new classic chod arrival

[Rocket88]

There are a couple, one with a blown Cadillac motor in it. After being quoted a rather stiff three and a half bags for a stroker MGB 2.1 lump, it's going to have a small block V8 shoved up it's nose, and it'll like it. The biggest issue is the ponderous steering, which, even when in good condition, is dreadful.

The brakes aren't bad, but non servoed drums do not inspire confidence, so the lot's going in the bin. Any Farina fans who want a nice MGB lump and o/d box, along with an entire front end in good condition, it'll all be available January, along with the back axle, which is also being replaced, with what is still under discussion.

I am bracing myself with the deluge of hate from various worthies, especially that bloke who writes in Practical Classics, who once refused to buy a lovely old A60 in a very rare colour, because it had been plate raped.

[dollywobbler]

To be fair, plate raping is actually the work of satan. 

[Rocket88]

True..........but is it all THAT important, certainly not a deal breaker IMHO

[scruff]

Ha ha I was just thinking of Larkin!

 

Go for it Col, look forward to updates.

[dugong]

To be fair, plate raping is actually the work of satan. 

It isn't if the money it makes means the car can be restored. I seem to remember several of the more dyed-in-the-wool nutters on here giving Pete-M a hard time when he did that with a P4. Said Rover ended up back on the road with an age related plate. It needed a lot of work and probably would have gone to the crusher \ oval had the plate not been sold. It just about had an MOT, but said ticket was clearly the work of Stevie Wonder.

 

I was very tempted to do the same with the registration on my Amazon. Several people informed me that it was worth 'something' and would have made the bill for the work a lot easier to swallow. I found the money from elsewhere in the end, but had the bloke for OMGRAPEPLATESUK2 got back to me rather than frotting over his iPhone, I would have probably done the deed.

 

Car's looking OK now, so the plate isn't for sale.

[Angrydicky]

It isn't if the money it makes means the car can be restored. I seem to remember several of the more dyed-in-the-wool nutters on here giving Pete-M a hard time when he did that with a P4. 

Yeah I think that was me, when I'd first joined up. Sorry Pete!

 

I do think it's nice when the original numbers are kept though, as the link with several decades of history is lost when a car is plate-raped.

 

I must say, with the state of the numberplate market since the recession, it doesn't usually make financial sense anymore. Folk get a valuation of £2k from regtransfers for the average three letter three number plate on their Ford Pop, think "I'm quids in here!", remove it from the car, stick it on one of these sites then it sits there for the next few years. The owner is quite often down £105 and has nothing to show for it because they just aren't selling at the moment.

 

As for Larkin, I share a similar taste in cars to him and I can see where he's coming from, but he takes it a little far if it's a deal breaker for him. While I wouldn't refuse to buy a car that had an age-related plate, I would expect it to be cheaper than an identical car that still had its original number. My A55 Cambridge was plate-raped in the late 80's by a numberplate dealer who then abandoned it in a field to rot with a load of other 'donors'...A30's, Ford Populars, Hillman Minxes and so on. He certainly didn't do it to pay for work to be done on the car.

 

But it was cheap, local and drove really nicely, so it didn't stop me buying it.

[Rocket88]

All fair and reasonable comments. Mr Larkin does veer towards the anal side of "originality" on occasions, seeming to forget that a car rodded is another one saved, although perhaps not to every one's taste.

The Farina Forum has been surprisingly supportive of my butchery plans, although I fear that the true sticklers for total originality tend to be of the generation to whom the interweb is akin to those new fangles radial tyres and disc brakes.

Oh well, chacun a son gout, as the cheese eaters say..........

[Angrydicky]

Ah the Farina Forum. I'm on there, but I don't think I'll be renewing my membership as there seems to be be very little interest or support for the Pre Farina cars which I'm more interested in. Generally they're quite a welcoming bunch though, as for being surprisingly supportive, well there's several banger racers on there and no one seems to mind them! Also, there's plenty of modified cars in the club already.

[scruff]

I've found the really vocal antis are those who don't know one end of a whitworth spanner from the other... jealousy of ability has a lot to do with it IMHO.

 

It is nice to have an original number and I must admit, having the original buff log book and number for my Land rover was a real attraction when I bought it, I probably would have still got it but probably not have been willing to pay quite so much. However if you are importing something or have a barn find with no docs (or you live on a Channel Island...!) there's sod all you can do about it anyway.

[alf892]

Go for it Colc......it will certainly give a few people a shock! I can't really see an issue with mods to any car although personally I wouldn't but then it isn't my car or money and i think thats the whole point. It's your car so make of it what you will.........

 

As a plate rapist (to be..hopefully) I obviously don't have a problem with anyone taking a plate off a car.....as long as they price the car accordingly afterwards. Certainly it will help to finance my Fiesta

 

When i was first looking to buy an old motor (about 20 years ago) I used to ring around te plate dealers to see what they had to sell. Most were pretty helpful but I think quite a few just used to get a postal MoT and then crush them/stand in a field to hide the evidence.

[Rocket88]

Well it looks as if the V8 conversion, along with required surgery and upgrades is beyond my budget. Therefore decided to stick with MGB power, but going for a 2.1 "stroker" engine, balanced, ported, flowed, blessed by the Pope etc, with a pair of HS6 carbs, and various other niceties. Most of the front steering / brakes / suspension still going in the bin though,possibly replaced by an MGB front clip, which will give me discs and rack and pinion, but will need machining to retain decent steering geometery

Back end possibly Scimitar SE5, either on the existing springs, or with the Scimitar four link.

Work starts January.

As an aside, removed rev counter to convert it from mechanical to electric drive. Ever since then, temp gauge has behaved in a most bizarre fashion, slowly moving up the scale to OMGHG failure, and then dithering about moving slowly up and down in a random fashion. Any ideas?

[nigel bickle]

If its mechanical, and you didn't 'amend' any wiring -it must be earth related. So I'd pitch in & suggest you tweaked its earth lead, causing a bad connection. As it warms it reverts to normality.

 

Or your thermostat is dying in this colder weather....

[Rocket88]

Replaced thermostat, no difference, Suspect you're right ref earth though. Will have a good poke around to see what's going on.

[Asimo]

Any Riley perfecting happiness to report?

Need happy Farina pics to cheer up January in England.

[Rocket88]

Is in the process of being rent asunder.............interior and engine are out, front and rear clips coming out today / tomorrow. Hopefulll they'll then start putting stuff back in................Pics when i get them, they've promised to send them as they go.