This is the car in question.
I'm collecting it on Saturday from Birmingham. It's solid mechanically, drives very nicely, but is a little challenged with things like a saggy headlining (quite common), broken parcel shelf and a few other cosmetic niggles that I'll list in more detail when I have the car home.
My vision is to keep the car pretty much as it is and add to it. The paint will remain shiny midnight blue, the interior a sea of mid-grey, but it's on the outside that things will get interesting.
Since viewing and driving the car it felt tougher than it looks, it has a certain solidness that is usually the reserve of vans and off roaders. It's not really either of those things, but I'd like to visually toughen it up a bit.
Urban Explorer
To me, the higher than usual suspension, 14" (instead of 13") wheels, basic spec, dark blue paint and metal bumpers all look like a tough little car.
It's something that's not suitable for off roading, but ideal for exploring the less well maintained bits of a city, for taking a look around abandoned factory sites and generally exploring the urban landscape.
I want to embrace this somewhat, but without the application of camouflage, matte paint and knobbly tyres. At the moment the plan is to clean everything, see precisely what I've got and what can be changed and go from there.
Initial thoughts are to get some in-proportion bull/nudge bars fitted front and rear painted to match the bumpers, some better looking 14" wheels and some good chunky spotlights for under the front bumper. I'm also tempted by some running boards/side steps as you find on many 4X4s, but I suspect that will cross the line just a bit too far. Other than that, I don't think much is needed.
Anyway, there will be updates on this one as I go. I may even keep the whole thing standard yet, we shall see.
I'm collecting it on Saturday from Birmingham. It's solid mechanically, drives very nicely, but is a little challenged with things like a saggy headlining (quite common), broken parcel shelf and a few other cosmetic niggles that I'll list in more detail when I have the car home.
My vision is to keep the car pretty much as it is and add to it. The paint will remain shiny midnight blue, the interior a sea of mid-grey, but it's on the outside that things will get interesting.
Since viewing and driving the car it felt tougher than it looks, it has a certain solidness that is usually the reserve of vans and off roaders. It's not really either of those things, but I'd like to visually toughen it up a bit.
Urban Explorer
To me, the higher than usual suspension, 14" (instead of 13") wheels, basic spec, dark blue paint and metal bumpers all look like a tough little car.
It's something that's not suitable for off roading, but ideal for exploring the less well maintained bits of a city, for taking a look around abandoned factory sites and generally exploring the urban landscape.
I want to embrace this somewhat, but without the application of camouflage, matte paint and knobbly tyres. At the moment the plan is to clean everything, see precisely what I've got and what can be changed and go from there.
Initial thoughts are to get some in-proportion bull/nudge bars fitted front and rear painted to match the bumpers, some better looking 14" wheels and some good chunky spotlights for under the front bumper. I'm also tempted by some running boards/side steps as you find on many 4X4s, but I suspect that will cross the line just a bit too far. Other than that, I don't think much is needed.
Anyway, there will be updates on this one as I go. I may even keep the whole thing standard yet, we shall see.
