Impromptu BL line up
Discussion
Looking good. Room for another?
Cross-posted from the Classic Retro 0-5 thread.
Cross-posted from the Classic Retro 0-5 thread.
stephen300o said:
The Excel is possibly the most reliable and practical car that Lotus made during its classic era, and certainly the best with a Lotus engine. I should add that my Excel is currently misbehaving, but for reasons to do with age and/or neglect by its previous owner, rather than to do with inherent Excel problems.
All of these cars were fairly cheap to buy and are fairly cheap to look after. I could have had one spiffy classic, or several old knackers, so I chose the latter, as variety is fun. All get used as actual cars, and on any given day there is a reasonable chance that one of them will be working (maybe). The Jag was mega cheap, but may be the costliest to buy parts for. The Sprint is probably worth seven-ish, which does make it the most valuable of the lot. The SD1 is possibly worth more than most 2600s are, because it is very original and in generally good order, but at present six cylinder SD1 prices are not that special. The cheapest and most dependable of the BL cars is the Landy (1500 quid off eBay). The old Beemer is poised somewhere between banger and classic, and cost a grand. I do not have any car made after 1992.
All of these cars were fairly cheap to buy and are fairly cheap to look after. I could have had one spiffy classic, or several old knackers, so I chose the latter, as variety is fun. All get used as actual cars, and on any given day there is a reasonable chance that one of them will be working (maybe). The Jag was mega cheap, but may be the costliest to buy parts for. The Sprint is probably worth seven-ish, which does make it the most valuable of the lot. The SD1 is possibly worth more than most 2600s are, because it is very original and in generally good order, but at present six cylinder SD1 prices are not that special. The cheapest and most dependable of the BL cars is the Landy (1500 quid off eBay). The old Beemer is poised somewhere between banger and classic, and cost a grand. I do not have any car made after 1992.
CharlesdeGaulle said:
Looking good. Room for another?
Cross-posted from the Classic Retro 0-5 thread.
Mucho tempting! Elites are more problematic than Excels, but still ....Cross-posted from the Classic Retro 0-5 thread.
stephen300o said:
The Dolly looks very narrow compared to the rest... shades of Bodie and Doyle taking advantage of gaps in the traffic in hot pursuit of nefarious Arabesque gentleman...
I was going to put this in the Triumph thread but it'll sit better here - my mate's lovely '78 Avocado 2600 blocking in my '73 S2 XJ...
(Current status of above sheds - the Jag refuses to start because of a horrible factory fitted AED and the Rover is suffering from a case of indoor rain, thanks to the awful condensation affecting my mate's garage).
I was going to put this in the Triumph thread but it'll sit better here - my mate's lovely '78 Avocado 2600 blocking in my '73 S2 XJ...
(Current status of above sheds - the Jag refuses to start because of a horrible factory fitted AED and the Rover is suffering from a case of indoor rain, thanks to the awful condensation affecting my mate's garage).
Edited by P5BNij on Saturday 16th January 13:12
Edited by P5BNij on Saturday 16th January 13:13
Edited by P5BNij on Saturday 16th January 13:14
Edited by P5BNij on Saturday 16th January 13:15
Very nice. I used to know a lady who kept one for decades and never too the plastic off the seats or doorcards.
Love the Lotus. I had an Excel for a short while and looking at the DVLA it is still about. "A" reg. I only paid £400 for it.
Have you ever thought about a TR7/8?
Love the Lotus. I had an Excel for a short while and looking at the DVLA it is still about. "A" reg. I only paid £400 for it.
Have you ever thought about a TR7/8?
Edited by Morningside on Saturday 16th January 14:35
I've scattered a few pics of each in various threads BV (along with my Mk2 Cooper S which I still have and the P5B Coupe which I sold just over a year ago), I suppose I ought to do a proper job somewhere. The XJ will be in Jaguar World in March (Reader's Wives / Reader's Cars, I forget which) and Jon's SD1 will be a cover star / main feature car in the April issue of Practical Classics. Last November he and about nine other SD1 bods took their steeds round Millbrook, and despite some very nice examples turning up the assembled journos all favoured his lean green mean machine. It was all very hush hush, they even cover up the lens on your mobile phone to stop you taking sly snaps around the circuit. The photo shoot took all day, looking forward to seeing the results though. Jon said to get the cover shot he had to sit on the camera car's bumper at about 40mph, quite hairy by all accounts, with the snapper hanging out the back and goading him to get ever closer...!
Edited by P5BNij on Saturday 16th January 14:42
Edited by P5BNij on Saturday 16th January 14:54
^^^^^ That's high grade Leyland porn right there ^^^^^^^
You forget what a handsome beast the SD1 was. A newsagent in our town had one in 1976, a 3500 auto in a dark brown (Mexico?). Compared to the old P6 (a car I never liked) it was like a spaceship. The Austin A60 went of of production only five years before hand. A stainless bumpered SD1, lowered and on original Minilites is a proper eyeful.
You forget what a handsome beast the SD1 was. A newsagent in our town had one in 1976, a 3500 auto in a dark brown (Mexico?). Compared to the old P6 (a car I never liked) it was like a spaceship. The Austin A60 went of of production only five years before hand. A stainless bumpered SD1, lowered and on original Minilites is a proper eyeful.
P5BNij said:
The Dolly looks very narrow compared to the rest... shades of Bodie and Doyle taking advantage of gaps in the traffic in hot pursuit of nefarious Arabesque gentleman...
I was going to put this in the Triumph thread but it'll sit better here - my mate's lovely '78 Avocado 2600 blocking in my '73 S2 XJ...
(Current status of above sheds - the Jag refuses to start because of a horrible factory fitted AED and the Rover is suffering from a case of indoor rain, thanks to the awful condensation affecting my mate's garage).
Very nice, both lovely.I was going to put this in the Triumph thread but it'll sit better here - my mate's lovely '78 Avocado 2600 blocking in my '73 S2 XJ...
(Current status of above sheds - the Jag refuses to start because of a horrible factory fitted AED and the Rover is suffering from a case of indoor rain, thanks to the awful condensation affecting my mate's garage).
My S1 XJ6 had a bad AED (I took it apart and found it was jammed up inside), I bought a new one from (I think) Southern Carbarettors. With re-build kits not availible (that I could find, anyway) it's the easy, fast (if not the cheapest) way of fixing your car.
Breadvan72 said:
Fine sheds! Do they have threads?
The Dolly is tiny, but Tardis like inside - surprisingly roomy.
Having spent a fair amount of my childhood in the back of my Dad's Dolly 1850, I have to say that the Tardis-like aspect must apply only to the grownups in the front seat! Still, my parents absolutely loved the car, and my mother still talks about it fondly from time to time.The Dolly is tiny, but Tardis like inside - surprisingly roomy.
MoggieMinor said:
BL did make some excellent cars. Its a pity they had to put up with so much anti BL bias in the media which was later to dog Rover, such a shame as the P6 had been an excellent car.
My particular favourites of the 70s were Dolomites, MGBs and Spitfires.
".....dog Rover....." Love it My particular favourites of the 70s were Dolomites, MGBs and Spitfires.
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