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was up at pops yesterday, figured i best have a poke and prod round the ol' girl, fired up quickly with a battery booster and ran for a mo but spluttered, to be expected as its been sat not fired for over a year, but started to look and have a prod and poke about, the usual spots and water traps seem to have got it, the sunroof drains have blocked and the passenger floors are Soaked, and growing nice little lawn on the front matt! :-O
top of the passenger side screen/roof join has gone now and i poked a small hole in it, rust marks around the bottom but more solid, drivers side top was better But it looks like the bottom end of the screen has pushed the screen out a bit, visually looks higher than it should also the gap above the doors on the driers side seems too big compared to the passenger, light bubbling on the a piller joins to screen above the hinges on the doors, anyways, drivers side corner of the under screen/scuttle area has gone through leaves and gunk getting stuck, jacking points have gone and sills on the bodykit look pushed out a bit, back door water traps have gone too, similar to the xantia's! passenger rear light support has gone, but in fairness was weak when i took it off the road 7 YEARS Ago, same side boot corner has gone too, Zaust has dropped although not major, couldnt really get under and look properly as no tools etc, but hoping the Proper waxoiling i gave it when it was on the road is doing its thing, other than the corner, boot floor seems intact and solid.

i do really need to get it home and have a proper look, but is now balancing on the is it worth attempting to fix Or strip and break it, when do you throw the towel in?? - no workshops or garage space for it, will all be outside, engine will need a top end rebuild as the stem seals have gone, (they were on the way when it came off the road), octopus needs doing (pretty sure i have one!), it doesnt Owe me anything anymore, i have owned it since '02, dearly love that car, always put a smile on my face, was always glad to get in it at the end of the day from the garages i worked in, but, i fear if the rust has taken more than what can be seen, it's going to be a thankless task???

as said, was a bit of a sadener on a lovely family day, now to plan getting it home to determine its fate!!

The obvious question is, do you have a budget?

It is salvageable, that is a given. But do you want/can you pay for it?

<Now I'm going to be cold and heartless>

From what I remember it has been a piece of lawn art for 7 years, so evidently you're not that bothered about driving it. I suspect that your life has changed so much the car no longer fits in. Currently its worth £50 to £500 in scrap/parts and not costing you anything. Assuming you get someone to do the work, and lets say it costs £2500 to get into a half way decent condition and on the road, then it's probably going to be worth £1500 to £2000. Which is pretty good. But if you're not going to use it, then why bother?

If you're now reaching for you keyboard to tell me to piss right off, then its probably worth saving.
But if you're thinking of excuses to keep it, its probably not worth keeping!

I'm having the same dilemma, in fact if the brake valve wasn't on the work bench, I'd have sold mine by now.


PS It is one of my favourite valvers, I'd be sad to see it go!
PPS there is a man not too far from you that might be able to do the work for cash up front.

Hey Vanny,
Yeah, it's been stored at pops for the past 7 years, always with the intention of getting it back on the road, but family and health means its just not got there!
If I Isnt too bad i'll do the work myself, I can't afford to pay someone to do it in that sense, priorities etc. but if it is then I know what its worth, it'll be stripped down and the shell scrapped, i'd rather that than pass it on! i've had a Lot of fun in that car and of all is the longest i've owned, I do miss it but for where you Can now, you can have a lot of fun and give a few surprises in thw xant td estate, it's not straight line anymore, but hold the bends remarkably well!
Is sad its started to give in to the inevitable, especially considered its proximity to the sea, but, its one of those things isn't it! I could spend a grand we don't have and gewt it almost done and it be worth no more than now, or as you said 2500 for it to be worth half that on a good day, I'd be sad to see it go, but I'm not going to dwell on it too much!

Really sad news mate but understandable.
My white one came of the road end of 2009 and has been on hard standing next to the bungalow under a car port and now I am back up to the task we have striped the front end and it is rotten as are the rear door corners and a little bit around the screen.
Even the mundane bits and getting it al back in good shape wit us doing the engine work etc still going to be around £1500 and that is reasonable for what is needed but it is a 70k car with one owner before me. I would never sell it but even after being nicely tidied u[p I would struggle to get my money back.

If you can do the bulk of the work yoursef and maybe get a mobile mechanic in for some welding etc that might help?
Not having a wife or children I am lucky in the fact my responsibilities are few.

Get her home and see what you find if the wacoil has done it's job it just might be worth getting stuck in, let's hope so

I can't add to what the others said Timmo but I hope you can sort it. Sounds a lot but bit by bit and it may not seem too bad. Keep us updated.

Luke had an idea about making something out of yours of the remains of the red G-plater I have here. Would probably need less welding than yours. Just an idea!

Kitch wrote:Luke had an idea about making something out of yours of the remains of the red G-plater I have here. Would probably need less welding than yours. Just an idea!

Yeah there could be a few options available, I have a lead on a black valver through a friend of a friend of a guy I am getting to do my upholstery LOL!

thought i'd update you all with Absolutely No progress but some pictures!!!








greenery!


oooooops

drivers side screen edge





Passengers




drivres side door shuts

poked with key lightly
Tadaaaaaa






what concerned me was the shape of the roof above the doors, looked wrong to me,

couldnt really tell from passengers side if any different


passenger door hinge


middle box has fallen off!








my new to me camera has Miniture mode!! This amused me!



wheel arch to screen scuttle


just to remind you that when twas last on the road, Smart phones hadnt long been about!
Car kit for my Sony Ericsson P900+910 i had (previously had the 800 cradle on!!)


there are a few more bits i prodded at but didnt picture like the boot corner and left rear light mount as looking from the back, passenger rear door shut, but on reflection, i think its not quite so dead as i thought after finding all the bits, Wont know for sure till its home though!

the stone under the front wheel Isnt as looks to hold the car from rolling But to stop it so pops can still open the garage if he needs too!

i am slowly looking into methods of transporting her home, honest!!

Fair bit of work there then, but not impossible by any stretch

Kitch wrote:Fair bit of work there then, but not impossible by any stretch

Agreed, plenty to do but you can definitely do it Timmo

Definitely salvageable, and probably worth doing for the sentimental attachment, but its going to need rather a lot of work and quite a bit of cash!

I guess if nothing else, it deserves a jetting down