Classics left to die/rotting pics

[Huntsman]

storminnorman said:

What's this? kitcar?

Dutton Melos?

[DeanR32]

Lucas CAV said:

Where abouts is this?

[Pat H]

Huntsman said:

Dutton Melos?

Scorehill Magic, methinks.

Mid 1980s, started life based on a Marina/MGB, iirc.

Then developed for Cortina oily bits?

[Lucas CAV]

DeanR32 said:

Lucas CAV said:

Where abouts is this?

W Mids - but v much not for sale apparently!

[Gompo]

Pat H said:

Huntsman said:

Dutton Melos?

Scorehill Magic, methinks.

Mid 1980s, started life based on a Marina/MGB, iirc.

Thanks Pat. When I first spotted it I was sure I knew what it was (although my thoughts were neither a Dutton or the Scorehill Magic (which is a new one on me)) but after revisiting these older photos I'd either forgotten or never knew in the first place! I may have thought it was a Spartan, which is clearly wrong.

The photo is from 2008, I think the car has moved since then.

Cheers.

[Yertis]

sim16v said:

It's not that rare on those wheels, they were standard on all of the 5 speed S2s

They were even on the press release photos from Audi back in the day...

I thought all the S2 avants were ABYs on Avus wheels. They look good on the Ronals. Which reminds me, I need to find some Fuchs.

[quiraing]

Lots of great pics on here, thanx to all posters.

I used to love wandering round car scrapyards and looking at the older cars, and sitting in them to get maybe a feel of what they would have been like when newer. But I don't think that's allowed any more due to H&S. It's all hard-hats and fluorescent waistcoats and easily-findable ID.

Imagine sitting in a wreck of a Triumph 2500 estate, oh my, how dangerous is that! But we have to respect HEALTH AND SAfETY. Someone could step in a puddle.

Edited by quiraing on Thursday 27th December 18:01

[droopsnoot]

When you think back to the kind of things we did though (or saw people doing) - I've watched people stick a propshaft vertically under a sill to hold the car up while removing a gearbox, for example, or work under cars that seem to be held up by magic. Back then, though, if we'd cut ourselves on a sharp bit we'd be asking the owner for a bit of paper towel, not the phone number of their lawyers. [/nostalgia]

[100 IAN]

I remember climbing into a car on top of 2 others, felt very unstable.

It was 25+ years ago 'when things were different' and i was younger and less sensible!.

Also remember going to another scrappy and seeing a car that had been in a big accident. The scrappy told me very matter-of-factly "don't worry the inside is very 'clean' as the driver died instantly".

He then elaborated and said he preferred such cars as blood stains [of which you get more if the accident is non-fatal] put off buyers.............. Not half as much as knowing that there had been a fatality in my opinion.

[Hammer67]

100 IAN said:

I remember climbing into a car on top of 2 others, felt very unstable.

Yup, been there ~ I once took a door glass out of a TR7 which was swaying gently 4 cars up in a pile. I used to love trawling round scrapyards which, given the heaps I drove back then was fortunate.

[M3333]

quiraing said:

Lots of great pics on here, thanx to all posters.

I used to love wandering round car scrapyards and looking at the older cars, and sitting in them to get maybe a feel of what they would have been like when newer. But I don't think that's allowed any more due to H&S. It's all hard-hats and fluorescent waistcoats and easily-findable ID.

Imagine sitting in a wreck of a Triumph 2500 estate, oh my, how dangerous is that! But we have to respect HEALTH AND SAfETY. Someone could step in a puddle.

Edited by quiraing on Thursday 27th December 18:01

Could not agree with you more. We used to have a massive scrap yard near my house that had everything from modern boring machinery to loads of old classics, spent many a Sunday afternoon wandering around while getting some parts.

Nobody was every killed or hurt to my knowledge.

That place shut a few years ago due to EU meddling and crazy over zealous H&S, i miss it.

[Hooli]

Hammer67 said:

100 IAN said:

I remember climbing into a car on top of 2 others, felt very unstable.

Yup, been there ~ I once took a door glass out of a TR7 which was swaying gently 4 cars up in a pile. I used to love trawling round scrapyards which, given the heaps I drove back then was fortunate.

I recall yanking on a spanner to undo strut-tops on a Mk3 Escort & pulling it off the top of a three car stack. If it'd slid the other way it'd have taken my legs as it landed

[eccles]

Hooli said:

I recall yanking on a spanner to undo strut-tops on a Mk3 Escort & pulling it off the top of a three car stack. If it'd slid the other way it'd have taken my legs as it landed

And who says we need health and safety. A chap I used to work with broke an arm in exactly those circumstances. Car he was taking bits off moved and trapped him, but it was the scrap man moving the car off that did his arm.

I'm all for a bit of nostalgia, but removing bits 3 cars up and wobbling was always a bit dangerous. Now if only they had them all at ground level...

[MGJohn]

eccles said:

Hooli said:

I recall yanking on a spanner to undo strut-tops on a Mk3 Escort & pulling it off the top of a three car stack. If it'd slid the other way it'd have taken my legs as it landed

And who says we need health and safety. A chap I used to work with broke an arm in exactly those circumstances. Car he was taking bits off moved and trapped him, but it was the scrap man moving the car off that did his arm.

I'm all for a bit of nostalgia, but removing bits 3 cars up and wobbling was always a bit dangerous. Now if only they had them all at ground level...

Two of the local "remove it yourself" yards I use do not stack cars as was the case years ago in these remove it yourself yards. One well run yard does not stack at all and the other only two high. My father took me to the single stack yard as a small boy back in the 1950s and I still use that same yard. H and S has moved on and you are no longer allowed to jack cars up yourself, ask at the office and staff will do that for you.

Additionally, unlike in the past when you worked under a scrap car, always risky, they have fabricated large frames so again you ask and they will place the car on the frame allowing plenty of access underneath in relative safety. They did this for me recently :~

[4rephill]

MGJohn said:

Additionally, unlike in the past when you worked under a scrap car, always risky, they have fabricated large frames so again you ask and they will place the car on the frame allowing plenty of access underneath in relative safety. They did this for me recently :~

I'd have to say that with any other car that'd be fine but with a Rover you're still taking a massive gamble that it won't collapse in the middle a crush you!








(It's just a joke people! - just a joke!)

[OllieC]

MGJohn said:

eccles said:

Hooli said:

I recall yanking on a spanner to undo strut-tops on a Mk3 Escort & pulling it off the top of a three car stack. If it'd slid the other way it'd have taken my legs as it landed

And who says we need health and safety. A chap I used to work with broke an arm in exactly those circumstances. Car he was taking bits off moved and trapped him, but it was the scrap man moving the car off that did his arm.

I'm all for a bit of nostalgia, but removing bits 3 cars up and wobbling was always a bit dangerous. Now if only they had them all at ground level...

Two of the local "remove it yourself" yards I use do not stack cars as was the case years ago in these remove it yourself yards. One well run yard does not stack at all and the other only two high. My father took me to the single stack yard as a small boy back in the 1950s and I still use that same yard. H and S has moved on and you are no longer allowed to jack cars up yourself, ask at the office and staff will do that for you.

Additionally, unlike in the past when you worked under a scrap car, always risky, they have fabricated large frames so again you ask and they will place the car on the frame allowing plenty of access underneath in relative safety. They did this for me recently :~

totally off topic

W***LUD bora, that would have likley been an ex VW demonstrator

Dad had W661 LUD a silver tdi

[silverfoxcc]

Do any PH's of more 'advanced' years remember Jones Scrapyard at Waltham Cross?
Used to be like a Westfield shopping centre on Sunday mornings

Got a Jag mascot off of an old MkV in 1964, still have it!!

[andyps]

Not sure this fits as hardly a classic and technically the bodywork isn't rotting but there are about 10 in the yard:


There used to be at least 6 original 6 window XR4s n the yard but they disappeared.

[droopsnoot]

Back on scrapyards for a minute, I reckon they must lose some money when they convert to "off the shelf" instead of "rummage" yards. I can't count the number of times I used to visit my local yard looking for something, then when I couldn't find it, scout around and get something I could do the job with, sometimes off a completely different car. Or just buy something that I thought might be useful at some point in the future.

[RichB]

droopsnoot said:

Back on scrapyards for a minute, I reckon they must lose some money when they convert to "off the shelf" instead of "rummage" yards..

I assume it's an 'elf n safety thing? They all use to be rummage yards when I was a kid, it was part of the fun...