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eBay tat volume 3.


Ross_K

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I have a weakness for beige interiors. Fortunately I can resist the Pony X2 and the Stellar because I hated the Pony courtesy car back in 1986 when I bought my first Stellar, and I don't like red cars.  Close call though 😃.

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@Skizzer, what's Elite/Éclat ownership like? Would you recommend it? These Lotuses (along with the Elan +2 which I'll never afford) are on my bucket list of stuff I'd like to own in the future.

This Éclat Sprint caught my eye in particular:

 955780450_LotusEclat-AWR243S(3).thumb.jpeg.28b3995f5bf2f256e6e63f06b3dc489e.jpeg

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/203450502336?hash=item2f5e984cc0:g:Qa4AAOSwZ9FgnUzn

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2 hours ago, Austat said:

Quote 'the steering wheel is not part of it'.

Aww, how far are you going to get in a car with no steering wheel.  It's part of the concept of 'a car' FFS.  It is a 1600E one, must be special.  What would you do with it now anyway, fit it in a Mondeo??

And here it is, a pic of the steering wheel you're not going to have . . .

SRrU7QV.jpg

Bit of slight damage to the rear area of the car there, towards the tailgate area, don't know if anyone's noticed though.  A slight smudge of the paintwork.  A historical reversing incident perhaps, which adds wonderful delightful patina.

Vinyl roof too.

No MOT required.  Tempted. 

Mk1 Escort steering wheels fit these.  Tyres are starting to look a bit past their best.  And what secrets are behind the brushed on underseal tideline?  The news from a newspaper from 1981 perhaps?  And more from 1978, and 74.

Overall, it's an interesting old thing.

By fuck, Ford main dealerships have certainly gone downhill in the past couple of years.

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2 hours ago, JeeExEll said:

Quote 'the steering wheel is not part of it'.

Aww, how far are you going to get in a car with no steering wheel.  It's part of the concept of 'a car' FFS.  It is a 1600E one, must be special.  ....

They've always been special. My oul man actually owned a 1600E in the 1970s, and it was the target of several attempts to steal it. The rev counter disappeared one night, and the thief came back to have a go at the steering wheel but only succeeded in wrecking it (it wasn't going anywhere, because Krooklok). It proved impossible to find a replacement 1600E wheel even back then, so an Astrali was put in its place.

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From 1973 - 75 we had a fern green 1970 1600E (I was 5!).  It was crashed by a next owner in 1978 and not taxed thereafter but DVLA shows it still existing somewhere until 1996. Whether the car still existed at that time or just paperwork I don't know.  My dad used it for his sparky business, along with a J-reg Mk1 Escort van.  Uncle, who was business partner, had a V4 Transit and one of the first 2.5 Consul Granadas.

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8 hours ago, JeeExEll said:

From 1973 - 75 we had a fern green 1970 1600E (I was 5!).....

My oul man had his from at least 1970 to 1977. XYV 281H, in a weird light purple shade with the obligatory black vinyl roof. He was very proud of it (especially on a teacher's salary which, at that time, wasn't the greatest), but was very pissed off when the first theft attempt proved to be just one of many. I can vaguely remember the police showing up in a hurry one night because he tried to shoot one would-be thief with an air rifle.

The 1600E was sold in 1977 to a Ford collector. My oul man still has the air rifle.

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25 minutes ago, Tadhg Tiogar said:

Some panel-beating required.....

Semi-stripped P5B coupe and nice looking Granada in the background is making me think this'll get panel beaten with a 14lb sledgehammer, hiab and a disc cutter. Strut tops don't look too bad considering, and what's that wheel (which you don't get) on the back seat from? Looks familiar but I can't place it. 

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19 minutes ago, Tadhg Tiogar said:

My oul man had his from at least 1970 to 1977. XYV 221H, in a weird light purple shade with the obligatory black vinyl roof. He was very proud of it (especially on a teacher's salary which, at that time, wasn't the greatest), but was very pissed off when the first theft attempt proved to be just one of many. I can vaguely remember the police showing up in a hurry one night because he tried to shoot one would-be thief with an air rifle.

The 1600E was sold in 1977 to a Ford collector. My oul man still has the air rifle.

Is the thief still locked in the basement?  (That'll teach the fucker).

Would guess the colour was maybe Light Orchid.  'Aubergine' was a dark purple, not metallic. There was also Saluki bronze which wasn't purple at all but was a similar sort of thing.

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41 minutes ago, Amishtat said:

Strut tops don't look too bad considering, and what's that wheel (which you don't get) on the back seat from? Looks familiar but I can't place it. 

Y5DeGCA.jpg

I think the wheel is (maybe) a variant of the JAP Magna, more commonly seen on Minis.

lRLeL5C.jpg

Just a guess tho.

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1 hour ago, JeeExEll said:

Is the thief still locked in the basement?  (That'll teach the fucker).

Would guess the colour was maybe Light Orchid.  'Aubergine' was a dark purple, not metallic. There was also Saluki bronze which wasn't purple at all but was a similar sort of thing.

I'm not aware of the house having a basement and anyway we moved out of there in 1989.

Have you any photo samples of the paint shades mentioned? I might be able to identify which one "ours" was.

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6 hours ago, Austat said:

@Skizzer, what's Elite/Éclat ownership like? Would you recommend it? These Lotuses (along with the Elan +2 which I'll never afford) are on my bucket list of stuff I'd like to own in the future.

This Éclat Sprint caught my eye in particular:

 955780450_LotusEclat-AWR243S(3).thumb.jpeg.28b3995f5bf2f256e6e63f06b3dc489e.jpeg

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/203450502336?hash=item2f5e984cc0:g:Qa4AAOSwZ9FgnUzn

They’re excellent when they’re working — and to be fair they’re no less likely to be working than anything much else from 1978.

My thoughts are here (playlist):

However, the next episode will likely point out that it needs a new radiator which appears to be an engine-out job, so it’s not quite all gravy.

A galvanised and undamaged chassis is vital — that ad doesn’t mention this. As a series 1, that one would have had a mild steel chassis from new but it will most likely have rotted years ago and been replaced, so check.

They aren’t particularly complex things, although you have to know what you’re doing to set up two twin-choke carbs. Good knowledge in friendly owners’ groups and with specialists.

They’ll probably never be cheaper again than now.

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