Bond shite = gone to a new home

[dollywobbler]

No. Not a rusty Aston Martin but a Bond Equipe!

 

For those not aware, the Bond Equipe is a plastic-bodied Triumph Herald based sports thing built by the people who made the simply excellent Bond Minicar - the one with the turning powerplant.

 

This one was mentioned in a Kia press release bleating on about the succes of scrappage. The press release said it had been scrapped but it was not so!

 

I managed to arrange a reprieve and it was reported in CCW in the hope someone would save it. Clearly the world doesn't see how beautiful this car is, so I offered a cheeky amount and lo, it's mine!

 

Here she is...

 

Check out the shite-tastic underseal line on the doors. It didn't work. The passenger side one is completely rotten. The passenger floor isn't too tidy either but somehow, it passed an MoT in February and it runs very nicely. But that's ok - the rotten bits are all regular Triumph Herald. This one's more fun because the original Spitfire engine has been replaced by a Vitesse 1596cc one...that's six cylinders. Excellent!

 

It's still at the dealership - I'm hoping to collect it next week. Got home and someone called wanting to see the Alfa so who knows, maybe it'll be a week of results!

[ChinaTom]

Bloody well done! Did you know the CCW is a tenner in HongKong airport. a TENNER!

[pogweasel]

WOW!That's some amazing 'save' work DW, I doff my hat to you. I look forward to seeing it FO REEL. (Also: WOW, you can buy CCW in Hong Kong Airport?? Who cares if it's a tenner - until they started flogging it at Asda recently, you couldn't get it here for love nor...

[mouseflakes]

I faffin' love the styling on these - front end always makes me think 'budget Gordon Keeble'.

 

Good colour too!

 

Good save and good luck with it!

 

Good.

 

Good

[VWPowered]

bloody awesome, me paps had one of these in light metallic blue, was great..

[seth]

Fantastic! Let me know when its time to move it on from Dolly towers

[Station]

Look at all that shit behind it.

[155V6]

Is that a sticker from an Allegro Equipe on the bonnet?

[HillmanImp]

Equipes were fibre glass so the rot would be to the chassis only would it not or does underseal protect fibreglass too (not being sarky, just dont know about fibreglass).

 

I love there cars, they are so ugly, the rear wheels do not fit the arches the proportion is all wrong. Its so wrong its right. Great its been saved. Like the Vitesse i think the later ones were based on the GT6.

 

Ignoring the above i do feel the convertible looks a lot more 'normal'.

 

[dollywobbler]

No, it's a Triumph thing.Seth - I may soon have a lot of queries about Triumph running gear! I'll certainly keep you in mind if (well, ok, when!) I decide to sell. I quite like it though - it's a shite GT6 really.

[Milford Cubicle]

I wasn't expecting this, I thought it'd be long gone.Great work.What's the deal with disentangling it from the scrappage scheme then? I thought the cars had to be scrapped. Did someone at Kia save it?

[mouseflakes]

Equipes were fibre glass so the rot would be to the chassis only would it not or does underseal protect fibreglass too (not being sarky, just dont know about fibreglass)

Hey Himpy - I think the doors on this early type are the steel ones straight from the Herald. Looks like they have different glass fitted though?Not sure, but convertible you show is like a second series Equipe - no doubt someone here will put me straight - again, I love the styling. Mini Jensen Contracepter this time?

[seth]

Bulkhead, windscreen, doors, floor are all normal Herald steel on these. Headlights are Mk1 Triumph 2000 I believe.

[wuvvum]

Wow. Nice save. Will we be seeing it at Larling on Wednesday?

[dollywobbler]

Yeah, lots of steel Herald in them, which is handy as the steel bits need work...Cars have to be scrapped AFTER the new car is delivered (within a week I believe). As K-tin takes a while to get here, we were able to get in before the new car was delivered, and the car was removed from the scheme.Wuv - I'm not making any promises yet for Wednesday as first, the car needs to get to my house from the Midlands...

[pandamonium]

Yikes! That is so cool I think I'll go off to cry in a corner!

[andrew e]

Hurrah I love these! All you probally allready knew is on www.aronline.co.uk.

[michiel]

Coolio - I still have visions of that red estate that was on ebay...

[Mr H Sceptre]

Superb, just superb. I freaking love Bond Equipe's. Ticks all the boxes - British, check; now defunct marque, check; rare as rocking horse shite, check; a bit shabby (hope this doesnt offend!), check; lovely colour, check............

[dollywobbler]

Hurrah I love these! All you probally allready knew is on www.aronline.co.uk.

Thanks. I started my writing there so it's rather well known to me! (Glad he's adding to it as I think I've read everything so far...)Don't worry about calling it shabby Mr Sceptre sir, it's a fuggin' disgrace really! It's delightfully dishevelled and I can't wait to get it home! Hope it gets me home...

[Pete-M]

Very nice now, you have something in common with Dame Cleo Laine.

She was married to one of my dads mates. Used to pass her house on the way to school. She's Dahhhhn Sahhhhhf now fiddling with kittens or summat isn't she?

[morris_ital_lover]

Look at all that shit behind it.

Remember the one key point of shite, if it was shit in its day its will be shite in later life!!!Really glad to hear that the Bond was saved top effort!m0rris

[Mr_Bo11ox]

NICE ONE WOBBLER! That looks pretty freakin cool, I can imagine that it would be quite fun to rattle about in, creaking and flexing as you drive over potholes, pebbles etc and bits dropping off on long journeys. Someone at Perkins has got the later more overbodied angular bond equipe, looks in quite good fettle.

[dollywobbler]

Thanks. Just looked at the pics again. Oops. Yes, it does wear Allegro Equipe badges on the bonnet! Extra shite points?

[Ratdat]

I've actually removed the GRP body from one of those and grafted it onto a replacement Herald floorpan (from a mint estate no less). Horrible job but once the rot gets beyond a certain point it's neccesary. They are led together with a right assortment of woodscrews, pop rivets, bits of wood, aluminium plates and lots of putty. I've always though the body would look good with a Vitesse bonnet slapped on the front.

[Mr_Bo11ox]

I saw one in classic and sportscar once that someone had lashed a herald 13/60 bonnet onto. It looked great! Dare I say it, better than the proper bonnet. It looked like a Herald fastback koop, a great combo in anyones language.

[Gompo]

Good save, as others have said it's nice to know cars are salvagable from the 'scrappage' if we act quick enough..Best of luck with it.

[dollywobbler]

Right. Confirmed today, off to Wolverhampton to collect it in the morning...Wish me luck and if anyone is around the M6/A14 tomorrow, please carry tools and look out for a broken yellow sports car...

[Mr H Sceptre]

Best of luck - full report & further photo's to be filed please!

[dollywobbler]

Will do. Just spoken to the previous owner, who has owned it since about 1970. He reckons it has clocked twice but the engine was rebuilt about 12 years ago and the gearbox about 10 years ago, and it's done little mileage since. Oh, and the back brakes were rebuilt about three years ago.On the downside, those rear brakes do bind a bit apparently (presume they haven't really bedded in as he only did a few miles in a go with it in recent years) and a wire occasionally comes loose on the back of the dizzy...So, 100 miles to do. I'll keep you posted...