captain_70s wrote: ↑Sat Dec 18, 2021 11:25 pm
I mean the thing is with heritage panels is they're hardly any worse than late factory pressings anyway.
Sit a 1970 Triumph 1500 next to a 1980 Dolly and you can see the difference in the pressing quality. Later cars are very "soft" in their body lines compared to early cars. Those fucking NOS repair panels just don't fit, especially after decades of sitting around in storage, mine had to be cut in half to get it to line up properly.
The fact nothing is bolt on is just salt in the wound considering their love to rust out their wings...
Mines an early Dolomite but the top and middle swage line on the door versus rear wing doesn't line up out of the factory. Admittedly the body lines are softer as there is copious amounts of filler.
Rubber bumper Midgets have different wings than earlier. Maybe the tooling was so knackered after hundreds of thousands of cars from '62 to '74 that Abingdon had to replace them.
The fit of the heritage panels, even if not as well defined, must be reasonable as they are still good enough to make complete bodyshells.
That’s looking great. If I hadn’t gone off the deep end and bought the Caterham the last time I was in the UK, I’m pretty sure I would own some sort of Spridget by now.
I agree with you on the colour too. Really suits the car!
SiC wrote: ↑Sun Dec 19, 2021 5:05 pm
Arrived and in storage. Will do a video update later. Gives a better view close up and it running.
Not quite as good a car as I hoped though.
They never are though.
Just drive it and enjoy it. They have always been more fun to drive than look at (though I think yours is certainly pushing the looks boundary).
On a crisp spring day, a clear Sunday B road, you’ll not want for more!
A walk, poke and drive around introduction. Much easier than trying to do it through pictures.
With a clickbait thumbnail to try getting impressionable YouTube viewers in. One day I'll be able to monetise my channel. Probably a lot sooner if I put more effort in!
SiC wrote: ↑Sat Dec 18, 2021 6:54 pm
Bought sight unseen, apart from some poor pictures on an eBay auction. So also a bit nervous. Has been regularly MOT'd with no real bad advisories or failure till 2018 though.
Will need some welding to both back rear arches, nearside (bolt on) wing and a-pillar. The pillar is the biggest concern as these can be rust traps that rot out from the hinge. Underside looks good from the photos though.
I'm promising myself not to poke to begin with and just drive the bugger.
DO NOT POKE
SiC wrote: ↑Sat Dec 18, 2021 8:52 pm
Seller assures that this is primer on bare metal, not over filler
Inspector Morose wrote:
It looks a bit a bit rougher than it is on the surface but a cursory peek underneath reveals a solid base. Rear quarters are in need of attention as does the N/S lower front wing, the pillar seems to have cracked the rather thick paint/primer filler from when it was restored in the past
Here we go again??
PhilA wrote: ↑Sun Dec 19, 2021 5:16 pm
Just razz about in it and enjoy it for what it is right now.
Broccoli wrote: ↑Sun Dec 19, 2021 7:13 pm
Just drive it and enjoy it.
