rickygolf83
Scotland
Mk2 Golf 8v & 16v, VR6, Nova Antibes, Mk4 1.8t & mk4 Gt Tdi 130
Posts: 560
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Sept 17, 2019 16:33:55 GMT
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Does anyone know if there is a build thread or pics taken of the Longbridge Tunnel Mini being straightened out? Quite interested to see how it was done, as the poor thing was very dented!
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Sept 17, 2019 16:47:20 GMT
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You tried searching theminiforum? Pretty certain someone on there a few years ago did it
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1967 Beetle
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rickygolf83
Scotland
Mk2 Golf 8v & 16v, VR6, Nova Antibes, Mk4 1.8t & mk4 Gt Tdi 130
Posts: 560
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Sept 17, 2019 16:48:30 GMT
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mmm, will have a search! Nout came up via "longbridge tunnel mini" search, just links to newspaper stories!
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Sept 17, 2019 16:54:19 GMT
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1967 Beetle
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Sept 17, 2019 18:07:58 GMT
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No idea about any videos of it being straightened but I know it now lives at the British Heritage Motor Museum at Gaydon, couple of pics from last year. Seem to remember the info board telling of it being a factory runabout and something was dropped on it so it was discreetly stripped of all useful parts and hidden in the tunnel.
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Last Edit: Sept 17, 2019 18:10:35 GMT by disastra98
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rickygolf83
Scotland
Mk2 Golf 8v & 16v, VR6, Nova Antibes, Mk4 1.8t & mk4 Gt Tdi 130
Posts: 560
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Sept 17, 2019 18:08:27 GMT
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rickygolf83
Scotland
Mk2 Golf 8v & 16v, VR6, Nova Antibes, Mk4 1.8t & mk4 Gt Tdi 130
Posts: 560
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Sept 17, 2019 18:10:31 GMT
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rickygolf83
Scotland
Mk2 Golf 8v & 16v, VR6, Nova Antibes, Mk4 1.8t & mk4 Gt Tdi 130
Posts: 560
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Sept 17, 2019 18:23:55 GMT
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@ disastra 98; I had read about it ending up in Gaydon, probably its final resting place, still alive though! Would have been amazing if it had made it on to the queens highway
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Sept 17, 2019 18:42:22 GMT
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Just read through most of that and seemed to end about 2014 i'm drawn in now is there any later info.
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Sept 17, 2019 18:43:48 GMT
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got updated as i was typing i see its in a museum now
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rickygolf83
Scotland
Mk2 Golf 8v & 16v, VR6, Nova Antibes, Mk4 1.8t & mk4 Gt Tdi 130
Posts: 560
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Sept 17, 2019 19:57:11 GMT
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I was hoping for "build thread" style pics of it somewhere, there may have been more detailed shots of on it on a facebook group which now shows closed 😑
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Sept 18, 2019 7:13:14 GMT
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Just read the thread put up by scimjim and nice to see the bloke who saved it joined RR and said why he sold it which makes sense and i think confirms his integrity through out the hole process, good on him for saving it i reckon and i hope good karma and good things came his way for taking the time to attempt it and putting up with all the negative comments that he put up with.
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Sept 18, 2019 8:11:00 GMT
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It was in Gaydon last year, don’t know if its still there?
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slater
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 6,390
Club RR Member Number: 78
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Longbridge Tunnel Minislater
@slater
Club Retro Rides Member 78
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Sept 18, 2019 16:53:30 GMT
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It's still there as far as I know.
It was my mates that first 'discovered' it and the first picture in this thread is my picture taken somtime around 2007.
At some point around 2011 'a guy' got permission to remove it from the tunnels, partially straightened it out for no apparent reason and then tried of flog it at auction for some insanely stupid amount of money. In the process he stole some of mine and my friends photos of it and we started persuing him for copyright theft as the photos ended up in 100s of media outlets as publicity for the auction. Unsuprisingly the car never sold at the auction and ended up at the museum insted. (I'm hoping they didnt have to pay for it but sadly I guess they probably did.) To cut a long story short I never managed to get the details of the guy. The media outlets simply blamed the auctioneers and the auctioneers blamed the guy but wouldnt give me his details.. Hopefully he didnt profit too much out of it as he was clearly just on the make rather than cared about saving it.. I mean why would you ruin it trying the straighten it out!
As for the story behind it is somewhat plausible but it had only done about 11miles iirc so it was hardly even off the end of the line. The tunnels were once full of simlar cars all probably with much more interesting stories but after a fire down there most of the tunnels were cleared out. It was far from the most interesting thing we found on that site but seems to be what everyone remembers becuase of all the publicity hunting for the auction sale.
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Longbridge Tunnel Minifr€$h&m1nt¥
@freshandminty
Club Retro Rides Member 99
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Sept 18, 2019 17:34:56 GMT
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It's still there as far as I know. It was my mates that first 'discovered' it and the first picture in this thread is my picture taken somtime around 2007. At some point around 2011 'a guy' got permission to remove it from the tunnels, partially straightened it out for no apparent reason and then tried of flog it at auction for some insanely stupid amount of money. In the process he stole some of mine and my friends photos of it and we started persuing him for copyright theft as the photos ended up in 100s of media outlets as publicity for the auction. Unsuprisingly the car never sold at the auction and ended up at the museum insted. (I'm hoping they didnt have to pay for it but sadly I guess they probably did.) To cut a long story short I never managed to get the details of the guy. The media outlets simply blamed the auctioneers and the auctioneers blamed the guy but wouldnt give me his details.. Hopefully he didnt profit too much out of it as he was clearly just on the make rather than cared about saving it.. I mean why would you ruin it trying the straighten it out! As for the story behind it is somewhat plausible but it had only done about 11miles iirc so it was hardly even off the end of the line. The tunnels were once full of simlar cars all probably with much more interesting stories but after a fire down there most of the tunnels were cleared out. It was far from the most interesting thing we found on that site but seems to be what everyone remembers becuase of all the publicity hunting for the auction sale. The guy who sold it at auction is on here - he posted on the other RR thread about it linked above! Sold for £1400 after turning down offers of £20k (according to the sun) If wondered if it fell off the production line or transporter leaving for a dealership and it landed on its roof.
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Sept 18, 2019 18:12:33 GMT
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Supposedly a container fell on it
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Longbridge Tunnel Minifr€$h&m1nt¥
@freshandminty
Club Retro Rides Member 99
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Sept 18, 2019 20:27:22 GMT
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Supposedly a container fell on it True but a factory worker said it was before containers were used - unless he was talking about shipping containers and it was just a random “container” that fell on it.
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rickygolf83
Scotland
Mk2 Golf 8v & 16v, VR6, Nova Antibes, Mk4 1.8t & mk4 Gt Tdi 130
Posts: 560
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Sept 18, 2019 20:58:26 GMT
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if it was a shipping container it would have been flat as a pancake!
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Sept 19, 2019 5:52:21 GMT
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Supposedly a container fell on it True but a factory worker said it was before containers were used - unless he was talking about shipping containers and it was just a random “container” that fell on it. I used to spend some time around various manufacturers as part of a job i used to have, several used metal crates around 4foot square with open tops or doors, perhaps it was one of those?
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