Princess has lost its crown.

[rovamota]

In 2007 I owned this late model Princess 2.0 HL for a brief period after it was offered to me by a fellow enthusiast. I used it for a few months and did a few shows, smartening it up during my ownership until I eventually decided to sell it.

 

This is how it looked when I sold it in 2007...

 

 

I was sent this picture last week....

 

 

Unfortunately time hasn't been kind to this smart wedge and it would seem that the last owner didn't really give it the TLC it deserved. However, I am taking a look at it later this week but it looks as if it will end up on ebay. I can't save them all!

 

More of how it was in my ownership. I took the alloys off when I sold it.

 

 

[captain_70s]

Christ, that's gone downhill. Although 2007 was nearly 10 years ago, that's about the avg lifespan of a Prinny in the wild I suppose...

[SamR380]

Wow, glad to see it back in good hands.

[bigstraight6]

What an absolute crying shame, that car looked stunning back in 2007.....

[Isaac Hunt]

Looked mint when you had it. Some didn't last 9 years from new of course but a real shame to see it like that.

 

I remember hunting round a scrapyard a few years ago and came across an old Montego of mine holding up a couple of Ford Sierra's, it was an odd moment cos I clocked the reg plate first then noticed the car. It was about 7 or 8 years old by that time.

[danthecapriman]

What a shame.

This is why I hate selling my cars! I know you can't keep everything but I just can't stand the thought of looking after something then letting someone else have it and completely ruin it or neglect it.

Why would anyone want to buy such a car and then allow it to deteriorate like that?

[mercrocker]

Its always sad to see this happen.  You think a sympathetically owned and cherished car, once it has passed through the "used car lot" stage would have a bright and certain future.

[Pillock]

Who knows what happened? Maybe a budding enthusiast who took on a bit too much, perhaps someone's family life fell apart and the car had to make way. At least it's not a total loss.

I once bought a VW 1303S that had been lovingly looked after - not restored, but plenty of maintenance and caring for seemingly by a little old lady owner. 20 year old me thrashed it, never gave maintenance a thought, and watched it rot away - holes in the wings, it got broken into, chrome went rusty, alloys oxidised, a few ill-advised stickers and bits of red primer to cover up grot..... Within two years it was on the back of a beavertail with anything unboltable unbolted and in my shed. Later on I would have a Fastback with great intentions, but a divorce and then a spell of slight mental iffiness meant it had to go after I had started to take it apart for a light recomissioning - so again, there's pictures of it departing my custody looking way worse than when it came in.

[MarvinsMom]

its a shame about the princess above, still it sounds like the car is going to get a chance to live again....

 

inspite of all my best intentions none of the cars that i have owned, or own now are in any way as good condition as when o bought them. and then cos i iz mentalist i don't/cannot think for selling them cos someone even less sympathetic will end up buying them.

 

in the case of the jaguar i know where it would end up, chopped up for its engine, gearbox and back axil for some budding hot rodder kit car dreamer. 3 other XJR' including one which was utterly spotless and had done low mile met this fate at the hands of some wanker in Bradford....

 

sad...

[Tamworthbay]

I am the opposite, I tend to buy a ratty car as I can't afford anything else, spend hundreds of hours getting it spot on them get bored and sell it on when something catches my eye. My Capri has broke this cycle and I think the dolomite will as well and with two I can alternate working on one and driving the other until such time as I win the lottery and buy a fucking enormous barn and fill it with tat.

[vulgalour]

Prolonged storage and a wonky number plate will always make a once smart car look terrible.  Get the headlights replaced/repaired, clean it and stick a better front plate on and it'll be nearly as good as it was.

[HillmanImp]

Doesn't look to bad TBH.

[SiC]

 

Is it me, or the slight downward angle, yellow lights and the fallen off numberplate give it a type look?

[hauserplenty]

^ Agreed. Makes it look like it's been rode hard and put up wet.

[Ghosty]

Beta HPE in the background...

[rovamota]

Well anyone who calls the local scrap metal dealer to take a classic away before contacting the owners club surely isn't an enthusiast?

[billyboy406v6]

I seem to recall Practical Classics do a resto on an MGB GT and giving it away as a prize, only for it to resurface years later in a right state !

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

What a shame.

This is why I hate selling my cars! I know you can't keep everything but I just can't stand the thought of looking after something then letting someone else have it and completely ruin it or neglect it.

Why would anyone want to buy such a car and then allow it to deteriorate like that?

 

 

This. I am done with 'saving' cars now. A mate of mine saved a saveable low mileage D reg 525e a few years back. Did loads of work and it left him in really lovely nick. Now it's tatty, slammed on coil overs by some prick and has recently been Cat C'd.

 

 

What the fuck is wrong with folk? Why doesn't anyone look after anything? 

[John F]

Ghosty, on 02 May 2016 - 11:43 PM, said:

Beta HPE in the background...

 

I thought that, but on closer inspection it's a BX.

[Felly Magic]

This must be one of the very, very last Princesses too

 

[Mr_Bo11ox]

I thought that, but on closer inspection it's a BX.

 

No it isn't!

[Station]

That doesn't look too bad, number plate and headlight don't look good, rest of it looks ok though?

[dugong]

Well anyone who calls the local scrap metal dealer to take a classic away before contacting the owners club surely isn't an enthusiast?

I tried dealing with the VOC when selling my SOR 480. The scrap man turned up when he said and paid me actual money.

Then again, I've been told I'm not an enthusiast because I don't wash my cars every three femtoseconds.

WHO KNEW?!

[danthecapriman]

I seem to recall Practical Classics do a resto on an MGB GT and giving it away as a prize, only for it to resurface years later in a right state !

I'm pretty certain PC mag did a full restoration of an early Triumph 2000, some years later it was photographed (still wearing it's number plates) on the starting grid of a pre 1970 banger race event. Such a shame and a waste of all that time, effort and money spent rebuilding it.

 

I don't blame the banger boys or breakers, it's the owners of the cars beforehand who don't look after things. An old car getting old and ropey then finally being fragged is one thing but a cherished well looked after car being allowed to deteriorate to that point is sad.

[rml2345]

That does look sad but it's not doomed. A few weekends cleaning and gentle recommisioning might even see it back on the road.

[mk2_craig]

I sold my lovely old Sierra shortly before number one son turned up and new owner took care of it, spent a fair bit. Then it changed hands and soon after came up for sale dirt cheap like. I was going to buy it back but other stuff got in the way and the next thing I heard it had been written off. That u

[mk2_craig]

pset me but what can you do? Guess I had my fun while it lasted.

[rovamota]

After sorting out the Ambassador we had a look at the Princess also on site.

We pumped up the suspension as we felt we ought to give her at least some dignity and it seems okay, the sills are solid but there are rust holes where the sill trim was riveted to the sill so localised patches will be required on both sides, and the rear arches will need repairing where the arch meets the sill. The windscreen rubber has shrunk considerably and will need replacing and the interior has suffered from damp. However the car is generally in quite good condition and won't take much to get it as a usable running restoration. 62,700 miles on the clock.

 

He's looking for £800. 

[jonathan_dyane]

I suspect it will be quite a search for him.

[For Fiats Sake]

It's a shame, but once gone it's not yours to worry about anymore.

 

A bit like exes.