"Inter expert"!!

[Bob Purton]

Thats a great example Mr Jean-Doo!  I am NOT an expert, I just know a little more about Inters than other British guys. Its the French micro fans that are the real experts!  I think I understand your comments, something is lost in translation but you are saying we all restore our cars to our own idea of what is best. I kind of agree, the important thing is that the cars are preserved.

[Jonathan Poll]

I think it's nice to have a few parets left in "cleaned original condition", proves itsa not a replica! (even if we know no repliuca Inters have been made, it still seems more genuine).

I would have probably took the face of, T-Cut'ed it, then realise I polished all of the numbers away!

Best kept as original!

[steven mandell]

steven don't make your insult any worse . the speedo's fine ! unrestored - whats your problem . certainly no need to make ill advised reference to peoples trade and profession 

Well then Richard you take me too seriously,  and Bob Purton's perfectionism not seriously enough.
As you can see with his own secret recipe paste of silver nitrate for his antique brass barometers, Bob obviously has a higher standard than either one of us.  That's why I tease him so.
Do you really think that I would have emailed him contemporaneously with the announcement of his involvement with the Inter during the auction if I had any serious complaint?
Apply the same advise that you have given yourself for your unbraked trailer-lighten up!

[Big Al]

Miss Ann Elke, an expert, had a theory about the Inter. It is similar to her one on the Brontosaurus. That is that it is very narrow at the front, gets much thicker in the middle and then thinner at the other end.  Unfortunately this was a posthumous theory but uncannily correct if it were the prototype with folding front suspension.

Was Bob unable to restore the dial because of high pressure on Barometer work? Fine if you can get it. Wet and windy if you cannot.
The car was, what, 60% complete when Bob got it from me. We did not have the joys of the internet so coms to find info and parts was not as easy. Also while the car was clearly something special only the Tigers had really made any real impact in the general classic car world. Only a wealthy or originality type restorer would have been likely to have restored the car over a reasonable budget. Add to that the idea of it being driven rather than looked at. You have to put these things into context of the time. Many a restored car is now under re restoration as the old work is just not up to the standards required today. That does seem to drift away from restoration into use but more restoration to look at, unfortunately, but the key thing is the cars are surviving. What is even better is if previous owners are about and can tell you what they did and why. It makes perfection more achievable if that is important. As a previous owner I get pleasure out of that car as it is still the centre of attention and I had a small part in that whole thing. On the occasions I grace an event it is great to see the hulks dragged out of hedges and yards restored by years of owners into good cars. Yeah, I enjoyed the money from doing it but that is spent and gone. The car remains and in quite a few cases would not be here had a few not recognized the minimal potential left in it at the time. Not many businesses allow you to invest in future enjoyment of other peoples efforts out of your own.

[Bob Purton]

I like it Al!! I think half the problems was working in inches instead of millibars! Stormy!

At least YOU appreciate the efforts involved in resurrecting that car.  As you know it had the rear fire wall cut out where some idiot had attempted a big motorbike engine transplant! Why do they do that!!
The front seat had to be made from drawings , to be more precise, Tom Musset ran a pencil around all the tube work onto some wall paper and I worked from that. The biggest problem was sourcing the missing engine, although it came with a loose engine it was an Ydral Motorcycle one with no fan cooling or gyrostarter,  Club Ydral came to the rescue, also Gilles Perez was an enormous help.
As you said, there was no Internet, most microcar guys in Britain had never heard of an Inter, it was just a case of a lot of letter writing, faxing, long distance phone calls and trips to France. At least all the running gear was on the car which is more than can be said for my current one. I enjoyed the challenge at the time. Wouldn't do it again though, now I have resorted to the simplicities of a fiberglass body and Villiers!

[steven mandell]

But the key thing is the cars are surviving. What is even better is if previous owners are about and can tell you what they did and why. It makes perfection more achievable if that is important. As a previous owner I get pleasure out of that car as it is still the centre of attention and I had a small part in that whole thing. On the occasions I grace an event it is great to see the hulks dragged out of hedges and yards restored by years of owners into good cars. Yeah, I enjoyed the money from doing it but that is spent and gone. The car remains and in quite a few cases would not be here had a few not recognized the minimal potential left in it at the time. Not many businesses allow you to invest in future enjoyment of other peoples efforts out of your own.

Yes Alan's Unusual Microcars is deservedly a legacy that can never be repeated.
You should be proud of being the king of the used unusual microcar market. Even more amazing that you actually made a living off of it.
Can I have the movie rights?

[Barry]

Interesting link on Facebook for Inters - Thanks Jean-do

https://www.facebook.com/jeando.jacq/media_set?set=a.180700745280168.51186.100000207327426&type=1