Description
---THE BASICS---
This is a lovely car which I recently rescued, put back on the road, tidied up a little and then have been enjoying a lot!
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The full story is below, but my summary of the car is it's in reasonable physical condition, but certainly not perfect, however, it drives very well.
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One thing to note is that the car may be badged as a 12/ 50 but it is a 1200... with 12/ 50 badges... 12/ 50 styling... and front disc brakes (just like a 12/ 50 would have).
---THE STORY---
I was connected with the previous owner via a friend of mine. The car had been sat in her garage for 13 years and she wanted to get it back on the road.
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As a huge car lover (and small time collector) my initial aim was just to help get this wonderful car running again so the owner could enjoy it once more. I recommended a good garage for the work and even helped her arrange a transporter for the car.
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The mechanic was positive about the car, it being fairly solid and needed the following work: New fuel pump, carburettor strip and clean, new fan belt, new front brake discs/ pads/ hoses, offside upper ball joint and a battery.
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Hearing this, the owner came to the tough decision that she did not want the car anymore and asked if I would buy it.
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So, I did. For the purpose of putting back on the road and finding a new home for it. (If you're reading this, that's where you may come in.) ;-)
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The reality is that I have a good selection of cars and I have a history of buying them and never using them. This car deserves better. It deserves a good home to love it and use it.
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All the work suggested was done, plus an MOT which was passed with no advisories. I cleaned it up. And I've been driving it around the last few weeks.
---THE CONDITION---
The car is in reasonable condition. The photos make it look stunning but I will come back to the term 'reasonable'.
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It does present well and the wonderful colour combination draws a lot of admiring glances.
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If you look closely you will see some minor imperfections in the panel joins and a small dent in the rear bumper, as well as a few other minor marks here and there. I have a set of close-up photos of a lot of this, so please message me for these.
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The interior has had a good clean but some of the carpet is not perfect, the gearstick gaiter keeps coming away (not that this affects driving the car) and there are a number of other signs of wear and tear evident.
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But mechanically, it has really surprised me with how good it is.
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The engine is strong (I initially wondered whether it was the 12/ 50 after all because it pulls so well!), the brakes are perfect, the suspension is good... it's really enjoyable.
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One thing I have not been able to sort is the wheel alignment. I know that Herald wheels have a tendency to stick out at the top more than the bottom, but I think this one is a little more than it should normally.
---SUMMARY---
I am not a Herald expert but just felt that this car deserved a new life.
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I have tried to be as honest as I can in this description but please forgive me if I have forgotten anything.
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The work I have done to get this car back on the road has been a lot of fun. Now it's time for someone to take over from me and have some real fun with this lovely car.
