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DUD 518K & Gareth Hill

PostPosted: Thu Oct 16, 2014 12:03 pm
by GHill
Hi All

Thought I would introduce myself although I have posted already on the site.

So about me:

Im an accountant and live in sussex and work in London for a financial services company (please dont throw eggs at me ;-) )

Im 34 married, two kids, two dogs, a mortgage the usual stuff

Been interested in cars and specifically +2's for over 5 years and recently purchased DUD 518K a 1972 130S which Im enjoying very much and had an eventful first couple of weeks with the car.

My car history up till now has been pretty average, a 1980 bright orange mini was my first car which I also tinkered with and serviced and worked on it with my father. This was followed by a ford fiesta after university and then a Ford Cmax when the dogs and kids arrived - so very uninspiring.

Im very much looking forward to enjoying the car and making small mods/improvements as the years go with a long term aim of having a very well sorted, reliable and fun car to drive at the weekends and driving to place like le mans etc.

Thats me, thanks and goodnight.

Regards
Gareth

Re: DUD 518K & Gareth Hill

PostPosted: Thu Oct 16, 2014 1:57 pm
by Plus 2
Hi Gareth........and welcome,

I never introduced myself, figured no one really read them apart from like me in South France cold and pouring down with rain.

It is nice to see the young (wealthy) guys in the money want classic Lotus and the Plus 2S130 is definitely a great car. Again a K reg could be 71 or 72 registered so one of the later ones before the 5 speed introduction.

No doubt the number plate will get you some p takers but the cars are really good.

Huh................what's a mortgage nowadays. I remember the days when it was interest rates of around 15.5%.......I was so happy when Santa came along wanting to buy my company.

By the time I was 34 I had been retired for 3 years on my 9th or 10th Lotus and had a small fleet of my own classic cars after selling my automotive component manufacturing business I was forced into a 3 year non competition clause. When completed my imprisonment, I was glad to get back into the Motor Industry and got a 'busmans holiday' job responsible for the engineering prototypes for a luxury car company. That provided more funds to go through another 7 Lotus' so had 17 mainly Elans in total over the years. I then took the option to retire again early over 10 years ago when I knew the car company was going up for sale.

Not sure if in your other posts you have put some pictures up of your car but will have a search ....most do like pictures.

Are you working nightshift signing off goodnight at 1.30pm or does the site display some alternative time zone. :lol:

You enjoy your Lotus and may see you some time at Le Mans

Anyway from here in France then Bonsoir :mrgreen:

Regards

Steve

Re: DUD 518K & Gareth Hill

PostPosted: Thu Oct 16, 2014 2:33 pm
by Plus 2
GHill wrote:Hi All

Thought I would introduce myself although I have posted already on the site.

So about me:

Im an accountant and live in sussex and work in London for a financial services company (please dont throw eggs at me ;-) )

Im 34 married, two kids, two dogs, a mortgage the usual stuff

Been interested in cars and specifically +2's for over 5 years and recently purchased DUD 518K a 1972 130S which Im enjoying very much and had an eventful first couple of weeks with the car.

My car history up till now has been pretty average, a 1980 bright orange mini was my first car which I also tinkered with and serviced and worked on it with my father. This was followed by a ford fiesta after university and then a Ford Cmax when the dogs and kids arrived - so very uninspiring.

Im very much looking forward to enjoying the car and making small mods/improvements as the years go with a long term aim of having a very well sorted, reliable and fun car to drive at the weekends and driving to place like le mans etc.

Thats me, thanks and goodnight.

Regards
Gareth


Hi again,

Just looked up your posts and realised I had replied to one but obviously not filled in the notify box so did not see follow ups.

Good job really as I did not realise there could be such foul mouthed writings on a family forum.....

My statement by the way was not criticising your spelling at all and a genuine request to understand if you had 'brought' it yourself from Prague or meant just 'bought' from Prague...............which I can now see from your eventful journey as you posted afterwards obviously interpreted what I meant.

Regards

Steve

Re: DUD 518K & Gareth Hill

PostPosted: Thu Oct 16, 2014 5:30 pm
by GHill
Hi Steve

Firstly WOW what a car history and what careers you've had!

The accounting game may be stable but isn't exactly lucrative it's a pyramid scheme like all professions and I actually enjoy it, more so the team management part!

I was absolutely fine with your previous post - I'm good with a bit of banter and will be the first to acknowledge that I) my English is terrible and II) spelling and grammar can influence the message (I like cooking dogs and horses...for example)

Yep it's a '72 and I've always wanted to drive to Le Mans so hopefully be able to realise that ambition soon - after all I've driven the car from Prague to Crawley!

So why the turnover of cars Steve? I imagine the country lanes of France are just as winding as UK roads?

Thanks for the reply and any advice welcomed (and will be sought I'm sure)

Not sure about the time zone - used the work PC at lunch - it does go via Germany but still a strange time.

Regards
Gareth

Re: DUD 518K & Gareth Hill

PostPosted: Sun Jun 20, 2021 3:21 pm
by Cathy
Hi Gareth,
I was interested to read your post about this lovely car. I had searched the registration and your post came up. In 1981 to about 1984 my ex and I owned the car. We had 2 young children who sat in the 'bucket seats'. We loved the car and I think about it often and the great times I had with my children in it. So happy to know it is still going well all these years later. Do the headlights still stay up or do they go back down when they should? . Would be great to hear more about the car

Cathy

Re: DUD 518K & Gareth Hill

PostPosted: Mon Jun 21, 2021 5:45 pm
by GHill
Hi Cathy

So cool to hear from you as a previous owner. The car is safe and well although my family circumstances changed a bit since I made that post.

I actually moved to Canada with the family and have been here for 3 years on a work assignment. I still own the Lotus and it is in a classic car facility awaiting my return. But dont worry I make sure it gets an exercise and an MOT every year (which it passes with flying colours). The lights do go up and down as they should and generally the car is in good working condition. It wont win any concour car shows as it got used when I had it.

There are even a few video’s of it on YouTube, if you go on there you can see me driving the lotus around the Sussex countryside. Unfortunately the info I have on the car is at my parents house in Wales, but I did pay for the history from the DVLA so I will ask my dad to send me a photo from the early 80s’. I think I’m the 6th owner by now.

My kids also liked being in the back of the car and have some great photos of my youngest asleep on multiple occasions so it must be comfy.

Let me know what you want to know about the car and it would be great to have your stories and any info you had on the car too.

Regards from Toronto
Gareth

PS Attached is a photo of the car with the lights down.