the bag-of-nails!
This was an impulse buy in 2003 - a restoration project for sale in Penicuik, so I couldn’t resist a look (especially as it was a tax exempt ‘Historic Vehicle’ - unlike Boris or the Big Banger, thanks to Gordon B****** Brown). The car was a complete dog/bag of nails/basket case with seriously rotten body, decomposed interior, engine and gearbox beside the car, along with bags of assorted rusty items and several boxes of oily bits languishing in the boot.
Well, the guy wanted £400, so we offered £200 plus “we’ll remove it from your Dad’s driveway tomorrow”. He accepted with alacrity (I think he’d been getting an ear-bashing from his Dad) so we collected all the bags of bits, pushed the car onto the trailer, swept all the rust away and left his Dad’s driveway pristine.
The plan is to re-shell it (perhaps as a roadster) as a long-term retirement project - keeping t
he chrome bumpers and wire wheels, but adding improvements as necessary, since ‘Historic’ cars are short on modern essentials like alternators, servos, electric fans, heated rear windows, two speed heater fans & wipers etc etc. However, it remains to be seen whether I can summon up the will power, energy and money needed - watch this space!
Helen