Car SOS - how good are their restorations?

[GTI16V]

strummerville said:

CoupeKid said:

Question for AVO beards: in tonight’s Escort Mk1 Mexico episode the finished car had 1600GT badges on the front wings. Was this correct or should they have read Mexico?

As far as I recall (as the RSOC magazine editor from ‘89 to ‘93) the 1600GT badges were used on cars with broad stripes, Mexico on the non striped cars.

AVO beard on-General rule of thumb, if the car had Mexico stripes then the Mexico on the door was big enough so it had a 1600GT wing badge. If it had the custom triple coach line, it had Mexico as the wing badge- AVO beard off.
TBH, there are so many factory derived anomalies and bodges that only a truly sad bd would care.
I'm just glad another MK1 is putting smiles on peoples faces

[miniman]

James 33 said:

That Mexico was absolutely rotten! Just goes to show what can be saved with enough replacement panels.

Just the VIN plate that was saved, really, wasn’t it? Lovely car, but essentially it was entirely new parts bar the roof.

[ncbbmw]

GTI16V said:

strummerville said:

CoupeKid said:

Question for AVO beards: in tonight’s Escort Mk1 Mexico episode the finished car had 1600GT badges on the front wings. Was this correct or should they have read Mexico?

As far as I recall (as the RSOC magazine editor from ‘89 to ‘93) the 1600GT badges were used on cars with broad stripes, Mexico on the non striped cars.

AVO beard on-General rule of thumb, if the car had Mexico stripes then the Mexico on the door was big enough so it had a 1600GT wing badge. If it had the custom triple coach line, it had Mexico as the wing badge- AVO beard off.
TBH, there are so many factory derived anomalies and bodges that only a truly sad bd would care.
I'm just glad another MK1 is putting smiles on peoples faces

Well that's makes sense as mine had the Custom Pack with the Mexico badges.

[sgtBerbatov]

James 33 said:

That Mexico was absolutely rotten! Just goes to show what can be saved with enough replacement panels.

Just goes to show the standard Ford build quality too.

andysgriff said:

Watched this for 1st time yesterday, a Beetle restoration. The job looked like a 'Bodgit and Scarper' special. What annoyed me also - some bloke wearing pristine white shoes while in the workshop, same bloke dangling his sweater cords and poking hs fingers into the back of a running VW air-cooled engine, blokes without masks when sanding down panels etc etc, no treatment to a dead rusty chassis, probably just painted over. So won't be watching again.

Well I'm sorry you had that experience, you'll miss out on the Mercedes Pagonda restoration, the Ferrar/Fiat Dino restoration, and the Lancia Delta Integrale resto. Actually, that Lancia one is the most upsetting. Not because they're doing it with torn gloves and sanding a car in a well ventilated shop without masks, but the human story behind it. But you won't be watching it gain, so it's no bother to you.

[MXRod]

ncbbmw said:

CoupeKid said:

Question for AVO beards: in tonight’s Escort Mk1 Mexico episode the finished car had 1600GT badges on the front wings. Was this correct or should they have read Mexico?

Lots of images on google showing cars with 1600GT badges but my 1972 Mexico which I had when I was 19 had Mexico badges.

Never realised until reading Wiki just how few Mk1 Mexico's were built, only 10352

No wonder they sell for stupid money these days.

I bought mine for £1040, during the 3+ years I owned it had new inner and outer sills, front wings, front panel and lower x-member and full respray. It also had a re-bore and pistons plus numerous other bits.

Having spent all the money I was then bored with it and wanted something else, I advertised it in Motoring News for around £1000, can't remember the exact figure, had zero calls until the following Wednesday, with another car lined up I drove to 20 miles to Coventry and met a guy from Leicester who beat me down to £875. We arranged to complete the deal on the Friday evening, on the way home it overheated so I stopped at my work place in Warwick and got my Dad to pick me up.

It turned out the head gasket had gone so I paid to have it fixed on the Friday and completed the deal on the Friday evening back in the same Coventry pub car park. Didn't tell the buyer..

I was peeved at the time that I'd sold it so cheap and more money spent to stop the sale falling through but i'd already agreed to buy my next car so it had to go.

Its not showing up a being around today but if anyone bought a Blue Mk1 Mexico (SDH796K) in 1981 from a bloke in a Coventry pub Car park then Hello!

Yes , an unstriped Mexico had “Mexico” badges on front wings ,
I had a Maze yellow one in my yoof ( FYT461J)
Mine was one of the early homologation builds with all the extra re enforcing welding and braces, which were absent from later cars , to comply with the regulations for the London – Mexico World Cup Rally , It was a demonstrator for Stormont Engineering and if my memory serves me correctly was chassis no 79 in the build series .Cost me £750
We had a number of minor successes rallying .
Love to find that car again

[healeyfan]

Took my driving test in a Mexico. Examiner got in and after asking me some questions told me to turn right at the end of the road. At the junction I did a F1 start. Tyre squeal the lot. Examiner turns to me and says " Okay you've proved that it's a Mexico now drive the rest of the test as though it isn't ". And yes I passed. Think he liked the car.

[Steamer]

healeyfan said:

Took my driving test in a Mexico. Examiner got in and after asking me some questions told me to turn right at the end of the road. At the junction I did a F1 start. Tyre squeal the lot. Examiner turns to me and says " Okay you've proved that it's a Mexico now drive the rest of the test as though it isn't ". And yes I passed. Think he liked the car.

legend

[dvb70]

sgtBerbatov said:

I haven't really been that interested in the VW episode or last nights one about the Ford (don't understand this fascination with the blue oval tax cars), but that paint job on the bonnet of the VW? That is the coolest thing I've seen done on a car since someone put a 7 litre engine in the front of a Lada. Just incredible.

That light up paint was certainly really cool. I did not particularly like what they did with it but I can see a lot of uses for that technology in a lot of different applications. I would be interested in what sort of limitations the current technology has as it really does seem like something that could revolutionise some types of lighting requirements. I guess cost might be one limiting factor at the moment. I don't remember them actually putting a price on how much it cost to do but I would imagine it won't be too cheap.

[ShampooEfficient]

Just watched the Talbot Sunbeam one. A thoroughly deserving owner (most would agree that firemen are proper chaps, I hope).
But not for the first time, I was emotional about the car being revealed. You could just see the specialness!

[sgtBerbatov]

dvb70 said:

sgtBerbatov said:

I haven't really been that interested in the VW episode or last nights one about the Ford (don't understand this fascination with the blue oval tax cars), but that paint job on the bonnet of the VW? That is the coolest thing I've seen done on a car since someone put a 7 litre engine in the front of a Lada. Just incredible.

That light up paint was certainly really cool. I did not particularly like what they did with it but I can see a lot of uses for that technology in a lot of different applications. I would be interested in what sort of limitations the current technology has as it really does seem like something that could revolutionise some types of lighting requirements. I guess cost might be one limiting factor at the moment. I don't remember them actually putting a price on how much it cost to do but I would imagine it won't be too cheap.

I would like to know how it would handle punishment from the sun, I'd say that would be it's main killer. And yeah, it was a little garish but imagine having the logo on the doors of your vehicle along with various lines etc, you'd make your car (or even your motorbike) look like something out of Tron. I might enquire about the costs, there can't be that main paint people in Windsor!

[andym1603]

How do they get power to the paint. You seen them soldering the wires but there was nothing on top of the bonnet. Would they drill the bonnet and power it from below?

[Fermit and Sexy Sarah]

Looking forward to this one, Mercedes SL Pagoda. I love them!

[and31]

Fermit and Sexy Sarah said:

Looking forward to this one, Mercedes SL Pagoda. I love them!

They look lovely but I’ve heard they aren’t that nice to drive...

[Fermit and Sexy Sarah]

5 months to sort the bodywork

[P5BNij]

The Lancia Flavia Coupe from the show is now for sale...

https://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C1116702

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/273878983048

[JONSCZ]

Bit of a 'thread resurrection' here as I 'follow' Car SOS's Facebook page and thought I'd share this sad message that appeared today.

It's especially poignant as when I did a search for the thread about Car SOS on here (and specifically the TR4), there seemed to be a feeling from page 18 of this thread that this was one of the most deserving restorations for a genuinely lovely, gracious enthusiast.
It was 'Bright Halo' at the time who summed up probably all our feelings, saying "The chap receiving it was so obviously overcome by emotion it was genuinely heartwarming to see."

Very sad. RIP, Kel

[pitboard]

RIP Kel. A very deserving case.
Unlike at least three I can think of whose interesting cars trumped the fact that they had plenty money, plenty time and simply couldn't be arsed
to do anything with the car in their garage

[SydneyBridge]

I watched the start of one last night l, vw beetle, and the guy was about to lose his job and company car.
I was not impressed... Obviously a big thing to lose your job but hardly befitting of a free restoration

[mat205125]

JONSCZ said:

Bit of a 'thread resurrection' here as I 'follow' Car SOS's Facebook page and thought I'd share this sad message that appeared today.

It's especially poignant as when I did a search for the thread about Car SOS on here (and specifically the TR4), there seemed to be a feeling from page 18 of this thread that this was one of the most deserving restorations for a genuinely lovely, gracious enthusiast.
It was 'Bright Halo' at the time who summed up probably all our feelings, saying "The chap receiving it was so obviously overcome by emotion it was genuinely heartwarming to see."

Very sad. RIP, Kel

Sad news, however a lovely story.

Exclusively focussing on the value increase and quality of the fit and finish of the cars is missing the point.

The changes that the work done by the team make on the lives of those involved is what matters. The opportunities for fun and pleasure for the deserving owners and their families is what this programme is about ...... I think of it as a car show second.

I'm not a sentimental type in general, however the reveals for some of these cars really mean a lot.

[JONSCZ]

Heads up - new series starting tonight (3/2/20) on More4 (136 on SkyHD) at 9pm...

(details from F/B page - "Tonight at 9pm on More4 series 7 starts with a back to back two part studio special.
Kneejerkers restrain yourselves please, we haven't changed the format - they are 'specials' - that means they are different from the rest of the series.")