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Just Picked Up My Best Xmas Present
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gresham flyer



Joined: 06 Sep 2008
Posts: 1435

PostPosted: Sat Dec 22, 2012 6:48 pm    Post subject: Just Picked Up My Best Xmas Present Reply with quote

Driving back along the M25 this lunchtime I noticed everyone pealing off the motorway to go to the Bluewater Shopping Centre.

What is the matter with all these people going and purchasing new items which will be worthless after xmas,you will not get me into a out of town shopping centre ....I thought to myself as I passed them by....I have got the best xmas present on the trailer behind me.

I was on the road this morning at 6.00am heading down the M11 with my van and trailer to my final destination nr Crawley ,to collect a garage find car that had been tucked away for about 20 years.

The car in question is a 1966 Sunbeam Rapier.

The owner got a company car 20 years ago and put his car in the garage and left it there until today.

I now have it at home and cannot wait to clean it up,drain the old fluids etc and get it running after all these years.
The bonus was a Vauxhalll Vivaro van full of Sunbeam Rapier spares he had accumulated over the years and put into an adjacent shed...another car in fact.

I do love these garage or barn finds,you travel a long distance not knowing quite what you will find the other end,then Bingo...its better than you thought.

All I want santa to bring me is a gallon of oil and an oil filter.

I will post some photo`s tomorrow.

Very Happy Very Happy Very Happy Very Happy Very Happy Very Happy
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ukdave2002



Joined: 23 Nov 2007
Posts: 4100
Location: South Cheshire

PostPosted: Sat Dec 22, 2012 7:40 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Sounds like a great find Very Happy even better if you can get it back on the road keeping it original without restoring it.

With you on the shopping centre debacle Shocked took my daughter to Manchester yesterday to get her a bag for Christmas....didn't realise so many shops sold bags and what the subtle differences were!, that said it was nice to go round the Christmas markets.

Dave
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gresham flyer



Joined: 06 Sep 2008
Posts: 1435

PostPosted: Sat Dec 22, 2012 8:32 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I love old style xmas markets in the UK and in Europe..its the modern out of town places I loath.

Mind you if our local shopping centre all of a sudden had a Bygones or Classic Car outlet I would give it a look. Very Happy Very Happy Very Happy Very Happy

Gresham flyer
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gresham flyer



Joined: 06 Sep 2008
Posts: 1435

PostPosted: Sun Dec 23, 2012 12:55 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

You could have driven down this road every day for the last twenty years and you would never have thought a Sunbeam Rapier 1966 was sitting in the garage.

It makes you think as you drive around housing estates,suburban roads and villages what is still lurking hidden in garages out there.

Mind you a lot of stories are made up by people about so called gems they know about.

A lot of people where telling me about a Hillman Imp they had seen behind some old damaged garage doors on a main road in our town.
Everyone was getting excited about this old car,but the house was on the market and the car was going with the sale of the property.

One day a few weeks ago I spotted a car at a local tyre fitters that was so rotten that nothing was worth saving on it....yes you have guessed it the same goldmine car.

Gresham Flyer







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Rick
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Joined: 27 Apr 2005
Posts: 22429
Location: UK

PostPosted: Sun Dec 23, 2012 8:25 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Looks very promising - like you say, 30s-50s housing estates can be home to interesting treasures. Reminds me of the A50 I came across some time ago, that too was hidden behind an anonymous door in fairly unlikely surroundings.
http://www.oldclassiccar.co.uk/a50-car.htm

If you don't mind I'll move this to the Rootes etc category under Your Cars, I look forward to following this thread as it develops Smile

RJ
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ukdave2002



Joined: 23 Nov 2007
Posts: 4100
Location: South Cheshire

PostPosted: Sun Dec 23, 2012 9:19 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I know someone who who was promised a 1966 Austin Cambridge in a will by his next door neighbour when he was 10 years old!. A one owner car, no welding that was driven into a garage in the 70's and lovingly covered with old carpets.

Some 30+ years later he inherited the car, unfortunately the damp garage had done its worst, with some assistance from the carpets Sad The car was corroded everywhere, even the roof had holes in it, way beyond salvaging.

He recovered some mechanical bits, but the car went for scrap Sad

Dave
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JC T ONE



Joined: 30 Oct 2008
Posts: 1139
Location: Denmark

PostPosted: Sun Dec 23, 2012 10:15 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Looks like a nice car Smile well done.

would be nice if you could get it going again, without a full resto.
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clan chieftain



Joined: 05 Apr 2008
Posts: 2041
Location: Motherwell

PostPosted: Sun Dec 23, 2012 12:25 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

A nice loking car ..well done.
My mate bought a Series 6 Gazelle in the summer and it had been off the road since 1984. I done all the work for him and I was surprised how easy they are to work on. It has passed MOT and is on the road albeit it needs painted. The majority of parts came from Speedy Spares. Luckily it didnt need any welding......good luck............Larry.
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peter scott



Joined: 18 Dec 2007
Posts: 7113
Location: Edinburgh

PostPosted: Mon Dec 24, 2012 12:45 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Nice find. Looks in better condition than mine was in 1970!

http://www.oldclassiccar.co.uk/rootes.htm
http://www.oldclassiccar.co.uk/sunbeamrapier.htm

Peter
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