Reyonnah

[Bob Purton]

It looks like the Reyonnah is still unsold. I thought this car was being hawked as restored? I guess definitions of restored differ!   

[inacoma]

Hi Bob

Nice car, but like you say needs work to bring up to restored condition.

See you at the weekend

john

[blob]

Why does everything have to be restored? it's not too bad. I actualy prefer cars in original condition. Although this may have been touched up here and there.   

[Stuart Cyphus]

Why does everything have to be restored? it's not too bad.

 Well said Blob!  My Argson is far from restored. I've still not touched it cosmetically since I found it in the scrapyard in July 2005. The paint is brush-painted black household Dulux and the seat doesn't even belong to it, but it still looks the part. Plus I don't have to fret about scratching it.....    Eat your heart out those with £1,000+ paint jobs! 

[Bob Purton]

Hi all. Neither John or myself said it HAS TO BE RESTORED, read our posts again whilst untwisting your draws! My observation was that when it was advertised it was described as being fully restored as I remember. Our observations were that if it has been restored it wasn't done very well. Imagine paying a fortune for the car based on the distant photos we saw originally, then It turning up looking like this when it had been described as fully restored! There seems to be a very aggressive attitude prevalent towards anyone who likes to bring there vehicles back to there former glory, remember Stuart that I am careful these days to spare the feelings of I.C. fans, it takes great restraint. It would be nice if it worked both ways. Eat your heart out? If you are happy to have a bucket of dulux chucked over your conveyence thats fine., some of us are a little more exacting. Blob, do you think this is original condition? I would have to disagree and guess that what we see is whats left of an earlier "restoration", I could be wrong and often am!   John, sorry to report that I'm not well enough to go to the rally at the weekend, thats proberbly why I'm snapping everyones head off on the forum! [apologies!] However, looking at the weather forecast for Newark, Notts , snow both days, I'm not quite so disappionted.

[blob]

Don't worry Bob, I agree it probably hasn't retained it's original coat of paint hence:

Although this may have been touched up here and there

and it looks rough compared to the pics outside the garage. However I just feel restoration should be used sparingly, unless the car is a complete basket case, maybe we should have another poll on the matter.



P.s I'm refering to cosmetic restoration, mechanical treatment is a somewhat different story alltogther.

[Bob Purton]

Hi Blob. I ment to ask you this some time ago being a Nobleman [in both senses of the word!] Do you know where I might be able to pick up a spare chassis including steering/suspension ect for a Noble? Cheers, Bob

[blob]

Bob, it looks like weve found something to disagree on, this is a hard topic to answer. I'm trying to restore my cars as sympathetically as possible, I don't want to restore them to showroom condition more over rebuild the car retaining some of it's age, I had thought of sanding the nobel back to the genuine paint and leaving it at that, as I like cars with battlescars.

[Bob Purton]

I think mutal respect for each others views is the answer. The Noble bodies must be in good nick , they are usually covered in blisters and cracks and refinishing them is usually obligitory to preserve them. I guess it depends on how the car was stored. I was serious about my search for an unwanted chassis, any ideas?

[P50]

Originality is lord. 

I love my KR's patina.  It's had one paint 25 years ago and looks nicely worn now.  But there's a point where restoration is warranted.  My Trident was original but too tatty and scruffy to remain as it was (plus some very liberally applied green, yes green! hammerite splashed haphazardly over the suspension and whatever else could be painted?! shocking! utterly shocking!!) so will be made good to show standards.

I love a tatty old car.  A car can be original only once....  But once the tipping point has been reached and deterioration is ineveitable and detrimental then resto's the way to go.

How good the quality of the resto is, is another matter entirely.....       

[Bob Purton]

Entirely agree Perry, I also like to see original cars but there are not enough to go round, I can only afford wrecks and spend money piecemeal on them over a period of years. Personally I love a green car but maybe not a green Peel. Then again, shouldn't all peels be orange!!

[Stuart Cyphus]

 No aggresion intended Bob. In general I've got nothing but respect for those who can do the job properly, on a vehicle which badly needs it to survive. Alas, too many times people needlessly restore cars & things which didn't need it doing in the first place! Chances are there's been more totaly-original-yet-still-solid cars lost to the over-keen restorer than there's been rotted-out-wrecks-moments-from-the-crusher cars rescued by the restorer with self-restraint. I know what state your Messerschmitt & Inter were in, so I know what sort of a restorer you are.

 At the other end of the scale, one of the recent tractor magazines has fetured a rare 1950s OTA three-wheeled tractor. This tractor is an absulute timewarp. perfectly original paint, perfectly original tyres, perfectly original EVERYTHING. Plus everything is more or less as perfect as the day it came out the factury give or take a bit of paint fading here or there. Out of all the remaining OTA's. this one must be the most closest to a "new-old-stock" example. And what is the new owner going to do with it? Yep, he's going to strip the paint off, throw away the tyres, stip it right down and "Restore" it for the big shows in October. Yet the damn thing could and would win many more prizes for its originality than it ever would for the "restoration" its about to have.  It's this sort of restorer which iritates me.

My Argson is rock-solid & has a somewhat chequred & colourful histrory, therefore I really don't think a full show-stopping resto would suit it. Every detail of it, from its wrong seat & wrong front forks, to the black house paint to the creases in the mudguards & rear panal says something about the life its had. For as long as it's still solid, it will not be restored by me.   

[inacoma]

Hi Bob

Sorry you are not well enough to come to the rally, I guess that will mean even more mickey taking of Mike and Stuart then ( or mayby because you are not there we can gang up on you whilst huddling around the tattiest mictocar we have set fire to to keep warm)

I totaly agree about the descriptions, when selling has to be a fair representation, now we are tempted by Ebay to buy sometimes unseen it is essential.

Recent examples of this

My Heinkel - acurate description, and better than expected, think I wouldn't have spent this amount of money without viewing though.

Trailer - On Ebay needing minor work, it was 10 miles away so went to look. it was the rustiest heap of C_ _ P you have ever seen in your life, perished tyres and falling to bits. It got bid up to about £200, I wouldn't have paid £50.

When I used to get Practical classics mag. my favourite section was "rust in peace" I used to love seeing the old scrapyards and tatty cars.

As far as cars I own is concerned, it depends on what I have paid. I would own a £50 classic and be happy, or if I could afford it an expensive pristine example.

I have always tended towards gentle improvement of whatever I have started with, so cars are generaly cleaned up and newer parts are added if they are tatty etc.

The Heinkel is the most expensive classic i have owned, and is also the best condition.

I think improvement to the point of financial common sense and personal circumstances are the best way.

Also as a point, having normaly purchased the cheaper old wrecks, buying a car costing a fair bit more, that was M.O.T.'d and up and running has been a very sensible option this time, because I am using the car probably on average every other day so I actualy get to enjoy it more.

Just going to find my thermals ready for the -1 degree anticipated temperature at night this weekend

Keen or Crazy !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ?

[Bob Purton]

Stuart, I understand your point about the tractor, you need original examples like that as a reference point for the future. I have the same dilema when customers ask me to polish and re- lacquer antique brass instruments that have a perfectly good original finish on them. Wear your heaviest kilt for the weekend Stuart, I hear it can get breezy around the Trussocks!
John, Strangley enough I drove to Newark and back today to pick up a barometer in my Fiat Grand Punto and my head was all over the place, I wished I had not set out on such a journey, to be bounced across Lincolnshire in a schmitt would be very dangerous in my current condition so I will be sulking at home although with you in spirit. Try to not set too many microcars on fire to keep warm, some enthusiasts frown apon that sort of thing unless you happen to be burning a -------------------- ! ? Feel free to take the micky in my absence but these things usually get back to me and a price will be paid! Possible transportation to OZ as was the case with your ancestor! To all who are going, have a great time!