neighbour. Neighbour failed to shift his car even after a court order so there it stayed.

 

I could do anything on it for a couple of weeks but then spend a day just taking the brakes apart. All very seized/buggered.

fixing by alf892, on Flickr

engine by alf892, on Flickr

Also got it running. It had half a tank of fucked petrol which really took some getting out but after a good clean and check of its vitals it fired up a treat and I felt entusiastic enough to get some new bits on.

 

Calipers rebuilt with new seals. Pistons were perfect as it had new pads before being parked up so they stayed in the wet bit

painted bits by alf892, on Flickr

New discs and pads. Fitted up with new flex hoses and brake pipes where required

caliper2 by alf892, on Flickr

Back plates derusted with brick cleaner and painted not very well

drying by alf892, on Flickr

 

Then shoes fitted but delayed a week as wrong wheel cylinder supplied (which were stock) and right ones not in stock

brakes by alf892, on Flickr

 

Then fitted new master and bled through. A quick check over found a very small hole in rear end of O/S inner sill so that just got filled with weld. The exhaust had a couple of holes around the end of the boxes but replacement was too dear so these got welded up for now.

Got new battery and alternator and off for Mot where it got a clean sheet.........and broke down on the way home.

[warren t claim]

Much Fester love here. Keep up the good work.

[Spiny Norman]

Takes me back, I passed my test in a Mk1 Fester.

[Lord Sterling]

Looks great! When you said it got 'parked in' parked in where? A garage, as it looks pretty rust free and generally clean.

[Cavcraft]

Sounds like you did well there, especially in the welding stakes as these could rot a bit. They're a really rare sight these days, which is a sad thing as they were brilliant little cars.

[alf892]

It was a garage in a corner at the back of a row of houses so when it was inside and the neighbour parked at the rear of his place the garage was blocked by the parked car. No idea about the full story but apparently the neighbour was an awkward old bugger and would not move so the fester owners took him to court to get it moved but still nothing. They couldn't afford any more legal costs and by then it was about 12 years old so they just left it. The neighbour died recently so the owners were able to flog it to the new occupant of the neighbour's house. He was happy to aoid the work and so sold it on ebay.

 

No idea how true this is...........and I was pretyy relieved to get it running as i thought maybe it had had sort mechanical problem.

 

Condition was OK although it has quite a few spots of surface rust from where water had sat on it but i wiped the whole thing over with thinners and gave it a polish. I have had the bonnet and front panel painted as someone had tried to repair stone chipped with an aerosol and made a right mess.

[alf892]

oh and the breakdown on the way back from MoT was terninal rust in the tank. I had put a filter on but there was so much shit in there it blocked the pick up pipe after running 3 or 4 minutes. It takes a long way to get anywhere when you breakdown every 3 or 4 minutes.

 

I got a new tank from euro car parts (stock!)for £48 and stuck a new lift pump on it as I wanted it reliable.

moted 3 by alf892, on Flickr

 

pics from today with paint done and good clean up

front by alf892, on Flickr

Picture 014 by alf892, on Flickr

Picture 003 by alf892, on Flickr

Picture 004 by

Picture 002 by alf892, on FlickrN02/]alf892, on Flickr

[Conrad D. Conelrad]

Those photos are so AROUSING I feel I should clear my browser history. That interior! omg

 

Excellent car, I love it. 

[mercrocker]

Forgotten what  a nice place the Mk1 Festers were to be in......Excellent save and a proper car.   Probably bored you all with this before but bought the step daughter one in 19something or other and she promptly bogged it off for a Gollof Mk 3 which was the most  pitiful pile of shite I have ever been surrogately saddled with.  That Fester was a hoon to drive and I really like to see them saved.... 

[cort16]

That looks really great. Check out the luxury!

[Spiny Norman]

Wooden inserts on the dash, that was almost unheard of in a supermini back in the early 80s, what a cracking looking wee car.

[HillmanImp]

My god. That dash is AMAZING. Is that real fake wood? Is it original?

[chaseracer]

Takes me back, I passed my test in a Mk1 Fester.

Me too. We must be very old...

[hairnet]

MASSIVE GIT!!!!

 

WANT

 

had one of these at college got rear ended by a blind scouser in a bus

[Alexg]

That looks fab. Nice to see you keeping the original look too.

[Vince70]

Fantastic motor and I'm very jealous, there can't be many mk1s about in original condition like that.

It does show how things have changed when the top of the range has keep fit windows.

[Conrad D. Conelrad]

Oh, and is that second keyhole evidence of a shitey '80s alarm too?

[Sigmund Fraud]

Quality stuff : sordid pictures of fake wood and driveway shite fettling !

 

More, please !!!

[Pillock]

That's very nice indeed. I see a few giffer additions - late 80s Ford side repeaters for one which look a little out of place. But very, very nice. Did I say it was nice?

[Mr Lobster]

Nice, all the more so for not turning into an XR replica and staying original.

[vulgalour]

What an excellent wee thing that is.  I do wonder if the plate is original or a private, it doesn't look too out of place to actually be an original reg but it does include the name 'Gav'.

[londonm]

That number plate must be worth a few bob, and would probably cover the cost of the car to be honest. I'd flog it and put a cheaper Y plate on it. Nice car, so rare!

[wuvvum]

What a superb little machine.  That plate could well be original - I had WMA3W and YRO4X, both were the original plates.  Would imagine GAV4Y would be worth a bit more though, as there are more people called Gav than Wma or Yro.

[retrogeezer]

the Ghia's were very plush inside, my Supersport has had the Ghia door caps and window surround trim fitted to cover the bare metal. I liked it like that when I bought it but would now prefer it original tbh.

[eddyramrod]

Me too. We must be very old...

And me!  BSM's finest, UYM 717S, Peppermint Green.

[alf892]

I've been running around in this today............like a 10 year kid with a new push bike I am suddenly pathetically eager to run any little errands!

 

Yes the wood is genuine mock wood that used to be all the rage in posh Fords. It's a lovlely little thing to drive though and pretty civilised although the poor little X flow is revving well at A road speeds. We've all got a bit spoilt by 5th gear (and 6th)I reckon. It bounces really easy when you do the shock test so I thought it would corner on the door handles but it is really pretty good.

 

Someone asked about the extra key hole.........that was a very shite 80s unipart.sparkrite alarm. All it was really was a box with a pendulum in. You could adust sensitivity (!) by changing how far the pendulum move before making contact. A decnt Hi ab driver could lift it without setting it off. I would have left it on but the previous owner had buggered about with it in the belief it was stopping it from running and it was easier to get rid.

 

Re the plate.....it is original from when dealers would get them in batches from the local office.....you couldn't buy them but could get good ones if you got on well with the bods there. I bought a brand new SS50 at 16 and got the reg UNK 16R (i'm old). Anyway this one will definitely be getting sold to offset spend so far. I've never been sentimental about such stuff but I know many are............

[meggersdog]

AV is south Lincs so I'm going to guess supplied new by Jessop's of Stamford.

[alf892]

Not far off........supplied by Hunts Motor Co and still on original key fob. My memory of them is they were pretty good and much better than Charles King Ford in Bedford who were the local dealer to me.

 

It hasn't gone far over the years either.I'm only in Rushden, Northants.

 

I think Hunts have since been swallowed by the woeful Pendragon mob nowadays

[I_am_Diesel]

Lovely car that, I've always had a soft spot for Mk1 Fiestas.

I'm so jealous that I feel physically ill.

[purplebargeken]

Lovely, lovely car and a stunning interior. One to cherish I think.