I buy lemons : classic fleet

[anonymous-user]

whats that tool box in a suitcase thing, looks handy.

[Hugh Jarse]

Called lets deal, similar to groupon.
90 quid.

[Jabosoc]

In for updates. I love eccentric fleets.

[Jonmx]

This has to be the most bizarre thread in Reader's Cars. Op, you are utterly bonkers, the world needs more people like you. How many people own a Ferrari, a mk1 Espace and a Megane convertible, a truly unique fleet. Cracking thread.

[Hugh Jarse]

Hugh Jarse said:

According to Wikipedia A Pollock designed it but Im sticking to Geoff Matthews who gave me my first job.
Some French blokes at Matra also lay claim.

Here's a video about the last few years of Geoff Matthews.
Review : https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2017/jul/...
Full program : http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b08xyq06
At 11 mins he shows the espace sketch.
Watching the video is a cold shower for people considering projects, we generally only hear about success stories.
Ive had a few stalled forever dormant projects myself though wouldnt risk remortgaging etc.

Had Chrysler gone with the project it would have come out in 1977/8 (hence the crinkly cornflake packet styling) so I claiming this fits the car collection sequence which has years
1958 (frog)
1968 (maybe coming doubt it)
1978 (espace fudge)
1988 (mondial)
1998 (elise)

Also 2004 Megane to be sold to a mate price agreed, but have to fit the cambelt though, got couple of weeks of work left in Sweden.
Mrs has a 2005 V70 D5 in bottlegreen metallic and filthy interior which Im hoping to replace with an Audi A2 (if poor) or a Vauxhall Ampera as our modern daily.
Bit shocked with the insurance prices back here in blighty, considering Ive never had points or an accident, but can only get two years no claims from my time in Sweden. So that leaves me with a dilemma of which to insure, Im guessing the mondial insurance will be pricey.
Currently sketching up an acrylic sheet encloure for either the Mondial or the elise (only have a double garage) as the torrential rain is making the carcover on the Ferrari look sodden. Think thats going in the garage, only got 5mm to spare according to my measurements.

[Hugh Jarse]

For classic dadwagon fans the shortlist included:

Amazon estate
240 estate
CX Familiale
Panhard
Humber Sceptre estate
Volvo Duett.
Bentley Turbo
Austin Cambridge variants Estate
SAAB 900 (early one)
Corvair station wagon
Ford country squire

Im still vaguely in the market for something from the sixties, saloon like NSU, Merc W108, Jag XJ S1, Panhard, SAAB 9.3 2S shortnose.
I like cars that are aerodynamic, good looking and have some kind of technological featuring for the age.

All the cars have an interesting chassis and are lightweight,>
Frog - first monocoque sports car 620kg
Espace - Galvanised steel (30kg of zinc!) and GRP body panels 1300kg
Mondial - Galvanised steel box spaceframe 1300kg
Elise - Glued ally tub 780kg

Lovely RHD NSU in brown begging for an electric conversion just popped up, but the newly acquired spouse has not approved future purchases.

In the end though, because of the personal connection, and the incredible practicality, flexibility and iconic status, it had to be the Espace.
There's a series 1 facelift on ebay that looks juicy for anyone interested.

Edited by Hugh Jarse on Tuesday 25th July 10:18

[Hugh Jarse]

Done about 4 small fixes altely and 1000 miles. 32mpg average so far and 70mph cruise at 3200rpm in an overdrive fifth on the A1.
Camped in the back yesterday to for a frre night away. Happy with it.
Even the mrs likes it. The name Roquey has died and it is universally known as "the wedge".
Here it is wedging in Yorkshire.

[Barchettaman]

Nice bit of gaffer tape magic on the front left indicator there.

The last Mark 1 Espace I saw had been burnt out round the back of Milan central station in about 2001. They really make a spectacular mess once they've been torched, must be something to do with the plastic panels.

A wonderful, mental, eclectic fleet there.

[Hugh Jarse]

The wedgeasaurus performing duties

[Hugh Jarse]

Quite a few upgrades and fixes, a million to go though.
new fog lights, others had rusted through, naturally with frogladite yellow film added.
Funnily enough i had some fog lights already purchased in 2002 when i half finished a concept car in the sixth floor flat.
Been in a box ever since, turns out an exact match, yeehaa.



before

after

[Hugh Jarse]

drive shaft replacement after it popped out when i bumped a kerb reversing full lock outside the gaffe (fortunate).
Only twenty quid for a new driveshaft, cheapy parts yay.

[RetroWheels]

Eclectic stable, and interesting reading.
Love the Espace content - whilst usually having no interest in People Carriers , or anything remotely French .

[99Chimaera]

Highly entertaining read. Great car collection, looking forward to future updates

[Gary29]

Just LOVE the interior colours in the Espace! Off to the classifieds for some childhood memories, I wonder.......

And what if I told you that you don't need to take the wheel off to change the Bulb in a MK2 Megane?

[swagmeister]

I want to know if you name your kitchen white goods - cars with names ? seriously ?

[J8 SVG]

swagmeister said:

I want to know if you name your kitchen white goods - cars with names ? seriously ?

When did you lose your sense of fun? Or did you spend your childhood staring at blank walls reciting 16th century literature?

Great collection, love the espace!

[RussH91]

Gary29 said:

Just LOVE the interior colours in the Espace! Off to the classifieds for some childhood memories, I wonder.......

I found one for sale in any of the usual clsssified. In Leicester 1996, £540.

[vsonix]

Hugh Jarse said:

According to Wikipedia A Pollock designed it [...]

Designed by a fish eh? No wonder it looks like an aquarium on wheels...

[vsonix]

swagmeister said:

I want to know if you name your kitchen white goods - cars with names ? seriously ?

All my BMWs have been named after birds.

It started with my blue 318ti - the BlueTi(t)
Then followed 'The Magpie' - 328i Sport, 'The Rook' - 318i cabby, 'The Osprey' - 328i coupe, 'The Peregrine' - 328i cabby, 'The Pelican' - 328i Touring, The Avocet - Z3 2.8, The Crow - Z3 2.8 (also known as Jeremy due to JMY suffix on reg). And, I'm now on my second E38 740i - both known as 'The Ostrich'. Ostrich #1 had a fairly short innings so I didn't feel like I had to think of a new name for its replacement. Why 'Ostrich'? Well, it's the largest of the birds and it can run very fast!

[Hugh Jarse]

vsonix said:

All my BMWs have been named after birds.

It started with my blue 318ti - the BlueTi(t)
Then followed 'The Magpie' - 328i Sport, 'The Rook' - 318i cabby, 'The Osprey' - 328i coupe, 'The Peregrine' - 328i cabby, 'The Pelican' - 328i Touring, The Avocet - Z3 2.8, The Crow - Z3 2.8 (also known as Jeremy due to JMY suffix on reg). And, I'm now on my second E38 740i - both known as 'The Ostrich'. Ostrich #1 had a fairly short innings so I didn't feel like I had to think of a new name for its replacement. Why 'Ostrich'? Well, it's the largest of the birds and it can run very fast!

Nice.

my camera takes too large photos which makes uploading a pain.
So have switche to ppt format.
Octobers adventures:





Edit: engine is longitudinakl not transverse hence equal length driveshafts, might make an electric conversion easier in the distant future.

Edited by Hugh Jarse on Tuesday 24th September 17:15