Highlights

• Older restoration
• Thousands spent, documented
• Overdrive model
• Historic vehicle status
• Solid classic

The Appeal

The History and Paperwork

• Built in 1971
• First registered in May 1972
• Historic vehicle status (tax and MOT exempt)
• Three former keepers from new
• Last owner since June 2022 – only selling as they lacked storage space
• Previous owner from 1981 to 2022 – more than 40 years!
• Invoices for a £2,100 restoration in 1990 and a £6,000 restoration in 2002
• Invoices showing more than £3,400 spent on maintenance since 2018
• 43,801 miles indicated (five-figure odometer)

The Interior

• Black vinyl seats look to be in fine condition, with some wear and creasing commensurate with the car’s age
• The door cards are finished in black vinyl, some of which is showing signs of bubbling
• Black carpet is fitted through the cabin and boot area, and shows well with no notable damage or staining we could discern
• All of the driving controls, instruments and switchgear elements appear in nice condition, with a genuine patina and level of wear
• A hazard switch and variable speed intermittent wipers have been installed
• A full-size spare wheel is present in the boot
• The boot floor appears to be nice and solid, with no major corrosion to note

The Exterior

• There are minor blemishes, microblisters, bubbles and hairline cracks in places
• Overall, the bodywork presents well – the panels look straight and undamaged
• All of the external trim appears to be present and correct, with some of the brightwork looking a little tired and pitted, but nothing that would concern us
• 14-inch Rostyle wheels with Falken tyres look to be in fine fettle
• The Webasto sunroof doesn’t show any evidence of rips or tears
• Underneath, the car looks nice and straight, with no major corrosion we could see to the floor or sills – it appears the car has been undersealed at some point

The Mechanics

• Classic 1,798cc B-series four-cylinder engine
• Twin SU carburetors with K&N performance filters
• Four-speed manual transmission with overdrive
• We’re told the gear change is decent with only a slight crunch if rushed, and the overdrive working as it should
• The vendor reports a noise from the gearbox which disappears when the clutch is depressed – this may indicate a worn input shaft bearing
• Under the bonnet, the engine bay is clean and tidy, with a little surface corrosion showing on some components, but nothing significant we could see
• There may be a coolant and / or oil leak as there appears to be a slight wet patch beneath the engine compartment
• It’s reported that the car starts, drives and stops well, with a little smoke on start-up
• While no obvious faults are evident, other than those already noted, the vendor recommends a thorough inspection before use as there may be faults which are unknown

Summary