Anyone in London want to do me a favour?

If it's near me, I should be able to take a look at it for you

What is it btw?

Well, don't throw stuff at me, but I used to own this...



And when I was on holiday I saw loads of them on the roads, like this...



And then I happened to be passing eBay and I saw this...



cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=320042526389&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT&ih=011

Its one of those "that was the best car I ever had" nostalgia moments. I have them on and off about the white whale.

It was NOT the best car I ever had but it was...

Remarkably reliable (I note "new core plugs" on the listing, mine blew too!)
Remarkably comfy
Almost economical (for a 4200 lb V8 monstrosity)
Easy to park (by yank tank standards)
Em loved it.

So another one might be in order...

I have no idea about the price. I have a feeling that a £500 openning bid would be enough (missing the magic MOT here) although you never can tell. I bought mine out of the local paper for £800 with full MOT but no tax, 2 years nearly later I sold it for £1500 via tha AAC. I then saw it sell on eBay 6 months later for £600 with T&T. I've watched a few others, usually with dreadful paint colours where an MOT'd one has sold for £400 and then a MOt-less one got up to a grand! Seen one in Classic American the guy was asking £2995 for it.

The last one I saw was 5 weeks or so ago wnrt for £620 IIRC with T&T but had been painted baby blue non-metallic 2 tone and it looked rank to me.

So Imight even be able to see if it goes for no bids and offer cash less than the £500. I dunno. I have to get it up here after all...

does this make it any better?

I'm in reach of S.E London if it's near me. North of the river is alien territory! Passports apply.

If you find out, I'll happily check it over.

North London - there's a very dodgy school there too

If you wouldn't mind doing that it would be ace. The guy says it "needs a little tuning" as its not been driven much for the last 18 months. The thing is theres no real tuning to do as its a computer controlled carburettor (yes, really) so it could be just tired plugs, leads, maybe the timing is out unless the computer does that too (I know it controls advance, but I don't think it does base timeing) and the usual. I'm not keen to buy one with a dud ECU though... Although that can be gotten around pretty easy if it is. I have a non-computer carb and distributor here, just that the carb is currently the only one I have and its on my Plymouth LOL.

Performance is poor. My old one ran 17.26 @ 72.2 MPH and felow members of the owner's forum thought that was good for a stock one. With mods they have been in the 14s. Most people don;t bother though, but itsn't that exactly the point?

I'm more bothered about tatty/stained interior, rust, bad creasing of body pannels (minor dings are OK, but "folds" are a pain to deal with. He says "it needs a new paint job", I suspect the lacquer has died on this one then. although I've been told that before and known the car would buff up with a mop when I've seen it.

Basically I'm after a car I can get dragged back up here, spend a little effort getting it MOTd and looking a little nicer and then run through the winter as my daily so the Buick doesn't get any rustier than it is already (and the Buick heater does not work!)

Oh, please check heater works! Number of times I've managed to buy cars with duff heaters just before winter....

soz AK but this:



is just fuggin awful!!!!! everything that is bad about yank cars concentrated into one fugly PVC-cowboy-jacketed heap. Your FD vauxhall is just light years away in coolness.

If I lived in London I would go and have a look at it for you but I would have to wear a trenchcoat and groucho marx-style glasses and moustache.

Much as I despise Metro's, I will admit that they can handle pretty good.
And a skoda is a laugh a minute.

I think the reason we can't see the appeal is we are 'ticking boxes'...

Fast? No
Frugal? No
RaZ0r-sharp handling? No
Nice to look at? No
Stylish? No
Comfortable to sit in whilst stationary.... er yes. Which I don't think would be enough boxes ticked for most of us... obviously you see some appeal or killer potential that the rest of us are missing!