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Mar 28, 2008 20:42:04 GMT
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 First, a shiny one. Thats what it should look like.... Now, I got a call today to asses a project for welding to reach MoT standard. There was also some talk about brakes, wiring and the matter of it not having an exhaust, but I considered them to be minor difficulties. Ok, pictures tell the story better. Front. The can is cos there isn't a petrol tank either. Well not one that holds fuel, anyway.  This is the good side. It's dented, but not too rusty.  The dash looks nice  Under the carpet not so nice.  After a quick chat about money, and the huge difference between what he can afford, and what the car needs to get a MoT, never mind cosmetics, I suddenly found myself owning a '54 somerset. I pick it up at the weekend (oops) I have millions more pictures of serious rot, but its a waste of bandwith, you get the idea. Starts and drives, chassis seems solid, no brakes at all. The trafficators work though ;D It's on the DVLA computer, Off the road since 1991, and has a logbook. So what the heck do I do with it? I'm seriously thinking some sort of rod is the only way, either that, or its off to the farm for the hens to live in. What would you do? Oh yeah, and this made me laugh. Best location for a VIN plate ever?  |
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To get a standard A40 this low, you'd have to dig a hole to put it in |
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Mar 28, 2008 20:45:50 GMT
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Thats sooo cool, love the vin plate location and the Longbridge address as well proper relic of the British car industry.
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Sierra - here we go again! He has an illness, it's not his fault.
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Mar 28, 2008 20:51:35 GMT
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best thing to do is bung it on ebay, as some nutter will bid for it, like i do when i buy cars  |
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1993 Fiat Panda Selecta
2003 Vauxhall Combo 1.7DI van
2006 Mercedes Kompressor Evolution-S AMG SportCoupé
"You think you hate it now, wait til you drive it"
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Mar 28, 2008 21:04:19 GMT
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best thing to do is bung it on ebay, as some nutter will bid for it, like I do when I buy cars I can't really, cos unless he's a blind nutter and his guide dog doesnt know about cars, there would be neg feedback on that one. It really is a shed, the photos actually make it look shiny (which it isnt) Ebay would be adisaster for this. Unless I listed its faults so ruthlessly that no-one could possibly be mistaken into thinking some hubcaps and a quick dab of wax will see it winning shows.... and every time I do that, I make less money than the weighbridge pays (or get arrested, but thats another story, lol) Anyway. No. Not Ebay. I am its LAST owner unless I do something constructive with it. |
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To get a standard A40 this low, you'd have to dig a hole to put it in |
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Mar 28, 2008 21:19:48 GMT
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Result! I can see it smoothed, and slammed over some banded steels (am I that predictable?!) keeping the original hubcaps. Hot rod inspired touches... It's too small for a roof chop I think, but just some deep gloss navy blue, almost black paintwork... Oh, and something under the bonnet of course... you have a 2.0 Zetec kicking about do you not?!  ;D Granted you have a weld-athon on your hands before you get to that point, but hey ho, you seem a capable bloke... get on with it! ;D |
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Mar 28, 2008 21:20:53 GMT
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Well, I think you should first take the body off, inspect the chassis, and get that sorted. Weld, paint, whatever. By the sounds of it, it shouldn't take much to get a healthy rolling chassis.
Now, a good, tax exempt, rolling chassis with a v5 is worth money to someone looking for a hotrod project, so worst case, you can sell it in that condition.
Or.. you can put the body back on. Either restore it properly.. Or just abandon the worst bits, and use the cosmetic panels for a hotrod. Trouble is, the shape doesn't lend itself to hotrodding very well. But hey.. who says you can't just make a body out of scrounged up curse word? Too many hotrods now are big budget builds, or just all copies of each other. If you make your rod body out of anything you have lying around, it cant fail to be unique. And if you do it carefully, it should look great too.
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Mar 28, 2008 21:32:31 GMT
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Well, I think you should first take the body off, inspect the chassis, and get that sorted. Weld, paint, whatever. By the sounds of it, it shouldn't take much to get a healthy rolling chassis. Now, a good, tax exempt, rolling chassis with a v5 is worth money to someone looking for a hotrod project, so worst case, you can sell it in that condition. Or.. you can put the body back on. Either restore it properly.. Or just abandon the worst bits, and use the cosmetic panels for a hotrod. Trouble is, the shape doesn't lend itself to hotrodding very well. But hey.. who says you can't just make a body out of scrounged up curse word? Too many hotrods now are big budget builds, or just all copies of each other. If you make your rod body out of anything you have lying around, it cant fail to be unique. And if you do it carefully, it should look great too. Now, thats more like my train of thought, even as I was assessing it as a job. About the only things I'd keep cosmetically would be the grille (for laughs) and the trafficators (likewise) and matbe the screenline/bulkhead area for simplicity ...But a 1954 car needs no belts either, and can get away with tiny rear red lenses... hmm. There is a spare RV8 in the garage, and a scim axle... Wouldnt buy a body, easy enough to build.. scrounged up curse word is my middle name, lol |
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To get a standard A40 this low, you'd have to dig a hole to put it in |
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Mar 28, 2008 21:40:54 GMT
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Okay, one nifty thing you can do with roadsters/rods etc which use the standard bulkhead and screen... Cut the top edge off the screen surround, so you only keep the upright parts of the A pillar, going about halfway up the windscreen. The rest is just a bare glass edge. Bung something down the A pillars to reinforce, and it looks great. You would really need to chop some height out of the bulkhead though, to bring the dashboard and screen down to a reasonable height. Gotta keep the dashboard, it is perfect.
Back end.. It is just a box isnt it? Nick wheel arches off a trailer and make the main tub out of anything you can find.
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bbq
Part of things
(. )( .)
Posts: 485
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Mar 28, 2008 21:47:53 GMT
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Lexus v8, Supra manual box, 8.8 rear axle, front suspension TBA. home made box section chassis or brace the existing one.
You could make a really sweet little hotrod there.
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2003 Suzuki Wagon R+. Feel the POWAAARRRR!!! 1968 Volvo 142. My street/strip car. Currently fubarred, it will run one day. 1971 Volvo 142. Parts car. Stripped and gone. 1993 Nissan Sunny diesel. Runs on cooking oil!  [/UR |
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Mar 28, 2008 21:51:20 GMT
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Lexus v8, Supra manual box, 8.8 rear axle, front suspension TBA. home made box section chassis or brace the existing one. You could make a really sweet little hotrod there. So all you need to do is change the body, the front suspension, the rear suspension, the transmission, the engine, oh, and the chassis too.. And it will be like a whole new car! Sounds like the irishmans broom to me. I think it would be cool to keep all the austin running gear. So what if it is slow? Nothing wrong with a hotrod looking its age.. and driving like it too. |
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Mar 28, 2008 21:55:20 GMT
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Now now, don't mock the broom, mate... I just put a new handle on it the other day cos Autofive dropped a car on it, but the head will do another couple of months before its bald. 10 years, I've had that broom ;D
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To get a standard A40 this low, you'd have to dig a hole to put it in |
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bbq
Part of things
(. )( .)
Posts: 485
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Mar 28, 2008 21:59:29 GMT
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where did I say "change the body"?!
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Last Edit: Mar 28, 2008 21:59:45 GMT by bbq
2003 Suzuki Wagon R+. Feel the POWAAARRRR!!! 1968 Volvo 142. My street/strip car. Currently fubarred, it will run one day. 1971 Volvo 142. Parts car. Stripped and gone. 1993 Nissan Sunny diesel. Runs on cooking oil! [/UR |
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Mar 28, 2008 22:11:33 GMT
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The body is the bit that is knackered though, so it doesn't make any sense to keep it. For a big project like that, you would want a much better donor body. Inspiration:  |
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kevfromwales
Posted a lot
the conrod's REALLY out the block now!
Posts: 3,909
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Mar 28, 2008 22:12:02 GMT
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I've got one of these lined up for some bits and bobs for my 32 project, so if you decide to do it and need some bits, let me know
my donor is worse than yours!!!
- kev
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Almost on the road: b11 sunny breadvan, e36 tds, 325i skidcar,
nearly there: ford f250 tathauler, suzuki alto, u11 bluey
not for a while: ford pop, 32 rails,
not in this lifetime: ruby, '29 hillman
''unfortanatly I'm quite old and scruffy and in need of some loving. my drive shaft needs a new boot....''
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Mar 28, 2008 22:24:16 GMT
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how about a zetec hillclimber, light and frisky and without the restrictions of road use
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Someone just shot the elephant in the room. |
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Inspiration: any more info on this "T" |
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simes
Part of things
Posts: 734
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Mar 29, 2008 10:59:24 GMT
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Let me know if you're going to scrap it! My father bought one in a similar condition to yours. Got given it around 6 years ago, somehow got it MOT'd and then drove it to France where it now lives. Realised there was a lot to do so bought another about 2 years ago which is almost a daily driver and now uses the other as a parts bin. 'Amusing' to work on, I spent a week over there sorting out the brakes, bloody AF and Whitworth. Everything is beautifully over engineered. Column change is fun, seems to pull away in any gear. The engine is underpowered as it came from the lighter Devon, my dad tells me in his youth taking his original one to South of France and Scandinavia and of getting it up to 65mph. These days 40 seems safe!! It's not unheard of to fit the 1500cc engine, can't remember which Austin that's from though. If you need anymore info / parts - I'm happy to help. pm me.    Speedo wasn't working then. |
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Last Edit: Mar 29, 2008 11:18:11 GMT by simes
Simes
205Mi16 - 262 cams, Jenvey Throttle Bodies, Emerald managment blah blah......
E91 320D MSport
Honda NC30
Vespa 300GTS
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Mar 29, 2008 12:10:40 GMT
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It's the same chassis as the Devon/Dorset, and I believe the A40 sports. Engine is 42 hp, and is slightly smaller in external dimensions that the later B series.
I had 3 Devons as a youth, and my best one (which I rolled lengthways over a wall) would go off the clock and come back towards the stop - probably only 80 though.
They also made a convertible somerset - you could go in this direction I suppose.
As with all old cars, better to get the best one you can afford, then decide on what you want to do with it.
Just have fun with it.
Pete
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Mar 29, 2008 12:41:17 GMT
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Mar 29, 2008 21:38:29 GMT
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Ta for the link to rubellion, I'd forgotten about that. Well cool!
And I'm tending towards keeping the 1200 and the column change, organ pedals makes the bulkhead job simpler.... low, lean and light.. mmm.
Thing is, would T-bucket style on this make it a S-Bucket?
lolz
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To get a standard A40 this low, you'd have to dig a hole to put it in |
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;D
