Le-Organiste - Regie 5 and Maestro Update

[BorniteIdentity]

Really enjoying the sudden influx of ARG shite all of a sudden.  

You're right, the cars owned on here have changed quite a bit, and that's a shame.  Mostly because I'm a nostalgic old fool who likes what he likes.  It's just as well I didn't see a Maestro at £500 as my fleet reduction would have been in tatters.

Well in.

[Fumbler]

I'm still on a mission to buy one someday. I'm sure that they'll all be conveniently overpriced by the time I'm in the market for one however.

[ChinaTom]

I suspect this is probably the farthest away Maestro from yours. It is in Bella Vista, Uruguay. Possibly a Bulgarian though. And Etsongs don't count.

[theorganist]

57 minutes ago, ChinaTom said:

I suspect this is probably the farthest away Maestro from yours. It is in Bella Vista, Uruguay. Possibly a Bulgarian though. And Etsongs don't count.

Wow I imagine it definitely is! I do remember seeing a Montego in Israel 20 years ago but Uruguay! 

I wonder if the bonnet is up as it has broken down or is he merely checking the oil and water!

[ChinaTom]

Uruguay is amazing for old motors. Most countries around there are either Japanese biased, or European biased, but Uruguay has just about every make and model you can think of - Soviet, Japs, Euro, Yank - and South American versions of GM stuff - the whole lot. Nowadays it is pretty much all Korean and Chinese imports. I was there about 5 years ago and saw a couple of Maestros biffing about, even an Allegro parked up in a yard. All my pics are on a work phone and laptop I handed back when I left so I had to remember where I was where I saw one parked and hope it was on Streetview. Kerching! Not Bella Vista, my mistake, it is the town where I went - Salto. Note the Visa and Escort bookending it. He’s definitely an enthusiast and maintaining it, rather than fixing it I reckon. 

[Richard_FM]

I follow someone on Flickr from Chile, which has a similar mix of cars as Uruguay.   He's been to some other Latin American countries with interesting selections of cars.

[Noel Tidybeard]

On 27/07/2021 at 15:16, loserone said:

Did they really call that silver colour "gold"? Project Drive had an example set to it already then..

you wouldn't realisticaly call it silver if you were stood next to it!

[loserone]

I bloody would, it was our family car for 12 years!

[theorganist]

The Maestro is at my mechanics and hopefully will have an MOT in a week or two.

It turns out to be a solid car, it looks good underneath and the rust on the body, of which there are a few sites is mainly surface rust. Both rear wheel arches need attention they are quite grotty but not rotten, that is a common area on Maestro's.  The o/s A pillar has some rust which need treating. The bonnet is the ugliest bit as it has quite a few scabs.  There is damage on the rear bumper but that can be fixed.

The good news is the non running has been fixed. I was told (well it was insisted) that it was a poorly set up new carburettor. However there was no compression at all. It turns out that at some point someone many years ago, changed the timing belt and messed the timing up. Obviously thinking they were beyond reproach they changed the carburettor. The timing was out by 45 degrees. The timing belt has never been in action, although it is obvious that it was replaced many years ago. There was a brand new water pump in the boot so that has been fitted along with a new timing belt. The battery is new too. I suspect Messers Bodgitt and Scarper have been involved at some point in the process!

The car now runs and sounds very sweet and doesn't overhead. The auto choke sticks a bit but it probably hasn't been ran for over 15 years to that is understandable. Even the exhaust appears intact. It has no brakes to they will be the next to be sorted.

 

[Asimo]

Success - Series lives!

[Fumbler]

Nice work! As I was looking at the interior photo, I noticed this ET looking thing:

Is this an ultrasonic sensor for a deceased alarm system?

[3VOM]

17 minutes ago, Fumbler said:

Nice work! As I was looking at the interior photo, I noticed this ET looking thing:

Is this an ultrasonic sensor for a deceased alarm system?

Yes. I think it is a Sparkrite one, but yes it is an ultrasonic sensor.

[Fumbler]

17 minutes ago, 3VOM said:

Yes. I think it is a Sparkrite one, but yes it is an ultrasonic sensor.

I've just noticed the Moss security sticker on the passenger window. I imagine the rest of it has disappeared into the mists of time. Here's a similar new in box one if you want to relive 1980s security excellence*

Moss' home intruder alarms were especially shit.

[3VOM]

You are right it's a Moss. Sparkrite did a box and two separate ultrasonic senders called something like AT120 or AT125. Both were not high quality.

[theorganist]

Yes it is a Moss alarm, it seems to be intact, although we haven't discovered whether it works yet. I had an ancient alarm on my old 309 which decided one day to go off at the worst moment!

My mechanic used to fit these back in the day apparently.

[bezzabsa]

I also remember certain car spares places used to sell the Dummy ultrasonic sensors that ran off a PP3 for the red LED light LOL