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Vin 522 RHD "Flashy" for sale.
#16
Hi Steve, it is my greatest wish that someone like you or Stuart in Wales, or some other club member would end up with the car. It deserves to be used and is such fun to drive. ( if you have a proposition then try me)…NO Not that sort!!!

I have only exchanged a few texts with the previous owner, Des. following his firms bankruptcy, I think he finds it too difficult to talk about. But Dave Howarth knew him quite well and has put me fully in the picture. His "weekend" to finish the car…..has turned into 2 years! And a shed load of, time, cash and spares. He must have been shipping it from one dodgy mechanic to another. Although the chassis, brakes and clutch had all been done very well. Luckily he'd also had the chassis waxoyled before it was laid up….otherwise it would have definitely been a different story.

The exhaust was totally missing..having rotted through at the Cat By-Pass pipe. As was all the front end. It had been so wet inside that the carpet had literally rotted away! It took weeks checking all the wiring and cleaning up of replacing connectors, everything was soldered to ensure trouble free operation.

Had this been any other car, you would have 'swept it up'. As it was, 10 mins of wiping with a damp cloth in the foot-well and it was ready for new carpets to be fitted! Try that with your Moggy Minor or Mini!

Every single part of the cooling system ( except the header tank) has had to be replaced, Water-pump, hoses, pipes, radiator, clips etc. Its like new under there now. THe new tyres fitted by Des had all perished, but the wheels are still like new after he had them re-painted.

The windscreen was badly cracked, the wiper arms had been bodged on. etc. etc.

All the ancillaries on the engine had rusted up, some cleaned up and many I had got in stock, so changed. I didn't need to delve into the Engine proper, just removed the alloy air inlet spider to get at everything under.

All the rest of the interior, cleaned up, the seats had a dozen applications of leather cleaner and are as good as new. it was not necessary to remove any of the head headlining as that too ,is in great nick.

Yes the lacquer had all starred to peel off, but after striping has left the stainless in beautiful condition, which only needed a quick rub with a flexible pad to make it look nice.

The door and steering locks had been chiseled off, luckily Dave Howarth had a full set…and guess what…the keys in the ones he supplied also fitted the petrol cap, real bonus! The indicator and wipers stalk switches were broken..luckily a quick trip to the scrapyard provided some from a Mini that are perfect.

Yes it does have the bobbely ( or hatched) underbody….how could it have anything else?
Regarding the Side Stripes, yes I think Des may have had them made, but the attached picture was taken by Martin Mail, our guest speaker at Dorset, of some he was trying out at the factory…...very similar!!

So a weekend work? I think not! :oops:
Chris Parnham

Ex RHD Auto's etc.etc

Main Car.. Kia E Niro 4+
Toyota Vitz 4X4 1999 (the smallest 4X4 by far!)
Toyota RAV4 EV 1999.
1970 Jago Jeep.

DOC Club Historian 
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#17
Cracking photo Chris - for further ref here's Chuck Bennington with that very same car in the Pennebaker documentary, along with another red side stripe on the left of frame.

[Image: 2iG6ueM.png]
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#18
Hi

Yes I did realise at the time his weekend of work was actually a full resto.

I offered around £15-16k and he said at the time he would only consider offers over 30k, too much for a car requiring a full resto.

I do like that stripe, shame the factory did not go with it.......I wondered if Gerry Castle had acquired any test stripes from the factory?.

do you know the vin of the car in the photo? .

I would love 522 but alas not in a position to do so, the recession has bitten hard.

I am hoping to go for a LHD resto very late this year maybe, so I can spend bit by bit like last time

I have not lost the 'Dream'

steve
Steve Saunders
Wolverhampton
ex owner vin 1621
doc 370
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#19
Hi Steve, I hope things pick up for you real soon. You never know you might have a distant relative leave you a shedload of money…

Gerry Castle's involvement was not all that great, coming towards, and after the end of the saga. But i'll ask Martin Mail on Saturday if he knows about the vin..you never know.
Chris Parnham

Ex RHD Auto's etc.etc

Main Car.. Kia E Niro 4+
Toyota Vitz 4X4 1999 (the smallest 4X4 by far!)
Toyota RAV4 EV 1999.
1970 Jago Jeep.

DOC Club Historian 
Reply
#20
Flashy will be heading north soon, to sunny Scotland, to its new club member owner. Flashy performed faultlessly during its long trip to Dorset and back…..apart from the air-con! Mike S has sweated off a few extra pound .. ..he could not afford!

The looks on other drivers faces as two Deloreans charged up the M5 was priceless and unforgettable.
Chris Parnham

Ex RHD Auto's etc.etc

Main Car.. Kia E Niro 4+
Toyota Vitz 4X4 1999 (the smallest 4X4 by far!)
Toyota RAV4 EV 1999.
1970 Jago Jeep.

DOC Club Historian 
Reply
#21
Quote:apart from the air-con! Mike S has sweated off a few extra pound .. ..he could not afford!
That's great news you have found a deserving owner for the car, The one good thing I did is get my air-con working less than two weeks ago, it certinally paid off this weekend, even more so with only having one functioning window to open!
Chris
Membership Secretary DOC UK
2021's DeLorean event: http://www.deloreans.co.uk/forum/showthr...p?tid=6056
VIN#15768 Ex VIN#4584
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#22
Great to hear she sold, and even better that she's heading up my way!
VIN 4494, Grey interior, 5 speed, October 1981
DOC 757
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#23
In fact, it will be very close Jwrayth... in Edinburgh hopefully very soon.

My back story is here: viewtopic.php?f=49&t=5342

Have you found a good mechanic up here yet?
Spencer

Vin 522 RHD "Flashy"
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#24
I've not needed to, so far. I've done the work myself, or with the help of friends/family when more hands are necessary.

There are two other owners who keep their cars in Edinburgh who may be able to advise you though. I'm sure they'll be in touch via PM or on your introduction thread Big Grin
VIN 4494, Grey interior, 5 speed, October 1981
DOC 757
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#25
Chris P Wrote:Hi Steve, it is my greatest wish that someone like you or Stuart in Wales, or some other club member would end up with the car. It deserves to be used and is such fun to drive.

The Barmouth car was indeed my Holy Grail... an early RHD Project car not far up the coast from me sitting somewhere in a seaside caravan park waiting to be saved! The hunt was on and I actually FOUND her sitting feet away from the water with a stone wall separating the two. What a place to keep a dream car!! Sitting next to a boat and looking very low and sorry for itself on flat tyres and covered in a tarpaulin. An enquiry at a local shop gave me details of the owner and where to find him. Alas he was away on business and not available, so I left my phone number & left Barmouth empty handed... but the treasure hunt was a success.

I was never in a position to buy the car & I was very pleased to see it go to Chris P, I knew it was in safe hands at last. It would have been nice to buy flashy from Chris but we are currently getting on the property ladder and other priorities mean it's just not meant to be... and I'm not too disappointed, just knowing it is saved is good enough for me.

Sometimes just finding your Holy Grail is all you need.
I can hear Henry Jones Sr saying to Indy... let it go, let it go....

I was hoping to see the car on the weekend but we were unable to get to Dorset. Oh well maybe one day.
Best of luck to the new owner you got a good un Mr Green
DOC 116
VIN 6237
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#26
i'm pleased to report that Flashy's new owner, Spencer, had an enjoyable 5 hour drive up to Edinburg yesterday…….perhaps he could have done with working air-con, but opening windows was a second best option!

Hopefully he will relate some edited highlights of his first and very long drive in a Delorean …..in due course Big Grin






.
Chris Parnham

Ex RHD Auto's etc.etc

Main Car.. Kia E Niro 4+
Toyota Vitz 4X4 1999 (the smallest 4X4 by far!)
Toyota RAV4 EV 1999.
1970 Jago Jeep.

DOC Club Historian 
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