Six Cylinders Motoring Notes - Sunday in cars.

[Six-cylinder]

Doing my best not to buy this!

https://www.facebook.com/?sk=h_chr

 

[High Jetter]

I can't see the ad, but I hope it's cheep.

[Six-cylinder]

37 minutes ago, High Jetter said:

I can't see the ad, but I hope it's cheep.

1965 1200 saloon

A tired and unloved 1200 saloon that was bought for a project but after having local kids break a side window , I feel I should move it on .

She runs and drives . I’ve actually driven it a fair bit locally despite appearances ! Engine and gearbox seem fine , brakes work etc etc .

Paint is horrendous

Body is not great

Boot leaks

Drivers window is compromised !

Passenger door doesn’t lock

Roof has been off and back on .

I have the V5c document

I have some stock spitfire wheels to match the fronts that can go with her

Really needs to go soon

Car is in Poole , Dorset

£300

DM me with any interest please

[High Jetter]

It's either you, or @HMC then 🤣

[Andyrew]

I really want a ratty herald but christ that one gets worse the more you look at it.

The overspray is almost impressive.

[Six-cylinder]

47 minutes ago, Andyrew said:

I really want a ratty herald but christ that one gets worse the more you look at it.

The overspray is almost impressive.

While I would be stupid enough to see it through rose tinted spectacles Mrs6C told it as it was without using the word NO! 

[vtec-e]

On 09/04/2026 at 15:42, Six-cylinder said:

Today I collected my Fiat Seicento from my favourite garage.

It went in after I hit a pot hole and got a rubbing noise turning left. Turns out I bent a wheel.

I'm not surprised. I often go for a drive in South Bucks, but the state of the A roads means I stick to the M40 now. It's so bad on the A40 just outside Stokenchurch that the 'pothole' is across most of the lane with a sign warning of road failure. The A355 where it crosses the M40 is just as bad. Both these 'potholes' have been in place for at least 3 months.

No doubt Bucks is no worse than elsewhere in the country.

 

[Six-cylinder]

56 minutes ago, vtec-e said:

I'm not surprised. I often go for a drive in South Bucks, but the state of the A roads means I stick to the M40 now. It's so bad on the A40 just outside Stokenchurch that the 'pothole' is across most of the lane with a sign warning of road failure. The A355 where it crosses the M40 is just as bad. Both these 'pothole' have been in place for at least 3 months.

No doubt Bucks is no worse than elsewhere in the country.

 

Some years ago I used to live 2 miles from Stokenchurch, but now I am in North Bucks and the roads are plain dangerous as per the photo. The Seicento wheel was bent is Oxfordshire for variety.  

[captain_70s]

11 hours ago, Andyrew said:

I really want a ratty herald but christ that one gets worse the more you look at it.

The overspray is almost impressive.

The panel under the rear window being constructed from tape and the butchery to fit those rear wheels seem to poise the car more towards scrap then restoration...

[beko1987]

Is that the brick that did the window still lying there? That's sad if so, no dignity 😢 

(do not buy)

[Six-cylinder]

54 minutes ago, captain_70s said:

The panel under the rear window being constructed from tape and the butchery to fit those rear wheels seem to poise the car more towards scrap then restoration...

Its never stopped me in the past, have you seen the state of the cab on our digger!

12 minutes ago, beko1987 said:

Is that the brick that did the window still lying there? That's sad if so, no dignity 😢 

(do not buy)

Well that has up valued it with a free brick.

If I was in a better state to buy it the only thing that would worry me is the chassis, if that is solid then it would be a no brainer for me.

After all the body is just a collection of loose panels flying in formation!

[hairnet]

12 hours ago, Six-cylinder said:

While I would be stupid enough to see it through rose tinted spectacles Mrs6C told it as it was without using the word NO! 

since when have you ever done as youre told

mx5 it

 

[hairnet]

10 hours ago, Six-cylinder said:

Some years ago I used to live 2 miles from Stokenchurch, but now I am in North Bucks and the roads are plain dangerous as per the photo. The Seicento wheel was bent is Oxfordshire for variety.  

thats @beko1987s driveway did you not give him a slap

[LightBulbFun]

15 hours ago, Six-cylinder said:

Doing my best not to buy this!

surely for £300 you cant lose?  either it turns out to be a viable recommissioning candidate, or you can probably break it for spares for your other Triumph machines?

 

[Mrs6C]

3 minutes ago, LightBulbFun said:

surely for £300 you cant lose?  either it turns out to be a viable recommissioning candidate, or you can probably break it for spares for your other Triumph machines?

 

To be fair, the bodywork looks pretty sound and it would make the basis of a good project for someone (not us!) to do. Nothing is difficult on a Triumph Herald and just about all parts are available. If the main rails on the chassis are OK then everything else is fairly easy. The real downside of this one is the masses of extra time and effort required to get rid of all the bodges and liberal applications of poor paintwork that have been applied since it left the factory as a nice Conifer Green and Cactus trimmed Herald 1200 in 1965...

None of the above is impossible to do or even expensive on a DIY basis, but it will take a lot of time and effort. Best done by someone who can do it as their only project! 🙂

[Six-cylinder]

This morning's car job was to tax 5 cars.

The good news is all five qualify for free road tax. 

[hairnet]

6 hours ago, Mrs6C said:

 

None of the above is impossible to do or even expensive on a DIY basis, but it will take a lot of time and effort. Best done by someone who can do it as their only project! 🙂

so while you didnt say no - did you mention testicle removal?

chris if you were fit crack on - find a nice non project one sell the range rooney first

 

[hairnet]

4 hours ago, Six-cylinder said:

This morning's car job was to tax 5 cars.

The good news is all five qualify for free road tax. 

paper shuffler

 

[Six-cylinder]

Tomorrows plan is to take our W124 to the Milton Keynes Mercedes Dealer Open Day.

The car has been in daily use so I took it for a wash and brush up today.

Guess what, it rained and hailed on the 5 mile journey home!

[Snake Charmer]

24 minutes ago, Six-cylinder said:

W124

Lovely practical classic, petrol or diesel?

[Six-cylinder]

29 minutes ago, Snake Charmer said:

Lovely practical classic, petrol or diesel?

Just a 200TE, 2.0 Ltr Petrol 4 speed Auto.

We have had it 12 years now and was given to us from a member of this parish.

Back in the late 1990s my boss's wife had a young and very lovely E300 Diesel Estate which I got to drive from time to time. I hated it because it could not accelerate to even overtake on an A road. I think they forgot you NEED a turbo on a Diesel!

[Snake Charmer]

A friend bought a facelift W124 300E petrol saloon new when first out, specced it nicely (apart from the colour combo!) and kept it immaculate. Looked like a 3 year old car at 20 and drove beautifully, l had it quite a while for a few wee jobs and it left an impression on me.

Initially l thought it handled a bit odd on body roll, it was fine but the soft sprung seat base would lean and spring up with a bit of G round corners! 

[Six-cylinder]

I have always loved W124's and have had six.

In 2000 I was looking for a replacement car and bought a 1993 300CE 3.0 12v which I loved. After a year I had to sell it because we needed the money to buy a flat in London. I ran around in a  £250 1987 Volvo 740 GLE Auto for a while we sorted out our finances, then Mrs6C persuaded me we should have a Lexus LS400.

The Lexus was ok, but when Mrs6C started working abroad I changed it for a 1993 300TE 24v which I loved. It was a sensible load lugger, that had a  7,000 rev limit on a six and sung like a banshee with that last 1500 rpm. Only sold it because I thought I was going to move abroad.

2004 with Mrs6C settled back in the UK my friend bought back from Guernsey for me his E320 Cabriolet, which I had for 6 years and took it to Lemans and loved. When I was planning to spend all our money on the Cabriolet I told Mrs6C it was the only car I needed.

When I got the Cabriolet I told Mrs6C it was too special to use every day and I needed another one as well. That came in the form of a beautiful black 1993 saloon 3.0 12v, still a W124 but for a fraction of the price of the cabriolet.

I sold the Cabriolet in 2011 and it was 2014 when we got the 200TE.

@richardmorris for several years had driven an E320 Coupe as a daily and I liked it very much. I asked to be informed if it came up for sale. In 2021 he was ready to part with it and I bought it. I love it for classic tours when I want an easy drive with a heater and air conditioning that works. Wow I have had that nearly 5 years now.

[MAF260]

21 hours ago, Six-cylinder said:

Tomorrows plan is to take our W124 to the Milton Keynes Mercedes Dealer Open Day.

The car has been in daily use so I took it for a wash and brush up today.

Guess what, it rained and hailed on the 5 mile journey home!

Looks like you're keeping those guys in business! They do a decent job for £10. I take my cars to them when I can't be bothered to do them myself.

[Six-cylinder]

1 hour ago, MAF260 said:

Looks like you're keeping those guys in business! They do a decent job for £10. I take my cars to them when I can't be bothered to do them myself.

This was a £20 wash, interior wipe and vac.

[Six-cylinder]

Sunday in cars.

The main event was attending the open day at the local Mercedes dealer with our W124. It was arranged with a Mercedes SL group and while there was a good selection of mid aged SL's I was slightly disappointed by the lack of other older Mercedes's models. However the day was good, first a Peugeot 504 Cabriolet parked next to me. One of the other guests used to work for Mercedes and thinks the reg of our 200TE means it started life registered to Mercedes UK. A chance to look at modern Mercedes without any pressure was welcome. It was lovely chatting sat in their showroom to other guests some known to me others not. Free coffee and fruit available all day.

Then there was the free good quality burgers, chicken legs, hot dogs, cake, sweets and soft drink cocktails! 

Would I go again, YES.

I was home mid afternoon and had time to treat the Manta vinyl roof to a coat of "back to black" it has made it better but it was so grey I think it needs another coat. The old roof consumed so much  back to back that I will need to buy some more to recoat it.

Last job of the day was to refit the Mini interior door pull after it tried to fall off. I know it has no door panel but I can find a reasonably priced one to match but do have an old vinyl one I will fit temporary to it.

[High Jetter]

2 hours ago, Six-cylinder said:

However the day was good, first a Peugeot 504 Cabriolet parked next to me

That looks superb!

[beko1987]

It'll drink the back to black up a ton, a few nice coats once it's sipped the first in will be the way to go. Hopefully it makes the vinyl a bit supple as it goes too

Can you pop some more on the boot trim of the Mazda? I found that was doing the same, just sucking the dressing in and going Grey again, but less so each time 😂 

[Six-cylinder]

11 hours ago, High Jetter said:

That looks superb!

Yes it looked wonderful and he knew it as a child and has owned it since 1988.

Reminds me I really need do something with mine. 

[Six-cylinder]

3 hours ago, beko1987 said:

It'll drink the back to black up a ton, a few mice coats once it's sipped the first in will be the way to go. Hopefully it makes the vinyl a bit supple as it goes too

Can you pop some more on the boot trim of the Mazda? I found that was doing the same, just sucking the dressing in and going Grey again, but less so each time 😂 

Two more Back to Black's ordered.