W'light's shite - With Added 240GLT action

[warninglight]

I did have a thread which I sporadically updated, but given that it must be 2 years since the last update, I can't find it in my searches...

 

First up, my 1964 Austin 1100. I bought this when I was 16, and will have had it a decade, next month. It's looking forlorn in the garage with the rear arches hanging off it at the moment, and some crusty trumpets. It'll be getting a lot of attention this winter, once I've got a queue jumper in the project list out of the way.

 

Then when I needed a better mile muncher (I was already doing 1000 miles a month in the 1100, and just about getting it reliable as the underside started to fall apart) I got into 90s Volvos with an S70 TDi. Loved it, put it through a hedge backwards, learnt a lesson about cheap tyres - change them immediately when you buy a car, or better still, avoid buying off a tightarse.

 

When the need for a mile muncher disappeared, I decided it was time to get myself a series Landy. A beautiful original 109 Safari was found for cheaps, I flew to England, picked up a secondhand LPG kit for the 4 pot, and got the all day ferry back from Liverpool. That had some running issues that I didn't have the time to get to the bottom of, as I was starting final year at uni, so regrettably I sold it after a few weeks, where it went back to England.

 

Bitten by the idea of LPG as a way to run something interesting, I scoured the classifieds, and one particular car came up which had even been for sale when I bought the S70. I went to view it, the price had dropped considerably but nobody seemed to want it, so I scored it with a brand new MOT but needing a battery, a PAS pump and a couple of other bits for £800. And sold it for £1000 30,000 miles later (at 205k) but sadly it doesn't seem to have lasted much longer. 240bhp T5 with Prins LPG. Ruined by the 4 speed auto box, but I loved it.

 

While I had this I moved to England and started work - and very quickly decided to scratch the series Landy itch again, so in early January got the train from Ulverston to Keith to pick this up from Aberlour, and drive back at 50mph. I kept this for too long really, it had been put together on a galv chassis with all the right bits, but done by somebody who didn't own a socket set, but presumably used the contents of their cutlery drawer to assemble it. It was dire. I did my best with it before running out of enthusiasm and selling it back to Aberdeen.

 

I made it look a lot less shit before it went!

 

 

When the C70 went, I had my fingers burnt by a factory bi-fuel V70 - I knew they were bad but I was lied to by the seller. Long story. I replaced it with a Disco TD5. I'd been to see about 20 of them, all utter rotboxes, so I upped my budget and went for a last of the line Landmark, which was a great tool for a couple of years, as I also bought a big twin axle car transporter trailer.

 

 

While I had it, I happened on one of my dream cars, a V70R AWD Manual in Saffron - laid up on a driveway and being used as a garden shed. I pestered the owner until I eventually bought it, picked it up with the trailer and dropped it at my MOT garage. A pair of wiper blades later it had a fresh test and I lavished lots of care on that. Eventually sold it as I wasn't using it, and I believe it now lives in heated storage in Romania, waiting for values to climb. Shame, as it was hilarious with 250bhp, AWD and a dump valve for comedy value. And the most offensive interior to go with that paint.

 

 

When I sold the Series back to Aberdeen, I knew I'd have some cash in my pocket and an empty trailer coming back. Fate conspired with me here, as a few miles from Aberdeen was this as an ongoing project - welding half done, not too many nasty surprises hiding, and all there in boxes as it was on the road a couple of years prior. It's now close to having the necessary paintwork so I can start assembling it ready for the road, hopefully before the nice weather runs out!

 

 

I bought an S60 D5 for some sensible reasons, and it's for sale now having had it for just about a year. Running it alongside the Disco I decided something halfway between the two to replace both would be ideal. Something that could tow but was made by Volvo, so I bought an XC90 D5. I soon started to miss having low range for shunting trailers, and realised that some stuff I was moving was slightly heavier than I thought, so I was close to, or possibly over its 2250kg towing capacity.

 

 

Obviously the correct thing to do there is buy something a bit like the Disco, but one that doesn't rot structurally, and doesn't leak when it rains. Something that had some BMW involvement perhaps. So I bought this a few months ago and I love it. It's the BMW V8 on gas, with 206,000 miles on it, and crucially, blue seats. Last weekend I picked up my newest purchase, Cumbria to Swindon and back with the trailer, 500 miles and about 150 litres of gas. This is to replace the S60 with something I'm more familiar with (as I've broken three of this model now) and in my experience is nearly totally bulletproof. This one has 230,000 miles on it, and just like my first one, is a TDI manual. After a few T5s, it doesn't feel as quick as my first one though...

 

 

 

I need some staying power, that's all in the last 4 years and I've left a few out...

 

[Eddie Honda]

I did have a thread which I sporadically updated, but given that it must be 2 years since the last update, I can't find it in my searches...

This one? http://autoshite.com/topic/14008-my-journey-through-shite-in-norn-iron-now-in-cumbria/

[eddyramrod]

All this time and we still haven't managed to get together!  We're going to have to have another Shitey Sunday I think, and this time you have to show up!

[warninglight]

Collected some top giffer-spec shite yesterday, which may replace the derv V70 as the backup daily for a bit.

 

The previous owner bought it in 1994, and was the 2nd owner. He died recently, so this came up for sale in Carlisle, as a result.

 

It's a lovely thing! MOT til December but it's barely been used over the last few years. Brakes want a bit of freeing off and then get some miles under it. Easily the most solid feeling Volvo I've owned.

 

I grew up with these in the family, normally in the rear facing boot seats as the youngest of 5 kids, hadn't been in one since I was 6!

 

 

 

 

[Royale80]

Lovely!

 

Any interior shots?

[Jim Bell]

Three box couture. Thumbs up.

[warninglight]

The curvy one isn't at the shed, alas, or I'd have made a chronological line-up...

 

I've neglected to take any interior photos - it's black leather in fairly decent nick, with a bit of duct tape on the driver's bolster. Comfy though! All car seats shout be buttoned. Original radio and everything. Will get photos when I'm down the shed this week.