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SambaS in AlpineLE Oh-dearage!


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Posted

Top work.  Will you be vinyl-wrapping it to restore the 'terminal rot & 10kg of wob' look?  ;)

Posted

Ha yes! Get it tip top then get the 'before' pics printed out on vinyl and put it back how it was!

  • Like 2
Posted

Wow, SambaS and Simcat, just incredible, I'm really impressed by your skillz and determination. Can't believe this thread got to 17 pages without me noticing it. I've just spent the last 2-3 hours reading and liking the whole lot, thanks for taking the time to document and share.

 

It's an incredible story and so heart warming to see the work being done. Certainly puts into perspective any car problems I'm having. Look forward to seeing this in real life at some point. Good luck!

  • Like 2
Posted

Thanks inconsistant its been an enjoyable challenge!

 

Today we had to wrap up as we ran out of time so as not to leave the car sat over winter with bare metal, some paint had to be applied.

 

We weren't quite at the end of the filling process, the quarter needed at least a couple more fills then some filler stopper applying over that. Before a final flatting out prior to priming.

 

So we have skipped two processes, and next time I'm down the paint will be coming back off again. But fuck it we wanted to see some colour!

 

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Here's an oldie from earlier in the year:

 

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Posted

This is class. Loving the front door, The rot looks like a man lying down in the foot well.

Posted

SambaS, also I love that you've got not one but two Samba Cabrios. Can't be many of those still about? Friends of my parents had a red/black hood one when they were new. Loved the look of it, to my eye it worked in a way that no other convertible superminis did.

At the time (1985ish?) these friends of ours also had a Tagora, a Horizon and a Sunbeam Tiger, so impeccable taste all round I'd say.

 

Where in Kent is this Talbot Medical Centre? Potential as a venue for a long overdue South East Shitters meeting venue some time?

Posted

After reading some of the horror stories on here with car collections I am pretty secretive about the location of my cars, but will always take them to shows and meets.

  • 2 months later...
Posted

...and, not forgetting, was voted European Car Of The Year 1976!

 

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  • Like 3
Posted

I take it the other two valves had rattled themselves clean off the top of the trophy? Ha Ha. Sorry.

Posted

Incredible work, I followed this up until about March and then forgot. Glad I did tbh because its just given me an hours worth of quality reading. Im literally speechless!!

Posted

The Alpine LE is such a massive improvement! It's great the way you managed to carefully cut out the secondhand panel and stitch it back into this car, using the section from another wing where it had been gas welded to the bronze car. That cold front stuff looks really useful. I hate welding 1980s cars in particular as the metal is so rubbish and thin - well my Maestro is anyway - and you get distortion all over the place in flat panels no matter how careful you are. I still really have the horn for an early Alpine, I love the shape of them.

Posted

The Alpine LE is such a massive improvement! It's great the way you managed to carefully cut out the secondhand panel and stitch it back into this car, using the section from another wing where it had been gas welded to the bronze car. That cold front stuff looks really useful. I hate welding 1980s cars in particular as the metal is so rubbish and thin - well my Maestro is anyway - and you get distortion all over the place in flat panels no matter how careful you are. I still really have the horn for an early Alpine, I love the shape of them.

Cold front is a brilliant product, really does work, can be reused several times before it dries out too much.

Posted

I have just noticed the state of the front door. I haven't seen a door go like that for twenty years! Last time I saw something like that was a friends Fiat Panda which I rebuilt out of chicken wire, newspaper, fibre glass and filler. New door would have been cheaper!

 

The freshly repaired door weighted twice as much once all the wob was on it and wore the hinges. One night a hefty slam to close the door (which wouldn't shut properly because of the hinge wear) saw a huge lump of car fall onto the road. So I can't recommend that approach when sorting yours out!

  • Like 2
Posted

The strange thing with the doors is that whilst the skins have completely rotted, the frame/structure is still in excellent condition, and some new genuine skins will sort them nicely. I've never encountered Talbot doors like this before.

 

Like much of the rust on this car, the previous owner seems to have nurtured it by applying hand paint and blobs of filler over the top, without any attempt to remove it first! The doors originally must just have had some scabs on the outside which slowly festered and spread under this protective layer!  

  • 1 month later...
Posted

Super, bet the original owner didn't think this would happen. Used to enjoy doing the odd door skin, the key is getting the fold really flat. Fitted many a skin with no sign of filler.

Posted

In 1983 My Dad traded his 1275cc Allegro (RDK372S) for a Chrysler Alpine (HRN249S) and it felt like I was someone really special ( sorry werthers original advert; as it was more powerful, bigger and had a rear wash wipe) and I felt like someone really special as 11 year old me had arrived in terms of playground Kudos,  now I was trusted to enter and exit the family vehicle by an actual door rather than a folding front seat.

I have never regained that sense of responsibility in life throughout the ensuing 32 years Sorry Dad, your taste in cars has always outweighed my usefulness in all things not shite related, I owe you so much I can never repay what is owed.

  • Like 2
Posted

PS thank you so much for keeping the Alpine legend alive.

Posted

Hat doffed to all the welders involved. I'm amazed at the number of genuine Talbot panels you've been able to use. Where on earth did you find them ?

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