Cresta, an update.

[DodgeRover]

Why?

Any modification to the body shell of a monocoque construction vehicle - ie one not on a chassis requires a fully type approval test and registration as a new vehicle, for example I have a metro, I cut the roof off and make it a convertible, my metro convertible was never type approved so needs to be registered as a new vehicle with a one off name and model. Same with estate cars cut into pickups and the like. I keep mentioning 1988 as that is the date prior to which if you kept 8 points so basically engine gearbox axle and suspension then you could do what you like and retain the original identity.

[DodgeRover]

Puddlethumper I would get in touch with the last recorded owner on the logbook and ask what the crack is with it and go from there, in a way it's a pity those pics on rods n sods weren't lost in the great photobucket swindle.

When you next come to tax it there's a chance you are going to get a letter out asking if it's modified / there's a chance the last owner already had this and shifted it on rather than loose the registration - if they did get it find out if they sent it back....

I would choose to believe that to the best of your knowledge it's always been a 2 door estate (just look at all the pictures of other ones in this thread, no reason 2 doors wouldn't be built to special order) and has just had the windows panelled in which is absolutely legal. Even welding the rear doors closed is still absolutely fine if it was converted to an estate early in it's life.

[puddlethumper]

Got a good point there DR. 

The last owner acquired the vehicle in 2011 which is not long after the RnS guy was trying to sell it.

I'll see if I can get in touch with him.

[M'coli]

What's a friary? Aside from where chips come from

Let us learn from Fat Freddy's Cat:

[artdjones]

KBJ56J is still down as a saloon on the database I just looked up.Does the chassis no. end in 305?

[JeeExEll]

It's still a "panelled-in" all-steel-bodied saloon.

No MOT required if you wait 2 months.

Nuns are still nuns and kittens are still fluffy.

 

Carry on, business as usual.

[Vantman]

Any updates on this purchase?

[puddlethumper]

Haven't had time to do anything as I've been working for six weeks in Accrington

and the next couple of months are full as well. So, probably little to report for a while.

[puddlethumper]

Part 1.

Well chaps, chapesses, LGBTQ and any others I've missed out, it's been a couple of years since I 

acquired this magnificent steed and either I or my spanner man have not had the time to do anything

to it. Today it all changed and it was dragged  screaming, with a fork lift, (the ignominy of it) from its

rusting place into the light, the garage, where it was subjected to a severe talking to, amongst other things.

I'll start with the ignominy bit.

To be continued soon, when I've sorted photos and words.

[Amishtat]

Excellent! Every so often I'd wonder whether you'd done anything with this. Watching with interest. 

[barrett]

Brilliant comeback! this thing is mega

[Dick Cheeseburger]

Great to see this thread resurrected. Poor old girl must be pretty grumpy about having to sit on her laurels for two years, only to be dragged into the sunlight with forklift! 

Watching with interest - love the look of this thing....

[vulgalour]

Hooray!

[puddlethumper]

Part 2.

Up on the ramp for a look at her botty. Poked around her botty department and found it was

pretty much as I had first thought on seeing it. All welding done ready to go body shopwards.

If you look up the mot history, KBJ56J for those who can't remember, look at the advisories for

the penultimate one and it is loaded up with rusty suspension mounts. Following year, last one, no mention.

When I got it I couldn't get the hatch tailgate open but I could see it was full of bits. Well today was the day

that it succumbed to a handy sized screw driver. I was excite to say the least. Better than that christmas

thing. A lot of you would have felt the same, ay ? Here she is on the ramp. Not terribly interesting. I didn't

take any pics of her botty coz it was all black and didn't think you would be able to see anything.

Part 3 to come with my, mostly, one fingered typing and eating n ting.

 

[puddlethumper]

You see ? forgot the bloody pic. I iz crap.

[vulgalour]

What treasure lurk within?  Probably lots of spiders.  It's always spiders.

[puddlethumper]

Part 3. Christmas in chod land.

The first pic is, a potatocam, view of Christmas. As you can see limited sight through to the windscreen.

I can't be arsed listing it, but extra bumpers, lights, head sides and rears, wheels, 2 grills, chrome trim and a lot of etc. 

Feast your eyes on big chrome bumpers. Mmmm lickable. Wheels of ally, Mmmm.

 

[puddlethumper]

3 minutes ago, vulgalour said:

What treasure lurk within?  Probably lots of spiders.  It's always spiders.

Normally I would agree, but it seems it was in a spiderless zone of some sort and I didn't see one. Weird.

[puddlethumper]

Part 4.

Various presents from Father Shite.

[puddlethumper]

Part 5.

Before I go any further I have to tell you that I have some info on this vehicle. It seems to be

an amalgamation of three other Crestas. When I hauled everything out I

discovered a number plate different to the one on Crusta. Ooh, I wonder what that's off thinks I.

Turns out it is from a D plate Viscount. The "I'm above a Cresta m8 and I blow my nose in your 

general direction" sort. Further evidence is extra bumpers, lights, etc as you can see in the above

bumpers and wheels pic. Viscount has over riders for one of a number of wins.  Also a Viscount grill

sort of strengthened my belief. 

BUT ! There is a third donor involved along the way. There are certain parts that I'm sure came from an estate.

There is some extra glass, windscreen, handy, and two side pieces for the rear quarter that could only have come 

from one. Sorry forgot to do a pic but there are also two fibreglass inner panels for the same as in the pics below.

Also the tailgate is rust proof fibreglass which is the same as an estate. Friary were the company that converted them

I think, or was it Farnham ? I forget.

[Amishtat]

Martin Walter did the PB & PC estates, so some of it must have originated there. Also D is early for a Viscount, I believe they were launched in 1965 but I've never seen one on a C.  Dammit, I really want another PC now! 

[puddlethumper]

34 minutes ago, Amishtat said:

Martin Walter did the PB & PC estates, so some of it must have originated there. Also D is early for a Viscount, I believe they were launched in 1965 but I've never seen one on a C.  Dammit, I really want another PC now! 

You may want but ,if you can find one, not impossible, they ain't cheap.

[puddlethumper]

Although there is one on C and C for a bit shy of £4000.

[500tops]

My old Viscount...

 

I'd love another!

[puddlethumper]

Part 7.

There are also six rear light clusters, Four of one style and two of another. May be the guy worked at

Friary ? I can't see an estate getting scrapped.

A question. What wheels are these for or off ?  I like them and I'm presuming they fit.

[500tops]

The clusters with the chrome trim are Viscount

[puddlethumper]

20 minutes ago, 500tops said:

My old Viscount...

 

I'd love another!

Seems there are none left, according to you know who. I'm putting the Viscount bumpers on coz they have the

integrated side and indicators for another win. I've got upmarket aspirations.

[puddlethumper]

5 minutes ago, 500tops said:

The clusters with the chrome trim are Viscount

I've got two pairs of those. The other two don't have the reversing light and seem to have been

painted black as the scratches on them show chrome underneath.

[puddlethumper]

48 minutes ago, 500tops said:

My old Viscount...

 

I'd love another!

I had a mate, back in the eighties, when I had a Ventora, same engine , who had one. Lecky windows if ircc.

They were well posh at the time.

[puddlethumper]

Part 7.

Here's a win if ever I saw one. BEHOLD THE FILLER CAP OF HIDDENNESS.

You will have to imagine a number plate in the second pic.

Got to be a mega win that has.