I have owned this car since 2007 and after 7 years sitting in dry storage I am now finally able to get on and restore her with the intention of getting her back on the road by next summer.
NWL was originally built on the 18th August 1980 and from my research of the production records at Gaydon was one of the very last Sprints to be built.
This is her story so far…
It was originally delivered to the BL Cars Ltd for Mr K Brown at the Cowley Body Plant on the 23 March 1981.
On the 14th June 1982 Mr Bailey of Taunton Somerset purchased the car from The Triumph Centre in Hendon London, Mr Baileys wife used the car on a daily basis until 1998 when it was put into dry storage.
The car subsequently sat in their garage for before I brought it on the 24th January 2007.
The car has an extensive history file including the original service books, a stamp for every service confirming the mileage of 106000, sales brochures, every invoice and receipt for work done on the vehicle and the original AA Vehicle Inspection report when the car was sold to Mr Bailey in 1982. During the time Mr and Mrs Bailey owned the car it was serviced at Wadham Stringer in Taunton. I have every receipt for work done on the car including a new cylinder head and bottom end at 68000 miles. The car was then looked after by a local Jaguar Specialist until 1998.
We have put together an outline plan of what needs to be done, the plan is to bring her back to showroom condition and given the cars history I feel that she deserves to be fully restored.
Body
New headlight panels, new battery tray, outer sills and reinforcing panel repair, inner rear wheelarch repairs, offside C pillar repair, boot floor repairs, new bonnet, the rear doors don’t line up due to a poor repair previously so they’ll be reskinned. Obviously a re-spray in Carmine red and to compliment that, re-chromed bumpers and stainless steel brightwork polished, new rubber seals, vinyl roof etc...
Mechanical
Fully rebuilt engine, gearbox, propshaft and back axle. Refurbished carbs and cooling system. Refurbished suspension, brakes, wheels and obviously new tyres.
Interior
New Carpets, headlining, refurbished woodwork and repaired seats.
These photos are from when I bought her in 2007. Generally she is not in bad condition, everything works including the overdrive and she has never been subject to restoration so we know that everything on the car is correct for the year. She has had some panel patching to keep her running. The rear door bottoms have been repaired, there are some patches on the sills, inner wheelarches and front chassis leg below the battery, I can’t see evidence of any outer rear wheelarch repair and the paint thickness is pretty uniform across the whole of the car but other things normally come to light when the body returns from sand blasting so we shall see.