Kia Pride epic shite rescue - times three.

[gricer]

It's been a while since my update on South Korea's finest pocket shite rocket, and while not much has happened to the blue Pride, it has acquired some companions.

To recap, you're looking at the oldest surviving Kia Pride in the UK, and as the UK was the first European export market, it's the oldest Kia in Europe. It was a press fleet car, one of the first batch of H...FKM registered cars used for the original press launch in June 91.

I actually drove it on the launch, and later bought it direct from MCL group for my mum. Who drove it for the next 20-odd years, refusing to trade it in for anything else. None of the other H...FKMs are still registered or SORNed, so it's the last one of the batch.

Sadly my mum passed away in 2016, so the car has passed to me. She hadn't driven it for a couple of years, though it's had regular runs out and has continued to pass its MoT every year. It's become a much-loved family member, and as it has genuinely historic provenance, it's going to get some TLC. It has a few rusty bits, the front bumper is poor and there are a couple of dings that need fixing. And it's lost one of its original wheel trims. Overall, it's in very good nick, with 42k on the clock and a very clean interior including some nice period details.

I figured that the easiest way to get the parts for any full resto would be to buy a complete car. I urgently needed a front bumper, and could do with door skins, wings and possibly a rear arch repair.

In July, a complete, early LX turned up on Ebay – one owner from new, low mileage, with a few weeks’ MoT. Crucially, the bumper looked intact, and not discoloured. So I put in a cheeky bid, and got it for the starting price. Operation white knuckle shite rescue was on.

A trip to somewhere east of Doncaster to collect was needed - real Autoshite country. I decided to leave the car at the family home in Lancashire rather than risk getting it back to Surrey, as anyway, that's where the blue one lives. I'd been out in Manchester so I took the train, and an hour or so later, I'm looking at a slightly bent red Pride, and its owner from new, Harold, who'd used it to go to the shops in at 20mph for the past 22 years.

Harold and his family were absolutely brilliant. They'd persuaded Harold to stop driving as he kept hitting things. Unfortunately he'd put a few dents in the Pride in between it going on Ebay and me collecting. Nothing drastic, and thankfully the front bumper had avoided the gatepost.

 

Harold's Pride is mechanically excellent, with a really good interior in exactly the same trim as the blue one. But the body is rotten under the car, and probably wouldn't pass another MoT without major welding. So the longest drive it had probably ever done would almost certainly be its last taste of the open road. Bittersweet emotions as I headed for the M62.

Pumped up the tyres, filled up the tank and off we went, without a peep. About half way across the Pennines, the odometer clicked over to 40,000.

The temp gauge started creeping up as we passed Bolton, so I left the M61 and headed up the A-roads instead. Temperature calmed down. Got back to Blackpool without a peep. Parked up and trained it back to Manchester to collect my car.

Plan is to swap the bumpers, some of the trim and see if any panels are useable. It's a great source of mechanical spares, and the engine is sound.

Holidays, work and so on means nothing gets done, of course. And then, in December, an Ebay alert once again.

This time it's something of an Autoshite holy grail. A red K-plate Pride van, wearing guess what - the proper wheel trims for the blue car. I try to contact the seller about just buying the trims. Get no reply. Place bid. Win car. Now I've bought a Pride van just to get the wheel trims.

Turns out it's the same van that was on sale a couple of years ago in immaculate condition. The bad news is that it'd been a building firm site manager's van for the past two years. So it was now somewhat less than immaculate. This is a real shame, as it seems to have been cosseted for the first 22 years of its life, then ragged around for the past two. It says a lot about how sturdy these little cars are that it's still driveable, with 10 months MoT!

So what needs doing? It needs new front wings, and there's a nasty dent just behind the passenger door. The tailgate doesn’t seem to fit properly, and it's filthy inside and out.

But it's complete, with immaculate bumpers and a good engine. Rear wheel bearings are shagged, though, and it made some alarming noises on the 90 mile trip from Kettering to Weybridge.

And it's a van. It's rare and lovely, and it deserves to live! And as I do have a complete donor car, I reckon three will make two good ones.

Still need some undented wings, though, and a nearside door wouldn't go amiss. 

[cms206]

You're my hero.

 

My Pride is sound underneath but needs a bonnet, two doors, a tailgate and has a nasty dent on the offside quarter panel. Bloody love them. That van was winking at me but thankfully I was skint at the time!

 

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[gricer]

I'm definitely in love with the little van. I regret not buying it in 2014 and it's been ill-treated since then. Feel I owe it one. This is what it looked like in 2014...

 

[cms206]

Looking at it, mine is Northampton registered too... it's here for the long run anyway, I bloody love it.

 

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[mercrocker]

Nice piece of history that press fleet car....Not to mention the piece of family history it has since become.   Love stories like this, even if the car is not something I would go for its still history and a heartwarming tale.   I had never even seen reference to a van, either!    

[oman5]

Are you going to track down some original spec whitewalls?

[gricer]

I have three original whitewalls. Though as they're about 25 years old, I wouldn't like to go anywhere on them. But yes, both the blue car and the van will be fitted with correct whitewalls in due course, even if I'll probably have to get them done to spec. I'll do it when I need new tyres!

[I_am_Diesel]

I admire your dedication to these little cars. Top man!

[Jim Bell]

This collection of Kias is very cool.

 

However.

 

 

This cardigan knocks Everything into a cocked hat.

 

Magnigicent.

[gricer]

Harold was a top old boy. Managed to back the Pride into his daughter's car as he got it out of the garage for me. He'd dented three panels in between me winning the auction and turning up. I hadn't the heart to ask for a discount, as I liked him and his family greatly. He had a complete history file of the car, including the dealer ad from when he bought it. He's now zipping around his village on a mobility scooter, probably taking the mirrors off parked cars as he goes.

[beko1987]

Superb! So you gonna build one mint pride car and matching pride van?

[Jim Bell]

Harold was a top old boy. Managed to back the Pride into his daughter's car as he got it out of the garage for me. He'd dented three panels in between me winning the auction and turning up. I hadn't the heart to ask for a discount, as I liked him and his family greatly. He had a complete history file of the car, including the dealer ad from when he bought it. He's now zipping around his village on a mobility scooter, probably taking the mirrors off parked cars as he goes.

Amazing. You dont come across genuine finds and genuine folk like that every day.

[dollywobbler]

PRIDE LOVE RULES OK. 

[carlo]

I reckon when you have finished improving that H plate one Kia themselves could be very interested in it for future marketing purposes, as you say it's probably the first imported one into the country.  They strike me as being the sort of company that would have an interest in its roots over here.  I remember Daihatsu paying a lot of money to restore the first ever Daihatsu imported (a 1964 Compagno as I recall).

[loserone]

BEST THREAD EVER.

 

Love these things.

[gricer]

Carlo - Don't worry - I know Kia UK very well, and they're aware of the car's existence. Hopefully we'll be doing something this year with them.

 

Beko1987 - Yes, the plan is to have a mint blue car and a mint red van.

[eddyramrod]

A thread filled with correct choices!  Excellent work young man, well done.

[Guest Hooli]

I had no idea they'd ever done a van version.

[gricer]

Now if I could find a set of those "pepper pot" wheel centres...

 

[fordperv]

This place is what it used to be, you sir are a hero and I am very envious, great story around the oldest pride you must have a great sentimental bond with it, in fact the other 2 have good stories to them

[loserone]

Retro Korean?

[Guest Hooli]

Off Side Front spares? what about the other corners?

 

I do like Biltong.

[DodgeRover]

That's a nice story and the family history of the blue car is great. Is the donor not worth re panelling with the take off bits and getting through a test to use as a run about?

[Guest Hooli]

This whole thread is about finding Prides Lion about.

[Jim Bell]

This whole thread is about finding Prides Lion about.

We are all addicted and theres no 'get out claws'.

[Dick Cheeseburger]

Great back story on your mega-early Pride, and I love the van as well. As you said, it deserves to be saved and not used as a builder's hack! I wonder just how rare the Mazda 121 it was based on now is? I'll definitely be following this one.

[mat_the_cat]

Retro Korean?

 

I've suggested he tries that too...maybe if I agreed to buy 100 copies?

[bramz7]

I remember around 6-7 years ago when scanning car parks for shite to take photos of, Kia Prides and MK3 Polos would stand out due to their thin roof pillars and I'd then be gutted to see a Pride instead of some cruddy old Ford/Vauxhall/etc.

 

Now it'd make my day to see one.

 

I was actually wondering how the H reg one was doing as I remember your thread on here about it a year or more ago. Great to see you got a van too, amazing at what top drawer stuff is on this forum.

 

*EDIT*

 

One of my Flickr contacts spotted a van recently(ish)

 

J995 MDX by Kevin Miller, on Flickr

 

Also, if anyone gets lost in his comprehensive photostream, don't blame me.

[Asimo]

I love a tiny van, me.

And a good story too.

Ace.

[wuvvum]

Is the H-plater on a carb?  I had an H-plate Mazda 121 LX as a daily for a while about 9 years ago - that was a 1324cc carb engine with no discernible rev limiter, and embarrassed many a lower-end A4 and 3-series during my ownership.  It'd stay with a 318i up to 50, and leave a 316i for dead.  Loved it.