|
combine
3,079 posts
98 months
|
Reading your story Hatter its very lucky you saw this seac in that fenced off field if it was semi hidden by other stuff - basically this was 'meant to be ' thank god you were driving past that day ! 
|
|
|
Roop
5,981 posts
153 months
|
Excellent news. I'll be watching this with interest. Well done...!
|
|
|
eesbad
909 posts
71 months
|
Looks like a very special SEAC whatever the story - and SEACs are all very special to start with! Nice one Martin 
|
|
|
Podie
38,402 posts
144 months
|
s  t... I regularly used to drive past there! Great find, great save - very envious!
|
|
|
The Hatter
Original Poster
498 posts
39 months
|
Still on cloud 9, still can't believe my luck!! Down to earth though, the engine's an unknown quantity and the interior's trash...   On the plus side, the engine's looking complete. On the negitive side, the air filter and plug leads have been pulled off. It certainly hasn't run since 2005, could be 1995 - ouch. Plan is to pull the plugs, look down the bores with an endoscope and go from there. Interior? Ha! I laugh at mould, I have plant life!!  Yes that's grass growing in the middle of the back shelf. Phil Dickie to the rescue! Alternative interior is needed...
|
Advertisement
|
|
|
stainless_steve
5,680 posts
127 months
|
Come on stop teasing us all,we need to see the brakes 
|
|
|
JamieG
833 posts
94 months
|
Great news Martin! Glad it worked out for you!
|
|
|
eesbad
909 posts
71 months
|
I can imagine the face on my missus if I'd bought that home - but I'd argue that she likes gardening... The carpets are sh@gged, but then that's true of many a Wedge. Leather looks ok - clean and feed. I'd be inclined to just strip the engine to see what I was dealing with...
|
|
|
grahamw48
9,871 posts
107 months
|
I agree. Engine strip and re-build regardless. Clutch is probably stuck on as well. Should be one or two s/hand interiors kicking about if you want to keep costs down....hoods too.  Wish I wasn't so far away...bored.
|
|
|
Big Daft Lad
458 posts
56 months
|
It’s great that you’ve managed to save this car. Like someone suggested in the other thread, the guy you bought it off needs a good skelp for leaving it to rot like that.
Keep the photo’s coming it’s been a great story so far.
|
|
|
mikeb
2,821 posts
151 months
|
I have seen worse! looks OK to me. jet wash the crap out of it and it won't look that bad. The interior is nothing, neither is the hood, the wood etc is a disposable item in any case, the chassis will clean up and the engine might not be as bad as everybody thinks. Everything else is do-able. Get yourself a polishing wheel and some switch cleaner ;-) Perhaps we have to start a site for sad SEAC restoration stories....  Good Luck fella. MikeyB
|
|
|
gromit wedge
94 posts
37 months
|
Just get some fresh oil and fuel in it and start it. Then again maybe not.  Mines hadn't ran since 1996 when I purchased it last year and I fitted a new fuel pump and filter cleaned the injectors and squirted some oil down the remote filter pipes to prime the pump and it fired into life. The clutch cylinder was seized and the brake needed replaced but that was it. I think your list might be a tiny bit longer but I'm very impatient and I would try to start it as soon as I could. Good luck.
|
|
|
tallbloke
10,345 posts
152 months
|
"endoscope down the bores"
Don't scare yourself, just plus gas the plugs and leave for a couple of days. Then introduce an eggcup full of diesel to each cylinder and leave it for a week. Then see if it will turn over with a socket on the crankshaft pulley. Dismantling the engine will be easier if you've managed to get it turning first. Could you remove the dry sump plate in situ and spray lube the big ends?
|
|
|
eesbad
909 posts
71 months
|
mikeb said: I have seen worse! That reminded me of this:  "I've had worse - tis but a scratch!" I wasn't being doom and gloom about the engine strip - many moons ago I bought a semi-race 1700 crossflow engine that had sat in someone's garage for a couple of years. I stripped it for peace of mind just to find it was as mint as a minty thing with a polar bear stood on top
|
|
|
tallbloke
10,345 posts
152 months
|
eesbad said: That reminded me of this: I was thinking The Hatters parcel shelf looked like the Shrubbery Arthur found for the Knights who say "Ni" 
|
|
|
mrzigazaga
6,362 posts
34 months
|
As far as restoration goes there isnt any body panels to fabricate or chassis to weld and that is normally the bulk of the money so realistically its not a lottery win to sort it..Okay its not gonna be cheap but worth every penny..Its definately a worthy project and you definitely have a nose for these things..did you smell it before you saw it.. I imagine it has a very organic car like smell to it..bit like a rare truffle..
I still cant get over the fact that some dozy whimp parked it up for all these years after probably spinning it out on a run at high speed..Brown trouser tart.
|
|
|
The Hatter
Original Poster
498 posts
39 months
|
The shrubbery was included in the deal... no curtains though.
DavidY the chassis number dates the car to Sept '86 according to the bible so that ties up with the '86 motor show. Does anyone have any photos/info of the pale blue car at the '86 show?
|
|
|
tallbloke
10,345 posts
152 months
|
The Hatter said: The shrubbery was included in the deal... You can now continue your quest for the holey grille....
|
|
|
The Hatter
Original Poster
498 posts
39 months
|
Hi Steve, What brakes, I can't see any brakes!!!  Getting the wheels off was a fight, locking bolt covers with no key caused a bit of a hicough. Looks like standard 2.8i granny brakes to me; 'competition brakes' must have meant competition pads.  Suits me for road use, I can put sensible pads in.
|
|
|
tallbloke
10,345 posts
152 months
|
I have some unworn ventilated discs if you want to upgrade to Princess calipers and a spacer kit. My originals did get a bit hot when driving with enthusiasm, and I only have 175bhp.
|
|
