The new news 24 thread

[vulgalour]

News on Princess #1.

 

I have secured storage, I've confirmed this numerous times and it's secure.  Only trouble is that the storage is 280 miles away from the car and I haven't any means of transporting the car at present.  I'm still investigating options, the obstacle is the three month deadline and a lack of free funds due to a house move happening in about the same time frame.  If anyone can assist with transportation please do drop me a line and you will have my eternal gratitude and much good karma...  I'm aware this is no good for purchasing beer and chod with, I make no apologies.

 

The car was first registered in September 1977, before which it is believed to have been used as a factory test car.  From the info I received from Nick Larkin, it sounds like it had the same owner from 1977 until he acquired it in 1997, at which point it had likely been off the road for four years as the tax ran out in 1993.  The logbook is still available and DVLA still hold a record on the car, showing it as a Morris which also adds to the rarity of the car.

 

Having seen more photographs I now know the car needs a pair of front wings, substantial repairs or a replacement front valance, ideally a rear quarter on one side and repairs to the sills.  There's been crude repairs to the bottom of the windscreen surround too.  It looks like the car has had the usual repair treatment to get it through MoTs and I expect the floor to be a proper patchwork mess.

 

The engine - 1800 B series - is an unknown, as is the gearbox, clutch and brakes so I'm assuming they'll all need rebuilding.  All the rubber hoses will be knackered, the carb will need rebuilding and it'll need additive as it will pre-date the unleaded Princesses.

 

The unique bonnet and grille are intact, these are virtually impossible to get hold of and very important to the identity of the car.  The blue interior isn't the original, but it is the one it's had since about 1977 so it's original enough.

 

If I can secure transport I'm looking at assessing the extent of the rot before deciding whether to restore or break this car.  If it is viable as a restoration I'll work through it a small area at a time and hone my welding and fabrication skills as I go, something that will be very useful for the business I'll be a part of.

 

I think this is a sensible approach to this particular car and as I've said before, if it were any other Princess and not free I wouldn't bother with it but because of what it is, there is some worth in at least giving it a chance.

[Inspector Morose]

If this is princess no 1 PLEASE don't scrap it. Leave it on a plinth, donate it to a charity, anything but scrap it. I will come and help for free if it means that it has a future.

[stuboy]

weres it located being 280 miles from you!!

[vulgalour]

Car is near Chipping Sodbury, storage is in Thornaby, Middlesbrough.

 

I've been considering a crowd-funding thing with this one but I don't know what sort of incentive to give back to supporters of the restoration if I did.  Obviously I'll need to confirm the history of the car and actually make sure it's restorable before I committed to that properly.

[gordonbennet]

Catching the train to Bury in 45 mins to collect the ebay Outback.

[Angrydicky]

Vulgalour, I think it would be awful if this car was scrapped, but at the same time, it isn't in any immediate danger. I know your situation isn't that great at the moment, as fantastic as it would be to see you end up with this car, I'd think long and hard before deciding if you can afford to dedicate the vast amounts of time and money it needs to be restored.

 

If you do take it on and decide its too much work for you, rather than breaking it you should offer it back for free here and in the Princess club. There are still a few rotten Princesses out there which are useful for spares and don't involve scrapping such a historically significant car. Good luck

[dollywobbler]

Given that the car is at a storage facility at the moment, is there any scope for simply paying for it to stay where it is? Just to give a bit of breathing space.

[trigger]

Personally speaking I'd say it sounds like your taking on too much and will end up getting none of them done, you've still got the Renault 6 to sort as well as the red one and your beige one needs TLC still IIRC, You can't save everything as much as your trying.

 

I don't mean to sound harsh but your going to get yourself in trouble if your not careful, good luck!

[scruff]

I don't mean to sound harsh, Vulg, and I know your heart is in the right place but given your current situ I would take a step back and reassess things. 

 

I love free stuff as much as the next shiter, but, factor in £200 or so to get it from Sam's to Middlesbog, plus the travelling from your house to the car and it suddenly isn't cheap any more. I'd shift it for nothing if I could as it is, after all, Princess No. 1 but I can't. 

 

How about taking a different approach - and this might not work but is worth a go: 

 

Approach a classik mag of your choice and offer a tale of derring-do regarding the previous history and saving of this particular motor, followed by regular updates. In return for hard cash ask for sponsorship to move the thing.

 

Any classic museums near you? Sprayed up with diesel to make it look less shit and with a good presentation board/photos/drawings/history, a sympathetic curator may see it as an interesting eye catcher and the thing gets put up for a while as part of the bargain. 

 

I don't know, probably bollocks. It's easy for internetz folk to tell you what to do and how it's all going to end in fire and dead kittens - but I've been there, done that, got the debt and the nervous breakdown T-shirt. Be careful!

[vulgalour]

Same comments as I've had before, I think there's still some misunderstanding so I'll try and clear this up.

 

Storage - its current storage is due to disappear in June, I've been told it will have to be scrapped if someone can't be found to at least rehome it because there won't be any space at the new inn.  The new storage I have is available immediately and for the long term.

 

Restoration - this will only happen IF it's viable.  The car may be too far gone and I'll break it if that's the case.  I'd like to restore it but it might not be tenable and I'm aware of this.

 

Projects - This one replaces the HLS I've almost finished and will not run along side it.  I won't be commuting between Derbyshire and Middlesbrough as the new storage is going to be basically where I'm moving to, I may not have made this very clear.  The Renault, once sorted, may very well be sold after I've had a bit of fun in it so at no point will my active car count exceed three.

 

Finally, the fate of the car.  This is an incredibly difficult car to shift.  The owners club appear to want nothing to do with it, I can't think why on earth a museum would want it in anything other than A1 condition and it needs some mental like me to give it a fighting chance at being anything more than storage filler.

 

This is not something I've rushed into and if I can't get it transported then I will let it go, it's as simple as that.  If I do get it transported and it's too far gone it'll get binned with as much as possible saved from it.  I am, strange as it sounds, being pretty realistic and rational about this one it's just difficult when the car has turned up at a time when it's the hardest for me to move it.  If it had appeared at the end of the year this would be far, far easier.

[barefoot]

In exciting news today, the T2 is still at the garage having a bit of a service and chap has noticed that although

my discs and pads have plenty of life left in them, the callipers are very worn and appear to be the originals. 

That's 35 years old.

I bet the replacements don't last anywhere near as long!

[Lukas]

Bought this 89 Pajero V6 3000 by the end of last week. Don´t know exactly what to do with it by now, my mechanic has to take a look at it how bad it really is. I know of a slipping clutch, a blowing exhaust and a starter-motor that starts the engine many times, but not every time. It has rust too, so let´s wait and see.

 

[saucedoctor]

Chattering door solenoid swapped out on the 25. I got a working one from a wrecked MG ZR.

 

Here's today's Top Tip: Just because the parts from a breaker are SUPPOSED to be the same, doesn't mean they actually are. MG ZR button on the left, Rover 25 item, on the right. MG item jams the door handle in the Rover because it's too short, but looks the same, and is the same shape.

[vulgalour]

More Princess quandary.  Went to view the one less than 10 miles from home with a view to stripping what I need off it.  To take the car whole is £250 and there's enough and more on it to sort out pretty much everything that's amiss with both my cars.  I couldn't get the guy at the yard to give me a price on parts, he's already been messed around a bit with other cars and is used to chancers.

 

I've been offered the opportunity to strip everything of use off the car on a weekend and leave with however much I can carry which is fine, but there's more to take than I can realistically do in a weekend in a yard with no electricity.

 

It has a pristine black velour interior, the 1.7 O series engine runs and has the thermostat housing I'm after.  The suspension all sits level as it ought and the bodywork is rough but not terminal.  It's an earlier car and is most likely vermillion and it's worth the £250 being asked as either a project or as a breaker as the value in parts outweighs the asking price of the car considerably.

 

What to do?  This one car solves all my car woes in one fell swoop but it's awkward to resolve.

 

Never mind!  A solution presented itself and we're arranging delivery.

[Lankytim]

Binning Princess 1 is VERBOTEN, that's the point and why nobody wants to own it.

[Mr Livered]

Do tell, Vulg. It's getting hard to keep up with your Princess-related antics.

[vulgalour]

Princess status then.

 

#1 - Undecided fate on this one, in all honesty, given the latest development.  Let's forget that for the moment.

 

Red HLS - Got to get to the bottom of this running issue, pump up the suspension, bleed the brakes, stick new tyres on and it's pretty much done.  That'll be leaving the stable in May.

 

Beige HL - In need of more work.  I can do the work, but the car needs cash spending on it which is where the latest comes in.

 

Orange HL - from the waistline up it's solid, the interior is pristine but also black which I'm not fond of.  Engine runs, spheres are level, tyres are knackered.  Clutch is knackered but it has a wealth of useful parts that Beige HL and Red HLS need.  I'll be getting this car delivered so I can decided what to do next.

 

One of the HLs will not survive, I won't know which one until the Orange one is delivered.  The Orange car has all the parts (bar tyres) that the other two I've got needs and has more value in the parts than how much the car will cost me, especially being so close to home.

 

As a result, I'll temporarily own 3 Princesses, but only 2 will survive.  It's still something that's turned up at the wrong time for me, but it's an opportunity that thankfully has not passed me by and it should pay off.

[ShiteRider]

My mate Mick has invited me to the isle of wight scooter rally, i don't ride so the plan is for me to follow them down in the cortina estate as a mobile canteen/workshop/parts hauler/campervan/recovery service.

Now i've got the kick up the arse to actually start working on it.

[outlaw118]

MoT time for The Shed, so booked in for that and a diagnostic on the myriad of lights on the dash.

 

Failed on both front tyres worn to below limit on inside edge, stop light bulb and battery insecure. Couple of advisories, but can't remember what they were off the top of my head.

 

Diagnostic turned up that the crank sensor was fooked, so more than likely thats what's causing all the other faults, like the EPC light on, fast tickover, and poor starting. So poor that it wouldn't start at all afterwards. Battery recharged, and it was on the button, no lights, nuffink. Conked out all by itself about 3 minutes later though....

 

2 tyres and tracking done, £135, booked in for retest WQednesday, and new crank sensor.

 

Went home fixed bulb, and after some cunning bodgery, battery secure.

 

I R TOP MEKANIK.

[derskine]

Couple of hours welding the 18.

Just need to repair the sill (piece of piss) and the bottom of the wing (also piece of piss).

 

 

[Parky]

Fixed up a couple of scratches on mates Fiat 500 on Saturday. Her husband had given it a go but it looked like he had used a broom to put the paint on.

 

Got that off, cleaned the scratches out properly, built up a couple of coats of high build primer, and on with the topcoat. Leave that a week and t-cut the repair and you won't notice it. Quite pleased with how it turned out

 

Also emptied loads of shit out of my garage including giving two old bikes to re-cycle so some kids in a poor part of the world get some wheels for getting to school and back. Both were in good nick, just too small for my two nowadays. That felt good. In fact volunteering for someone like that might suit me nicely, I wouldn't mind spending a couple of days each month fixing up bikes for shipping over to those who need them.

 

Unless a minty Grifter comes in, I'll have that!

[coalnotdole]

Spent the weekend changing the gearbox in the scimitar ( to sort an overdrive fault) went on a test drive over to Portsmouth yesterday and I was rewarded by having it get stuck in 4th as I got home, it wouldn't drop out of gear. An initial look suggested a problem with the selectors at the top of the box which is a gearbox out job.... Meaning i was unlikely to make it to today's appointment at the mot station.

 

So this morning at Dave's suggestion I decided to take the top of the gearbox off in situ to see if The gear change could be restored like that. This process involved cutting down the scabbiest 2j spanner I could find to make it short enough to use in the confines of the gearbox tunnel. Surprisingly this removing the top of the gearbox approach worked and I was able to get it working again.

 

So I drove it over for an mot and was rewarded by a pass!

[RobT]

Just bought my first shite of 2014, and it's Cavalier-shaped. Hoping to collect on Thursday. So that's my wheels for Shitefest sorted!

[gordonbennet]

Well i went and done me shite collection yesterday, bought a '52 H6 Outback,  linked to in the Ebay tat thread last week, no pics yet i'm afraid but here's a rundown of collection day.

 

0730 train from Kettering to Sheffield, another to Manc Piccadilly, on time nice journey.

Tram for a couple of stops, then change trams for the other line tram, had to wait about 20 mins no probs there.

 

However, and i should have know what to expect as there seemed to be as many paramilitary coppers as punters at Piccadilly station, the longer 30 minute tram out to the sticks was an interesting ride.

 

I, along with the rest of the coach, was treated to the worlds loudest one way phone conversation, i now know all there is to know about cider addiction, other alchohol and substance addiction, methadone use, hospitals, but predictably enough not much about work, Jesus wept, another bloke tried to ''borrow'' me phone, he looked a bit shocked when i told him no.

 

Bloody glad to get off the soddin thing, i hated bloody cities before and yesterdays experience did nothing to change that, how do normal people put up with it, i couldn't, probably end up doing a Michael Douglas in that film where he goes bonkers the title of which has disappeared from whats loosely known as me memory.

 

 

 

However tramride from hell over, as arranged i rang the seller from the station before mine and sure enough decent stick that he was he was driving down the road to pick me up as i walked out the station.

 

What a diamond geezer, a pleasure to meet and to do the deal with, a gentleman.

 

Car was sitting outside cold but spotlessly clean outside his gaff, 4 x new aftermarket alloys shod with new winter tyres on the car, and all 4 original wheels (needing refurb) in the back, full size new steel spare plus jack and toolkit in place, new exhaust, new Yuasa battery, new MOT, taxed till Jan '15, full history, nothing not to like, few scratches and stonechips but not a spot of rust to be found.

A couple of personal plate changes in its history, posh numbers and i always reckon thats a good sign of people who take care of their motors, this seems to have been borne out on this one.

 

Popped the bonnet, had a quick look at the levels and condition of water/oil, poked me head underneath, started engine which sounded like sweet music, didn't bother with a test drive, no need, by then i'd already sussed that this man was one of the fast vanishing breed of men of their word, even had 2/3rds a tank of juice.

Did the deal, shook hands and cheerio.

 

Drove perfectly, goes like hell, lovely auto box, everything works, no rattles no warning lights.

 

Easy run back @ 75 on cruise most of the way, my Mrs who the car is for is like a puppy with two tails, the Outlander wasn't fast enough for her, though convinced her, yet again, that she loves permanent 4WD.

 

So, all good, well chuffed.

 

Restored my faith a bit to meet and deal with, albeit briefly, a man who's word means something, i know ebastard is festooned with low lifes and tossers but proof here of genuine people too, and he texted me last night enquiring as to the journey home.

[vulgalour]

Sounds like the sort of chap that should get that most antiquated of things; a letter of thanks.

[gordonbennet]

Sounds like the sort of chap that should get that most antiquated of things; a letter of thanks.

 

That is an excellent idea, i shall do so.

 

Haven't hand written a letter in me best fountain pen scrawl for years, whether he'll be able to decipher the bugger is something else.

 

Thanks Vulgalour.

[Richard]

Falling Down.

[dollywobbler]

Went for a hurtle in the Sirion this morning. I'd forgotten just how hilarious it is, though it isn't half firm and bouncy after the BX.

 

Went for a hurtle in the BX this afternoon. It feels even smoother after the Sirion! Ended up on a greenlane, as you do. General conclusion - I love BXs.

 

[pshome]

Tagora collection organised for Tuesday!

[trigger]

Direct from a secret location, the latest Cortina photos!

 

 

 

 

They still haven't fitted the new wings but they did only get dropped of yesterday, it should look fantastic when finished!