Highlights

• Attractive coupé styling
• Comprehensive inspection report
• Previously overhauled 
• Owned by one family since 1971, with one previous owner before that
• 1 of 369 MPW Coupes produced
  
  

The Appeal

The History and Paperwork

• First registered 22nd January 1968
• Originally purchased by an ex-Army major from supplying dealer Howells of Cardiff
• Purchased by the current owner’s grandfather in 1971 with 22,000 miles on the odometer
• The car was stored off the road for some time before a partial restoration was undertaken by Healey Brothers in 1997
• Another overhaul was undertaken in 2010
• Comes with a recent professional assessment by Frank Dale
• Road Tax and MOT exempt 
• The private registration number ‘8777 DA’ is included in the sale
• The current V5C shows 0 former keepers. But the vendor tells it has had at least 3 owners in the same family since 1971, plus the original owner in 1968
  
  

The Interior

• The interior is in very good condition for its age, with few signs of wear throughout 
• The headlining is clean secure and is not sagging 
• The carpets would benefit from cleaning but are otherwise well presented and retain a deep pile.
• Front seats showing some patina/cracking in the leather due to their age but there are no signs of any rips or tears.
• The rear seats are in an excellent state of preservation
• The dashboard veneers and door tops present very well, with only a few small blemishes on the outer edges of the front doors and some dulling to the lacquer
• Full complement of instruments and switches
• Commodious boot to the rear 

The Exterior 

• The bodywork is in generally very good condition, with only a few very slight creases noted on the NSR wing, visible only at certain angles
• The paintwork along the flanks of the vehicle is in good order
• But there is some fading on the upper faces of the wings roof, bonnet and boot panels 
• The vendor has treated a small area with cutting compound and some of the shine was restored
• The chrome badge rail, grille, Spirit of Ecstasy, window trims and other trim pieces are in good condition, with only a little dulling and age-related patina, 
• There are no obviously missing trim pieces.
• The electrically operated aerial is currently inoperable
• All four wheels are shod in Avon Turbospeed tyres, which are said to be in good condition
  
  

The Mechanics 

• This Shadow is being sold as a restoration project, due to requiring a full mechanical overhaul and recommissioning
• The car has reportedly starts, runs and drives 
• Its recent running has been limited to loading/unloading from transport to-and-from Frank Dale (see report below), to avoid unnecessary stress on the braking system
• The engine bay itself is in well patinated condition, so it would be highly receptive to detailing
• A full assessment and report on the car’s mechanical condition has been carried out - please see below:

• Due to the braking systems being inadequate, no road test has been carried out – once brakes / hydraulics have been attended to, a road test shall be carried out and further items may be reported
• Recommend full service, ideally full hydraulic service
• Most rubbers / perishables generally show signs of ageing / cracking
  
  

• Engine belts old and sitting low in pulley grooves
• Slight play in water pump and sign of leak on pump body
• Engine oil dipstick is dirty and traces of hard matter present, note / rectify in service
• Oil pressure tests well
• Front of engine wet / oily - clean and tighten, run, recheck, and report further if necessary
• Rocker covers damp / weeping - clean and tighten / recommend resealing
• Sides of engine are wet - clean and tighten, run, recheck, and report further if necessary
• Carbs wet around float chambers and jets - recommend removing and resealing carburettors as necessary.
• Short stove pipe is broken - renew stove pipe with carburettor reseal.
• Coolant level was low
• Some fuel hoses are hard - recommend renewing fuel hoses
• OSR engine mount is cracking and has oil contamination but is not split
• Front engine mount has oil contamination but is not split
• Gearbox leaking around selector shaft / linkages - clean and tighten, run, recheck, and report further if necessary
• Rear axle pinion damp - recommend renewing axle pinion seal
• NS driveshaft seal / detroit plug wet - recommend renewing nearside driveshaft seal
• OS driveshaft boot split - renew offside driveshaft boot
  
  

• PAS pump damp - clean and tighten, run, recheck, and report further if necessary
• Steering column joint has play and boot is wet - recommend removing lower column and disassembling to investigate play
• Bearing pins and washers worn / cracking - recommend renewing all bearing pins and washers
• Panhard bar bushes completely gone - renew panhard bar bushes
• OSF upper ball joint has excessive play - adjust play from OSF upper ball joint
• NSF lower ball joint has excessive play - adjust play from NSF lower ball joint
• Rear axle beam mounts split - renew rear axle beam mounts
• Recommend renewing torque arm mounts at same time as axle beam mounts
  
  

• No.2 braking system not working at all - investigation required - begin by removing rear brake pump
• No.1 accumulator gas pressure at 30% remaining. Recommend removing and overhauling both accumulator spheres and valve bodies
• Brake pumps appear corroded but dry
• Brake reservoir levels were low
• Reservoir lids were seized on
• Front brake discs are banded type and corroding - recommend renewing front brake discs and pads
• Front brake pads / caliper pistons, particularly inners, very tight to return / squeeze back
• NSR brake disc a little greasy around centre witness holes
• One height control hose is still original type fitted - recommend renewing all height control hoses
• Rear brake and height control pipes are corroding - recommend cleaning and treating rear pipework as necessary
• No casing over rear parking brake cables - recommend renewing both rear parking brake cables
• Parking brake sticks on / is slow to release - service and cable renewals should rectify this, however further investigation could possibly be required

• A brand new replacement battery has been fitted.
• Bonnet light not working - investigation required
• Blower motor mounts are splitting - recommend renewing all blower motor mounts
• OSF window not working - investigation required
• OSR window sticks and won't open fully - investigation required
• OS number plate light not working - investigation required
• NS indicator tell-tale light not working - investigation required
• NS inner headlamp lens is 'milky' - recommend renewing NS inner headlamp
• Main beam tell-tale light is not working - investigation required
• OSF fog light is not working - investigation required
• No sound is coming through radio - investigation required
• Fuel and coolant gauges stick and require tapping - remove gauges and send for specialist repair
• Coolant gauge is reading hot - investigation required
• Dynamo (brushes) buzz a little
• Screen washers not working, fluid very dirty - investigation required
  
  

• Bonnet grommet missing - supply and fit bonnet grommets
• Scuttle filter breaking up - renew scuttle filter
• Cosmetic imperfections across body and general vehicle
• Some body corrosion across lower panels and arches
• Dents in driver’s door
• Front body drain blocked and corroded - clear drain
• Boot seal in poor condition - recommend renewing boot seal
• NSF quarter light seized - investigation required
• Demister not blowing hot to OS side of screen - investigation required
• OSR bumper is loose - tighten rear bumper as necessary
  
  

Summary