Austin A70 Hampshire

[angrydicky]

Did anybody from the club recognise your car from the registration, I believe you said previously they had assessed it as only fit for spares?

I think a lot of people had been following the body swap progress on the Counties FB page so were well aware of what I was doing and that I was aiming to get it to the rally under its own steam. Nice to see some recognition for my efforts. I thought there might have been one or two people not happy but everyone was very positive and pleased to see another Hampshire back on the road and attending rallies.
I think if someone says 'reshell' it conjures up images of an MGB reshelled with a heritage shell and virtually no original parts left. Or a P6 reshelled using a secondhand shell. Being monocoque you know in each case there's very little original car left. Not the case with mine. The chassis is original as is all the steering, suspension and running gear, plus loads of other stuff including the dash and instruments, brakes, fuel tank and filler neck etc etc. I have built one car using the best bits from two rough ones (one low mileage but rotten, one relatively solid lhd but no paperwork and engineless) and I think it's been quite successful.

[Drum]

Just brilliant

[treehugger]

Indeed.

[mercrocker]

Agree completely.....As I have mentioned before, effectively AD has saved two A70s. Full-width body styling belies the fact that they are traditionally built on a chassis and many a pre-war vehicle has been re-bodied or re-chassised but very often with a replica or new-build of one or other "component"

To go to the effort and not inconsiderable expense of marrying two fragile old Austins into a single emodiment of those parts is highly commendable and the car will remain as a testament to preservation done properly as well as to the vehicles themselves.

I love it!

[59Impala]

I completely agree with what the learned gentleman above wrote ^^

[SiC]

I think if someone says 'reshell' it conjures up images of an MGB reshelled with a heritage shell and virtually no original parts left. Or a P6 reshelled using a secondhand shell. Being monocoque you know in each case there's very little original car left.

By the time I (if ever...) finish my Midget, there won't be too much metal left in the shell that was original out of the factory...

[mercrocker]

Aye but you will have added time, labour of love and skills into what has already been built. That sum total is more worthy than something stamped-out nowadays no matter how much "heritage" is in it. Am I alone in presuming that even manufactured articles retain a "spirit" of those who came before? Probably......