Highlights

• Comprehensively restored, in and out
• One owner for the last 43 years
• MOT to November 2023
• Stage-two tuned B-series engine

The Appeal

The History and Paperwork

• First registered in February 1970
• Four owners from new
• Current owner since December 1979, when the car was a ‘rolling shell’
• Historic vehicle status (tax and MOT exempt)
• Owner has maintained the MOT record – current MOT to November 2023
• Full restoration inside and out, about 20 years ago
• All work was completed by the owner, except for the respray which was professionally done
• Always garaged during current ownership
• indicated mileage 15,273 – is actually 115,273 miles as the car has a five figure odometer
• Complete with a workshop manual and parts catalogues
• Two sets of keys, current V5C, MOT certificates and some service/maintenance invoices
• Lots of money spent over the years on both the restoration and rolling maintenance
• Only selling due to ill health

The Interior

• Smart cream upholstery, retrimmed about 20 years ago
• Upholstery presents very well, with minimal wear evident to the seats
• Cream carpets through the cabin, with some marking from use, but no significant damage evident
• Wood veneer to the dash fascia, centre console and door tops all look to be in good order, with no cracking or UV damage we could identify
• Cream padding to the upper dashboard looks well, with no tears or notable wear we could see
• Wooden gear knob and Moto-Lita steering wheel are very smart and look to be in fine condition
• Chrome ringed dials appear to be in very good order, and look well alongside the warmly patinated switchgear and controls
• The boot floor looks to be in excellent condition, with no evidence of corrosion or damage we could see
• A new full-size spare wire wheel, jack and toolkit are present and correct
• We’re told by the vendor that everything in the cabin works as it should, with no issues they are aware of

The Exterior

• Tartan Red paintwork was professionally resprayed during the car’s restoration
• Generally, the paint looks to be in very good condition, with just a few minor chips and blemishes, as you’d expect from the age and mileage
• The bodywork looks in fine fettle, with straight and tidy panels, and no notable corrosion we could discern
• There is a very small amount of bubbling to the upper near-side wing-top and bonnet corner
• Black fabric hood appears to be in nice condition, with no tears or UV fading we could see, although there is a small amount of surface corrosion to the frame
• All of the brightwork looks in very good condition, with some pitting from age, but generally a nice level of natural patina and no damage apparent
• As befits a sports car of this vintage, it rides on chromed 14-inch wire wheels, which are shod in a new set of matched Yokohama tyres
• Underneath, the car looks to be in very good order – we saw no evidence of damage or notable corrosion, just a small amount of surface corrosion on some components, as should be expected

The Mechanics

• 1,798cc ‘three-bearing’ B-series engine and gearbox from an earlier model
• Four-speed manual transmission, note that there is no synchro on the first two gears, so double de-clutching is required on downshifts
• The engine is ‘stage-two’ tuned, which includes: balanced crank and flywheel, high lift cam, twin 1.¾” carbs with pan filters, and a free-flowing stainless steel exhaust
• The vendor tells us a new flywheel starter ring, rear dampers and front springs have been fitted
• It’s reported to us that the vehicle produces no smoke, but there is a very slight leak on the rear engine gasket
• We’re assured that the car drives very well indeed, with no mechanical issues and an exhaust note the builds from an intoxicating burble to a roaring crescendo

Summary