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Return of the Scarlet Skateboard


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Posted

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Am I turning into a hairdresser?    Let's look at the evidence.

 

I've just bought another car, something I can take to classic car shows this summer.  It has a removable roof (well ok, two removable panels, good enough).  It has an automatic gearbox, guaranteed to please me.  It's red (ditto).

It's a sports car.  Oh-oh...

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After starting an advice thread about them the other day, it kind of had to happen, didn't it?  You may remember I mentioned bidding on one, well this is it.  I was outbid, but a couple of days later received a Second Chance Offer, which I accepted.  This lent a degree of urgency to the sale of my Volvo, and no, RML, I didn't pay the Audi driver to have a go at yours! 

So, the Vanilla Breeze Block went to Scotland on Saturday, and on Sunday, Hairnet turned up as arranged (he volunteered in a Facebook conversation), knocking on the front door of no. 10.  I live at no. 8...

Here he is tanking up on the way out of town (yes, bonus petrol station shot!)post-4559-0-80494100-1395691094_thumb.jpg

After this we made a brief stop at the Lakeland Motor Museum to pick up an events list, where we spotted this:

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There followed a pleasant tootle over the Pennines into the Dark Lands, ending up in Huddersfield, which, conveniently, is where the MR2 was located.  From the look of the car, I was expecting the seller to be some gold-encrusted dusky youth with more attitude than Fiddy Sen, but no, he turned out to be a gent of my own age who was normally a biker, but had been driving this since a shoulder injury a couple of years ago.  He now felt fit enough to ride again, so the car could go...

This is a sign he keeps by his front door, for afternoons when he's closeted with the telly:

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I had bid 600 and change, and when the Money Moment arrived, he kindly gave me the "change" back.  Top man!  Until that point, I probably could have walked away from the car had I not been pleased enough with what I saw, but I doubt I would have done that.  Anyway, the car looked and sounded straight enough, so I honoured the sale.  Here's the inside:

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That steering wheel is bloody awful, it will absolutely have to go.  So if you have a correct 92 MR2 wheel in your loft, PM me, I want it.  Urgently!

It's had a respray at some time, which doesn't look brilliant when you get up to it.  I'm hoping it'll improve with a good valeting.  The black wheels look like they've been done by rattlecan, so should scrub off with some soapy water and a Poundland nailbrush.  An hour's work, I reckon, and we'll have them looking shiny and silvery again.  The poor car is covered with Ferrari and Pininfarina badges, which are obviously wrong and will also be coming off.  Anyone would think I was planning to keep it longer than 6 months!  On the other hand, it wears an aftermarket snorkel scoop on its left shoulder, which I quite like, and can stay.

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A thick file of old MoTs was produced, hands were shaken, and we headed off for some petrol.  You knew this was going to happen!

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We could gloss over the journey out of Huddersfield, being the tale of wrong turns that it is, except for some spottings.  We liked this:

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A little further on, Mark must have been thinking I'd lost my marbles when I suddenly used a Tesco Express forecourt to turn around, and parked in a side road.  Someone point Lord Sterling at this...

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We did find the right road - I'm here, ain't I? - and headed up to KruJoe's place by invitation.  Coffee and home-made cake was produced and consumed, gratefully I might add, after which a tour of the facilities was in order.  Wow.

Have a few highlights...

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I then set off along a back road into Settle, from where I was able to regain the main roads and head for home.  Only about two hours later than I guessed when MrsR asked me in the morning!

 

This morning I took the car to work, after all that's one of its prime jobs.  Workmate Rob immediately tried to book a test-drive.  He's always fancied one of these, he said, but naturally black, turbo and manual.  Well this isn't any of those things, so hands off.  It doesn't look its best at the moment, but it's not bad to drive.  Further praise reserved until I find out where all the creaks come from and how normal they are. I suspect the answer is "very" given that it's an old car with no roof.

 

Am I now a hairdresser?  Time will tell.

 

 

Posted

Are you called Russel?

Do you own a small coiffured dog?

Can you name the original cast of the Pyjama Game?

 

If the answer to the above is no, then no, you have not become a hairdresser.

  • Like 2
Posted

Sell one saturday, buy the next one on sunday, like your style!

 

For a 20 year old red car, that still looks quite red too. Does it have the lift out roof panels?

Posted

That should scrub up nicely, it's always good to hear tales involving shiter comradery, a decent ebay seller and innuendo-based sandwich shops.

 

What on earth has Joe done to that poor Rav4 though!

Posted

That should scrub up nicely, it's always good to hear tales involving shiter comradery, a decent ebay seller and innuendo-based sandwich shops.

 

What on earth has Joe done to that poor Rav4 though!

olga got jealous

  • Like 2
Posted

Sell one saturday, buy the next one on sunday, like your style!

 

For a 20 year old red car, that still looks quite red too. Does it have the lift out roof panels?

 

 

Thank you, I thought I'd try and do things in the right order for a change!  And yes, it does, and even the bags to put them in.  Lovely.  As for the red... in the flesh it could be better.  Much better.  Let's see how it is after a good valeting.

 

 

That should scrub up nicely, it's always good to hear tales involving shiter comradery, a decent ebay seller and innuendo-based sandwich shops.

 

What on earth has Joe done to that poor Rav4 though!

 

It is, isn't it?  I felt I had to spread the love, it was only fair.

 

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make it do dat :D

 

I like my engine internals where they are, thank you!  Inside the engine!

 

Posted

So glad you called in for a pit-stop, you two!

 

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Pee-po!

 

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Smiles all round. It seems a nice one for the money - certainly better than my £450 one.

Have you tried giving it some beans yet Eddy?

 

 

What on earth has Joe done to that poor Rav4 though!

T'was the morn of Shitefest 2013 OVROAD Mongfest.

 

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We had a slight incident involving an A-frame and a £70 216 automatic.

 

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It will be fixed*, it's in the queue for the mig. :)

  • Like 2
Posted

Ah, it was rescuing an R8, that's OK then, it was performing a noble duty. :-)  

  • Like 3
Posted

Sell one saturday, buy the next one on sunday, like your style!

 

For a 20 year old red car, that still looks quite red too. Does it have the lift out roof panels?

 

Somebody hit this man over the head with a removable roof panel please Eddy !

Then use the leftover red paint on his face. :-D

Posted

 

That looks nice Eddy.

I'm not normally a sporty car person, but it's an auto, so you are forgiven.

 

Now, when can I book in for my cut and blow dry?

 

Well played mate.

Posted

Could you save the pininfarina badges for me please?

The previous owner of my 205 screwed some shitty phone holder into the dash so I am looking for any period badge relating to the car to glue over the messed up holes in the dash. It may or may not br appropriate, we shall see. Pininfarina did the design on 205s.

Posted

That looks canny, bar the wheels (exterior) and wheel (interior).

Add Hawaiian shirt, 'tashe and spend the summer solving crime somewhere that looks nothing like Hawaii.

  • Like 2
Posted

on Sunday, Hairnet turned up as arranged (he volunteered in a Facebook conversation)

You realise that he was probably just asking you what you was up to this weekend in his unique writing manner!

 

The car looks nice for the money, shame about all the fake Ferrari add ons but it shouldn't take long to de-twat it.

Posted

So glad you called in for a pit-stop, you two!

 

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Pee-po!

 

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Smiles all round. It seems a nice one for the money - certainly better than my £450 one.

Have you tried giving it some beans yet Eddy?

 

 

 

T'was the morn of Shitefest 2013 OVROAD Mongfest.

 

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We had a slight incident involving an A-frame and a £70 216 automatic.

 

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It will be fixed*, it's in the queue for the mig. :)

 

Calendar photo??

Posted

Well bought sir.  I don't think these have so much of the whiff of hairspray about them and I reckon it'll be a hoot to run around in during the sunny* months.

 

+1 on it looking eleventy times better with the wheels back to the right colour.

 

A Japanese import, judging by the size of the rear number plate recess?

Posted

You damned great gurlie.

 

 

 

You'll not catch me honing around in a bright yellow Honda s2000 when the sun finally shines this year -oh no! Not me, Sir

 

 

You damned great gurlie

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nice car Eddie -good price too.

Posted

Could you save the pininfarina badges for me please?

The previous owner of my 205 screwed some shitty phone holder into the dash so I am looking for any period badge relating to the car to glue over the messed up holes in the dash. It may or may not br appropriate, we shall see. Pininfarina did the design on 205s.

 

Certainly sir, no problem at all.

 

That looks canny, bar the wheels (exterior) and wheel (interior).

Add Hawaiian shirt, 'tashe and spend the summer solving crime somewhere that looks nothing like Hawaii.

 

Hawaiian shirt: check.  Tache: check, more or less permanent fixture on my face.  Somewhere that looks nothing like Hawaii: check, I live in an industrial town beside the sea, will that do?

 

Well bought sir.  I don't think these have so much of the whiff of hairspray about them and I reckon it'll be a hoot to run around in during the sunny* months.

 

+1 on it looking eleventy times better with the wheels back to the right colour.

 

A Japanese import, judging by the size of the rear number plate recess?

 

It promises to be a right laugh once I can get the tops off!  And yes, it came in at about ten years old, from Japan.  I do believe this is the first Japanese grey-import I've owned.

Posted

 

Smiles all round. It seems a nice one for the money - certainly better than my £450 one.

Have you tried giving it some beans yet Eddy?

 

 

 

 

:lol

 

2 hours from hudd to yours...... No. :lol:

Posted

I want to get it in to Martin's garage before I try any remotely serious hooning.  Unknown car and all that.

Posted

Good work Eddy.

What's not to like? It's a cheap red sports car for the summer and judging by the snorkel it can also double up as a proper off-road deep water wading weapon.

 

Whilst reading your excellent write up, my brain was picturing you and the estimable Hairnet as Thelma and Louise. I am odd though.

Posted

Bid placed!  Good tip there, thank you!

Posted

Like!

 

Apart from that snorkel thing, it looks like someone melted something red and plastic onto the car and couldn't be arsed taking it off. Otherwise 'tis very excellent.

Posted

That looks a rather canny purchase! Plans for detwattery are much approved, particularly replacement of the gopping steering wheel. Throw that in the sea just to make sure it's dead enough.

The targa roof panels will be good for the one day of summer we might get this year. .

Posted

A neighbouring child said today "that's a sexy car!"  I doubt he's old enough to know what sexy means, but at least it's getting appreciated.

Posted

It looks more shonky than sexy right now, as I've been stripping off the Ferrari and Pininfarina badges.  Every last one has pulled some red paint with it.  I think I'll have to see if I can match it in a can... damned if I'm going to respray a car I only intend to keep 6 months or so!

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