Chilli's classic car thread.

chillidoggy

The Phoenix palms thrive here very nicely (I'm be got one very large one called Mrs Palmer), as do the variegated agaves, the European dwarf fan palms, my big, fuck-off  Chusan Palm which is about 14' tall, and the Cordyllines. In fact, most exotics do well here.

We are sheltered from the worst of the North winds, and about 500 yards from the sea. We get all the warm air from the south west. Once the Phoenix palms get over a certain size, they become hardy, and need bugger-all looking after, which suits me, as well as looking nice.

I'll post some photos of the rest of the plant collection in due course, if you're interested.

holnrew

Bloody gorgeous.

chillidoggy

Me, the car or the palms?

chillidoggy

Just got back from a cracking day out. Hi-Fi Lounge in Dunton for a Lotus/classic car meet, then a thrash around the countryside, before going on to an open day at PMC's headquarters in Biggleswade. 

At the Hi-Fi lounge

http://i232.photobucket.com/albums/ee189/chillidoggy/Lotus/image.jpg3_zps6bgmeyo7.jpg

New Lotus Exige LF1

http://i232.photobucket.com/albums/ee189/chillidoggy/Lotus/image.jpg2_zpsfy2wvyim.jpg

In front of PMC's headquarters.

http://i232.photobucket.com/albums/ee189/chillidoggy/Lotus/image.jpg4_zpsjrs2qg74.jpg

Some AWESOME hi-fi at PMC, I could have spent £100,000, no probs. Car park was stacked out with Maseratis, Porsche, Aston, Lotus, TVR, DeLorean, and yes, cocks in BMW's.

strtdv

Good work on the Esprit! Think I'd be sticking to classic tractor restoration after that (have done a bit in the past), everything's logical and easy to get at.

Current garage is too small for a project car sadly, I'd love to find a 190E Cosworth in need of a little TLC but rust free, a definite appreciating classic.

E36 M3s, particularly if you can find a low mileage unmodified one, are also probably decent investments and also nice weekend cars. They'll never reach the heights of the E30 M3s which have got to crazy money, particularly EVO II's which are now north of £75k. Even the standard ones are over £25k now.

I know they've a bit of an image problem (well the drivers more than the cars), but any BMW with 200 or more BHP and a decent set of tyres is a lot of fun, and they do make a good handling car.

Another car I wish I'd bought 10 years ago is an Escort RS Cosworth. Small fraction of the cost they are now

chillidoggy

There was an i8 BMW there. I don't like BM's, but it was simply gorgeous, best looking Beemer ever, in my view.

Yeah, the Cossies are fetching silly money now, but I'd be a bit wary of catching a cold on one. Still, let's face it, with interest rates as they are, classics are a half decent investment.

chillidoggy

Went to a local car show half a mile down the road from my gaff yesterday. Good turnout, and I spotted this little yellow gem. It's a Gilbern T11, rare as rocking horse shit, as it's the only one in existence. Designed by Trevor Fiore, it's mid-engined, originally an Austin Maxi engine, now with an MR2 lump. I think it looks wonderful!

Me and the owner Gordon comparing beer guts in the background -

http://i232.photobucket.com/albums/ee189/chillidoggy/12038406_10205752390061489_9013101933045824671_n_zpsmnlpcmpc.jpg

http://i232.photobucket.com/albums/ee189/chillidoggy/12046840_10205752390261494_1114058881617586535_n_zpshzh4aqco.jpg

chillidoggy

Thanks to spark240's image posting instruction I am now able to post some recent piccy's

I got a bit carried away last winter, decided I didn't like the interior grey colour so had a look around and thought it would be better in a lighter shade. Christ almighty, I wished I'd never bothered, what a massive ballache, but I have to say it's made a helluva difference -

Before -

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4438/35977629514_b9940f6ccf_k_d.jpg

During -

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4398/36003164403_ade8583df0_k_d.jpg

After -

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4347/36812189555_6b7145e588_k_d.jpg

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4336/36672553491_8853c633a9_k_d.jpg

TTony

That does look a fair bit classier.

(1970s style, obviously.)

Nice work!

boogieman

Looks way better. Has it had a respray in another colour at some point? Only I can't imagine anyone thought yellow piping went with metallic green paint? Mind you, I suppose the 70s were notorious for stuff like that: my P6 was white, with a brown vinyl roof, mustard coloured carpets and orange fabric seats.  And that was all original spec. I was going to redo all the interior in black and have the roof recoloured but then it got smacked by a lorry and I broke it for parts. 

chillidoggy

That first photo is factory original paint colour and interior, but it's a 1995 car, not 70's!

That Norfolk cider must have been powerful stuff, cos judging by the shockingly bad colours they used, it seems to me the interior design teams must have been pissed most of the time.

I remember my old man buying a BRG Morris Marina which had a lime-green interior with a brown dashboard. Stomach-churning, it was.

Neil

Wiz awarded for the new interior Chilli, looks great! 

Axe_meister

Did you do all the stitching yourself or was it a ready made kit?

Axe_meister

I have a 2003 MGtf and the interior could have been from the 70s thinking of doing similar myself fortunately there is a company that specialised in MGTFs and the whole lot can be done for 2k

boogieman

chillidoggy said:

That first photo is factory original paint colour and interior, but it's a 1995 car, not 70's!

That Norfolk cider must have been powerful stuff, cos judging by the shockingly bad colours they used, it seems to me the interior design teams must have been pissed most of the time.

I remember my old man buying a BRG Morris Marina which had a lime-green interior with a brown dashboard. Stomach-churning, it was.

My bad, for some reason I thought it was an older car. 
My old man had an Ital, basically a tatrted up Marina with a new name and a vinyl roof. A lovely shade of apricot with a shite brown velour interior. The dashboard was curved, which meant you couldn't buy a radio or cassette player that fitted. I wonder what genius signed that off at the design stage? 

chillidoggy

Axe_meister said:

Did you do all the stitching yourself or was it a ready made kit?

I took all the panels, seats, door card off, and took it to the trimmer. He recovered them, along with the plastic and GRP bits that make up the headlining, and I refitted it all. The wife fitted the carpets in the cabin and boot. Cost me about £3K all in. Other than that, I was quoted £7K for a complete job by a pro trimmer, drive in, drive out.

I haven't got time to explain how awkward it was, and I'd never do it again!

TTony

chillidoggy said:

That first photo is factory original paint colour and interior, but it's a 1995 car, not 70's!

That Norfolk cider must have been powerful stuff, cos judging by the shockingly bad colours they used, it seems to me the interior design teams must have been pissed most of the time.

They're not pissed, they're just in Norfolk.



Its *still* the 1970s in large parts of Norfolk (and all the better for it).