I buy lemons : classic fleet
Discussion
Few more photos on me tea break, i reckon they will fit now except one spot, and despitewhat i wrote earlier, a quick donk with a hammer can win 10mm inthe specific spot. This is subject to streeing test and suspension movement naturally. Optimism strikes.
No bother on the front wheels (probably)
No bother on the front wheels (probably)
Oh dear, they did not fit at the rear without some metal bashing and looked a bit too large at the front.
4 x £186.50 wasted now for sale on PH and ebay should you fancy a set.
Summer Tyre 235/80R 15 106 VREDESTEIN SPRINT CLASSIC
https://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/parts-and-...
As they were mounted on rims, Camskill would not take them back. Fair enough I suppose.
Now fitted with R15 215/70 Toyo Proxes for £250. Also paid £60 twice for fitting and balancing.
What a balls up.
Anyway, wheels look great with Toyos and quite "boss" stance for the car, raising the ground clearance 50mm and fornt bumper to meet modern car bumpers to improve crash.
Other (better) news the seat belts are fitted. Not sure if Merc used the 7/16 UNC thread or M11 x 1.25 (near identical). Ebay tap 7/16 pruchased for a fiver went straight through the paint and slight rust and now three point belts soldily applied. They were "in" before but the UNC bolts ground to a holt about 5 threads in. Which was wierd because the Merc in-situ weld nuts were only about five threads deep.
Also, really impressed with the size of the discs on the merc, about 270mm frotnt and rear in 1968. Now understand why braking is so stonking.
The rev counter idea looks like it wont be an easy fit with lots of chopping about which, will wont happen in the near future
[url]
|https://thumbsnap.com/iJgcUpxK[/url.
4 x £186.50 wasted now for sale on PH and ebay should you fancy a set.
Summer Tyre 235/80R 15 106 VREDESTEIN SPRINT CLASSIC
https://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/parts-and-...
As they were mounted on rims, Camskill would not take them back. Fair enough I suppose.
Now fitted with R15 215/70 Toyo Proxes for £250. Also paid £60 twice for fitting and balancing.
What a balls up.
Anyway, wheels look great with Toyos and quite "boss" stance for the car, raising the ground clearance 50mm and fornt bumper to meet modern car bumpers to improve crash.
Other (better) news the seat belts are fitted. Not sure if Merc used the 7/16 UNC thread or M11 x 1.25 (near identical). Ebay tap 7/16 pruchased for a fiver went straight through the paint and slight rust and now three point belts soldily applied. They were "in" before but the UNC bolts ground to a holt about 5 threads in. Which was wierd because the Merc in-situ weld nuts were only about five threads deep.
Also, really impressed with the size of the discs on the merc, about 270mm frotnt and rear in 1968. Now understand why braking is so stonking.
The rev counter idea looks like it wont be an easy fit with lots of chopping about which, will wont happen in the near future
[url]
|https://thumbsnap.com/iJgcUpxK[/url.
Only a 154mm difference in diameter on these two.
Reality looks a lot different.
¨wheels were poorly painted inside and have some rough casting edges which i will need to file/grind away at some point.
Managed a better paint inside and gave them a heavy wax with some ancient wax i must have had for 30 years, it has a Ford Granada blob shape on the front
These were the Vredesteins, rather silly and unmountable at the rear.
Will get a pic of the Toyos, which look pretty good on.
The extra high vis brake lamps were chronically wired in with bare wires just bumping into bulb ends.
Probably an early eighties accessory, love them but dewired until a proper solution can be found.
Also above, RHD lamops and gauges have arrived.
Unfortunately the trader has sent one RHD and LHD lens, which aint much much use.
MOT soon. my months grace on Swedish plates has ended. Other jobs beside brake lights are improve handbrake action, which is an under steering column umbrella jobby, which i think goes to drums on the front wheels. To be continued.
Probably an early eighties accessory, love them but dewired until a proper solution can be found.
Also above, RHD lamops and gauges have arrived.
Unfortunately the trader has sent one RHD and LHD lens, which aint much much use.
MOT soon. my months grace on Swedish plates has ended. Other jobs beside brake lights are improve handbrake action, which is an under steering column umbrella jobby, which i think goes to drums on the front wheels. To be continued.
Edited by Hugh Jarse on Monday 19th March 20:36
Rear dampers and swing axle hydraulic compensator look new which is a relief. Lots of evidence that this car has been restored or partway restored at some point. Which might explain why the handling feels quite secure, even with the miniscule-for-the-car rubber that was on before.
The wheelarches and door bottoms are starting to bloom however and will need sorting in summer.
Edited by Hugh Jarse on Monday 19th March 09:23
Well its all been getting away from me as of late.
Focus has switched to the cronky old house.
Have managed to do a clean up on the air filter box on the Mondial which had flaking paint AFTER the filter.
Various small jobs. And now we have a bonkers, stone deaf puppy.
Usual story, free time is at a premium.
Yesterday bought a half lemon (bald tyres, shot dampers, bushes and front springs) Avantime which we have long term lusted after, in the spec we wanted 2.0T Illiad blue.
The Volvo is being moved on https://www.pistonheads.com/selfservice/previewad?... should anyone want a totally reliable scruffy workhorse £750 ONO.
The Avantime was £1850 which is cheap, but will get a £1000 spent this week to bring it up to scratch, so really a £3000 car. Still baldish tyres means chance for new rubber, new is better than half old.
Drove from Basingstoke to Lincs yesterday without problem, but cambelt is ten years old, GULP.
Bye bye faithful servant:
Hello same age borktastic spaceship.
Hope this doesnt end in tears (or divorce).
Puppy, baby, real life and falling over apple tree (in my head at least) have taken precedence of late.
Focus has switched to the cronky old house.
Have managed to do a clean up on the air filter box on the Mondial which had flaking paint AFTER the filter.
Various small jobs. And now we have a bonkers, stone deaf puppy.
Usual story, free time is at a premium.
Yesterday bought a half lemon (bald tyres, shot dampers, bushes and front springs) Avantime which we have long term lusted after, in the spec we wanted 2.0T Illiad blue.
The Volvo is being moved on https://www.pistonheads.com/selfservice/previewad?... should anyone want a totally reliable scruffy workhorse £750 ONO.
The Avantime was £1850 which is cheap, but will get a £1000 spent this week to bring it up to scratch, so really a £3000 car. Still baldish tyres means chance for new rubber, new is better than half old.
Drove from Basingstoke to Lincs yesterday without problem, but cambelt is ten years old, GULP.
Bye bye faithful servant:
Hello same age borktastic spaceship.
Hope this doesnt end in tears (or divorce).
Puppy, baby, real life and falling over apple tree (in my head at least) have taken precedence of late.
i knew someone would reply eventually 
Its more the reality of the others not moving forward fast enough and a three week touring holiday coming up, possibly in the volvo. which would have been a travesty.
Also the Mrs fancied something a bit more special as our modern mile muncher. Yesterday cleaned and polished the volvo inside and out, wish i had done that when we owned it, Looks quite tasty now, design has hardly aged (big scoops of owner delusion). Avantime is just a fantastically odd curiousity, and the great grandson of the series 1 Espace. And the last car of Matra who have made so pretty awesome cars over the years.
Hovewer six cars is too much, on a modest income, we cant afford to tax and insure them all. £315 tax on a 2.0 turbo that was over 35mpg on its first outing, seems a bit harsh. The Merc and Frogeye are £0 tax and £100 to insure so they wont be going anywhere. I can see the Avantime being oved on in a couple of years when all of 'em are UK registered. But for now the Avantime is fantastic with a great owners website-club.
The sunroof (biggest in the world supposedly) is a bit blowy above 55mph, and the four spoke steering wheel hides the stalks and the Renaultesque myriad of controls. I didnt find cruise control either which, if it doesnt exist will be a bit of a pain. Other than that feels pretty good, the 2.0T feels pretty sprightly and very quiet at idle.
Its more the reality of the others not moving forward fast enough and a three week touring holiday coming up, possibly in the volvo. which would have been a travesty.
Also the Mrs fancied something a bit more special as our modern mile muncher. Yesterday cleaned and polished the volvo inside and out, wish i had done that when we owned it, Looks quite tasty now, design has hardly aged (big scoops of owner delusion). Avantime is just a fantastically odd curiousity, and the great grandson of the series 1 Espace. And the last car of Matra who have made so pretty awesome cars over the years.
Hovewer six cars is too much, on a modest income, we cant afford to tax and insure them all. £315 tax on a 2.0 turbo that was over 35mpg on its first outing, seems a bit harsh. The Merc and Frogeye are £0 tax and £100 to insure so they wont be going anywhere. I can see the Avantime being oved on in a couple of years when all of 'em are UK registered. But for now the Avantime is fantastic with a great owners website-club.
The sunroof (biggest in the world supposedly) is a bit blowy above 55mph, and the four spoke steering wheel hides the stalks and the Renaultesque myriad of controls. I didnt find cruise control either which, if it doesnt exist will be a bit of a pain. Other than that feels pretty good, the 2.0T feels pretty sprightly and very quiet at idle.
Edited by Hugh Jarse on Monday 28th May 07:14
Generally not a fan of black leather or black interiors but these might look a bit gauche in white.
The rarer tan would look even better. But happy with black, suits the smoking-a-Gauloise sumptious image.
I will probably have to get a mistress now. Stupidly hadnt factored that into the running cost.
Name this tune:
derrrnn tun tun turrrrrrnn, dern-NUH!
Seems appropriate.
Edited by Hugh Jarse on Monday 28th May 10:16
Sensiblepants V70 D5 is sold to first viewer for £700, it was a bit rough but solid as a rock.
Anybody out there looking for a daily could do a lot worse.
We recommend, 80000miles and five years of trouble free motoring.
Swedish engineering wth added Crisp and dry.
No seriously, i soaked the grey plastic bits with a rapeseed oil rag and they came up beautifully..
Anybody out there looking for a daily could do a lot worse.
We recommend, 80000miles and five years of trouble free motoring.
Swedish engineering wth added Crisp and dry.
No seriously, i soaked the grey plastic bits with a rapeseed oil rag and they came up beautifully..
Edited by Hugh Jarse on Monday 28th May 19:00
Not much done on the cars lately, all on the house.
Quite a few odd job on the Avantime as that is now the only legal, working, taxed, insured and registered car, plus a three week tour of Europe in it.
New kitchen, doors etc etc , soon drive and car port then garage extension to protect these poor exposed classics.
Usual family man whining, fighting on all fronts and making grim progress.
Just getting a refurbished steering pump for the espace from Steering Specialists Ltd in Wakefield.
Pumped the tyres up with fancy branded Michelin foot pump (strongly recommend) Halfrauds £22.
Headlamp fiasco on Regina ended when I gave up with Mr Surrey who sent me one LHD and RHD lens, have gone stacked lights (£200 from Germany) but they have sealed beams so will have crap bulbs so now need four new 5 ¾ round lamps RHD A few pics:
Jazzed up the alternator going in the espace.:
As above poster said, Avantime is a fantastic family touring car, great view out comfy barge, rapid enough.
Went over St Bernard and La Tremola.
Quite a few odd job on the Avantime as that is now the only legal, working, taxed, insured and registered car, plus a three week tour of Europe in it.
New kitchen, doors etc etc , soon drive and car port then garage extension to protect these poor exposed classics.
Usual family man whining, fighting on all fronts and making grim progress.
Just getting a refurbished steering pump for the espace from Steering Specialists Ltd in Wakefield.
Pumped the tyres up with fancy branded Michelin foot pump (strongly recommend) Halfrauds £22.
Headlamp fiasco on Regina ended when I gave up with Mr Surrey who sent me one LHD and RHD lens, have gone stacked lights (£200 from Germany) but they have sealed beams so will have crap bulbs so now need four new 5 ¾ round lamps RHD A few pics:
Jazzed up the alternator going in the espace.:
As above poster said, Avantime is a fantastic family touring car, great view out comfy barge, rapid enough.
Went over St Bernard and La Tremola.
Have done loads of mini jobs on the Avantime, such as detailed air box and scruffy bits and bobs corrected, plenty to go though.
Couple of scuffs, dull balck grill and local (caused by heated windscreen connection) roof rail corrosion.
Centre arm rest hinge is broken (ultra flimsy).
Some pics including anti scratch dog mats and pee proof dog box.
Not Espace practical but still OK for lugging duties.
Chalet campsite where dadboxes reign supreme.
Amazing what a difference a new number plate makes. £10 well spent.
Also some pics from the Matra Museum and some rather lovely cars i hadnt heard of, plus the S1 Espace and Avantime lineage.
[url]
|https://thumbsnap.com/leS5j7HI[/url
]
[url]
|https://thumbsnap.com/5jyfK5Bz[/url[
url]
|https://thumbsnap.com/A64gA3DX[/url]
Couple of scuffs, dull balck grill and local (caused by heated windscreen connection) roof rail corrosion.
Centre arm rest hinge is broken (ultra flimsy).
Some pics including anti scratch dog mats and pee proof dog box.
Not Espace practical but still OK for lugging duties.
Chalet campsite where dadboxes reign supreme.
Amazing what a difference a new number plate makes. £10 well spent.
Also some pics from the Matra Museum and some rather lovely cars i hadnt heard of, plus the S1 Espace and Avantime lineage.
[url]
|https://thumbsnap.com/leS5j7HI[/url]
[url]
|https://thumbsnap.com/5jyfK5Bz[/url[url]
|https://thumbsnap.com/A64gA3DX[/url]Barchettaman said:
Fantastic work.
I got the TV theme reference even if noone else did. Nice touch.
Good stuff, had a (Fiat) barchetta ten years myself, then no car for 7 years and now this situation (six: 5 objects, 1 legal transport device).I got the TV theme reference even if noone else did. Nice touch.
Forgot to mention the purchase of the big window & giant sunroofed Avantime before the best summer of all time was a stroke of good fortune.
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