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As all good stories do, it started with a road trip...  My partners in crime for this particular trip were Dave (Butterz)  and Pip (not on Retro Rides, but an Area 52 regular and serial cake baker!)  Jed was also with us for the day, but being quite camerashy, he chose to avoid being papped. Destination: Torquay, where we met up with Ian (BiAS), drank tea while we had a mooch around his garage and car.  As most of you know, Ian is also a regular at Area 52 along with his ever so cool Honda Shuttle  We all pile into Daves Volvo then head out of Torquay and up into the hills, somewhere pretty remote where sat-navs fail to work and the sheep outnumber the population by about 500:1. We park up next to an old Jag, a very rotten one.  After an enjoyable trip, we had 'arrived' |
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stefan
Posted a lot
If it isn't broken fix it till it is
Posts: 1,598
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S type?
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POWER IS EVERYTHING WITHOUT CONTROL
1985 Honda jazz
1997 Saab 93 convertible
2010 transit 280
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I've seen the pics on fb and instagram but I shan't spoil the surprise. Needless to say, this will be amazing!
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First things first, Dave and Pip needed to have a guided tour. Despite my excitement, I was more than happy to wait a bit longer because this place is so damn awesome!! Into one of the workshops:  It's full of cool cars undergoing some serious restorations    This one was being prepped for paint when I had been down a few weeks earlier. Now painted and about to be mopped to a mirror shine...  Pip photobombs a rather cool car that Ian was having a close look at  As we head out of one workshop, we see a Land Cruiser undergoing some work. There's probably about ten of these kicking around from 'ready to be scrapped' up to full on workhorses.  As we head out of the workshop area (only a fraction of which I've photographed) we head up one of the many tracks. To the side of the track is a slope going down to a tunnel. There's two Mk2 Jags undercover along the slope which leads back to the tunnel doors.  Inside the tunnel....    ...and more! We head back out into the daylight - both Pip and Dave exasperated at what they've seen so far. "Guys, we've only just scratched the surface" exclaims Ian. I'm just grinning knowing how much more is yet to come!  Just around the corner another workshop reveals a little Austin undergoing some treatment  Next to that, a polytunnel filled with stuff like a Mk1 Transit chassis cab, a Stag, Mk2 Jag and who knows what else hidden under all the car body parts.  Next to this polytunnel are many more workshops and many more cars and parts of cars. I am not joking when I say it's just too much to take in. It would take days to photograph it all properly! |
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What a great place  |
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As we moved around the various tracks on the property, there were more familiar sights from last year   This was a fairly new arrival, "I've got a lead on about 20 more of them....I'm hoping to get them in soon. I do love Mk1's"   We started working our way down one of the tracks...  Past some familiar vehicles from last years visit  ...heading towards the place I knew Dave and Pip would LOVE!!  Mikeys own private race track! I kid you not...  In the centre of the track (I suppose you could call it 'the pits'), a collection of other cars which are waiting to be worked on/restored. The Ital...less than 20,000 miles from new. The interior even still smells of 'new old car'!   While around the perimeter, various cars that were destined for a good thrashing and to end their days in a blaze of sideways action...this utterly rotten 340 (I've never seen roof rot like that on a car of this era) was a prime example.  Even ones that had 'had' their day.   Despite its appearance, that rotten XJS will still donate its engine, box, diff and other parts to a restoration of another car. Dave & Pip were gobsmacked...but the best was yet to come. |
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stealthstylz
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 14,832
Club RR Member Number: 174
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What were the plans with that bubble arched Escy van? Looks like all of the bulkhead and floor has gone as well as the rear.
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Whenever I see a new thread in readers rides from 'mysterymachine' I cant help but get excited... looking forward to seeing the rest of the story unfold  |
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Matt, I'll ask Ian about the Escort. I seem to recall some story about it being locally 'significant' but there are SOO many stories about all the cars, it's hard to remember which info to attach to which car. You'd need a dictaphone to even begin to keep up with everything!! Daves eyes literally popped out of his head when he saw the track and then processed this very matter of fact comment from Mikey, "Oh this is just the little one....just over that ridge is our bigger one. You can get 80 on the straights on that one" "Why don't you bring the Volvo round" were Mikeys next words. I don't think I've seen Dave grin so much. I could only take so many shots before I started to choke on the dust.      "It's a LOT more fun when it's a bit wetter" exclaimed Mikey as we all dusted ourselves down and cleared out throats, the Volvo sitting there with the engine making metallic 'plinking' noises as all the mechanicals cooled themselves down....  |
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yoda say get on with it you will
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2001 HONDA CT110 (NOT RCV)
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MrOtter
West Midlands
"Your car is your story, so don't let someone else write the book." - Moog
Posts: 281
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Needless to say - bookmarked. You don't half know how to tell a story Bruce! I've also seen a few pics on Facebook, can't wait to see this develop!
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Just.... Awesome.....
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1971 Range Rover
1977 Jeep Cherokee
1982 W123 Merc 230CE
1992 Peugeot 405 TD Saloon
1995 Peugeot 405TD Estate (having a rest)
1990 Peugeot 205 CJ - For Sale
1985 Peugeot 305 GTX
1979 Honda Accord MK1
1995 BMW E34 TDS
1994 BMW E34 TD
1998 Mercedes 320 CLK
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PhoenixCapri
West Midlands
Posts: 2,682
Club RR Member Number: 91
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Awesome, I think I might be very very jealous of Mikey.... ;D
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I am really really looking forward to this thread in its whole awesomeness! Cracking start!
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owen
Part of things
Posts: 258
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Why dose this guy have all these cars and do naff all with them.
There are some proper tasty motors there.
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Did anyone notice the tyres on the red one? Yoko A048's?? Lovely job MM
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Why dose this guy have all these cars and do naff all with them. There are some proper tasty motors there. I think you might have missed the fairly large part of the thread where I show the cars he's currently restoring...there's always about 10+ cars being restored at any one time (read back through the thread, it's all there) The ones sat outside are awaiting restoration or were too far gone when they 'came in' and are there as spares cars. I'm not sure where doing 'naff all with them' comes into it? Take a look at the completely, utterly rotten Herald Coupe. The rot is far worse than it looks in the pics, yet it is next in line to be restored. The whole family is involved in the restoration business...Mikeys Mum knows off the top of her head where any particular part for any particular car is at any particular time. My new car was missing some door cappings....Mikeys Mum listed five places around the whole, massive site where they are kept, and which specific ones would be the exact right match for the rest of the wood in my car. She also knew exactly where the spare front springs were kept (as in which exact bush they were next to!) and also where all the steel wheels were to make up a spare set. Not one of them were in the same place but she knew where they all were. His Dad is an amazing panel beater. And I do mean AMAZING! Some of the stuff we were shown was beyond belief. You might think this is a slight exaggeration, but I can assure you, if you were there you would have been speechless. Literally. I know there are places out there where people just let cars rot into oblivion, but I can assure you that you've got completely the wrong end of the stick in this case. |
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Did anyone notice the tyres on the red one? Yoko A048's?? Lovely job MM Dave & I both noticed that straight off. In his very understated manner, Mikey mentioned, "Oh yeah, that one has what you could call an interesting past" Based on previous stories of other cars, this was all that was needed to say everything about the cars history! |
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ThePollitt
Posted a lot
Fix up, look... at that car on eBay!
Posts: 4,696
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Genuinely sad I missed out on going there again.
Incredible pics and write-up though, dude.
Chirs
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