Genuwine Council Lock up Finds

[Wack]

3 hours ago, bunglebus said:

A few years ago my friend viewed a house, this was in the remains of the garage.

 

 

 

No idea why he didn't try and buy it, they were fetching good money even then

when I look at that it reminds me of my mate john  , a ford man all his life , he and his mate pushed a Mk1 mexico to the scrapyard about 1982 because it was beyond restoration  but nothing like as bad as what they repair and put back on the road today , nobody wanted them back them

[nomiST]

17 hours ago, New POD said:

My uncle Frank Eul ? Or one of my cousins? Suzy or Vicky ? 

F*ck off!  It really IS a small world!

 

I'm thinking of your Uncle Frank cos Suzy's in a CRV and Vicky has another, blue, Evoque with VEB on the plate!

Edited November 12, 2020 by nomiST
Speelinf

[motorpunk]

5 hours ago, mitsisigma01 said:

Anyone else wondering wtf a Kettenrad, a Mauser or even an MG42 is? 

 

Nein.

[New POD]

2 hours ago, nomiST said:

F*ck off!  It really IS a small world!

 

I'm thinking of your Uncle Frank cos Suzy's in a CRV and Vicky has another, blue, Evoque with VEB on the plate!

Haven't seen my cousins, since forever. The last milenium.  I cancelled going to Vickys wedding in 2001, as it was the day after I lost my job, and driving 200 miles each way and staying in a swanky hotel, didn't seem as important as going to the bank and getting a mortgage payment holiday. K

[Austin-Rover]

Ten years ago I rescued a Maestro from a pensioner's garage in Huddersfield. The house and garage stood on the junction with a bit of a rat-run road, so we drove past it regularly. It was the only house in the area that remained largely original, which pointed immediately to an older owner. This gave rise to comments of 'I bet there's something old and interesting in that garage' when driving past. Little did we know at the time...

A relative of the owner got in touch with the Maestro Club offering the car to a new home; Location Huddersfield. I offered to go take a look as the car was cheap, and about five miles away and I was pretty stunned to find the address was that actual house!

It had been in the garage for thirteen years. The owner was moving round the corner to a bungalow.

The car wanted for nothing apart from a service, a polish and an MoT. I ran it for a couple of years and it's since found a long-term home in the Midlands with another pensioner who takes it to shows.

As for the house, the new owners were 'property developers' (you know the sort, obnoxious pick-up truck on the driveway) and the house is no longer a period property suitable for a Maestro.

My second 'barn find' was this;

Exhumed from that garage in 2013. It went in there when Thatcher was still Prime Minister!

Unlike the Maestro, it needed a lot more work to return to the road;

However, when I came to sell it in 2018, it was pretty damn fabulous!

 

 

 

[motorpunk]

37 minutes ago, Austin-Rover said:

Ten years ago I rescued a Maestro from a pensioner's garage in Huddersfield. The house and garage stood on the junction with a bit of a rat-run road, so we drove past it regularly. It was the only house in the area that remained largely original, which pointed immediately to an older owner. This gave rise to comments of 'I bet there's something old and interesting in that garage' when driving past. Little did we know at the time...

A relative of the owner got in touch with the Maestro Club offering the car to a new home; Location Huddersfield. I offered to go take a look as the car was cheap, and about five miles away and I was pretty stunned to find the address was that actual house!

It had been in the garage for thirteen years. The owner was moving round the corner to a bungalow.

The car wanted for nothing apart from a service, a polish and an MoT. I ran it for a couple of years and it's since found a long-term home in the Midlands with another pensioner who takes it to shows.

As for the house, the new owners were 'property developers' (you know the sort, obnoxious pick-up truck on the driveway) and the house is no longer a period property suitable for a Maestro.

My second 'barn find' was this;

Exhumed from that garage in 2013. It went in there when Thatcher was still Prime Minister!

Unlike the Maestro, it needed a lot more work to return to the road;

However, when I came to sell it in 2018, it was pretty damn fabulous!

 

 

 

That old boy will be me, or you, or another shiter soon enough. I’m glad you gave the car a good home.

[barrett]

I never thought I'd say this, but a Montego or Maestro in that pale metallic green with a chocolatey interior is a deeply cool motor car

[2MB]

2 hours ago, Austin-Rover said:

Ten years ago I rescued a Maestro from a pensioner's garage in Huddersfield. The house and garage stood on the junction with a bit of a rat-run road, so we drove past it regularly. It was the only house in the area that remained largely original, which pointed immediately to an older owner. This gave rise to comments of 'I bet there's something old and interesting in that garage' when driving past. Little did we know at the time...

A relative of the owner got in touch with the Maestro Club offering the car to a new home; Location Huddersfield. I offered to go take a look as the car was cheap, and about five miles away and I was pretty stunned to find the address was that actual house!

It had been in the garage for thirteen years. The owner was moving round the corner to a bungalow.

The car wanted for nothing apart from a service, a polish and an MoT. I ran it for a couple of years and it's since found a long-term home in the Midlands with another pensioner who takes it to shows.

As for the house, the new owners were 'property developers' (you know the sort, obnoxious pick-up truck on the driveway) and the house is no longer a period property suitable for a Maestro.

My second 'barn find' was this;

Exhumed from that garage in 2013. It went in there when Thatcher was still Prime Minister!

Unlike the Maestro, it needed a lot more work to return to the road;

However, when I came to sell it in 2018, it was pretty damn fabulous!

 

 

 

That montego looks the dogs bollocks with the alloys and high level brake lights. Both your finds remind me of my first roadworthy car, a Rover sd3 213S bought from lovely giffers (the founder of Startright motorcycles in Leeds no less) and run without major fault for a year and about 12,000 miles. It was so pure and virginal  that it completely died the first time I took it over the M62 to Manchester (both of our first time on a motorway), which I can only put down to shock seeing as it fired straight back up after having a short rest. I did a lot of preventative maintenance but it didn’t live much past my tenure, no doubt falling victim to galloping rot after living the first 20 years of its life in a dry garage. They’re objectively pretty shit but the 12-valve Honda motor, once I’d rebuilt the carb and dizzy, is the sweetest running engine I’ve ever encountered

[Andrew353w]

About 10 years ago I pulled this from a garage in Edmonton, north London. A firm of solicitors contacted me (how they had found out about my interest in eastern European cars I never did discover....) and explained that the car needed to be moved post haste and would I be prepared to make an offer. Having seen it I offered £200. The solicitor's representative counters with £250, to which I agreed, providing they drafted a letter to DVLA, explaining that the log book had been lost by the previous owner, who was deceased. 

The result was that I acquired a Lada 1500, in nigh on perfect condition, which I used for a year, before selling it for £2,000! 

[Dick Cheeseburger]

5 minutes ago, Andrew353w said:

About 10 years ago I pulled this from a garage in Edmonton, north London. A firm of solicitors contacted me (how they had found out about my interest in eastern European cars I never did discover....) and explained that the car needed to be moved post haste and would I be prepared to make an offer. Having seen it I offered £200. The solicitor's representative counters with £250, to which I agreed, providing they drafted a letter to DVLA, explaining that the log book had been lost by the previous owner, who was deceased. 

The result was that I acquired a Lada 1500, in nigh on perfect condition, which I used for a year, before selling it for £2,000! 

Bet you were tickled with that bargain! Great find - I see it was exported a few years back  - wonder if it went to Ireland? 

[Tadhg Tiogar]

6 minutes ago, Andrew353w said:

.... A firm of solicitors contacted me (how they had found out about my interest in eastern European cars I never did discover....) ....! 

Word gets about, y'know. 

The entire street here has noted the CX, and I'm now nervous about being offered a second money pit from a deceased Citroën licker's estate....

[Andrew353w]

35 minutes ago, Dick Longbridge said:

Bet you were tickled with that bargain! Great find - I see it was exported a few years back  - wonder if it went to Ireland? 

No, oddly enough it went to Germany, together with a right hand drive Wartburg estate (a "Tourist") Looking back on the transaction I wish I'd kept the Wartburg, as I'll probably never see another one, particularly the tourist estate version!

[Andrew353w]

 I found a really early Wartburg, a 312 I think, in a lock-up in Enfield, but I never managed to track down the owner, in spite of exhaustive investigations. I REAL pity, as these are uber rare. 

[Tadhg Tiogar]

10 hours ago, Andrew353w said:

 I found a really early Wartburg, a 312 I think, in a lock-up in Enfield, but I never managed to track down the owner, in spite of exhaustive investigations....

Some people don't want to be found, while others may already be dead.

[Dick Cheeseburger]

10 hours ago, Andrew353w said:

 I found a really early Wartburg, a 312 I think, in a lock-up in Enfield, but I never managed to track down the owner, in spite of exhaustive investigations. I REAL pity, as these are uber rare. 

What became of it? 

[bunglebus]

10 hours ago, Andrew353w said:

No, oddly enough it went to Germany, together with a right hand drive Wartburg estate (a "Tourist") Looking back on the transaction I wish I'd kept the Wartburg, as I'll probably never see another one, particularly the tourist estate version!

Isn't this one? Think it needs a bit of tinkering though

 

[ProgRocker]

I've told this story before. Back in 2002 I rented a council lock up. Signed the paperwork, paid the first rent installment and picked up the keys at a local area housing office during my work lunch break.

After work I drove straight to the garage in my 1990 Mini Racing Green to put it to bed. Unlocked it only to find someone had left an E or F reg mark 2 Fiesta in there!  I wasn't sure if it was an XR2 or a Barried 957cc Popular Plus but it had a colour coded body kit and pepperpot alloys.

Called the Police who confirmed it was stolen so they sent a couple of coppers to investigate, who in turned called for a recovery truck. Called the area housing office to explain the situation. I can't remember why but for some reason with the garage now free of the hot car (further investigations?) I accepted another garage and they gave me a weeks free rent so it all worked out well in the end. 

I was curious about the car ended up there: whether or not the previous garage tenant was responsible or an innocent party. 

[Steviemillar]

I have really enjoyed reading of these finds, thanks to the contributors, the refreshing bit for me is that most if not all of these finds were improved and some returned to the road. 

It is a shame that more often than not, the flipper brigade get hold of these types of finds though which although good for the vehicles as they may get saved rather than crushed, means that enthusiasts sometimes miss out.

The only story I can think of was the story of a W reg Cobalt Blue Capri 3.0 Ghia Manual from the factory, that was owned by a shady geezer in my home town who was enjoying an extended  bit of Her Majesty's hospitality. As a serial Capri licker, I knew of this car and was keen to get hold of it, I also knew a couple of friends of said geezer, they knew I was an sad Capri anorak too so planted the seed that if it ever became available, I would have it. 

One day, TNO647W appeared out on the street not far from the garage it had been stored in, I spoke with one of the friends of the owner and apparently he had fallen out with his bird and she had gotten the car towed out of the garage at her house and dumped on the street. I was too late though, the car had been given away for nowt to some random bloke who then sold it to the banger boys. I then got hold of the banger guy and he wanted £800 for it, this was when a running/driving 3.0 Capri was £400-500. I couldn't afford it so it was banger raced at Crimond. Bugger.

 

 

[Angrydicky]

9 hours ago, bunglebus said:

Isn't this one? Think it needs a bit of tinkering though

 

Ah yes Hockley, those two have been there for years. The Tourist was under the car port for years and looked restorable. Theres a picture of it complete on my spotted thread somewhere.

[Jerzy Woking]

Back in the mid 70's, my brother and I rented a near double size garage in a privately owned block on the outskirts of town, but close to my parents house.

We used to buy worn out 1960's/70's motorbikes and the occasional car engine, and broke them in the garage for parts. We did receive a few letters from the landlord about us operating a business from there......

We both then moved away from the area, and neither of us went to the garage often. Nor did either of us pop into the landlords office to pay the rental (cash only then).

Must have been in 1998 or 1999 that our parents told us that the garages had been pulled down. Never heard anything from the landlord about this, but I think I had moved a few times in those years, as had my brother.

I remember we had a couple of almost new standard exhaust systems for Suzuki GT triples in there, and four or five crates of Kawasaki H1A parts (mostly knackered) in there. Plus quite a few BSA Bantams, NSU Quickly's and Honda C50/70/90's, all in various states of disassembly.

Whether they were all in there until demolition, or had been moved out by the landlord years earlier, I've no idea. Worthless then, so probably cost him money to get it all carted away.

[eddyramrod]

On 11/12/2020 at 9:04 PM, Andrew353w said:

About 10 years ago I pulled this from a garage in Edmonton, north London. A firm of solicitors contacted me (how they had found out about my interest in eastern European cars I never did discover....) and explained that the car needed to be moved post haste and would I be prepared to make an offer. Having seen it I offered £200. The solicitor's representative counters with £250, to which I agreed, providing they drafted a letter to DVLA, explaining that the log book had been lost by the previous owner, who was deceased. 

The result was that I acquired a Lada 1500, in nigh on perfect condition, which I used for a year, before selling it for £2,000! 

I well remember your thread about that car!  As a serial Lada licker I followed it with interest.  I was delighted to see it saved.

[mitsisigma01]

Back in the late seventies in some lockups nearby they were pretty much all abandoned, one in particular had a tree in front of it with a large hole through the door, peering through it looked like a decorator had thrown his gear in and walked away years before, eventually it was getting emptied. Once the ladders and scaffold tower were thieved it cleared the way for me to rummage through and find a Corsa, not a shitbox Vauxhall but a Carlton Corsa, fully loaded with Campagnolo, a lick n spit it was good to go. That bike got me to school, to my first jobs and to the pub for 25 years on the same tyres!!!

[Dan the van]

7 minutes ago, mitsisigma01 said:

Back in the late seventies in some lockups nearby they were pretty much all abandoned, one in particular had a tree in front of it with a large hole through the door, peering through it looked like a decorator had thrown his gear in and walked away years before, eventually it was getting emptied. Once the ladders and scaffold tower were thieved it cleared the way for me to rummage through and find a Corsa, not a shitbox Vauxhall but a Carlton Corsa, fully loaded with Campagnolo, a lick n spit it was good to go. That bike got me to school, to my first jobs and to the pub for 25 years on the same tyres!!!

Ooh Carlton Corsa,that's a blast from the past.My first proper bike,had one for years until I was allowed a moped.

[mitsisigma01]

I think I've got another one down the garden in amongst my projects that I'm never gonna get round to doing 🤔

[Dan the van]

After a quick trip down memory lane on Google they seem to be held in quite high regard these days.Not tempted tho',after discovering the internal combustion engine my days of peddling are long over.😄

[Saabnut]

Back in 1999 when I had my workshop, we were approached by the owner of a block of lock ups. Apparently an "old Ford" had been left in one, part restored, he had ownership and a log book for it (from the deceased estate in lieu of rent), were we interested (this was before OMGFordFever). Went to have a look, opened the door and there was a 1965 Ford Zodiac in (rare and original) light metallic blue.  The body looked good except no front wings/grill/bumper etc, most of the top of the inner wings missing and about an inch of dust all over it. Brushing away the dust on the windscreen the interior looked good so I offered £200 as spares which was accepted.

Returning with the recovery truck (an old D Series with no PAS or third gear) as I got underneath to attach the winch rope. Looking under it I saw a couple of old blankets which on investigation contained the original front wings, rust free but badly scratched. Once in daylight, the mileage was found to be 48k miles, and the documents in the glove box confirmed it as genuine! With it back at the workshop, the boot was opened and found to contain all the missing chrome and lights.

At the time I employed a brilliant body/paint man so set him to repairing the inner wings and I spent 20 minutes getting it running. Wings back on, a repaint of the front wings, a service of the brakes and a good polish of the rest had it ready to star at my friends wedding. Shortly after it was sold for, what was at the time a fantastic price, of nearly £3k. Don't have any pictures of it (my friend likely has paper ones from his wedding) but I am sure it will still be about as it was such a good example.