Description
I have owned this car for 17 years, and it has been off the road for about ten of those. I have always had the best intentions of getting it back to roadworthy condition, but life and other projects keep getting in the way, and I've reluctantly reached the conclusion that it would be better off going to someone who can give it the attention it deserves.
It starts on the button, the engine sounds healthy and it moves under its own power. It's not really drivable at the moment as the brakes need attention - they do work but not well enough for it to be safe to drive any distance. It will drive onto a trailer though. Lights and wipers worked fine last time I checked. The heater fan has never worked in my ownership, although the heater does get warm, and some of the ancillaries don't work at the moment as some of the wiring in the centre console needs reconnecting.
The original fuel pump died and has been replaced with an electric pump. The engine also had a new water pump a few years back, and a replacement alternator. Both front brake calipers have been replaced with new, but the discs will also probably want replacing (or at least skimming) and the rear brakes may also need attention, although the handbrake works well enough. The tyres have plenty of tread but are fairly ancient.
Bodywork needs attention in places. The worst bits are the offside rear arch into the door shut, and the spare wheel well. Both of these areas were already on their way out back when I bought the car, and the intervening 17 years haven't made them any better. There are repair panels in the boot. The sills and front valance are also looking a bit tender in places, and there are rust bubbles in various places round the car - apart from the aforementioned there are no big holes though that I've found, and overall I think it's still pretty structurally sound. The paintwork will need attention though, especially on the bonnet and the tops of the rear wings. I did have a go at machine polishing the bonnet since the photos were taken, and it started to come up pretty well, but it was making rather a mess of my driveway so I didn't finish the job.
The interior is a mixed bag - the carpets need a clean but are not too bad, the dashboard and door cards are OK, although the front door cards have had speakers fitted at some point (a long time ago). The sunroof interior lining has largely disintegrated though, and the leather on the seats has also suffered - they really need reupholstering or replacing. The sunroof does still open but I'm not sure how watertight the seals are so I've left it alone. The front quarterlights have done the usual thing with the locking handles and hinges becoming unglued from the glass, so those are just wedged in place at the moment.
The car is in Norfolk and will obviously need transporting away. I am happy to take more photos if required, although it might take a little while as the car is in my garage and is quite a tight fit. Contact by email is preferred as I can't always answer the phone. The price is firm - this is a reluctant sale and if the car doesn't make the asking price I'm prepared for it to just sit in the garage until I eventually get around to it...
