Description
Not quite a 'barn find' - I knew it was there, but I have not run it since before lockdown. The car is bodily very good - no rust or rot on the bodywork. The doors open and shut perfectly, excellent shut-lines, and no need to slam. A good example of Rootes superior build-quality. There is a small area of corrosion on the n/ s inner sill, and there are rust-spots on the bumpers. The interior is excellent, and it was a one-owner car until about 2000. Since then it has been improved, and has a brake servo and an overdrive gearbox. Both were working well before I stopped using the car. Mechanically the car was spot-on, but a fuel starvation issue caused me to stop using it. As I had another classic, I just left it... I have traced the problem to a blocked (aftermarket) fuel filter located near the tank. By-pass this and the engine runs. The exhaust is disconnected and will need to be re-attached. Other than these issues and a little light recommissioning there is little to do. Unfortunately I no longer have the flexibility to attend to these issues, so a nice little Winter project for the right person at a bargain price! The photographs show the car in its garage, while the later ones show the car outside before it was laid-up. There has been minimal deterioration since then. I purchased the car in 2017, as it was exactly the same age, model and colour (Forest Green) as a car I had back in the 1970s. Unfortunately I then purchased another (older) car, and that became my regular show car, so this car sat in the garage. It was originally owned by a person with a disablement (right arm I would guess) as it is fitted with an under-dash umbrella handbrake lever, instead of the pull-up variety to the right of the driver. He obviously cherished it, as he kept it for around 35 years, and the overall condition is excellent. At a later stage, it has been modified, to add overdrive, a brake servo and Singer headlamp hoods.
