Classics that live well outside
Discussion
Another vote for the R129 Merc SL.
Mines been outside I've had mine from 2013, always outside. The weak spot, bottom of the front wings is starting to go, I feel a pair of new wings in the next yr or two.
They come with a hardtop, whilst it turns the car into a nice snug, quiet, coupe. I can't bring myself to leaving the plastic soft top window scrunched up for months.
Mines been outside I've had mine from 2013, always outside. The weak spot, bottom of the front wings is starting to go, I feel a pair of new wings in the next yr or two.
They come with a hardtop, whilst it turns the car into a nice snug, quiet, coupe. I can't bring myself to leaving the plastic soft top window scrunched up for months.
plasticpig said:
My non galvanized chassis GTC lived outside all year round for 15 years and has never been welded. Just got the occasional coating of Dinitrol. A post 84 GTE/GTC should have a galvanized chassis so should be OK.
Thought it was just the Middlebridge cars with the galvy chassis?Mates car has 250k miles on it but chassis was knackered, he's busy rechassisying it as we speak
I was following one on ebay lat year with intentions of bidding, having spoken at length with the owner. It then disappeared from the site and I assumed it had been sold but turned out he'd found holes in the outriggers ..
Yertis said:
I would imagine – but don't know – that a Lotus Excel would be reasonably good. Much like the Scimitar – GRP body, galvanised chassis. Toyota drivetrain. Lotus engine. A friend of mine kept an SA as his daily until fairly recently. To be honest he wasn't that diligent with maintenance but it seemed to keep going OK.
Definitely still on my want list actually.
My thoughts too when I had one, and such a lovely drive if a little bit slow unless you revved it ( I was used to RV8 TVR) with the best gearchange in my 49 years of driving. Sadly they all seem to leak like a sieve (cue owners saying theirs doesn't) . Mine stunk of damp inside, a smell that hung on your clothes after 5 mins in the car, and wouldn't go away. I was after another a couple of years ago, had a friend go look at it, reckoned there were ducks in the front footwells.......(his words not mine)Definitely still on my want list actually.
They all seem to suffer dash peel and pillar peel with the leather getting wet then drying out.
Still a lovely drive though.......
PositronicRay said:
Another vote for the R129 Merc SL.
Mines been outside I've had mine from 2013, always outside. The weak spot, bottom of the front wings is starting to go, I feel a pair of new wings in the next yr or two.
They come with a hardtop, whilst it turns the car into a nice snug, quiet, coupe. I can't bring myself to leaving the plastic soft top window scrunched up for months.
I've had that problem/dilemma with older rag tops in the past - surely there is a proper way of folding them so they can be stowed away and not come out six months later looking like your nan's stockings ...Mines been outside I've had mine from 2013, always outside. The weak spot, bottom of the front wings is starting to go, I feel a pair of new wings in the next yr or two.
They come with a hardtop, whilst it turns the car into a nice snug, quiet, coupe. I can't bring myself to leaving the plastic soft top window scrunched up for months.
uk66fastback said:
PositronicRay said:
Another vote for the R129 Merc SL.
Mines been outside I've had mine from 2013, always outside. The weak spot, bottom of the front wings is starting to go, I feel a pair of new wings in the next yr or two.
They come with a hardtop, whilst it turns the car into a nice snug, quiet, coupe. I can't bring myself to leaving the plastic soft top window scrunched up for months.
I've had that problem/dilemma with older rag tops in the past - surely there is a proper way of folding them so they can be stowed away and not come out six months later looking like your nan's stockings ...Mines been outside I've had mine from 2013, always outside. The weak spot, bottom of the front wings is starting to go, I feel a pair of new wings in the next yr or two.
They come with a hardtop, whilst it turns the car into a nice snug, quiet, coupe. I can't bring myself to leaving the plastic soft top window scrunched up for months.
Skyedriver said:
Yertis said:
I would imagine – but don't know – that a Lotus Excel would be reasonably good. Much like the Scimitar – GRP body, galvanised chassis. Toyota drivetrain. Lotus engine. A friend of mine kept an SA as his daily until fairly recently. To be honest he wasn't that diligent with maintenance but it seemed to keep going OK.
Definitely still on my want list actually.
My thoughts too when I had one, and such a lovely drive if a little bit slow unless you revved it ( I was used to RV8 TVR) with the best gearchange in my 49 years of driving. Sadly they all seem to leak like a sieve (cue owners saying theirs doesn't) . Mine stunk of damp inside, a smell that hung on your clothes after 5 mins in the car, and wouldn't go away. I was after another a couple of years ago, had a friend go look at it, reckoned there were ducks in the front footwells.......(his words not mine)Definitely still on my want list actually.
They all seem to suffer dash peel and pillar peel with the leather getting wet then drying out.
Still a lovely drive though.......
Skyedriver said:
Thought it was just the Middlebridge cars with the galvy chassis?
Mates car has 250k miles on it but chassis was knackered, he's busy rechassisying it as we speak
I was following one on ebay lat year with intentions of bidding, having spoken at length with the owner. It then disappeared from the site and I assumed it had been sold but turned out he'd found holes in the outriggers ..
Nope later GTC and SE6bs both had galvanized chassis.Mates car has 250k miles on it but chassis was knackered, he's busy rechassisying it as we speak
I was following one on ebay lat year with intentions of bidding, having spoken at length with the owner. It then disappeared from the site and I assumed it had been sold but turned out he'd found holes in the outriggers ..
plasticpig said:
Nope later GTC and SE6bs both had galvanized chassis.
My SE6a also had a galvanised chassis. It was the only thing on the car not knackered. OTOH it was built like a brick outhouse, I had an Escort van smack into the back of me, wrecking his front end but barely marking the Scim. Just had a broken rear fog lens. Nice cars.
PositronicRay said:
The side windows are are poor design. There's a German aftermarket hood that deletes them, resembles a clk hood.
If you think they are a bad design, look at the TVR Chimaera rear folding roof. You can't fold it down without creasing the windows. Thats a ten year design "improvement" from the Tasmin/Wedge which folded down perfectly.....Skyedriver said:
PositronicRay said:
The side windows are are poor design. There's a German aftermarket hood that deletes them, resembles a clk hood.
If you think they are a bad design, look at the TVR Chimaera rear folding roof. You can't fold it down without creasing the windows. Thats a ten year design "improvement" from the Tasmin/Wedge which folded down perfectly.....Just had a look you're right, complete crap.
I bought a car recently that came with a fitted cover, but sold it as I was never going to use it!
Instructions said the car had to be clean and dry before putting the cover on - so if it gets dirty it needs washing and getting dry when you get home. What if it's raining at the time?
Then when you go out where do you put the cover? You don't want a wet cover in the boot, or your living room! And if you had a garage you'd be putting the car in it anyway.
Anyway, back on topic I'd have thought a Mercedes 190 or W124 might be quite good at living outdoors.
Instructions said the car had to be clean and dry before putting the cover on - so if it gets dirty it needs washing and getting dry when you get home. What if it's raining at the time?
Then when you go out where do you put the cover? You don't want a wet cover in the boot, or your living room! And if you had a garage you'd be putting the car in it anyway.
Anyway, back on topic I'd have thought a Mercedes 190 or W124 might be quite good at living outdoors.
The rust issue is clearly important but, the mould and mushroom issue is almost as big. I have a Scimitar, it has been outside for yonks. I ended up binning both the headlining and the carpet due to fungus that just wouldn't shift. (The Scimitar now lives in a garage).
I think it's crucial that what ever car you get things like window seals and door seals need to be in good shape or renewed and drain holes, need to be kept open. Obviously driving it helps as this gives you a good opportunity to get the air flowing through a car and the damp blown out.
I think it's crucial that what ever car you get things like window seals and door seals need to be in good shape or renewed and drain holes, need to be kept open. Obviously driving it helps as this gives you a good opportunity to get the air flowing through a car and the damp blown out.
My car live in a wooden unheated garage and in winter lives in a Carcoon with a few kilos of silicone chucked in for good measure, but it is a pain zipping it up and putting it away and when you put the car to bed you know you won't get it out until the spring. So I've gone one further and bought one of these, selling on the old Carcoon at the same time. Yes, it was expensive but anno domini and 50 years of golf means I am not as fit as I was, and now I can use the car as and when I want. Off topic, so sorry, if it offends, but I thought it might be pertinent.
https://www.theultimatefinish.co.uk/carcoon/indoor...
https://www.theultimatefinish.co.uk/carcoon/indoor...
Shezbo said:
vixen1700 said:
On a similar yet completely different tangent:
https://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C1205799
I can vouch for these living well outside as long as you get a non-leaking one and get a battery charger.
And not one drop of rain, touches the chassis - which is made of tissue paper!https://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C1205799
I can vouch for these living well outside as long as you get a non-leaking one and get a battery charger.
And even if it did require a new chassis, and not repairs, a few grand would see it for another 30 years.
Not many oldies you can say that for.
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