Anyone ever been given a car?
Discussion
Been given quite a few, not that I always wanted them, but its handy. Currently a Mk1 MX5 and a Vauxhall Senator as in the donation pot, not sure what to do with them, but running out of space. People tend to dump things they dont want on me these days, but a severe lack of spare women!??! Or cash?
My old Rover 200 ate it's cambelt (I was young, it had done 87,000 miles on the original, the thought of getting it changed never even occured to me!) I badly needed a car. my parents were looking for a new car and when the salesman offered them £400 for their old one they said no thanks and gave it to me which was very generous of them. The downside was it was a nissan Almera 1.4. The upside? it didn't need a thing for over three years other than 2 front tyres and passed it's MOT every year with no work required. until an old codger pulled out in front of me and the insurance company wrote it off. I got £1400 (twice what i was expecting!) and got my 306 GTi-6. Which has been a proper money pit. 
My girlfriend at the time, now wife, was given a Nissan Micra 1.0 by her mum who had ceased driving through old age. I made it quite clear that i would only go out with her if she got rid of the Cadbury Purple piece of crap! She agreed and is now smoking a fine Supercharged Jag,amongst other things 
I have collected Kit Cars, Specials and Classic cars for 50 odd years.
I currently still own 12 complete cars and about ten uncompleted projects. I am now retired from practicing as a Chartered Accountant.
My reason for posting this information is that because of my lifelong interest and contact with manufacturers, builders, designers and constructors within the car industry my hobby has been widely know.
In consequence I receive unsolicited offers of all sorts of cars free gratis every year. For over 40 years. Certainly at least ten a year probably more. Generally these are subject to my agreeing not to scrap the cars. I prefer to agree to donate £250 to any nominated charity which seems pretty acceptable.
I scrap very few but some basket cases are just that. I do not have the time or interest to break any cars personally. I do sometimes offer the real basket cases to Classic spares collectors and I do always pay £250 to the nominated charities.
In consequence I can usually source spares when I need them. Generally I collect. Over the years I have restored and enjoyed umpteen cars.
Being completely mad has been a lot of fun. The women in my life would probably disagree. On second thoughts they would ALL definitely disagree.
I currently still own 12 complete cars and about ten uncompleted projects. I am now retired from practicing as a Chartered Accountant.
My reason for posting this information is that because of my lifelong interest and contact with manufacturers, builders, designers and constructors within the car industry my hobby has been widely know.
In consequence I receive unsolicited offers of all sorts of cars free gratis every year. For over 40 years. Certainly at least ten a year probably more. Generally these are subject to my agreeing not to scrap the cars. I prefer to agree to donate £250 to any nominated charity which seems pretty acceptable.
I scrap very few but some basket cases are just that. I do not have the time or interest to break any cars personally. I do sometimes offer the real basket cases to Classic spares collectors and I do always pay £250 to the nominated charities.
In consequence I can usually source spares when I need them. Generally I collect. Over the years I have restored and enjoyed umpteen cars.
Being completely mad has been a lot of fun. The women in my life would probably disagree. On second thoughts they would ALL definitely disagree.
My sister inherited out grand-dads Toyota Starlet when he passed last year. It was kept well, but had some maintenance to be taken care off (cambelt was 14 years old :O), which grandma payed for.
She loves the thing though, reliable, nippy and economical. I even sourced a right-hand wing mirror for her, since it only came with a left wing mirror.
She loves the thing though, reliable, nippy and economical. I even sourced a right-hand wing mirror for her, since it only came with a left wing mirror.
)Put out a wanted ad for a door for a lancia beta hpe. Got told 'you can have it, you just have to take the rest of the car as well'. Was a VX too. Sadly rusty rear suspension towers and some careless fire enducing welding by a garage meant it had to go back to its donor car status after a year or two.
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