Alpine Rescue...the final reveal!

[boobydoo]

There was a new arrival at Booby Towers today....

 

....the result of a moments 'lust' a few weeks ago, when perhaps I should have shown some gentlemanly restraint.

The main problem is I have nowhere to store the car apart from outside on the drive ...which is not ideal for a rust-prone 80's specimen that has previously spent all its life garaged!

 

Basically, an old dear had given up driving and having owned the car from new, asked her neighbour to sell it on her behalf.

 

"I've given up driving, I 'ave! I'm not well!"

 

READERS PLEASE NOTE: the above picture is for illustration purposes only and could therefore possibly bear no resemblance to the actual old dear.

 

Despite using the car sparingly over the last thirty years...... maybe the odd trip to the shops or a visit to the hairdressers for the 'Pensioners Special' shampoo and set....... she has regularly had the car serviced and MOT'd ,with the current mileage standing at 17,600!

 

Well, here she is arriving at about 5.30 this evening.....

 

Because I live down a narrow lane, it was decided it would be safest to unload in the primary school car park next to my house.

 

Straight away, the miserable bastard caretaker complained that he only left the school gates open as a courtesy for residents of the lane to use AFTER 7pm.

 

Never mind that we would only be 10 minutes and that as a resident of said lane, I had to put up with school mums parking inappropriately outside my house and using my drive as a turning point day in day out.

 

Anyway, as I had bought the car 'unseen' I did a quick inspection whilst it was still on the truck. The bodywork is very solid apart from rust on one door as shown here...

 

 

and in close up for the short sighted amongst you....

 

 

Luckily, its only surface rust so easily rectified.

 

There is also a bit on the rear wheel arch and tailgate.

 

 

The badges haven't faded either...a sure sign that she has been garaged all her life!

 

The sills, chassis and inner wings also look remarkably good for an Alpine! Rear inner wings were real dirt traps, more so on Alpines than Solaras so I'm pleased that these look sound!.

 

The car retains it's original rear number plate with dealer logo, but unfortunately the front has been replaced with a modern font one. I don't like these on old cars at all, so a replacement set will have to be ordered from Framptons with the correct style.

 

I'm pleased to say that the interior of the car is lovely. The back seat tops always faded in the sun, but these are like new...

 

You can also see in the pic that the inner tailgate is solid aswell....these would normally rust from the inside like buggery!!

 

This particular model is the 1500GL, so it had the old 1442cc Simca lump in it. This was quite a pokey engine in its day and if I recall could out-accelerate a 2.0 Cortina!!

 

No rev counter or PAS...

 

 

...and the dizzy heights of the 'Series 2' Alpines and Solaras with 5 speed box was still over a year away!

 

With failing daylight. I just had time for a quick spin round the block. With manual choke half out, the car turned over sweetly. Everything worked as it should...bulbs, radio and switches all operational and correct!

 

Wow! What a rocket! That old engine is a real power-house! Acceleration is super-brisk and everything felt tight with no ominous noises or rattles! I would imagine the old girl has pootled about at 30mph for most of its life so best not to overdo it just yet, eh!!

 

A nice touch is the original dealer sticker in the back...

 

 

So, I am very pleased with my purchase and well worth the £450 I paid for it!

 

Imminent work planned is:

 

lower half respray just to tidy things up.

repaint rear tailgate.

refurb 4 wheels...the plastic hubcaps are in good nick though

decent valet inside and out!

 

The car is taxed and MOT'd til June, and has cost me just £68 for twelve months fully comp insurance!

 

Here she is, nestled safe and sound on the driveway... the company Merc is quite rightly relegated to the roadside for the forseeable future!!

 

THE END.

[Shep Shepherd]

How nice are those seats?

[fiatdaft]

nice one!

[dollywobbler]

Lovely. I've got a real hankering for one of those.

[pogweasel]

Awesome!

I'm coming over for a look.

[wuvvum]

I agree - well worth £450. Looks in far better nick than my old one.

[HillmanImp]

That looks lovely. What a find.

[mattblack]

I can SMELL that interior from here!

 

Top work.

[Torsten2001]

VERY jealous!

[r.welfare]

Hot shit! Do want.

[theorganist]

Thats very nice, definately fancy one, one day.

[Cavcraft]

'All of the above'.

 

Very impressed!

[barrett]

Excelsior shite saveage, sir!

 

I demand a photoshoot with this, the Tagoras and the 2-litre post haste

[RedSparrow]

Holy shit that's hot stuff.

I am glad you rescued it rather than it suffering a fate such as being cubed.

[trigger]

SHITE SAVING LEGEND STIKES AGAIN.

[garycox]

That looks awesome!

 

GR8 WORK BOOBZ

[Guest]

Lots of Talbot and Simca love on here recently. I approve

[boobydoo]

Cheers lads! I've set a target of end of the month to get everything sorted on it...otherwise you get involved with too much stuff and never get round to sorting anything out!! I need to get the Chrysler 2-Litre sorted aswell....that refuses to start at the moment and is listing sideways on a flat tyre.

[Angrydicky]

That is gorgeous! Good work.

 

Have you still got the Solara Rapier as well?

[boobydoo]

Have you still got the Solara Rapier as well?

 

Yeah, another one that still needs sorting......

 

[Alexg]

This is totally briliant - well done

[Talbotman]

Your alpine is a piece of pure peony metallic pornography.....!!! Love it!!

[greengartside]

Boobydoo has won Autoshite yet again Utterly fantasic save! Love the steering wheels on these too

[TagoraSX]

Very nice indeed

[Mr_Bo11ox]

What a winner wagon that is. I can confirm that the tailgate on mine has rotted spectacularly from the inside!

 

I hope you told the caretaker guy to FOAD/go back in his house and carry on downloading inappropriate images on his computer.

[Mr Lobster]

Nothing to add to the above other than well done, excellent work!

[VWPowered]

what a crackin' save

[In The Pit]

I saw this on one of the classic car websites for sale, im glad its gone to a Talbot enthusiast who will look after it, and yes leave the Alpine on the drive and the Merc Benz at the roadaside.

[boobydoo]

Well, my deadline of March 31st for getting everything sorted has passed and....err... everything is on hold!

 

The wheels have been re-furbed and hopefully some correct headrests sourced...the old dear had lost the originals

 

...but the bodywork is far worse than previously thought . For a proper job it needs new metal in the drivers door and tailgate and by all accounts the rear inner wings that I thought looked ok, are shot. All under the rear side windows is rusting merrily and requires rebuilding.

 

I use this bodyshop for all my little bits so I trust them and know they will do a good job..but the bill is BIG. And at the end of the day you have to weigh up whether its worth spending a ton of money on a car that will always be worth f*** all! I know I could get a quick blow over done dirt cheap , but I wouldn't ever be satisfied with that I know.

 

Not only that, I reckon the clutch is on its way out...and I haven't looked at the engine yet, though that should need minimum work.

 

So...cut my losses and flog it on as I know someone who will buy it ....but If I do this I think its days will be numbered in the long run... or perservere, dig deep and make it a good 'un? I got some thinkin' to do!

[trigger]

Shame, but i guess you can't save them all, I think if it was mine and i had the space I'd be inclined to strip it down and use it as a spares car for your C plater.

 

At the end of the day (This saying always reminds me of Jeremy Kyle) the £1000+ that you'll be spending on it is a £1000+ that you could be spending on one of your others or even a better example if you find one.