Wedge for Sale - Early Tasmin 280i
Discussion
Well, the day has finally arrived when it will cost me more to renew the MOT that the wedge is worth. That combined with a mortgage increase means I'm gutted to announce my wedge is for sale.
The bad point is it failed the MOT - it looks like it needs the outriggers replacing, a new exhaust, and various suspension woes.
The good points are it had a new blueprinted engine and gearbox last year from Moore Racing, new fuel pump, rebuilt fuel tanks, and I've had tons more work done on it over the years. It also has a huge history file, and I have a load of spares for it.
So before I take the usual route and stick it on E-Bay, is anyone here interested in it as a project or a doner car? There are far too many good bits on it to scrap (engine, for one thing).
Any other suggestions would be welcomed (that don't involve me having to bankrupt myself!), and offers welcomed.
The bad point is it failed the MOT - it looks like it needs the outriggers replacing, a new exhaust, and various suspension woes.
The good points are it had a new blueprinted engine and gearbox last year from Moore Racing, new fuel pump, rebuilt fuel tanks, and I've had tons more work done on it over the years. It also has a huge history file, and I have a load of spares for it.
So before I take the usual route and stick it on E-Bay, is anyone here interested in it as a project or a doner car? There are far too many good bits on it to scrap (engine, for one thing).
Any other suggestions would be welcomed (that don't involve me having to bankrupt myself!), and offers welcomed.
Why not mothball it for a while, slowly collect the bits you need and then put it back on the road.
As Tallbloke said, have word with Wedgie about the outrigger replacement, he's just done a good article on the job here Tubular Hell
Showing that it's not that difficult. Be a shame to get rid of it and lose everything you have put into it. I've made that mistaker myself in the past and you will only regret it later.
As Tallbloke said, have word with Wedgie about the outrigger replacement, he's just done a good article on the job here Tubular Hell
Showing that it's not that difficult. Be a shame to get rid of it and lose everything you have put into it. I've made that mistaker myself in the past and you will only regret it later.
Thanks for the offer - unfortunately I'm not a mechanic, and it seems a lot of the charges quoted to me have been labour charges.
I have been told it will cost me a minimum of £1.5K to £2.5K to get it through the MOT, so maybe the thing to do is get it repaired and sell it with a full MOT. At least that would keep it in one piece, and as I say, the engine is a darn good one (blueprinted and race tuned) - that ought to interest someone!
I have been told it will cost me a minimum of £1.5K to £2.5K to get it through the MOT, so maybe the thing to do is get it repaired and sell it with a full MOT. At least that would keep it in one piece, and as I say, the engine is a darn good one (blueprinted and race tuned) - that ought to interest someone!
You will never recover the money you spend paying someone else to improve a wedge. If you go this route you should plan to get a couple of seasons of fun out of it before you sell. If you have to get rid, sell the tuned engine and box seperately and pass the wedge on to someone who sees potential in fitting a cosworth.
Didn't someone mention a cheap cossie engine on here last week?
Didn't someone mention a cheap cossie engine on here last week?
Have you still got the original engine? One option would be to pull the tuned unit out and sell the car with the original, whether or not you refit it.
The spares could go on Ebay or PH.
Sadly it is becoming the case that most cars of this type are past the age when they were worthwhile investments; you have to want one badly enough to put up with whatever they throw at you and pay whatever it costs (or develop the skills to repair it yourself).
Another example might be the Lotus Eclat: one project car sold on Ebay for £620 earlier this week and there's another on there now at £350 - complete, one owner from new, been in a barn for years. My guess is the owner knows exactly what it needs and is getting rid. The Eclat was one of Lotus' less-popular (certainly with mechanics!) models and they have some horrific weak spots, mainly the rear of the chassis, the gearbox and the rear axle setup (with inboard DRUM brakes!). Anyone who wants one has to be seriously dedicated
Whilst I (amongst others) could certainly repair your sills, location may be a problem - though I suspect my charges would be lower than any mainstream 'specialist'.
I read your profile and some of your earlier posts and it does sound as though your car has been, or is, suffering from the usual wedge maladies. Unfortunately it takes someone to restore these cars to keep them available for future nutters, otherwise they'll all go the way of that one that was being broken for spares recently. The main drawback there is that everyone wants the same spares, so once those bits have gone the car is probably unrecoverable and thus gets scrapped.
And there are few enough of them as it is....
Not much help I know, but can you just park it up for a while and look at ways and means? If you sell to 'cut your losses', might you then go and buy another apparent 'bargain', only to encounter similar problems in a year or two?
The spares could go on Ebay or PH.
Sadly it is becoming the case that most cars of this type are past the age when they were worthwhile investments; you have to want one badly enough to put up with whatever they throw at you and pay whatever it costs (or develop the skills to repair it yourself).
Another example might be the Lotus Eclat: one project car sold on Ebay for £620 earlier this week and there's another on there now at £350 - complete, one owner from new, been in a barn for years. My guess is the owner knows exactly what it needs and is getting rid. The Eclat was one of Lotus' less-popular (certainly with mechanics!) models and they have some horrific weak spots, mainly the rear of the chassis, the gearbox and the rear axle setup (with inboard DRUM brakes!). Anyone who wants one has to be seriously dedicated
Whilst I (amongst others) could certainly repair your sills, location may be a problem - though I suspect my charges would be lower than any mainstream 'specialist'.
I read your profile and some of your earlier posts and it does sound as though your car has been, or is, suffering from the usual wedge maladies. Unfortunately it takes someone to restore these cars to keep them available for future nutters
, otherwise they'll all go the way of that one that was being broken for spares recently. The main drawback there is that everyone wants the same spares, so once those bits have gone the car is probably unrecoverable and thus gets scrapped. And there are few enough of them as it is....
Not much help I know, but can you just park it up for a while and look at ways and means? If you sell to 'cut your losses', might you then go and buy another apparent 'bargain', only to encounter similar problems in a year or two?
Thanks for the advice.
Unfortunately I am at a stage where I have run out of money now - the bank/government/council are all busy trying to take more and more of my hard-earned, and it's a choice between full renovation or eating for the next 3 years (I have to admit the decision was a close one!)
As for buying another one, if I do, I will make sure I can afford a properly "sorted" one, and it ain't gonna be for a few years yet.
Unfortunately the previous engine was "beyond repair", and was consigned to the skip.
Hopefully I will be able to find someone who will take it on as project rather than split it. I have to admit the MOT failure came out of the blue - the car is running well, nothing seemed to be wrong with it, and I was looking forward to a summer of wedging. Ah well, such is life.
Incidentally, if anyone is interested, give please drop me an e-mail - I can provide photos plus full details of the failures on request (although I am away this weekend, so a reply might be next week).
Unfortunately I am at a stage where I have run out of money now - the bank/government/council are all busy trying to take more and more of my hard-earned, and it's a choice between full renovation or eating for the next 3 years (I have to admit the decision was a close one!)
As for buying another one, if I do, I will make sure I can afford a properly "sorted" one, and it ain't gonna be for a few years yet.
Unfortunately the previous engine was "beyond repair", and was consigned to the skip.
Hopefully I will be able to find someone who will take it on as project rather than split it. I have to admit the MOT failure came out of the blue - the car is running well, nothing seemed to be wrong with it, and I was looking forward to a summer of wedging. Ah well, such is life.
Incidentally, if anyone is interested, give please drop me an e-mail - I can provide photos plus full details of the failures on request (although I am away this weekend, so a reply might be next week).
Jon,
Always really sad to see this - somethimes it's better to fix it up and sell it as it's always a better propositional as a runner than a box of bits.
The solution would seem to be to borrow a few bob - enlist some help to be it on the road - enjoy it for a while .. and see where you want to go fro there..
No one ever said old cars were cheap ..
But boy oh boy do they stand out from the crowd
Always really sad to see this - somethimes it's better to fix it up and sell it as it's always a better propositional as a runner than a box of bits.
The solution would seem to be to borrow a few bob - enlist some help to be it on the road - enjoy it for a while .. and see where you want to go fro there..
No one ever said old cars were cheap ..
But boy oh boy do they stand out from the crowd
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