Kia Pride epic shite rescue - times three.

[Split_Pin]

Top collection thread, excellent accompanying pictures. A very enjoyable read indeed!

[vulgalour]

Well, that would explain why I've never seen the unicorn.  Kia may have been the only manufacturer selling new cars with whitewalls in the 90s too.

[gricer]

Probably - though I expect Rolls Royce would supply them!

[For Fiats Sake]

These look so modern compared to my similar vintage mk2 pandas!

 

If I weren't a certified pandaist I'd like an orange Kia on the drive.

[nigel bickle]

Around the inception of this wondrous site, I ran around in an 'F' plate Mazda 121, a wondrous little thing.

 

So wondrous in fact that I bought a lil Kia Pride for each adult child, to learn on, abuse and run as a first car - all paid for - for one year. Household was awash with them, at one stage

 

Surprisingly each then elected to keep their car after the 365 introductory offer passed; only one eventually being sold - the rest run to their death.

 

I think they were fantastic little parcels of cheap fun. They taught all my kinder to value their kneecaps, built up several 'no claims (- & one claim!)' and showed each how they could travel economically.

 

I'd love another, if I fell across one at a silly price.

[Rod/b]

Around the inception of this wondrous site, I ran around in an 'F' plate Mazda 121, a wondrous little thing.

 

So wondrous in fact that I bought a lil Kia Pride for each adult child, to learn on, abuse and run as a first car - all paid for - for one year. Household was awash with them, at one stage

 

Surprisingly each then elected to keep their car after the 365 introductory offer passed; only one eventually being sold - the rest run to their death.

 

I think they were fantastic little parcels of cheap fun. They taught all my kinder to value their kneecaps, built up several 'no claims (- & one claim!)' and showed each how they could travel economically.

 

I'd love another, if I fell across one at a silly price.

JohnK off of this here Autoshite is selling one right now...

[gricer]

UPDATE

 

Since Christmas the van has been sitting in the cold and damp and I've been too ill/drunk/busy/cold to do anything, but I've this week started Operation Cleanup, to get the builders' muck and gubbins off the van, and to try and work out what needs doing.

 

In the load bay, it was not a pretty sight. A solid hour with the dustpan and brush removed two carrier bags full of soil, leaves, nails, assorted packaging and general muck. However, this revealed a very solid, unrotted floor.

 

 

The load lip has taken a battering though - what the hell were they loading into it? That will take some fixing, and I may have to chop a bit off the donor car.

 

 

The reason the floor has survived is a double bonus - the van still had its original Kia load liner. It's a bit cracked, but I reckon it'll mend. Might have to patch it on the back with some fibreglass and spray it. See how it looks once I've given it a good clean.

 

 

It's even got the Kia logo, so restoring it is a must.

 

 

It even managed to protect the carpet, which is quite something.

 

 

Those bits in the back are front mudguards, which seem to be intact and have been chucked in the back when they either fell off or where knocked off. The bottom of the wings are not in a good state.

 

 

The other side is not much better. The nearside wing on the donor is certainly better. Not sure about the other one.

 

 

The spare wheel still has the whitewall, though it's absolutely worn out and the wheel is knackered - it's obviously had a hard kerbing somewhere down the line. Nice of the seller to tell me about the state of the spare - I drove it 90 miles home without one.

 

 

Next job - the mud-filled horror of the cabin....

 

 

[gricer]

Oh yes...in among the soil/nails/general muck in the back was this curious item. I think it would make a fine Spirit of Shiteacy for the bonnet someone's old snotter. Any constructive ideas of what to do with this magnificent heirloom item (shown larger than actual size)?

 

Should I raffle it to a keen audience of shite fans? Ebay it with an alternative fact-packed description? Save it for next year's Christmas tree?

 

 

Answers on a postcard.

[oldcars]

/\ Looks like the Kia fairy has lost her soul........................

[Dick Cheeseburger]

Great save. Bloody shame though that the muppet who used it as a Transit had no concept of how rare it was. At least you caught it just before it was utterly ruined. Great to see an original whitewall as well, albeit a buggered one.

[gricer]

Yes, I think it's fixable. Fortunately I've got a complete matching interior so I can swap the seats, carpets and door cards in the front, so that'll help. Then it's a case of seeing if the wings on the donor car are useable. I think the NS one is largely ok, but I can't remember if the other one is dented or not. It's 250 miles away so I can't just check! That rear load lip is a pain though. Going to have to find a tame welder to do that.

[Uncle Jimmy]

Great Fred, loving that van ☺

[cms206]

I bloody love that van. And the cars.

 

 

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

[gricer]

LONG OVERDUE UPDATE

After the epic rescues of 2016, not a lot happened. The blue Pride kept passing its MoT. I trailered the van up north so all the Prides could be together (aaah!) and then came Covid, so I couldn't even visit them for almost a year.

Meanwhile I'd had an amazing find online - a NOS front bumper, all the way from Bulgaria. I paid my €43 and waited. After a few weeks, it arrived, in a cardboard box the size of a car. Amazingly, it was the right part. And I'd located another supplier of significance - of which more later (he said, mysteriously)

The blue Pride's rust wasn't getting any better, so it was time to get the bodywork done.  And it was its 30th birthday in May, so what better time for a refresh? A suitable bodyshop was recommended to me (High Gloss Motor Bodies of Stockport) and the trip was on. I drove the car from Blackpool to Stockport, which is probably the longest journey it's made in decades. As I left, I realised it was probably the last time it'd see its home since 1991, as the plan was to bring it home to Surrey.  Lump in the throat...

Not a peep, despite monsoon conditions. 10 days later I'm on the train to Stockport to collect - and drive it back home to Weybridge. Chris at the bodyshop has done a superb job of matching the difficult metallic blue paint colour on the resprayed side panels and doors.  Rust door bottoms and wheel arches are gone, and the mum-inflicted bashed wing is fixed.  And the new bumper makes it look rather special. But it needs another touch to make it properly special...

The journey home involves a stop in Stafford. Because Stafford is the home of Mr Whitewalls. By a process involving alchemy, the dark arts, a motorised contraption, a heat gun and a bottle of paint, Mr Whitewalls set about the task of whiting my walls, baby.

And then it's onward down the M6 for the 200-mile journey home (not a peep from it - what a great little car it is) to be reunited with a matching set of original wheel trims...

I honestly can't keep smiling, just looking at it, with its little whitewalls and proper trims. The Pride did us proud for 30 years, and now I've repaid the favour. And even better - it's been accepted for the Concours at Festival of the Unexceptional. Come and  say hello.

Next job - project van!

 

 

Edited July 21, 2021 by gricer
update

[Dick Cheeseburger]

On 7/21/2021 at 6:04 PM, gricer said:

LONG OVERDUE UPDATE

After the epic rescues of 2016, not a lot happened. The blue Pride kept passing its MoT. I trailered the van up north so all the Prides could be together (aaah!) and then came Covid, so I couldn't even visit them for almost a year.

Meanwhile I'd had an amazing find online - a NOS front bumper, all the way from Bulgaria. I paid my €43 and waited. After a few weeks, it arrived, in a cardboard box the size of a car. Amazingly, it was the right part. And I'd located another supplier of significance - of which more later (he said, mysteriously)

The blue Pride's rust wasn't getting any better, so it was time to get the bodywork done.  And it was its 30th birthday in May, so what better time for a refresh? A suitable bodyshop was recommended to me (High Gloss Motor Bodies of Stockport) and the trip was on. I drove the car from Blackpool to Stockport, which is probably the longest journey it's made in decades. As I left, I realised it was probably the last time it'd see its home since 1991, as the plan was to bring it home to Surrey.  Lump in the throat...

Not a peep, despite monsoon conditions. 10 days later I'm on the train to Stockport to collect - and drive it back home to Weybridge. Chris at the bodyshop has done a superb job of matching the difficult metallic blue paint colour on the resprayed side panels and doors.  Rust door bottoms and wheel arches are gone, and the mum-inflicted bashed wing is fixed.  And the new bumper makes it look rather special. But it needs another touch to make it properly special...

The journey home involves a stop in Stafford. Because Stafford is the home of Mr Whitewalls. By a process involving alchemy, the dark arts, a motorised contraption, a heat gun and a bottle of paint, Mr Whitewalls set about the task of whiting my walls, baby.

And then it's onward down the M6 for the 200-mile journey home (not a peep from it - what a great little car it is) to be reunited with a matching set of original wheel trims...

I honestly can't keep smiling, just looking at it, with its little whitewalls and proper trims. The Pride did us proud for 30 years, and now I've repaid the favour. And even better - it's been accepted for the Concours at Festival of the Unexceptional. Come and  say hello.

Next job - project van!

 

 

That is absolutely FANTASTIC. I was impressed with you managing to find the unicorn status van back in 2016. The work done to this trooper is massively heartwarming too. I love the fact you drove it when it was a dealership car and that's it's now the oldest Pride left. What a special little car. 

[Ian_Fearn]

Just WOW….

[eddyramrod]

Excellent work!  I love a whitewall, or even better, a set of them, so very well done finding someone who could achieve them for you!

[stuboy]

take 'pride' in ur car

[ETCHY]

Bloody fab.

I remember a garage in Preston selling these new in the early 1990's complete with whitewalls.

Great save, well done.

I did consider buying one at the time but instead spent a fortune restoring a Ford Anglia that was frankly utter wank. What a fuckwitt 😣

[Zelandeth]

Brilliant.  Really glad to be seeing these cars getting some love.  They're fantastic little motors to drive.  Those tyres really do finish it off perfectly.  Remember them being a pig to find when we had one through the garage back in about 2003.

[TheOtherStu]

See, this is EXACTLY the kind of car I'd love to see at FotU.

It's very special and I enjoyed your thread. Long may it continue.

I await the next Red Van instalment.

[barrett]

Superb! Proper Autoshite, 23/10 for effort. Whitewalls are snazzy as fuck.

[Rust Collector]

I've just read through this whole thread - absolutely fantastic stuff, these are really cool little cars. The blue one looks incredible, you must be really pleased!

[outlaw118]

That really is TEH SECKS.

Well played Sir.

[wuvvum]

Wow.  That really is special.  That last photo is just like it's 1991 again, only with fewer shellsuits.

[RoadworkUK]

This is just fantastic. I had the unalloyed joy of driving a Pride the other day. I was overwhelmed by how basically competent it is even today. Plus you get better visibility from the driver's seat than they get in the control tower at Stansted airport.

[tooSavvy]

ToMM© hits the 'magic 30' in December.... It would have been nice to get the 'cake on the bonnet' shot.

.... But, I have no heart

[dollywobbler]

Brilliant. I think everyone who drove the ROFFLE Pride at Shitefest Cymru was impressed at what a bonny little car it was. I look forward to seeing it ag FOTU. Even Kia UK's own Pride doesn't have whitewalls (well, the spare does).

[gricer]

Kia managed to lose two of the original trims at SMMT test day a couple of years ago. Shouldn’t have let the hacks hoon it round the alpine circuit! 

[LightBulbFun]

On 21/07/2021 at 18:04, gricer said:

LONG OVERDUE UPDATE

After the epic rescues of 2016, not a lot happened. The blue Pride kept passing its MoT. I trailered the van up north so all the Prides could be together (aaah!) and then came Covid, so I couldn't even visit them for almost a year.

Meanwhile I'd had an amazing find online - a NOS front bumper, all the way from Bulgaria. I paid my €43 and waited. After a few weeks, it arrived, in a cardboard box the size of a car. Amazingly, it was the right part. And I'd located another supplier of significance - of which more later (he said, mysteriously)

The blue Pride's rust wasn't getting any better, so it was time to get the bodywork done.  And it was its 30th birthday in May, so what better time for a refresh? A suitable bodyshop was recommended to me (High Gloss Motor Bodies of Stockport) and the trip was on. I drove the car from Blackpool to Stockport, which is probably the longest journey it's made in decades. As I left, I realised it was probably the last time it'd see its home since 1991, as the plan was to bring it home to Surrey.  Lump in the throat...

Not a peep, despite monsoon conditions. 10 days later I'm on the train to Stockport to collect - and drive it back home to Weybridge. Chris at the bodyshop has done a superb job of matching the difficult metallic blue paint colour on the resprayed side panels and doors.  Rust door bottoms and wheel arches are gone, and the mum-inflicted bashed wing is fixed.  And the new bumper makes it look rather special. But it needs another touch to make it properly special...

The journey home involves a stop in Stafford. Because Stafford is the home of Mr Whitewalls. By a process involving alchemy, the dark arts, a motorised contraption, a heat gun and a bottle of paint, Mr Whitewalls set about the task of whiting my walls, baby.

And then it's onward down the M6 for the 200-mile journey home (not a peep from it - what a great little car it is) to be reunited with a matching set of original wheel trims...

I honestly can't keep smiling, just looking at it, with its little whitewalls and proper trims. The Pride did us proud for 30 years, and now I've repaid the favour. And even better - it's been accepted for the Concours at Festival of the Unexceptional. Come and  say hello.

Next job - project van!

 

 

just read the thread from the start, what a lovely story and save  

you have done a cracking job and it looks amazing  

looks like it would be a right hoot to drive as well, I understand most small hatchbacks of this period are  

keep up the awesome work I look forward to seeing the Vans restoration!

 

as a side note Im curious when it was new with its whitewalls, where they specifically made for Kia and the Pride or did some other obscure car at the time also use them?