How it started, way back in 2018...
Bought off eBay for £475, I'd actually known of the car for well over a decade. It was in the next village over, and having seen it in regular use, I figured it would be a good buy. I have always loved the turbocharged 800 Vitesse ever since my boss bought one brand new when I was 16. This, however, was a far cry from his.
It had not been looked after. At all. And it was so vile inside it made the local refuse centre look like a four-star hotel. The body, while straight, was a hot mess. The colour is very forgiving on camera. The reality was a shed load of dents, scratches, hazed lacquer and peeling paint. Horrid. But still, it had good bones, as they say. Over the course of the next two years, I pretty much reduced it to its component parts an built it back up again as a working car.
It did get an MOT, but then Lockdown One happened, so it got very little use. Then the MOT expired. It also blew a driveshaft, which was remarkably difficult to replace. But I sorted it all in the end. And then, last month, I had some share options mature, so I had the car painted. Well, most of it. The front bumper needs replacing really (had a hole in it that I repaired). I'll source one, then have that painted in due course.
It now, to my utter disbelief, looks like this.
Here's what I have done to it since buying it:
* New clutch
* New complete exhaust
* Iridium plugs
* Magnegor leads
* Electronic boost controller
* New cam belt and water pump
* New cam seals
* Driver seat re-trim
* New M Tec disks, pads and braided lines
* New brake hard lines
* New stereo system
* new diamond stitch door inserts
* Alcantara door inserts
* Wheels refurbished
* New Falken tyres
* Full alignment
* New suspension all round
* Re-soldered fuseboard
* Bonnet vents
* Full engine bay clean and detail
* New alloy expansion tank (incoming)
* New lower and upper coolant hard lines
* TIM boost gauge
* Aux capillary temp gauge (because Rover)
* New fuel filler neck
* New bumper brackets
* Fixed a hole in the front bumper
* Best attempt at de-warping dash
* Repaired rusted outer sill
* A million other things I have forgotten.
I love it. I hate it. Then I love it again. Not everyone's cup of tea, but I'm immensely proud of it. I've never done so much to one car, and it's a bit unreal to look at it now, all fresh and shiny. Plus, it's a pleasingly rare thing that always gets attention wherever it goes, and that's nice.
Enjoy!
Chris
Bought off eBay for £475, I'd actually known of the car for well over a decade. It was in the next village over, and having seen it in regular use, I figured it would be a good buy. I have always loved the turbocharged 800 Vitesse ever since my boss bought one brand new when I was 16. This, however, was a far cry from his.
It had not been looked after. At all. And it was so vile inside it made the local refuse centre look like a four-star hotel. The body, while straight, was a hot mess. The colour is very forgiving on camera. The reality was a shed load of dents, scratches, hazed lacquer and peeling paint. Horrid. But still, it had good bones, as they say. Over the course of the next two years, I pretty much reduced it to its component parts an built it back up again as a working car.
It did get an MOT, but then Lockdown One happened, so it got very little use. Then the MOT expired. It also blew a driveshaft, which was remarkably difficult to replace. But I sorted it all in the end. And then, last month, I had some share options mature, so I had the car painted. Well, most of it. The front bumper needs replacing really (had a hole in it that I repaired). I'll source one, then have that painted in due course.
It now, to my utter disbelief, looks like this.
Here's what I have done to it since buying it:
* New clutch
* New complete exhaust
* Iridium plugs
* Magnegor leads
* Electronic boost controller
* New cam belt and water pump
* New cam seals
* Driver seat re-trim
* New M Tec disks, pads and braided lines
* New brake hard lines
* New stereo system
* new diamond stitch door inserts
* Alcantara door inserts
* Wheels refurbished
* New Falken tyres
* Full alignment
* New suspension all round
* Re-soldered fuseboard
* Bonnet vents
* Full engine bay clean and detail
* New alloy expansion tank (incoming)
* New lower and upper coolant hard lines
* TIM boost gauge
* Aux capillary temp gauge (because Rover)
* New fuel filler neck
* New bumper brackets
* Fixed a hole in the front bumper
* Best attempt at de-warping dash
* Repaired rusted outer sill
* A million other things I have forgotten.
I love it. I hate it. Then I love it again. Not everyone's cup of tea, but I'm immensely proud of it. I've never done so much to one car, and it's a bit unreal to look at it now, all fresh and shiny. Plus, it's a pleasingly rare thing that always gets attention wherever it goes, and that's nice.
Enjoy!
Chris
