RMR: A Sprint dilemma
Posted: Mon May 30, 2016 6:37 pm
This is the car I rescued last week; it has not been on the road since 1985, ie three years before I bought my first Sprint! There are in places some horrendous rot, but in others it is surprisingly solid. I have cleaned up the interior a little, to good effect, washed it and explored its weaknesses.
Evidently, it was taken off the road due to waterpump issues, the inlet manifold has been taken off and the pump exposed, but then the owner apparently died. Everything was left to two brothers, whom I'm told didn't speak, so nothing was done with the property until one of them died. In the intervening years, the wheels and instruments were stolen, and latterly the roof of the garage collapsed.
The underside is covered with surface rust, which will have thinned the metal a little, but it seems generally solid; I managed to poke two small holes in the offside chassis leg and the boot floor has gone beneath the tank.
The eyebrows and upper front valance seem good, and you can see the front closure of the nearside cill through the wing; above the waistline of the car it seems solid, though the roof sports a couple of dents. The rear and front screen surrounds are good. The bootlid lip is shot.
Mechanically it will need work; looking down the inlets I can see valve stems with spots of rust, and there is a lot of fluffy aluminium oxide present on the head and carbs. Most metal components on suspension etc are covered in heavy surface rust.
I have compiled a list of panels I could put with it:
Second hand bootlid
Doors x 2
Door repair panels x 2 (the offside door frames appear solid)
Cills x 2
Inner cills x 2 (though much of them appear sound)
Reinforcers x 2
Second hand front wings x 2
Rear wing repairs x 2
Rear arch repairs x 2
Boot floor repairs x 2
Set of instruments
Set of alloys
If someone had the time and inclination, that would form the basis of a viable restoration in my opinion, but I have several other cars ahead of it in the queue. I have no long term storage space, and it is still on the trailer outside the house...
It is a 'series 1' car, chassis VA8***DLO
Putting those parts with the car would increase its cost to me to £1300. 'Values' of projects appear to be rising. Is it worth attempting to move it on on that basis, or should I just admit it is another one gone and break it?
Original Listing Photo's:
My Photo's:
Heart and head; opinions please...
Evidently, it was taken off the road due to waterpump issues, the inlet manifold has been taken off and the pump exposed, but then the owner apparently died. Everything was left to two brothers, whom I'm told didn't speak, so nothing was done with the property until one of them died. In the intervening years, the wheels and instruments were stolen, and latterly the roof of the garage collapsed.
The underside is covered with surface rust, which will have thinned the metal a little, but it seems generally solid; I managed to poke two small holes in the offside chassis leg and the boot floor has gone beneath the tank.
The eyebrows and upper front valance seem good, and you can see the front closure of the nearside cill through the wing; above the waistline of the car it seems solid, though the roof sports a couple of dents. The rear and front screen surrounds are good. The bootlid lip is shot.
Mechanically it will need work; looking down the inlets I can see valve stems with spots of rust, and there is a lot of fluffy aluminium oxide present on the head and carbs. Most metal components on suspension etc are covered in heavy surface rust.
I have compiled a list of panels I could put with it:
Second hand bootlid
Doors x 2
Door repair panels x 2 (the offside door frames appear solid)
Cills x 2
Inner cills x 2 (though much of them appear sound)
Reinforcers x 2
Second hand front wings x 2
Rear wing repairs x 2
Rear arch repairs x 2
Boot floor repairs x 2
Set of instruments
Set of alloys
If someone had the time and inclination, that would form the basis of a viable restoration in my opinion, but I have several other cars ahead of it in the queue. I have no long term storage space, and it is still on the trailer outside the house...
It is a 'series 1' car, chassis VA8***DLO
Putting those parts with the car would increase its cost to me to £1300. 'Values' of projects appear to be rising. Is it worth attempting to move it on on that basis, or should I just admit it is another one gone and break it?
Original Listing Photo's:
My Photo's:
Heart and head; opinions please...
