24v Project

[DownUnderXM]

Hopefully not asbestos lagging on the exhaust...

It's a stainless braid round the flexi section..

Not the flexi section - the manifold! Certainly looks like it could contain asbestos...

[citroenxm]

No. It's not asbestos it's a heat bandage to keep the heat in..

[Eddie nuff]

A good start...just the other 999,999 jobs to do.

And that's just on this car Was informed on Friday that the volume of work we have had during lockdown will carry on until 'at least' the new year, so no hope of much progress this year. Therefore there's no point in stripping the engine until the underneath of the car has been completely sorted. Still hoping I can get that done before winter kicks in but any work done will be on a piecemeal basis.

I had hoped that both Goldie and the Sinker would be on the road this year but that's not practical now. Even finding a wire so I can test Goldie is stretching time out. More pressing things arise pushing things like this down the list.

[Eddie nuff]

As work has eased a tad I arranged for a blaster man and a welder man to meet at the yard in order to assess if the 24v was viable. Unfortunately the meeting was inconclusive. The roller doors on the owners garage wouldn't raise fully so he couldn't get the flt out in order to raise the car and blaster man was held up on a farm due to the weather, which left me and the welder. He said it's not at death's door but it's certainly in intensive care. All the edges are rotten, cills, rear bumper seams and all 4 wheel arches. The floor is very thin in places, probably only held together by the underseal but solid elsewhere giving him something to work with but, until the underseal is removed, he can't say if it can be done. He suggested reshelling it until I told him the cost of bringing one back from Spain would be more than paying him to weld it.

So, the upshot is I pay out another £300 to have the underneath blasted (plus £150 on a rotisserie) purely to see if it's worth saving or cut and run now by stripping it. I'm really not sure what to do with this car now. Yes it's the oldest known 24v and, when finished, would be a striking car but the cost and practicality of refurbishment balances out the pro's.

Damned if I do, damned if I don't

[White Exec]

Dilemma.
My penny'sworth is that if its originality/history is indispensible, then you'll have to repair it.
If you want a totally sound restoration, get the replacement bodyshell.

[Eddie nuff]

At a further meeting the blaster man told me he didn't do sand blasting, only soda, hence three times the price. Furthermore, due to the number of vehicles in close proximity, no mobile blaster would touch it without all the vehicles being at a safe distance, which is impractical.

This week I spoke to a reputable company over Wakefield way who sent someone over to look at it. His in-depth and comprehensive report was succinct and to the point, delivered in true Yorkshire style. "Save wot tha can, scrap rest, it's f*****!"

The upshot is I have decided not to put anymore time and money into this car as it stands.

I have two choices really, reshell it or strip and sell. The former means finding a car with a flawless structure. Doesn't matter about colour or mechanics or trim or even drive side - but the chassis, floorpan and general structure of the car must be solid. The latter would mean stripping the car completely, so that it is not much more than a shell, keeping what I want, selling what I don't.

I've given myself until the end of the year to find a suitable donor. Failing that parts will be made available in the new year.