"Inter expert"!!

[Bob Purton]

Here is a link to the recent weiner auction, Inter lot description, mostly nicked straight off my web site I hasten to add!!

http://www.rmauctions.com/lots/lot.cfm?lot_id=1057206

Most of it is correct some is not. The bit that really cracks me up is the last sentence, Robert Purton, British Inter expert! I bet the French LOVE that, and we all know the definition of an expert dont we!

Note in the photo of the engine bay, the Villiers S25 carb! Wrong of course but all I could find at the time. It ran great on it. My Torpedo thankfully has the right carb.

[richard]

a fine looking car and obviously one to be very proud of . your are english bob and within england you are the best informed - i guess that would make you the english expert .

[Big Al]

I did not know you used to be pert, Bob. So sad to here you are no longer. Age has a lot to answer for, as does Schmitt suspension.

Of course it might be an error and should have read 'Ex Purton Inter'.

[wilksie]

On the same lines an extern is one that has been eaten by a predator?
That reminds me of the famous sketch:

THIS IS AN EX - PARROT !!!

[Bob Purton]

I certainly feel like I've been eaten by a predator!   I think it was  Weinersaurus!

[richard]

Perhaps not eaten but you did get a good licking bob

[steven mandell]

Looks to be in near perfect shape.
Except of course for that nasty looking speedometer face.
With all of your expert restorations of antique barometers and such- looks like Mr Purton has some explaining to do.

[Bob Purton]

I certainly do Steven , right after you have explained your comment about Bruce giving all the auction proceeds to charity.

[richard]

Wow steven major apology due I think !! I aso was awaiting clarification on the charity auction thing

[Bob Purton]

I think I know what happend here, when you google the Bruce weiner auction several paragraphs come up and some say all proceeds to charity but when you open the page and look they are auction news sites and the charity part is a reference to a completely different auction. My guess is that someone saw this and jumped to a wrong conclusion. There are also some references to rides in some of the cars with proceeds going to charity.   So, has a mistake been made? I fear so but on the other hand if it were true I would be delighted! Surely though it would have been mentioned at the auction to encourage the bidders to pay more, not that they needed any encouragement by all accounts!

[steven mandell]

I certainly do Steven , right after you have explained your comment about Bruce giving all the auction proceeds to charity.

Bob, on March 4 I sent you a personal request for clarification as to what it was that you wanted me to explain on the Forum, as i truly did not catch what it was that you were referring to.
Your personal reply was that you were"afraid that my (actually your) mind reading skills were not up to the job here".
I then got a very bad flu and stayed off the Forum for a week.
So now I know what you were looking for.
All I know is what I heard.  The talk about the floor at the auction was that Bruce was donating every cent to a local Children's hospital.  I heard this discussion going on at least a few of times from non related auction goers.  Whether it is true or not is something that have no special vantage point to be able to determine.
I was merely reporting what I was hearing.  The same as when I emailed you within a minute of the Auctioneer's mention of your name as a consultant/ restorer for the Inter just prior to its topping out at $140k plus 15% commission.
Now about that speedo face? 

[richard]

steven dont make your insult any worse . the speedo's fine ! unrestored - whats your problem . certainly no need to make ill advised refernce to peoples trade and profession 

[Bob Purton]

Thanks Steven. So, still speculation at this point then. Interesting. I did ask one or two  prominent American micronaut chums that were in attendance and all denied any knowledge of it.

Right, the speedometer face. When I owned that Inter it was not a cossetted investors car but a working vehicle, I was driving it as a local run around and also rallying it as classic microcars should be,  restoration was still in progress when Bruce approached me about it. If I had restored it as a museum exhibit I would have approached the work in a very different way, I would have painted it the correct colour for a start! The original colour was a very drab shade of yucky yellow, almost mustard, I couldnt live with that! It was my intention to go back over several areas of the car as more information came to light. I didnt have any patterns for the original silencer, a correct carb was still to surface and as for the speedometer? Well the engine doesnt even have a speedo drive or a cable for that matter, all that was to be another phase of the restoration. The face of the speedo I would have had someone else do, I restore Georgian and Victorian barometers with engraved brass dials that I resilver with a silver nitrate based paste of a secret recipe, I just finished a Sympiesometer dial yesterday by the celebrated maker Dixey of London.  I'm not a dial painter, thats a seperate trade all of its own!  I was visiting French autojumbles in those days and was in expectation of finding a replacement in much better original condition which would have been preferable to a repaint. Funny enough the dial on my current speedo is actually glass and even that one has a crack in it, one day I hope to repair that. I have the drive unit now but as the car is out on loan I have yet to fit that and connect a cable.  Hope that explains why the speedo was unrestored where as the rest of the car "looked" finished. I'm hoping the new owner will get in touch some time.  

[jean-do]

yes  Bob, restoring is as you think it should be ...
you're an original condition fan ... it stays like you find it, restoring the inside mechanic, brakes, tyres ; and you drive car with a story ...
you're a restored vehicules fan, it will be fully restored like at its factory exit ..
you're an " américan restoration hi quality fan,  and get speedo restored, bolts chrome plated ...
you're a stupid guy, and you get this vehicule in your color scheme and technics without busy with original status ...
you are a bizarre vehicules fan, you'll have to restore at your best looking days and days for parts as rare as the rare can be ... and to be able to drive, you let some detail in progress , waiting and searchig the mysterious parts ...
i do like original lok as i can  and factory restoration 3... and " american restoration" .... but hate guys that have theuir Citroen traction avant red painted because all are black !!
i bob hab installed an electronic speedo, drilled a new hole for rpm speedo ... i would have been very angry...
this inter was nice and in the factory style ,except some details ... would have made it mine without any problems !^^

see Henri Malartre Rochetaillée museum 's Inter 100% original condition .... with Mr Vaireaux it's director ...

[Big Al]

[  The same as when I emailed you within a minute of the Auctioneer's mention of your name as a consultant/ restorer for the Inter just prior to its topping out at $140k plus 15% commission

What Bob got 15% commission for being an expert? The Milky Bars are on him. Sorry I will go away now as there have been enough red herrings to confuse a trawler.