For idiots only.

[ajc9415]

Kenny,
Very jealous of you being able to drive over the Blue Mountains in a Jensen. I went there years ago in a coach, probably more mpg than an Interceptor! Please feed my dog, he likes his steak rare.

[kenny38]

Talk about unnatural coincidents!! The other day I tested my blood sugar level and found it to be ........7.2 !!! The size of my (wait for it, Keith) SP engine. This is amazing and worrying as there may be more sheer coincidences to arrive. We live in troublesome times. Please tell us of your own eerie experiences but leave out the little message in your head telling you not to buy that heap of shite......and you did and found that the message was right. Kenny38

[AH1951]

This is the only thread I feel qualified to comment upon.
Another Adrian

[VFK44]

When I had my 0.8 litre Matiz, I must have been really ill.

[Jens]

This is the only thread I feel qualified to comment upon.
Another Adrian

Thy Will be done ...

[Frankoid]

Talk about unnatural coincidents!! The other day I tested my blood sugar level and found it to be ........7.2 !!! The size of my (wait for it, Keith) SP engine. This is amazing and worrying as there may be more sheer coincidences to arrive. We live in troublesome times. Please tell us of your own eerie experiences but leave out the little message in your head telling you not to buy that heap of shite......and you did and found that the message was right. Kenny38

I once caught an elusive butterfly outside the natural history museum butterfly house. They let me in for free as I repatriated this delicate escapee, captured in my hands. I had a wonderful few hours, is this a natural experience or an unnatural experience ? (BTW if my blood sugar is 8.2 should I get my engine re-bored?)

[kenny38]

Another strange coincidence. I met Calver R. at our national rally. However I bumped in to him quite accidentally lurking in the underground car park with an Arfur Daley hat. "Ello, Kenny" he said "wot a coincidence meeting again like this" and promptly sold me one of his absolutely impeccable and beautifully presented, "The Genome". Now I had mentioned in our coincidental first meeting that I was interested in this book. Imagine my total surprise when i saw him again and he had one in the car boot. I think the weight of this Genome added about 2 gallons to my return trip. Well worth it. Kenny38

[kenny38]

I am amazed at the wonks who keep carping on about "originality as left the factory" and other colourful words to describe a sometimes heap of hidden shite. All of us started out from (extremely hopefully) from a womb. We began brand spankers but over the years the vast majority of us have had bits removed and bits added plus a new colour to be inclusive of course. We are not concourse not even MINT.....perhaps cond. 2 3 by the time we reach 50. So why keep banging on about purity when the "almost ex factory" car is probably by today's standards swiftly fading to perhaps dangerous. When i see the term concours I think of queens which when loads are spent still have a stuffed motor awaiting some DYI owner to complete and a future poor sod to find out the awful truth. In my opinion forget about "as factory" and only buy a well kept (maintained) hopefully rust free car. Have never met a happy concours car owner yet. They always seem a little depressed and having the car on a trailer helps with therapy.....am i allowed to say aspergers?? most of us have a touch....don't argue! Feel free to disagree. Kenny38

[Jens]

Sorry I can't disagree, Kenny.

These completely restored cars (and I am selling a number of them) have nothing to do with originality, as everything is renewed, made of new materials that didn't exist 60 years ago, new paint, etc... not necessary to mention here.

Some of this is useful to drive these cars in today's conditions, some is just ridiculous.

It's all marketing blathering to get the guys with deep pockets and no clue.

[kenny38]

Thankyou, Jens. But I can't quite believe that some one on this site actually agrees with me. Good luck to all us Filostanes. Kenny38

[felixkk]

Sorry I can't disagree, Kenny.

These completely restored cars (and I am selling a number of them) have nothing to do with originality, as everything is renewed, made of new materials that didn't exist 60 years ago, new paint, etc... not necessary to mention here.

Some of this is useful to drive these cars in today's conditions, some is just ridiculous.

It's all marketing blathering to get the guys with deep pockets and no clue.

There's a tradition in Japan of rebuilding temples every 20 or so years, interesting concept:

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/ise-grand-shrine

[dsimonds]

Sorry I can't disagree, Kenny.

These completely restored cars (and I am selling a number of them) have nothing to do with originality, as everything is renewed, made of new materials that didn't exist 60 years ago, new paint, etc... not necessary to mention here.

Some of this is useful to drive these cars in today's conditions, some is just ridiculous.

It's all marketing blathering to get the guys with deep pockets and no clue.

I have recently completed a total restoration of my 541S which was a mix of renovation where possible and renewal where nothing was left of the original. While it is obviously not as it left the factory, we took care to return it as closely as possible to the original specification. Sure there are some (hopefully subtle) upgrades such as electronic ignition.

I take much satisfaction in saving this car from scrap and returning it to something at least close to how it left the factory, albeit using some materials 'that didn't exist 60 years ago' to replace things that were missing or past repair. I obviously wouldn't claim it to be original, but don't accept it has "nothing to do with originality" after carefully restoring everything we could as close as possible back to the original spec.. I would argue this is another honourable phase in the long life of a car that had already been repainted 5 different colours and received other, sometimes poorly done, owner modifications over the years. It was in a sorry state and now hopefully will now survive another 60 years.

I would like to think the JOC appreciates my contribution to keeping the marque alive and hope that the suggestion this makes me a "guy with no clue and deep pockets", seduced by "marketing blather", is not one shared by the majority of the club!
Derek

[Richard Calver]

Derek, we were in touch a couple of months ago about the history of your car. As you will recall, we were able to nail down a few loose ends and give the story a sense of completeness. You have certainly worked wonders in restoring the car which now has a full provenance and is as close to original as you can reasonably get. I am sure no-one would seek to detract from that achievement. To the contrary, you are to be applauded for sticking with it and getting the job done to such a high standard.

[ajc9415]

Derek,
Your hard work to restore your car is to be applauded. I think everyone draws a different line between originality and modification depending on their own views and budget. There are lots of sensible things that make our cars more reliable / drivable without impacting the character of the vehicle. Some people take it to an extreme in both directions. I say “each to their own”. Very well done for saving a historic vehicle.
Adrian

[johnw]

There's a tradition in Japan of rebuilding temples every 20 or so years, interesting concept:
https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/ise-grand-shrine

It is not a bad idea to take a car apart, clean and reassemble it every 30 years or so. Think of it more like a watch service, taken apart, rubber gasket replaced, and fresh lubrication.

I agree with Kenny and Jens on this. These types go out and pay good money for a near perfect original car to do all this unnecessary work on, end up with something less than they started with, quite often all the rebuilt or replaced parts which would have been better left alone or just resealed and relubricated start failing. Ambition over ability on the part of the professional restorer and parts supplier "it will be better than new". At this point the money invested is so large that even Mr/Ms Money Pit is anxious about using the car, especially when parts start failing, and it gets put away and never used again.

There was a very interesting CV8 convertible with original paint and interior, which wasn't selling, the advertised price would have been a record if achieved, but arguably worth it. The car then gets retrimmed and repainted, presumably because it didn't sell! I was not in the market for it but it became a lot less interesting to me after the work.

Such deep pocket types we talk about here never start with a near scrap car like Derek did. Tarp Dweller wrecks should cost about the same to fix as they usually get charged if the restorer is competent. Cellulose paint and original materials are increasingly available, chrome can be redone in countries that still allow toxic traditional methods etc. Would these latter two items be unethical? Should you use fresh ivory when restoring a vintage Steinway piano? Interestingly mammoth tusks are increasingly readily available and plentiful for collection at the bottom of glaciers and as the animals are extinct there is no ethical question about using the materials.