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Plastic project proffered


chodweaver

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Here we have....

 

(Oh no.)

 

I'm selling this on behalf...

 

(Oh, bloody hell...)

 

<Sits and thinks>

 

This pile of bits is up for grabs.

 

It has been, is, and we (the seller and me) hope it continues to be, a Dutton Melos.

 

Here's the gen:

 

Dutton Melos kit car project – advertising it for a friend. This was built with a Ford Escort as the donor vehicle, but the V5 shows it to be a Dutton, first registered in March 1970 and a sports historic vehicle. It has an historic registration, that of the donor Escort, not a Q plate. The vehicle was roadworthy, taxed and tested when it was bought by the current owner in 2004, hence it will not need SVA approval to make it legal, just a MOT.

This is a project and will need to be trailered away, as it is not roadworthy and is currently on SORN. A considerable amount of work remains to make it roadworthy again, but it is mostly complete. The current owner purchased it in 2004, ran it for a few months, then stored it in his garage. Concerns about corrosion and the strength of the chassis led to the owner (a professional welder and fabricator) creating an entirely new chassis from stronger box section steel than the original Dutton chassis (this was constructed from 1.8mm wall box section steel – the new chassis was built entirely from 3mm wall box section steel), using the original chassis as a jig. All this work was done in 2004/2005 with the new chassis completed at this time, but the owner then stopped working on the car in 2005 due to ill health. His health has improved but he has little interest in completing the car, his first love being bikes, which he wants the garage space for working on, so the car is for sale.

 

Included is:

The new, stronger chassis
Dutton Melos GRP body (a previous owner repainted it green, though the V5 shows the body colour as beige);
a GRP hardtop (black);
a fabric tonneau cover;
the crossflow 1600 engine and 4 speed gearbox, presumably from the donor vehicle (fitted) (the kit was not built by the current owner, nor the person he purchased it from, so the build history is not known);
two new, unused seats (not fitted);
roll bar (Dutton item, not fitted);
rear axle, diff, leaf springs and adjustable shocks (fitted);
front hubs (fitted);
four slot mag 13” wheels and tyres (fitted);
new front disk brake callipers, disks and pads (fitted);
rear drum brakes with new brake cylinders and shoes (fitted);
flexible brake hoses for front and rear (not fitted);
pedals and brake servo from other donor vehicle (a Fiat Tipo);
steering rack (fitted);
steering column, column switchgear and wheel (not fitted, also from a Fiat Tipo and compatible with the rack - this has been trial fitted several times during the chassis build and engine fitting);
new bottom arms, balljoints, track rod ends (fitted);
windscreen and frame (not fitted, original Dutton item);
radiator (not fitted, original donor vehicle item – an improvement would be to fit a more modern rectangular radiator that does not foul on the steering rack gaiters);
heater matrix (original Escort item, not fitted);
fuel tank (not fitted, again an improvement would be to replace this with a fuel tank that fits lower down in the chassis – a Morris Minor tank is suggested);
loom (original Escort loom, not fitted);
dashboard (not fitted);
new sealed beam headlamp assemblies and chrome ornaments (not fitted);

new ignition coil, condenser and points (fitted)

 

Some slight improvements have been made to the design of the chassis – jacking points have been added to strengthen the chassis and the central cross member has been strengthened where it passes under the propshaft. The front suspension geometry is adjustable as a result of improvements to the mounting points for the upper wishbone. The GRP body has been modified to allow the driver’s seat to be positioned higher and further back, for a more comfortable driving position and easier entry and exit from the car.

Work that remains to make the car complete includes, but may not be limited to:

Sourcing front springs and coil over dampers (the Dutton items fitted with the old chassis are included, but are deemed to need replacing);
fabricating lower mounting brackets for the new coil springs and dampers at the front (due to improvements to the chassis design, these are required to attach the lower ends of the spring hangers and dampers);
fabricating a mounting bracket for the steering column to attach it to the o/s/f inner wing;
fitting the steering column;
fitting the radiator and all hoses for the cooling system;

mounting the throttle pedal;
connecting the clutch, brake and throttle pedal linkages;

closing the rear inner wheel arches and rear seat/bench/shelf with glassfibre;
fitting the windscreen and frame;
fitting the steering column;
fitting the fuel tank and fuel lines;
fitting the brake master cylinder, brake lines and handbrake cables;
fitting the seats;
fitting the loom;
fitting the dashboard and connecting the switchgear and instruments;

The engine is fitted and runs – a recent video of it running is available. The radiator and cooling system is not fitted though, so the engine cannot be run for more than a minute or so. The engine has been started and run regularly since the car was parked up. The car cannot move under its own power due to the lack of brakes.

 

The seller says he's got about 2 grand in it, due to the amount of materials and new bits that he bought, but is open to offers. It is not advertised anywhere else, for fear of ridicule and ebayitis.

 

I drove it soon after he bought it in 2004 and it is a right hoot, being a light, two seat, open top motor with a willing engine and a centre of gravity about level with your navel.

 

The car is in Bristol. PM me to be put in touch with the seller (he's a philistine who I haven't cajoled into joining the beige. Yet.)

 

Still reading? Here's the pics:

 

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Two people can lift the body off

 

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Detail of strengthened cross member design

 

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Detail of strengthened jacking points

 

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Ditto

 

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Hardtop:

 

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This looks like it has the potential to be monumentally ugly and an absolute riot to drive. I love it.

If I had the/any money I would already be plying Moog with enough booze to make him think going halves on this was a good idea. Then I'd drop it at his house and let him have at it whilst I directed operations from 300 miles away.

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You say it's been on the road so it does have an IVA ?

Edit -price ?

 

 

Doesn't need one it's correctly registered already as a dutton on the V5

 

That's as I understand it - it only needs MOTing again.

 

I won't try to oversell it - it still needs a lot of work, but what has been done has been done well - the chassis is substantially better than the original Dutton one.

 

While I've tried to prepare the seller for a let down in offer prices, the four Melos on CarandClassic at the moment range from £2395 to over 6 grand. And not all of those have MOTs... I'm not going to negotiate on his behalf - I'll put anyone interested in touch with him. It needs to be properly looked over before an offer is made.

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This looks like it has the potential to be monumentally ugly...

I sort of agree with the ugliness, but the ADO16 based Magentis kit car has appeared a number of times on these hallowed pages of late, and there really is no comparison...

 

I'd drop it at his house and let him have at it whilst I directed operations from 300 miles away.

 

PMSL

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That looks like it will be epic fun once it's roadworthy.

 

I'd honestly be tempted if I didn't already have a project car in the garage. Don't recall even seeing one of these anywhere before.

 

Shouldn't be hard to get sorted out though so long as there aren't any particular bits needed that are made of Unobtainium.

 

Good luck with the sale.

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This looks like it has the potential to be monumentally ugly and an absolute riot to drive. I love it.

If I had the/any money I would already be plying Moog with enough booze to make him think going halves on this was a good idea. Then I'd drop it at his house and let him have at it whilst I directed operations from 300 miles away.

 

 

Do you know the sad thing was I read the thread and thought - Ohhhh autotest car with bucketeer! 

 

Luckily no money limits our stupidity 

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OK. Can someone come up with a way that I can keep my monthly income, but have at least 4 days a week to cock about with ridiculous projects? I'd love to get this finished, and the standard of the work so far on the chassis etc looks really very good.

 

Skills? Yes.

Money? Could wangle it from somewhere if I really tried.

Time? Fuck all.

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OK. Can someone come up with a way that I can keep my monthly income, but have at least 4 days a week to cock about with ridiculous projects? I'd love to get this finished, and the standard of the work so far on the chassis etc looks really very good.

 

 

 I've been trying to figure this out for years, no luck yet. This would be a great ridiculous project to test the theory with. 

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Does that even need an MoT these days, being as the date of first registration is 1970?

I reckon you might be right, it seems to tick all the exception boxes:

 

Over 40

No substantial changes for 30 years (according to .gov the chassis won't count)

Kit car registered as a historic vehicle

7bf76579282687ed1f5262d0de957186.jpgc3aeb4fe0cde22b0030f8be594942cdc.jpgb47a73a4d812cc605c84563c2b465bee.jpg

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I had one of these at 19 with a 2 litre pinto. In a deal swapping a fucked rs2000, that I got in a deal on a 205 GTi, all valued at less than a grand at the time! Built by a vet and found lots of ketamine in what passed as the glove box. Good on lanes, acceleration lethal, had a tendency to induce an urge to expel faeces at speed. The front end just went light....

Insurance was cheap back then through a naive mother. Mine was unique in the fact it was a strange off white colour. Because it had never been painted.

It was minging really but I thought I was the bollocks.

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I've had a few Phaetons, and Sierras, similar chassis, but better shape.

The original chassis were just adequate, 3mm is over the top, 2.5mm would be preferable.

Current parts value guess, £150 Axle, £200 engine, £100 g/box, say £500.

But tax and Mot exempt so £1,000 min. Don't ask me why but that's how it is.

They used mostly Escort bits. This one has some Fiat?

It was easy in the old days, but now the Ford tax may make it expensive to get some parts. Front shocks/springs say £120 each?

I built a Phaeton from a similar base, but had all the bits at hand,

Not for me, but if it was a Phaeton I might go a grand. They do fetch ridiculous money now.

Best bit, it's Beige in the log book!

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