simdel1
New member
I went to view a red 1985 quare dash today. It is listed on auto trader and pistonheads (and probably other sites too) with an asking price of £2900
Autotrader ad
Dealer impressions
Lovely location just off the A14 in a converted barn. There was a very impressive array of cars on display including a Hummer, and all maner of Jaguars, Porsches and Bentleys. There were workshop facilities on site and they were working on a nice Jag at the time. However, after circling the forecourt several times, I couldn't see the Porsche. Eventually I found it tucked behind the barn - clearly not of the required caliber to be parked next to the other cars.
Bodywork
The photos in the advert look quite nice. When I showed the ad to Andy (Hairyarse) he pointed out what could be some rot on the nearside sill. So, how did it measure up in real life?
First impressions were bad. The paint on both rear wings was very faded. In fact, I'm not sure if it had been polished through and was starting to show the undercoat. There was still the dusty evidence of the last attempt to polish the car on most panels.
The front light panel had horizontal lines which made it look like it had been hand painted or the prep had been done with 80grit sand paper
The near side sill was extensively corroded at the bottom edge, particularly at the front and rear. The offside sill was pretty solid though. I looked through the vent in the drivers door opening, but I'd forgotten my torch so I couldn't see much.
Interior
Generally this was quite tidy. There were a couple of issues though. Several wires and connectors were dangling from beneath the steering column. I didn't investigate too closely, but it didn't look original! The dash was also extensively cracked.
Driving impressions/Engine/History
By this point I'd already decided the car wasn't for me, so I didn't bother with a test drive or talking to the dealer about history.
My overall impression was that this car was a project. As I'm not interested in having a full on restoration I walked away from this one. I'll leave you to make your own mind up about the price.
Autotrader ad
Dealer impressions
Lovely location just off the A14 in a converted barn. There was a very impressive array of cars on display including a Hummer, and all maner of Jaguars, Porsches and Bentleys. There were workshop facilities on site and they were working on a nice Jag at the time. However, after circling the forecourt several times, I couldn't see the Porsche. Eventually I found it tucked behind the barn - clearly not of the required caliber to be parked next to the other cars.
Bodywork
The photos in the advert look quite nice. When I showed the ad to Andy (Hairyarse) he pointed out what could be some rot on the nearside sill. So, how did it measure up in real life?
First impressions were bad. The paint on both rear wings was very faded. In fact, I'm not sure if it had been polished through and was starting to show the undercoat. There was still the dusty evidence of the last attempt to polish the car on most panels.
The front light panel had horizontal lines which made it look like it had been hand painted or the prep had been done with 80grit sand paper
The near side sill was extensively corroded at the bottom edge, particularly at the front and rear. The offside sill was pretty solid though. I looked through the vent in the drivers door opening, but I'd forgotten my torch so I couldn't see much.
Interior
Generally this was quite tidy. There were a couple of issues though. Several wires and connectors were dangling from beneath the steering column. I didn't investigate too closely, but it didn't look original! The dash was also extensively cracked.
Driving impressions/Engine/History
By this point I'd already decided the car wasn't for me, so I didn't bother with a test drive or talking to the dealer about history.
My overall impression was that this car was a project. As I'm not interested in having a full on restoration I walked away from this one. I'll leave you to make your own mind up about the price.
