Beschreibung
Having owned this rare beauty for nearly two years, the time has come to pass the keys to the next lucky owner since I simply have too many cars and more on the wishlist!
It's covered 134k miles but in my opinion could pass for half that, in an overall good condition and drives nicely. It starts on the button, and the reliable 12v straight six provides good power delivery combined with smooth changes from the auto box.
Rust is the main killer of these, but I'm pleased to report that the underside is solid overall and during my ownership I've had the significant areas of body rust repaired and repainted to a high standard (usual locations on these - rear arches, sill jacking points, boot sill). There are however still a few small patches starting to bubble under the paint on a couple of the doors.
The car was in attendance at the recent Festival Of The Unexceptional event and drew a large amount of attention and praise at the condition.
Unfortunately the car didn't come with any service history, however it had clearly been cared for from the MOT history and from what I've seen when working on it, not least because unlike most of its brethren it's made it this far!
Given the unknown history, the first thing I did after buying it was a complete service, including engine oil & filter, air filter, fuel filter, spark plugs, brake fluid, coolant, transmission fluid & filter, and power steering fluid.
The car will come with 12 months MOT (I've had it MOT'd already but it failed just on the nearside rear parking brake; I've replaced the brake shoe and just need to get the retest done in the next couple of days).
Other work I've done over the past 18 months includes -
- new water pump & thermostat
- new centre exhaust silencer
- new battery
- new ignition leads
- new front drop links & suspension mounts
- new front brake discs
- replaced the O/ S headlamp (had a broken leveller)
- replaced a headlamp wiper motor (they work!)
- replaced the sunroof motor (was dead, now tilts but only slides with helping slap on the back)
Given the age of the car, you won't be surprised to hear that there are some negatives to report -
- No. of minor scuffs on the body and bumpers, a couple small dents, and scratches on the bonnet
- Minor oil leak (but not significant enough that it leaves deposits or needs topping up)
- I believe at least one of the sunroof drains is blocked (if the car is left out in the rain for periods parked at a specific angle, water gets in and wets the driver's footwell - I have the car garaged)
- Bonnet release is sticky
- Roof liner is sagging at the rear & edges
- Digi dash is temperamental at times; all LCD segments and backlighting work but I suspect there is a poor connection somewhere which causes the display to "reset" occasionally whilst driving (as if you turned the ignition off and on)
- Fuse box cover (below the steering column) plastic catches have snapped (very common issue!) so it doesn't attach, however is present; I've tried a couple of methods to get it to attach with velcro and magnets, but not succeeded so far (but know it can be done)
And what doesn't work currently -
- A/ C (has been decom'd at some point, compressor is present but belt bypasses it)
- Cruise control
- Heated front seats
- Central locking doesn't work on all doors
Please note, the price this is listed at is the "lowest price". I believe this is a veritable bargain given the rarity, condition and now fresh MOT, so with apologies I will not accept offers. I paid more for it, in a worse condition, when I bought it late 2021.
The car is located in Crowborough, East Sussex. Happy for inspections or to answer any questions.
