9 years resting, recommissioning has begun

[Johno]

First off, feck me it’s quiet in here these days

A few months back we moved back to the UK after 11yrs away. 9yrs ago I tucked the Griffith under a blanket (metaphorically), as the 3rd car in a 2 car garage. Next to it was my Dad’s Chimaera. Cosy.

2wks ago I went and dragged the track day trailer I used for my Caterham out of a barn, in fine working order. Round to my folks and loaded the Griff onboard for its journey south.

So as the process to recommission begins, what will we find ….

22yr old car, 87k miles (84k I did before she went away), only started and run up and down the drive in last 9yrs every few months….

[jeremyc]

Hello stranger! Good luck with the recommissioning - hope to see you out and about in it in the UK.

[Johno]

jeremyc said:

Hello stranger! Good luck with the recommissioning - hope to see you out and about in it in the UK.

Hello sir! Good to see you, virtually

Look forward to catching up.

[Matthew Poxon]

Long time no see!

[Murph7355]

Had mine done summer 2021. Not had much use since again unfortunately...maybe next year

Most of the stuff I had done were bits that I'd wanted to change before it was rested.

[Johno]

Passed MOT today, 1584 miles done in the last 11yrs !!

Got some driving to catch up with.

Couple of little bits to finish off, but so far since November

Body off
Chassis refurbed
New carpets
Seats, dash, whale tail etc retrimmed
All the pipe work replaced, fuel lines, brake lines etc
New stereo, amp, speaker install completed and footwell project (tidying up) completed

Need some new tyres and then a bit of time sorting the paintwork and I’ll be satisfied …. For a while

[Oldwolf]

Excellent!

Enjoy

[bigandclever]

Good stuff

Gives me hope for the future for mine .. 25 year old Griff, a mere 5 years unmoved on the drive

[Johno]

bigandclever said:

Good stuff

Gives me hope for the future for mine .. 25 year old Griff, a mere 5 years unmoved on the drive

Like many, when we put the car away we were going to Singapore after we'd kept it with us in France for 2.5yrs. We thought we'd bring it over to the Netherlands when we got there, but very young daughter, no garage etc etc and it stayed in the UK.

Now we're back, if I didn't do it now then it'd continue to rest up. So I bit the bullet. Not for the faint hearted, but I have spent anything on it for 10yrs, so saved the money then

[BIG DUNC]

Ha Ha, this is all familiar....
I SORNed mine in 2006 as it needed a bit for the MOT, then got divorced changed jobs etc etc.....
Started in earnest East 2017 and it was back on the road just over a year later.
Only done 5,000 miles since, but it is regularly used (although SORNed at this specific moment in time, it has a year's MOT and an uncharacteristically short job list)

[Johno]

Popped in today, I finished fitting front speaker grilles, slid in the extended trickle charger lead through to the boot, sound deadening onto rear bulkhead fitted.

Collect it Monday. Just need a new screen, fuel sender and a pair of main beam lamps…. Off to see a man about a couple of paint elements I’d like done.

Then I’ll change the fuel pressure regulator as they now do the billet one in black and I can get rid of the naff looking blue one in there currently.

Being a tart I’ll then change the Moroso leads from blue to black to match and then there’s no blue bits in the engine bay at all.

If the weather gods could sort out some dry days I can some new tyres and some shakedown miles covered.

[Johno]

Insurance ....

[BIG DUNC]

Oh. Was it expensive?

[frontfloater]

Photos .... ?

[Johno]

BIG DUNC said:

Oh. Was it expensive?

It wasn’t outrageous, but tough ….

10yrs living abroad - risky driver not used to UK roads (FFS)

Haven’t driven the car for 10yrs - risky driver not used to the car (previous 80k miles I’ve driven in it aren’t considered, or any other performance car driving)

Parked on drive (in Carcoon in deepest Hampshire countryside, behind gates) - very risky

Agreed value - ouch

Modifications - ouch

And … no NCB (used on daily) - very ouch

At least I know it’s insured with full disclosure and it’ll get cheaper each year into the future, hopefully.

[Johno]

frontfloater said:

Photos .... ?

Will do ….

[sixor8]

Classic car insurance policies don't use NCD, it's the whole point of them really. It's likely guaranteed value, modifications (mine has non original wheels but they accept that) and recent driving (as you mention) that cause it. They don't tend to go down in price. Switching providers can help but with classic cover, a guaranteed value is often expensive.

[scottliv]

Try TVR car club discount. Makes a big difference.

[TR4man]

Purely by coincidence, I have been enjoying reading your 2010 thread about your Eurotour.

I’ve been working my way through the Griffith section of this website.

Hopefully you’ll be doing another when your car is back on the road?

[Johno]

sixor8 said:

Classic car insurance policies don't use NCD, it's the whole point of them really. It's likely guaranteed value, modifications (mine has non original wheels but they accept that) and recent driving (as you mention) that cause it. They don't tend to go down in price. Switching providers can help but with classic cover, a guaranteed value is often expensive.

I understand the NCD comment, but it’s not over 25yrs old yet, so it’s not on classic car insurance. Recognising some definitions of classic car vary.

I’m not new to insurance or to insuring the Griffith having owned it for more than 20yrs. The list above I wrote is exactly as the specialist broker talked me through - with certain poetic license on my parts. The cost is reasonable, but it’s still expensive.

Using the club discount would mean joining the club, something I gave up on years ago, not seen many reasons to change the decision other than odd discounts.