Classics left to die/rotting pics

[Rsdop]

Early e30 325i. Rear arches and sills look a bit crusty but it's all there. Apologies but can't upload the photos the correct way up for some reason!

[sim16v]

Here you go.







I'd be interested in it.

Do you know if it is for sale?

And where abouts in the country is it?

[Rsdop]

L

sim16v said:

Here you go.







I'd be interested in it.

Do you know if it is for sale?

And where abouts in the country is it?

Thanks!

No idea if it's for sale but I can certainly find out. Today is the first time I've seen it but I've been told it has definitely been there for at least 3 years, possibly/probably a lot longer.

It's in a very public location Cheshire/Wirral area

[sim16v]

Don't suppose you've got a shot of the registration, so we can see when it was last taxed & mot'd?

[cyclesilly]

Just got a few more pics of the SD1's at a breakers yard and a fiat 126

Edited by cyclesilly on Sunday 6th December 16:58

[sim16v]

Here's another.

It might have been sold now, possibly too far gone to save, but still a good spares car.

[Rsdop]

sim16v said:

Don't suppose you've got a shot of the registration, so we can see when it was last taxed & mot'd?

Don't really want to post the pics with the registration, but I've just done a dvla check:

Tax due November 2003.
MOT no information.
Declared new 1986.
First registration Jan 1996.

I'm assuming the first registration is an error and it should be 1986?

If you would like me to try and speak to the owner and find out more just let me know

[sim16v]

Could have been imported hence the 1996 reg.

If you bump in to the owner, it would be worth asking, but don't go out of your way.

[ToneyCaroney]

Sorry looking BGT spotted a few weeks ago in north Yorks. Shame, looked rather nice under all that s....

[sim16v]

Looking at that, the sills and arches look ok, just the rusty wires let it down.


Does anyone know of a good chemical/cleaner for removing that amount of bird crap?


I have an old Merc W123 that was in a barn with lots of birds for 12+ years, and the mess is taking some shifting!

[Tony427]

sim16v said:

Looking at that, the sills and arches look ok, just the rusty wires let it down.


Does anyone know of a good chemical/cleaner for removing that amount of bird crap?


I have an old Merc W123 that was in a barn with lots of birds for 12+ years, and the mess is taking some shifting!

I import car cleaning chemicals ( link on my profile) and would actually quite like to test some of our chemicals on your Guano Mercedes.

Its not a fetish, its just that its actually very dificult to get our hands on really, really dirty cars to demonstrate and video just how effective our chemicals are.

Drop me a line and if we can't get up to you I'll send some chemicals for you to try.

Cheers,

Tony

[sim16v]

Thanks Tony, I'd like to take you up on your offer, one way or another!

email on it's way, and here's an idea of how bad it is.







That's after a couple of soaks and scrubs with truck "fleet clean" type chemicals, and little bits of attempting to machine polish it!

Oh, and when it was in the barn it had a couple of windows smashed, and the bonnet and boot left open, so it is all over the car!

It smells just a bit, but it has no rust, and even after 12+ years, with a splash of fresh fuel in the tank and a new battery it started and ran!

[DickyC]

Not left to die exactly...

In amongst a row of identical new vans a Testarossa in a yard at Southampton Docks lured me in to ask if I could take a few pics when I saw the Batmobile. The gaffer explained the business as, "We import, export, mend, restore, buy and sell."

"Covering all bases" that's called.

[Shnozz]

Dr Interceptor said:

TVRJAS said:

Wonder if anyone can suggest what to do with this TR7. I understand it's not a classic but have seen TR7 mentioned on here before.

I noticed a comment from "Keep it stiff" page 474 asking how people let a perfectly looking and running car left to die/rot,so this was the TR7's story.

It was/is my Moms car who purchased it new in 1977 at the age of 44,still find it strange that my Mom bought a two seat "sports car" when she had son's age 12,15 and 17 at the time. My Father at the time was driving a bought from new auto BMW 520i (1985) and in 1991/2 my Mom had to drive the BMW. They also bought a new Daihatsu Fourtrak in 1991 (H plate) so she alternated between BM and Daihatsu.

That was pretty much the last day the TR7 moved,she much preferred driving the Auto BMW with power steering,the last mot on the TR7 reads 30/11/1992 and the mileage 27,517.









My brother was in a similar position with a TR6 that was looking pretty grim after sitting in a garage for about 15 years but with 6's actually worth something last year decided to have a full restoration.

But the 7's don't look like they will ever become a classic so what do we do with it? My understandings are that it must be beyond economical repair and to restore it would be through passion not value.

Any opinions?

Someone in a Triumph Club would bite your hand off if it's not something you'd want to do yourself.

My parents sold their one owner 37k white TR7 FHC for £500 last year. It was mint and had spent it's life garaged. Couldn't believe it when my Dad told me he had let it go for such an amount.

[TR4man]

DickyC said:

Not left to die exactly...

In amongst a row of identical new vans a Testarossa in a yard at Southampton Docks lured me in to ask if I could take a few pics when I saw the Batmobile. The gaffer explained the business as, "We import, export, mend, restore, buy and sell."

"Covering all bases" that's called.

I love CSLs - wonder if it is genuine or a CSI in disguise?

NSX looks nice too.

Surely they will both be saved and driven in anger again....

[DickyC]

He knew his onions so I'm tempted to think it is a real one.

And since you asked:

[soxboy]

DickyC said:

He knew his onions so I'm tempted to think it is a real one.

And since you asked:

An Acura NSX rather than a Honda, that's come a very long way if it's come via Japan! I wonder if the US models are a lot cheaper than Japanese or European models, and if there's much to be made in bringing them over?

[DickyC]

The point the owner of the business was making, I believe, was that the cars are not actually dying, they are in a state of pre-restoration or pre-sale and restoration by someone else. By doing either he is in a win/win situation. Nice chap; approachable.



I have a Testarossa story if you can bear it.

[TR4man]

DickyC said:

I have a Testarossa story if you can bear it.

Please.

[DickyC]

TR4man said:

DickyC said:

I have a Testarossa story if you can bear it.

Please.

When I was writing for the AMOC I got to know John Martin, son of Lionel Martin the founder of Aston Martin (I win prizes for the number of times I can include 'Martin' in one sentence). He was in his eighties and I was in my forties. One weekend in the mid-nineties I had a works DB7 to write about my road impressions. On the Saturday, to the amusement of my sons, I perfected my standing start acceleration technique; it was a manual and matching the quoted 0 - 60 times I didn't find easy to begin with. On the Sunday my wife and I drove up to Thames Ditton to see John and his wife to show them the car. Marjorie was a real character who had enjoyed the Charleston as a girl and as she got older was often in the Sunday papers leading protest marches for animal rights among other things. John was one of the gentlest, most gentlemanly men I have ever met. He was such a nice guy. Anyway, leaving the ladies to talk, John and I went out for a spin in the Aston. I drove slowly round the residential parts of Thames Ditton to a big set of lights on the old A3 with a filling station on one corner. I crossed the lights, cut left through the filling station and pulled up at the white line on the main road to wait for green to show him how well the car went. Each of the four arms of the cross roads were allowed across separately, so we had a bit of time to wait. As we waited, cars pulled up alongside and behind. Next to us was a Cavalier, the occupants agog at the Aston as the DB7 was quite new at the time. Then a Testarossa pulled alongside the Cavalier to make a third lane. Across from the lights were two lanes. John said quietly, "Traffic light Grand Prix." "Yes," I said, "I think I've got to." "Yes," he said, "I think you do."

The lights went a bit orangey and the Aston and Ferrari blasted off together. I couldn't think of the numbers but guessed the Ferrari was the quicker of the two but... In his haste the driver of the lil red car smoked his tyres in first, second and third trying to get away and the Aston gave good account of itself until John said the Police were hot round there and I eased up. The DB7 did 0 - 60 in five I think and in all the wheelspin the Ferrari wasn't doing much better. What the folk in the Vauxhall thought I can't imagine.

"Did you see what I was doing?" asked John. "No, what?" "I was poking my tongue out at him!"

At his funeral I read the eulogy and told this story. There were about two hundred people there. Afterwards an old gent came up to me and said, "I have known John since the nineteen thirties and I didn't know of the Aston Martin connection until today."


Apologies, that wasn't as Testarossary as I remembered. A Bit Astony.