jimj wrote:I`ve had a good look around it and I`d say ?20K- ?25K is a fair price. It`s more than quite tidy but what a shame that a small amount wasn`t spent cleaning the engine bay and under the car. It would add value way beyond the cost of a professional valet. Silly things bother me and the fact the bonnet spring was missing smacks, to me, of a careless owner. Underneath it was just a bit scruffy and showed no signs of just plain affection. I like to buy a car from someone who has really loved it and this car didn`t show that. I`m guessing the price will reflect that so you could get a bargain.
But what do I know?
Jim
The Bonnet Spring and Ash tray was in the boot when i saw it earlier in the day (i Believe the S4 that was sold earlier in the year had been damaged by some one trying to remove the bonnet with the spring attached). I thought the car was a bit disappointing, allot of the original bits where there but the Paint was badly done, Bubbling and showed some real amateur errors like the 50p rear 1/4's plus the fact they hadn't replaced the boot hinge cross bar so the the Hinge to body was loose which had damaged the body. We couldn't get the bonnet open and some one from H&H spent quite a while trying and left it then a dealer just ragged on it and it popped open
We chatted to the Auctioneer (who my dad knows quite well) and he said the car had been stored by H&H since the last auction and the owner didn't opt to have the car finished by there valeters which by looking at some of the cars they did Clean like the V12 E-Type, BMW and Merc i think was not a wise move. I guess he was going for "Honest Elan" but looked more "Uncared Elan"
After a good look at it i was Put off by the Side repeaters
But on a serious note i like cars that are Honest and not been over cleaned to dazzle protental buyers into thinking its come from a collection or some thing. I can really understand when you see some of the cars in there why they like to leave the patina on them but the Elan was a wash off and wax car that still had car show admittance tickets on the floor,