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Saving a car dilemma (MkIII Fiesta content) - Logistics etc


mk2_craig

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Afternoon all, HAPPY NEW YEAR if I havent already wished it you etc. Penny for your thoughts please, I’ve been offered a car that I was briefly involved with a long time ago. It’s effectively free but it’s been garaged since about 2007 and not run since, nowt wrong with it at the time, just MoT expired. Owners father has sold house, so it’s got to be away before end of month or else scrapman being called. 
 

I want to see it saved but car is in Herefordshire and I’m on sunny Jersey. I’m wondering what the best plan is, get it recovered to a reasonably local garage (Bromyard) and have it recommissioned rather than try and haul it down to the Channel Islands? Haven’t been to see the car so no idea whether brakes seized on etc but assume non runner. Fiesta mk3, modified with a lot of nice bits, running a 2 litre Zetec. 
 

I wouldn’t be trying to do anything on a shoestring so willing to throw some cash at it. Any advice as to whether this sounds like a reasonable plan? Also I’d welcome recommendations as to places in that part of the world who could carry out work, short term storage and so on. 
 

Cheers in advance!
 

 

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Here’s a couple of photos - engine bay one probably about 15 years ago, it was quite the show car at that point and no longer a daily driver. Car is basically an RS1800 replica, lovely Matisse Blue colour. 
 

 I think it was genuinely cared for and loads spent on it over the years but fell out of use after owner bought her own house/got married/had kid etc. 
 

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Battery is mounted in the boot (though I admit there’s no guarantee that jump leads and fresh pez would have it running instantly), my biggest concern Is probably about whether brakes would be seized on and what to do if that’s the case. Also those now quite elderly tyres, though I suppose it’s not the end of the world to source a spare set of rims and swap em over. 

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@worldofceri isn't far from the car (Coventry iirc) if you want a reliable car transporter guy. Similar in that I got a free car inherited from my Grandad and it's MOT expired a few years back. He transported it down to me, straight to a local garage for its MOT. Ceri does it for a living, so has the proper kit and skills. 

Having transported allows you to get it sorted properly in your own time. Or even if you got it through an MOT but then get it transported to Portsmouth and drive the ferry + remainder back.

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Cheers @SiC - I’m nowhere near as regular on the forum these days as I once was so I’m out of touch with who’s potentially in a position to offer some paid assistance. Really appreciate that. 
 

Edit - I’m open to the possibility of collecting the car from elsewhere in the country, if there’s a particularly suitable garage which would be ideal for giving the car a proper going-over and ensuring it would be in a driveable state in a few weeks time. Either so I can fly over, or bring the £50 Volvo over and pass on to another Shiter. 
 

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Edited by mk2_craig
Added stuff about recommended garages and £50 Volvo
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Cheers WoC!! Do you know anybody in the game (whether local to you or not) who’d be a good bet for having a go at some of the work it’ll probably need, and then hang onto it for me until I could get over? I’d fully expect to be fronting up some money for a brake rebuild etc. 

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Fucking hell, I recognise that car from back in the day! The owner was really regular on fiestaturbo.com back when I was a yoof. It looks a cracker, but I reckon it would be a shame to press it into daily duties. There's a small but growing group of people who are starting to see that early 2ks max power ish stuff as really worth preserving.

I wish I could give it a home

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Thanks for all the input so far, crew. I’ve used the words “Free car” a bit liberally - I’d be paying the current owner a relatively token sum in recognition of the expense previously poured into it, while equally acknowledging there’s quite an investment in getting it back up to scratch (certainly wouldn’t be a daily driver by any stretch).
 

I reckon that a fair number of the mods would have to be themselves modded, or reversed completely (Example: those rear clusters as flagged up by @Cavcraft above). 
 

I think recovering to a new location is probably the most immediate priority, which buys some time to arrange the recommissioning, onto which it could then be further transported, so if @worldofceri is happy to get involved on my behalf with extracting it from its sleeping place, the next step is to find a new shelter for it, assuming it doesn’t go straight to a mechanic. Open to offers and suggestions please - and remember I’m not looking for any freebies!

 

In other unrelated news, anybody interested in my scruffy, never-MoTd 850?

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it's perfect! At the time I was 18 and drove this - It was a 1.1 and lorries would overtake me on any uphill motorway stretch.

Image may contain: car and outdoor

A mate of mine bought this for a couple of grand that he borrowed off his gran, it didn't run and being 18 working part time behind a bar I don't think he ever got it going. 16 years after, I'm still very jealous of it.

Image may contain: car, plant, tree and outdoor

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Not wanting to unduly influence anybody - especially as I've had to pass on 'free' cars in the past because I could easily see a four figure sum to get them to MOT standard - but this one does look a bit special.

I worked in Halfords between 1998 and 2007, and although in that time I saw many, many dire filler-laden heaps (usually stuffed with all our shonky, overpriced Ripspeed tat), every now and again something really nicely modded would rock up. And I sometimes find myself wondering whatever happened to these cars, cos they just aren't around any more...

Although there's no doubt a fair bit of recommissioning needed here, the pics suggest it could be well worth the ballache. Any Mk3 Fiesta's a rarity, this one seems a bit of a gem.

If the only other option is for this to be scrapped... then I've my fingers crossed for an AS rescue party.

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I know what you mean DC. I think there could be a grand or so to get it into a thoroughly usable state, plus I’ve a job to get it Jersey-registered with various import duties and whatnot to cough up for. However it’s pretty much my dream spec Fiesta mechanically and should whip along nicely with that Mondeo donk up front. 
 

What’s important here is that the car “goes to a good home”, it’s been in the owners family since about 93 so there’s a heap of sentimentality associated with it and I did a bit of work on it myself back in the day when it started getting interior upgrades etc. It’s just that stretch of water which makes things a bit harder for me, though I’ll try to get an opportunity to see it if the diary allows (also if the wife allows, she’s blissfully unaware about this at the mo). 
 

@cobblers - Si bumpers on the red one?

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Not my time or money of course but that definitely looks worth saving.

As said the Max Power era is becoming seriously cool again, add to that some 'old Ford tax' and you havr a winner.

Of course, if it was a 1.1 HCS chapper I'd say pull out the choke and fire it up, but it nevertheless looks dry in there. I'd bet that would start right up.

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I would.

In fact if it's free I will. Can I have second refusal. 

Zetec, with what looks like an RS turbo body kit. 

Once it's finished, it would be a fucking hoot. 

I have no time, no skill, no space, but yes please. 

 

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5 hours ago, Minimad5 said:

This is Autoshite, get it done :)

Also Volvo 850 looks interesting, if it is steamed over here, let me know your plans for it 

The 850 is a T5 of 1994 vintage. Search “eight fifty five tenners” for a thread containing more info on this awesome old motor car. 
 

Exiled Tat Gatherer attempted to pick the 850 up from me back in March 2018, it failed to start despite having been running earlier that day so he headed back off towards the continent vowing to return before long. I eventually stuck some more petrol in the tank and it fired right up, and been using it weekly ever since... however ETG has disappeared off the radar, so although he gave me about 66 quid for it and therefore it’s technically his car, I don’t think it’s unreasonable to conclude he’s no longer intending/able to collect. I know he seemed to have an enormous amount going on life-wise and perhaps this is one of the plates he just can’t keep spinning.

If the planets align then ideally I would bring 850 over, use it to visit/clean/look over this Fiesta, then meet whichever one of you wants to give me bridge value for the Volvo, wherever in the country within reason. Then ferry/plane back to Jersey - with Fiesta collection probably being a separate adventure. 
 

3 hours ago, Rod/b said:

At risk of getting off topic, Any idea what’s the crack with that old pedal car up in the garage? Looks a lot like the “Panda” one I had and that was 40 years ago!

Happy to enquire!!

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Plus side is that garage looks bone dry and there's nothing immediately to suggest it's been messed with while in there.

If it's been as well cared for as it appears and you're *really* lucky, you may find the brakes play ball.  Especially if one of the more exitic non hygroscopic fluid types was used.  Probably the biggest worry I'd have about trying to fire it up with some fresh fuel in the tank would be the timing belt.  Are these an interference engine?

 

 

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That is 100% worth saving, looks a nice car. 

Had a fez turbo that was featured in fast car back in 2003 etc with the si bumpers and a set of oz ploaris 17", genuinely looked amazing and went well too. 

Swapped it with cash for a moonstone cossie at the time as it was that nice. 

My mum may have some pictures somewhere!!! 

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