Description
Due to imminent downsizing (ie no more double garage) and ongoing decrepitude we’ve taken the decision to sell our 850 coupe. We bought it earlier this year and have used it pretty much weekly ever since for pottering about locally and going to local classic car shows. It’s been great fun but my enthusiasm for tinkering around with old cars is waining.
It was stripped to a bare shell approximately three years ago and totally restored from there. I haven’t come across a single spot of rust anywhere but it’s what I’d call a 10ft car. From 10ft and in photo’s it look perfect, it’s not. If you look down the flanks you can see imperfections in the body preparation and the paintwork is passable but not perfect by any means. It’s cellulose so a good bodyshop/ someone who knows what their doing may be able to polish it up more. I knew all this when I bought it and solid bodywork was at the end of the day more important to me than a shiny finish. The original steel wheels have been refurbished with hardly used tyres.
The interior is pretty much as it came from the factory, so nothing to really comment about.
Mechanically the engine, carburettor, suspension, bushes, brakes etc etc have all been overhauled and underneath looks like it came from the factory a few months ago. The engine had new bearings/ ring etc so is still being run in so you’ll need to be a little gentle for a few more miles.
Outstanding jobs: The bumpers and much of the chrome have been painted with chrome paint. Not great but probably better than it was. Some parts you can obtain fairly easily but good secondhand bumpers seem nigh on impossible to track down. I was going to send it all away to be re-chromed this winter but I was a bit uncomfortable doing this in case any parts got ‘lost’ in the process. Maybe if you had someone local who could do it would be easier. It also needs new keys cut for the door locks (the code is stamped on the reverse of the barrel). The old key was so thin and bendy it just snapped in half.
Anyway, I hope all that hasn’t put you off, any inspection is vey welcome. We’re in Wantage which is 25 mins south west of Oxford, 25 mins from the Newbury junction of the M4.
