180

[vicsmith]

Just thought some of you might be interested in the progress of the car nobody ever guesses correctly (apart from a guy in his fifties who started out in a Rootes garage).

 

I bought this a year ago, gave it a good clean, accidentally burst the N/S/F tyre, then left it (indoors) until now.

 

We got it on the ramp, replacing the broken headlight on the way:

 

 

Then we tackled the bits of welding it needed, mainly some of the floor on the driver`s side and a couple of other bits here and there. I forgot to take any before shots so I didn`t bother taking any after shots of that little escapade, but suffice to say there was some rot there, and now there isn`t.

 

New brake master cylinder fitted: (arrived with no brakes whatsoever)

 

 

We fabricated a bracket for the washer bottle, and connected up a washer bottle from a Fiesta or something, and now the washer jets work (When it arrived it had no washer bottle, nor any evidence of there ever having been one)

 

 

Just to give you an idea of how dusty it had got:

 

 

Booked in for an MOT, with a bit of luck it`ll pass, then I can take in out in public and no doubt witness it being mistaken for a Viva within 30 seconds.

[Volksy]

WOW! Thats an awesome Vauxhall!!

[bigstraight6]

Top quality! tat of the highest order, hopefully she will fly through the MOT, it doesn't look too bad in the pics

[Electric Leyland]

WOW!!! (Sid Waddell voice) 180 indeed!

[MrRegieRitmo]

It may look slightly Viva-ish at the front with it's chrome grille but it also hints at Hillman Avenger & at the rear even more so, but then it's technically it's big brother so the family resemblance is not really surprising.

[Richard]

It might have had a bag for the washers, although Avengers and Sunbeams of that age had a tank under the wing until the first pothole.

[Split_Pin]

Lovely! I hope the tester lets you keep the lovely original plates too.

[r.welfare]

Words cannot express how much I like this car.

[Guest]

The 180 is unleashed! Last time I saw it, it had a load of bits on top of it.Needs another wash now though!

[nigel bickle]

Splendid. Good to see another' obscure' car returning to the road.Enjoy

[HillmanImp]

Do you realise, I do not think I have EVER been aware of that cars existence. When I was younger, I MUST have seen some flying about but just assumed they were some sort of Avenger or something. How cool. I want one.

[carlo]

I think that's beautiful.

[reallyloud]

Wonderful. Any car that is technically the grandfather of the Talbot Tagora is fine by me. I used to go to school in a blue '73 one with a white roof. The ride was wallowy but unremarkable and I think the smell of lambert and butlers would have been standard option from new. I can't wait to see your 180 in the flesh.

[Ratdat]

I can't help but think that a 180 much like a Mk1 Granada looks like it could just have easily have come from a Japanese manufacturer. I think it's only really the slim bumpers that mark it as a European design. A great looking car!

[Spottedlaurel]

Excellent news! Outside of Medler's, the only one I can definitely recall was in the early-mid '80s - rear jacked-up, slightly wider wheels and tatty paintwork giving it some kind of last-gasp-before-the-scrapyard look (which it probably was).

[wuvvum]

Wow. A Chrysler 180. One of the few cars that makes the Renault 6 look common. Quality bit of tat you've got yourself there - let's hope it passes its test and you can wallow around in obscure '70s splendour.

[Adrian_pt]

That's amazing! In about '77, my dad was given a brown one of those by his neighbour who was hanging up his driving gloves. But he already had an Audi 100 and a VW T2, so the automatic 180 had to go. I don't think I've ever seen one in the etal, though!

[MrRegieRitmo]

I take it you weren't born at the time then?

[Adrian_pt]

nah. child of the late 80s! just about remeber seeing cars with the "new" j-reg plate...

[Mash]

Originally from York?I love these, got a pic somewhere of a prototype badged Simca 1600 or something.Last one I was aware of was a tatty brown thing some neighbours has when I was a kid. For a car that was made for 10 years the rarity is stupidly high.

[MrRegieRitmo]

What was the sales figures over that period? Like Tagoras, I doubt they'd make the list of highest mortality rate in proportion to numbers sold.

[mk2_craig]

Lovely!

 

I hope the tester lets you keep the lovely original plates too.

I hope so too, is there now some guidance that says old-type plates should be changed to the modern style? Hope not

[Volksy]

When i last went for an MOT, the tester said that they had received a notification from th Ministry that any numberplates without the relevant markings (think its a BS mark) needed to be replaced, Mine had no mark on the front plate, but he rang the ministry and they said that that legislation was on hold. That was back in November, it may be in by now, but must be a ballache for owners given the whole proof of ownership you need to provide to get new plates.

[Guest]

Has today been polished and waxed - looks stunning and is attracting real interest!

 

According to the general public (bar one passing expert) it is a Vauxhall Viva and it was used in The Dukes of Hazzard. Brilliant.

[Mash]

When i last went for an MOT, the tester said that they had received a notification from th Ministry that any numberplates without the relevant markings (think its a BS mark) needed to be replaced, Mine had no mark on the front plate, but he rang the ministry and they said that that legislation was on hold. That was back in November, it may be in by now, but must be a ballache for owners given the whole proof of ownership you need to provide to get new plates.

If this is true (and I can well believe it is) it's yet another example of the utter bollox that this government keeps throwing at us. When I think of all the major issues that need to be addressed in this country and abroad it makes me mad that some grey little man in an office somewhere has deemed this to be the most urgent thing to be dealt with. What a load of f***ing c*ck. I have some nice newish number plates on my Triumph 1300 which are the same as the original 60s type with a nice black plate and lovely white raised letters - being from an independent supplier they don't have the BS number on them however. They'll have to show me some damn good proof that they are unsuitable before I bloody change them though.

 

Rant over - here's a lovely Chrysler 2-litre I saw at a show last year

 

[Adrian_pt]

Rear headrests? pretty swish for '79...

[Richard]

Lovely!

 

I hope the tester lets you keep the lovely original plates too.

I hope so too, is there now some guidance that says old-type plates should be changed to the modern style? Hope not

Surely it's just a matter of getting new plates made and cable tying them over the old ones when it goes in for the MOT?

[Mr_Bo11ox]

yeah, or writing 'BSAU 17XXX' in drywipe marker on your plates before the test. What a ridiculous load of toss.Saying that, if it wipes out a load of these fancy-font 'wanker plates' it will have achieved something at least.

[mk2_craig]

Lovely!

 

I hope the tester lets you keep the lovely original plates too.

I hope so too, is there now some guidance that says old-type plates should be changed to the modern style? Hope not

Surely it's just a matter of getting new plates made and cable tying them over the old ones when it goes in for the MOT?

But why should anyone have to go that expense when the old plates conform to the legislation of the time?

 

Take this to its logical conclusion and you'll be seeing the entire line-up of the London-Brighton veteran run carrying modern plates.

[TheScrapman]

They won't do that, or all old cars will also have to have other retro-fitment of modern dross such as rear fog lights fitted too, as well as seat belts and air bags and catalysts and and ...If it was legal at time of issue, it's legal now.Nice 180 by the way...