Alternative to a Princess (and endless boredom).

[Royale80]

I am looking for a "do upper".

 

When I get home from work and at weekends I am totally bored.

 

Have fiddled with cars over the years (Jags, a Jensen, Rovers etc) until marriage put a stop to that.

 

I am still looking at the Princess I mentioned in the other thread (due to end in a few days) but have now seen this on the bay.

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ROVER-P5-COUPE-3-5-LITRE-BURGUNDY-RED-/221872640369?_trksid=p2054897.l4275

 

Nice looking motor pre-​crash.

 

Parts missing are the inner and outer wing and I know the suspension could be up the spout.

 

Wonder how hard it is to get these parts.

 

I definitely need a project not a minter.

 

I currently have a cracking 1993 Sierra 2.0GLXi auto which needs no work.

 

Any more suggestions would be welcome just to keep me sane (not joking!)

 

Regards

 

Steve

 

​

[oldcars]

A Reliant three wheeler, loads out there needing work.

[tooSavvy]

A Reliant three wheeler, loads out there needing work.

Kitten? wheel 1upmanship

 

TS

[Bear]

Grab a Mercedes W124 project. Parts availability is good, they can get quite involved body-work wise if the rear subframe mounts are bad. Coupé is the one to have both for style and for future value. Go for six cylinders. Project ones - if they're honest advertised as such - are still cheap, whereas mint ones dealers are pushing up above £5K. And think about where past Mercedes mid-size coupés have gone - 280CE and so forth.

 

If you want a real challenge of the old fabrication and sticking skills, find a Citroën GS/A.

 

If you want something roadstery to tinker with, Scimitar SS1. Galvanised chassis so around '86 on IIRC (I think galvanised cars have a single wiper, too). 1800Ti for silly, Ford CVH for cheap. Inboard front shocks and IRS with trailing arms that look like they were made in a shed.

[sloth]

mk1 cavalier. cheap easy to fix and rare as fook

[Sudsprint]

I would go for that P5B Coupe without a second thought.

[Asimo]

This.  Because I want to and don't have the etc. etc.

 

 

 http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1958-STUDEBAKER-SILVER-HAWK-RESTORATION-NO-RESERVE-/161811380371?hash=item25acb5b893

[Bear]

I saw a couple of Studebakers like that at Anglia Auctions a while ago, whilst checking out a W124.

[sloth]

other choice is a landcrab or maxi.

[cros]

 P5 does everything better than the other suggestions, including oxidising. It would still be my choice

[Bren]

Does it have stainless tubular fannymolds?

 

A bad P5 is like a bad P6 or SD1 - you will wish you had spent the money on a booking with dignitas.

 

A princess would be easier and cheaper to live with methinks.

[vulgalour]

P5 or Princess is a choice decided on finances and patience.  Both will break down, both will rust, both will give you all the joys and horrors of old car ownership and both will get noticed.  The P5 is the more expensive of the two to run and the easier to fix if its suspension breaks.  The P5 has better club support and is more accepted in classic circles than the Princess.  Both will give you that desired garage tinker time and both will, when healthy, give you the enjoyment of tootling around in an old car.

 

The only thing that really makes the Princess undesirable against its contemporaries is the suspension problem, specifically the lack of parts support for displacers and the lack of a real solution to a suspension alternative.  It can be incredibly frustrating when there are no parts available and while the car can be driven with broken displacers it's no fun at all.

 

Cars like the P5 are the safe option.  It's more likely to be easy to sell if you get fed up of it and in the longer term more likely to keep its value.  The Princess is something of an enthusiasts car and comes with all the pitfalls that entails, to own and use one you really have to want one and be a particular kind of person.

 

To own a Princess you have to be committed.  They are brilliant and horrible in equal measure.

[derskine]

An Allegro.

[anonymous user]

 

To own a Princess you have to be committed. 

I think most of the asylums have been closed now, or is this part of care in the community?

[DVee8]

Here you go these will stop you being bored

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Jaguar-E-type-Series2-1969-4-2-Roadster-All-Matching-Numbers-Project-/271970920630?hash=item3f52bae8b6

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Jaguar-420G-tripple-carb-4-2-/161813533752?hash=item25acd69438

 

 

The worlds smallest Jaguar

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/JAGUAR-420G-MK10-FOR-RESTORATION-1967-E-3-OWNERS-DEL-POSS-/121746187076?hash=item1c58a36344

 

 

 

Or you could buy my Daimler 250V8

[Junkman]

I have a nice 1971 Mercedes 280SE W108 project here that needs someone adopting it.

[Bear]

I have a nice 1971 Mercedes 280SE W108 project here that needs someone adopting it.

 

If I didn't have two projects on the go and no money. I'd totally take on a W108.

[fred]

Marina, Triumph 2000, Landcrab as suggested all great and under rated cars of the day, Chevette maybe another fine piece of quality Choddery 

[Junkman]

If I didn't have two projects on the go and no money. I'd totally take on a W108.

 

It even comes with all the expensive parts necessary for the resto.

[Bear]

*empties pockets* I don't think a handful of coins and a receipt will cut it. I gots the space, I gots the tools, I don't gots the means :/

[Royale80]

Morning all,

 

Thanks for the replies-the Merc sounds interesting!!

 

Off to Margam Park classic car show next weekend for inspiration. This show replaces the fantastic Tredegar Park show in Newport.

 

Thanks again for keeping me sane.

 

Regards

 

Steve

[Royale80]

Ps.

 

Always fancied a 420G/MK10 after owning a XJ6 2.8 years ago-but they always seemed a pig to work on and would need shares in British Steel (Tata?) and BOC to fix one.

 

Steve

[purplebargeken]

What about a small Triumph saloon? The 1300FWD is an ace car, plenty of worthy projects around, good club support and very good access to parts. Not expensive either.

[cros]

Does it have stainless tubular fannymolds?

A bad P5 is like a bad P6 or SD1 - you will wish you had spent the money on a booking with dignitas.

A princess would be easier and cheaper to live with methinks.

.

 

 

 

 

Would like to contradict myself now - if the Princess is Westminster shaped then I'd have it above the Rover. Earlier Austin stuff has given me the least hassle despite the knocking they often gets. When I'm working on bigger cars I'm always thinking how much better thought out the smaller ones are with regard to fixing them. Took me all yesterday afternoon to replace the Sunbeam floor which has to come out for any transmission work. An A 35 gearbox can be removed, fixed and stuffed back in the same time.