Discussion
Firstly, I cant believe there has never been a thread with this title before. Got one now 
Secondly, I am in a dilemma. Vera..... she's had 18 months in the weather to rot more than when her old mot never passed muster in Aug 04, and I guess the worm has weedled it's way further into her carcass. Seats are mouldy and damp has permeated every crevice. We shall soon have hard borrowed money to spend. Again.
Do I sell or give her away for parts? If so, with or without the engine? Or keep? Or do I put the £1500 or so to repair to fair standard state into the upgrade for Bluey that I desire, but as yet, do not need?
Just cant bear to see her go. She is a 72 model and, apart from anything else, is only £160 a year to insure as second/third car on classic and free tax for life. And in ten years time, she'll be even more desirable than now.
Decisions, decisions .....
Secondly, I am in a dilemma. Vera..... she's had 18 months in the weather to rot more than when her old mot never passed muster in Aug 04, and I guess the worm has weedled it's way further into her carcass. Seats are mouldy and damp has permeated every crevice. We shall soon have hard borrowed money to spend. Again.
Do I sell or give her away for parts? If so, with or without the engine? Or keep? Or do I put the £1500 or so to repair to fair standard state into the upgrade for Bluey that I desire, but as yet, do not need?
Just cant bear to see her go. She is a 72 model and, apart from anything else, is only £160 a year to insure as second/third car on classic and free tax for life. And in ten years time, she'll be even more desirable than now.
Decisions, decisions .....
Cheers, FM. Now a nice twin plenum vitesse would go down a treat. (Mind you, my severed knackers would vanish down the drain as quickly if the missus heard me say that)
If you permanently retire a car, but keep the engine, and a few other bits, is that the same as (Shhh! the very word hurts ...) "scrapping" it? Can you retain the number plate for private use? I quite like the idea of keeping Vera's monicker, especially as it is EHP, which would go nicely if I put the plate onto Bluey and increased the engine size, to add extra horse power
If you permanently retire a car, but keep the engine, and a few other bits, is that the same as (Shhh! the very word hurts ...) "scrapping" it? Can you retain the number plate for private use? I quite like the idea of keeping Vera's monicker, especially as it is EHP, which would go nicely if I put the plate onto Bluey and increased the engine size, to add extra horse power
shadowfax said:
Thought Bitter was a v8
You're half-right
The Bitter CD has a Chevy small-block V8 from the Opel Diplomat saloon, and is based on a Frua styling exercise on a shortened Diplomat floorpan. When the the Diplomat production ended in the late 70s, Erich Bitter introduced the SC to replace it, based on the new Senator. Early cars had the standard 180bhp engine, but it's a big, heavy car and the performance didn't match the car's looks or price (about £38,000 by 1984), hence the 210bhp 3.9 version. One of the 29 RHD cars is on ebay right now if you want something practical, fast, and rare to run around in 
Don't ever sell her. Spend whatever it takes to get Vera in tip top shape. I don't but the "every old car has its day" personally.
Yes, you can probably buy another Rover P6 for a similar outlay but then, it won't be Vera will it?
In a cold world where "new is inevitably better than old" is being continually rammed down our throats (especially in the far east), and where old cars are being taxed off the roads (in Germany), where people think they're individuals for buying a new front wheel drive tin can because it has white dials and memory seats...you can be different and not conform.
You can console yourself that the poor dilluded sods who buy brand new Vauxhall Zafiras, will lose much more than you in a year that you will be spending on a classic that can't lose anymore. It will also turn heads more than any top spec Audi TT 3.2.
I'm keeping my E21 BMW forever, It was the first car I ever bought in 1990, and I'm about to put LOTS and LOTs of cash into a total restroration ( like up to 8 grand probably) and an engine re design and rebuild.
That's my two pence worth.
Yes, you can probably buy another Rover P6 for a similar outlay but then, it won't be Vera will it?
In a cold world where "new is inevitably better than old" is being continually rammed down our throats (especially in the far east), and where old cars are being taxed off the roads (in Germany), where people think they're individuals for buying a new front wheel drive tin can because it has white dials and memory seats...you can be different and not conform.
You can console yourself that the poor dilluded sods who buy brand new Vauxhall Zafiras, will lose much more than you in a year that you will be spending on a classic that can't lose anymore. It will also turn heads more than any top spec Audi TT 3.2.
I'm keeping my E21 BMW forever, It was the first car I ever bought in 1990, and I'm about to put LOTS and LOTs of cash into a total restroration ( like up to 8 grand probably) and an engine re design and rebuild.
That's my two pence worth.
Tog - Enjoyed the Bitter comments a lot. Thanks.
Rex - great timing. Just renewed the SORN today, as it happens. Hope to spirit Vera away off the path to a nice garage somewhere, so the Other Woman in my life stops telling me to end the affair. Out of sight and all that. We shall yet see the Graceful Green Goddess and, who knows, feel the rumble and hear the burble, as she hitches up her skirt and squirts
Meanwhile, sssh !!!
Rex - great timing. Just renewed the SORN today, as it happens. Hope to spirit Vera away off the path to a nice garage somewhere, so the Other Woman in my life stops telling me to end the affair. Out of sight and all that. We shall yet see the Graceful Green Goddess and, who knows, feel the rumble and hear the burble, as she hitches up her skirt and squirts
Meanwhile, sssh !!!
I think to get the plate off the car it has to be taxed and MOT'ed then you can get in on retnetion to do whatever you like with it whenever you like, but unless the car is MOT'ed and taxed the plate dies with the car.
Someone please correct me if I am wrong because this sort of thing effects me too.
Someone please correct me if I am wrong because this sort of thing effects me too.
stigproducts said:
I think to get the plate off the car it has to be taxed and MOT'ed then you can get in on retnetion to do whatever you like with it whenever you like, but unless the car is MOT'ed and taxed the plate dies with the car.
Someone please correct me if I am wrong because this sort of thing effects me too.
But you aint MOTing or taxing the plate. If the car the plate was with when it was MOTd then has another plate cos you want to remove that plate to put on another car, surely it makes the process redundant?
I understand that you buy the plate and register it against any car you put it onto, the car then needs to be MOTd and SORNd or MOTd and taxed and used
The donor car has to be taxed and MOT'd or have been taxed and SORN'd within a period of 6 or 12 months:
www.direct.gov.uk/Motoring/BuyingAndSellingAVehicle/PersonalisedRegAndNumberPlates/PersonalisedRegAndNumPlatesArticles/fs/en?CONTENT_ID=4022576&chk=w0kUgB
When you put a plate on retention, if you don't pay to keep it on retention after a year, they can sell it again. You may already have lost the right to a plate on a classic that hasn't been taxed or MOt'd or SORN'd.
>> Edited by LuS1fer on Monday 3rd April 15:06
www.direct.gov.uk/Motoring/BuyingAndSellingAVehicle/PersonalisedRegAndNumberPlates/PersonalisedRegAndNumPlatesArticles/fs/en?CONTENT_ID=4022576&chk=w0kUgB
When you put a plate on retention, if you don't pay to keep it on retention after a year, they can sell it again. You may already have lost the right to a plate on a classic that hasn't been taxed or MOt'd or SORN'd.
>> Edited by LuS1fer on Monday 3rd April 15:06
Marquis_Rex said:
Don't ever sell her. Spend whatever it takes to get Vera in tip top shape. I don't but the "every old car has its day" personally.
Yes, you can probably buy another Rover P6 for a similar outlay but then, it won't be Vera will it?
In a cold world where "new is inevitably better than old" is being continually rammed down our throats (especially in the far east), and where old cars are being taxed off the roads (in Germany), where people think they're individuals for buying a new front wheel drive tin can because it has white dials and memory seats...you can be different and not conform.
You can console yourself that the poor dilluded sods who buy brand new Vauxhall Zafiras, will lose much more than you in a year that you will be spending on a classic that can't lose anymore. It will also turn heads more than any top spec Audi TT 3.2.
I'm keeping my E21 BMW forever, It was the first car I ever bought in 1990, and I'm about to put LOTS and LOTs of cash into a total restroration ( like up to 8 grand probably) and an engine re design and rebuild.
That's my two pence worth.
I can't see myself ever selling my Saab 900 T16S and if I had the cash I would spend a few grand on a nut & bolt rebuild. Need to pay attention to the rust soon before it takes hold
NiceCupOfTea said:
Don't ever sell her. Spend whatever it takes to get Vera in tip top shape. I don't but the "every old car has its day" personally.
Yes, you can probably buy another Rover P6 for a similar outlay but then, it won't be Vera will it?
In a cold world where "new is inevitably better than old" is being continually rammed down our throats (especially in the far east), and where old cars are being taxed off the roads (in Germany), where people think they're individuals for buying a new front wheel drive tin can because it has white dials and memory seats...you can be different and not conform.
You can console yourself that the poor dilluded sods who buy brand new Vauxhall Zafiras, will lose much more than you in a year that you will be spending on a classic that can't lose anymore. It will also turn heads more than any top spec Audi TT 3.2.
I'm keeping my E21 BMW forever, It was the first car I ever bought in 1990, and I'm about to put LOTS and LOTs of cash into a total restroration ( like up to 8 grand probably) and an engine re design and rebuild.
That's my two pence worth.
I can't see myself ever selling my Saab 900 T16S and if I had the cash I would spend a few grand on a nut & bolt rebuild. Need to pay attention to the rust soon before it takes hold
Get to the rust before it's too late! My BMW is in a bad way (although it looks pretty after numerous blow ins) and I'll have to change rear arches, rear panel, boot floor, entire front frame and chasis legs of the car. I'm currently resserching options of getting the car stripped, bodywork completed and dipped in an anti corrosion dip.
BTW on holiay in Finland at the moment, lots of Saab 900 and 99s here, and old old Mercs. Few old BMWs though. Not as many Volvos as you get in Sweden though. Suprisingly little rust though, seems to be more rust on cars in the UK, age for age....
The snow you get here- I would never touch a rear wheel drive car here myself!
Heh 
Never driven mine in anything other than a sprinkling of snow - would be fun on some winter tyres with smaller wheels!
Rust isn't too bad atm - bottoms of doors are going (common) but can easily be cut out and a plate welded in as its not obvious - or even new doors found.
Also a tiny bit on the inside of the bonnet opposite where the badges go. Difficult to get to as it's double skinned. Not sure what to do about this other than keep spraying waxoyl on it. But replacement bonnets can be found.
Slightly more worrying is the rear n/s wheelarch is going again after a quick touch up last summer. I think this summer the aero kit will have to come off and the interior trim off for a proper go with kurust/undercoat/paint. It's covered mostly by trim so won't show up.
Just pray I won't find anything nasty under the trim
Other than that it's just the odd bit of bubbling but nothing serious. Keeping an eye on it though... It's just so expensive to sort properly
There's a guy who lives locally to me who is doing a complete strip down and rebuild (with MoTec engine management) of a red 900 Carlsson. Car has been stripped and resprayed and looks gorgeous!
Good pics of the resto process here :
www.red-green.co.uk/web/photos/gallery/index1.html
sorry for the O/T
>> Edited by NiceCupOfTea on Saturday 8th April 02:16
Never driven mine in anything other than a sprinkling of snow - would be fun on some winter tyres with smaller wheels!
Rust isn't too bad atm - bottoms of doors are going (common) but can easily be cut out and a plate welded in as its not obvious - or even new doors found.
Also a tiny bit on the inside of the bonnet opposite where the badges go. Difficult to get to as it's double skinned. Not sure what to do about this other than keep spraying waxoyl on it. But replacement bonnets can be found.
Slightly more worrying is the rear n/s wheelarch is going again after a quick touch up last summer. I think this summer the aero kit will have to come off and the interior trim off for a proper go with kurust/undercoat/paint. It's covered mostly by trim so won't show up.
Just pray I won't find anything nasty under the trim
Other than that it's just the odd bit of bubbling but nothing serious. Keeping an eye on it though... It's just so expensive to sort properly
There's a guy who lives locally to me who is doing a complete strip down and rebuild (with MoTec engine management) of a red 900 Carlsson. Car has been stripped and resprayed and looks gorgeous!
Good pics of the resto process here :
www.red-green.co.uk/web/photos/gallery/index1.html
sorry for the O/T
>> Edited by NiceCupOfTea on Saturday 8th April 02:16
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