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VIN 7176, grey manual - November 26th 1981

PostPosted: Mon Aug 03, 2009 4:42 pm
by jerzybondov
This car was originally bought at a dealership in Michigan but at some point in the late 80s the car moved to Florida. The owner was an old guy and he last drove the car in 1995. At this point the car was left parked outside. In a bog.

In 2007 Lawrence Lormand arrived and decided to rescue the car. These pics are taken after the car was pulled out of the bog by a 4x4. It was up to the wheel arches in mud and it was so stuck that the front crumple tube came off the car when it was pulled out.

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Lawrence's first instinct was to part the car, the frame was in a bad way and the car generally needed a lot of help - however he decided to put a lot of work into getting the car going with a view to selling it once fully restored.

However, his workshop filled up, he ran out of time and in November 2008 he decided to get rid of the car and put it on eBay with no reserve. That's the point at which I turned up.

Re: VIN 7176, grey manual - November 26th 1981

PostPosted: Mon Aug 03, 2009 4:57 pm
by jerzybondov
I won the auction and shipped the car from Baltimore to Southampton, with it eventually arriving in Early Feb 2009.

This is the car as I found it at the docks:

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It wasn't very happy and the journey had taken its toll. The battery was well flat, the rear left tyre was pissing out air and the car wouldn't start for 3 hours.

Finally though, it did start and toiled through the snow up to Essex for PJ Grady to sort out the myriad disintegrations and malfunctions...

Re: VIN 7176, grey manual - November 26th 1981

PostPosted: Mon Aug 03, 2009 5:13 pm
by jerzybondov
2 months later and I pick the car up again for Easter. It's had a full rebrush and LOTS of stuff sorted out. The interior had needed quite a bit of help!

Since then I could put a list up of all the work that's been done, but I'll save myself the bother of writing it and everyone else of reading it by just saying it's like Al's list but shorter :D

Re: VIN 7176, grey manual - November 26th 1981

PostPosted: Mon Aug 03, 2009 5:15 pm
by Admin-bloke
Looking good there Gez, a lot better !

Re: VIN 7176, grey manual - November 26th 1981

PostPosted: Mon Aug 03, 2009 8:04 pm
by arranj
Gez - did you do a "frame off" then?

Re: VIN 7176, grey manual - November 26th 1981

PostPosted: Mon Aug 03, 2009 10:01 pm
by jerzybondov
No frame off - Lawrence told me he'd spent about 70 hours on the frame, welding, sanding and epoxying so it was solid and in a much better state when I got it.

Chris also did some further welding on the frame to get it through the MOT.

It's still not the prettiest though so I think I'll get it looked at this winter to get it tidied up, not a frame off but a job that'll be good for 10 years or so...

Re: VIN 7176, grey manual - November 26th 1981

PostPosted: Tue Aug 04, 2009 2:17 pm
by dmc4087
The car looks completely transformed from when you got it mate, well done!

Re: VIN 7176, grey manual - November 26th 1981

PostPosted: Tue Aug 04, 2009 2:50 pm
by jerzybondov
Cheers Thomas... :D

Here's the interior. Much improved too.

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Re: VIN 7176, grey manual - November 26th 1981

PostPosted: Tue Aug 04, 2009 2:55 pm
by arranj
Image

Spotted again! Chris Nicholson's free "spare car"! (sorry Carl!) :lol:

Re: VIN 7176, grey manual - November 26th 1981

PostPosted: Wed Aug 05, 2009 12:10 pm
by A Van
Spotted again! Chris Nicholson's free "spare car"! (sorry Carl!)


lol!

Wasnt there another picture of Carls somewhere too?

Sorry to hijack your thread though Gez!, your car does look much much better

Al