Top tip?

PostPost by: KevJ+2 » Mon Sep 08, 2014 11:33 am

Yes, the Gumtree car looks really good value and mostly original.( S wheels?)
Not sure the horn push is worth more than the car but who knows these days :roll:
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PostPost by: TonyJ » Mon Sep 08, 2014 6:31 pm

I'm in Sevenoaks, so if you need a +2 man then drop me a PM. Happy to show you my +2S130/5 over a weekend. Just got to replace the bonnet release cable that I retreaded and messed up :evil: .

Tony
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PostPost by: alan » Tue Sep 09, 2014 5:06 am

I thought there was a English saying about a Gumtree :lol:
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PostPost by: GHill » Tue Sep 09, 2014 6:52 am

All

So buying a lemon looks like a greater possibility than buying a solid car - Ive booked to go and see the PM car on Friday and have noticed the following to double check - will also ask them to put it on the ramp to look at the chasis.

- Paint is cracked on the front right side light - any idea if this could be repaired without a full respray?
- Paint is cracked on the front left light pod and near the bumper (small chip potentially) - again any idea if this could be repaired without a full respray?
- Inconsistent windscreen wipers - easy enough to correct
- Tear in the centre consol behind the drivers seat - Are there any products to fix this or is this a replacement exercise?
- Untidy room lining, looks dirty and is sagging - I imagine this would be a nightmare to replace - has anyone done this themselves, is it worth doing yourself or getting a pro to do it? (Im not scared of a bit of effort)
- Left sill looks to have red paint (prior body colour perhaps?)
- The fuse box looks loose and untidy in the engine bay & the chasis plate has lost most of its paint Does this look standard to you all? or a DIY hodgepodge?

Thanks as always.

Regards
Gareth
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PostPost by: KevJ+2 » Tue Sep 09, 2014 10:29 am

Come on then Steve - got to ask - how much do you think it's worth?
Just trying to picture poor Gareth being chased down the road by PM with a big stick after he talks him through your points :lol:
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PostPost by: alan » Tue Sep 09, 2014 10:32 am

imho the Gumtree car has had a new front fitted with the moulded in appetures for the spots
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PostPost by: KevJ+2 » Tue Sep 09, 2014 12:17 pm

Plus 2 wrote:Sorry to not really give a direct answer Kev.


Steve, thats quite understandable and I didn't realise that it was 'sold as seen' - doesn't really inspire a lot of confidence!
It just shows what a minefield the secondhand market is. Gareth's original question was how to avoid a lemon but with a car that can be totally rebuilt (such as mine) it's difficult to say where the true value in the car is. You could have great running gear & poor body and any combinations thereafter but i suppose because the fibreglass body is more of a challenge to put right, this has to be the prime consideration. The sort of 'middle ground' cars of about 10K are probably the hardest choice - still plenty to do but like you said about the dark silver one, a nice car for 4.5K more which you may have to spend anyway - I'm upto about the 10K point on my rebuild and many more Ks to go :?
All good fun though, and I love it (but I also like banging my head against a brick wall too :lol: )
Kev.
PS Am I right in thinking that the $64,000 question came from a game show hosted by Groucho Marx? maybe not.
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PostPost by: elan66 » Tue Sep 09, 2014 2:19 pm

Hi Gareth,
the other guys have great advice and know lots more than me,but from expierience if you know what you want as the finished article work out what you can afford to spend( be honest with yourself,but not SWMBO :lol: ) and
work backwards.If you want a car in showroom condition that is great but what spec do you want engine,suspension,paint etc. as per factory or subtle upgrades,because unless the car you buy is exactly what you want to start with an engine upgrade could end up costing nearly as much as a rebuild(or more),suspension can make your wallet light very quickly,and re-painting a good but not to tatty body could cost as much as a very tatty body.ie if you are going to change most things look for solid base to work from.
Plus 2s cost the same and sometimes more than 2 seater elans,especially if chrome and trim is missing to restore,but as the others said do as much research as you can. Cars do come up for sale on this great forum,which has the the advantage others may know about it and may even have a bit of history on the forum,mine did which i have found useful.
Just remember to walk away if you have ANY doubts there is allways another car to buy,decide in haste repent at leisure(ask me how i know :( ) good luck
ps i am in Brighton you can ring anytime.I have just started resto (pm sent)
regards
Paul
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PostPost by: jimj » Tue Sep 09, 2014 3:07 pm

The $64,000 dollar question was the top prize in Double Your Money, sadly I remember the Hughie Greene version in the UK.

As always, the more you pay (within reason) the less the car will cost overall. I`d say ?10-?12k should buy a pretty decent +2. You can usually tell if a car has been cherished at a glance and that, to me, is the main indicator to look for.
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PostPost by: KevJ+2 » Tue Sep 09, 2014 5:06 pm

Sorry, the Groucho Marx game show was - You Bet Your Life.
Guess I'm just too young to remember :wink:
Kev
Last edited by KevJ+2 on Tue Sep 09, 2014 6:02 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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PostPost by: GHill » Tue Sep 09, 2014 5:34 pm

All,

The fog is slowly starting to clear in terms of value etc - and if nothing else I've learned some history of the $64k question - although I remember the bob monkhouse version as I'm an 80's child ;-)

My motivations are to have fun - lots of it both in terms of driving as well as tinkering with it. I suppose that's what we all want!

I'm really appreciative of all the advice given - and look forward to being chased with a stick by PM on Friday - I will let you all know how it goes :?

Thanks also to those who've offered local assistance!

Cheers
Gareth

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PostPost by: Tournesol » Tue Sep 09, 2014 9:51 pm

Welcome Gareth and hello to everyone,

I am also looking for a +2 and have had huge amount of help already from Steve in particular (thanks again!).

A few days ago I called to enquire about the car advertized on Gumtree (it's also on some other websites). The gentleman selling was very friendly over the phone and gave me some details about the car and told me he is selling because his daughter needs a mortage. He mentionned the chassis replacement was a subframe and that therefore the numbers didn't match and that he was trying to get this sorted via the Lotus Club for approx ?35. I am sure I read an article about this somewhere that it's something possible but dont hesitate to correct me if I am wrong. Following our conversation I've sent an email asking him to confirm the numbers he has of the chassis, engine and subframe and additional high res photos but helas no reply yet. I saw the car advertised somewhere else than Gumtree and it didn't have engine bay picture.

As for the escalating price of +2s well I just wish I had got the urge a year or 2 earlier....
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PostPost by: jimj » Wed Sep 10, 2014 9:10 am

The sub frame versus chassis situation arose when owners changed the chassis and, unnecessarily, told the registration authorities who got all excited about the car`s "identity". By calling the chassis a sub frame they calmed down.
PLU5 2, I can`t believe that you believe wickipedia, next thing you`ll be quoting from the Daily Mail. It was definitely, originally, Hughie Green(e). "Thankyou friends, I mean that most sincerely".
Jim
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PostPost by: Bud English » Wed Sep 10, 2014 4:18 pm

This has nothing to do with "Top Tip", but here you go...
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/quizshow/p ... nde06.html
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PostPost by: Plus 2 » Wed Sep 10, 2014 5:03 pm

Bud English wrote:This has nothing to do with "Top Tip", but here you go...
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/quizshow/p ... nde06.html


Bud,

It did not take me too long to look at a few of your posts either that wander. However when the OP embraces some humour along the way I don't think it needs the 'snarky' remark at the start.

I am out of this discussion and will remove all my previous posts from the thread with immediate effect

Bye
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