Willau

Thanks Classiclife and Gully for the welcome. The Spitfire is on SORN. My challenge there is how to fetch it back off SORN since it is tax free any way. Right now it isn't headed for the road as yet. The Capri and even worse the Herald were both mothballed before the SORN system had come into being and I was actually never asked by the DVLA if they were still in being. The Log books for both are still held by me though the old format so returning them to the road correctly is going to be a battle of wills I think. As for the insurance status that at least puts £200 back in the restoration fund a year and the insurance people I have dealt with have been more than dodging the issue about my need for insurance despite the whole thing explained in detail to them. Not too much of a surprise that I have not had the clear straight answer since they want my money. Thanks for putting me straight Classiclife. Not really time rich either sadly Gully. Would that I could be retired but when not doing my paying job, needs must I work my non paying one of being a carer. I do think I will have something of a challenge to sort caring problems out and be fighting with the metal in the garage. I am in the unfortunate situation of having to drop everything and come running if things go wrong care wise. Often with no notice. Time is there in abundance and then vanishes in the blink of an eye. It is my hope to break down the jobs to bite sized chunks that can be picked up at will. If that doesn't work I have threatened to bring the bits inside the house to work on. Also I think the physical side might be a challenge. It has been a few decades since I was sat on a cold garage floor trying to coax the rusty bits to part company from the motor. And I don't mean 'my' rusty bits either.

Thanks Doug, The cat loves to hide in the footwell whenever the garage is open. He totally thinks it is his car! The Spit needs some work doing to the bonnet that will involve respray work so not my biggest worry for now since any scratches can be sorted then. Besides his very presence stops anything more damaging taking up residence such as a rodent or two. He is also very helpful in removing the larger 8 legged beasties so for now he is welcome to his wanderings. A new paint job will change that however. Now insurance is my biggest headache to be straight. Beyond any damage caused by a house fire or such I won't really need it until the car actually goes on the road so do I still have to keep paying insurance on a car listed as off road and is kept on secure private property? For years I kept paying for insurance to keep a no claims bonus. Last year however I was told they don't consider no claims bonus against classic cars. Therefore I have been paying these people a lot of money for something I don't use. Due to career and family issues money has become the paramount issue of this year. Thankfully, barring spares, I do the vast majority of stuff myself so the only real cost is my time. As for the MOT for our cars. To some degree it would be of benefit to have a lower priced MOT 'lite' version since the majority of mod cons don't exist on our cars. This could be optional if they wish but maybe the possession of a 'classic' MOT could be considered when insuring. Also I don't think that having someone else cast their eyes over older vehicles is a bad idea since even the best of us could miss something.

Thanks Aiden. I think luck is mostly going to be a tool I reach for often. The Capri I own is very much a wolf when it was on the road. A 2.1 road/race engine attached to1.6 running gear almost to the same spec the works RS2000 were but in a Capri shell. Was lots of fun but got fed up of every tailgater trying their luck in the end and 'retired' it. The 2.8 was a beast in its own right. Only drove one once and thought it would very much get me in trouble with my love of speed at the time. My best pal used to own a Tickford at the time. Now that was a rocket on wheels. Still the Capri is not the first up. The Spitty is. Love the thing to bits. It may not match modern cars but when you hit 70 you really know you are doing some speed. So want it back on the road.

Greetings all, Quick introduction here. Name is Tim. Willau is my avatar name when gaming so I tend to use it everywhere. My love of Triumphs is my fathers fault and started by a 1976 Triumph 2500tc. Wonderful car which as an early teen at the time first caught my attention in cars. I own the remains of a restoration project that I drove many decades ago plus 3 other motors in varying states of condition and use. The project in bits is a Herald 13/60 and will take a lot of work to get back on the road. The second car in the pile is a Triumph Spitfire mkIV 1300 in magenta off road for many years but garaged and would only take a bit of mechanical attention to put back on the road. The third car is a non Triumph. A Ford Capri mk3 custom. Again a bit larger a restoration and off the road a few decades now. The last motor is a Renault Trafic mk2 which is my regular and gaining something of a classic age itself turning 14 this month. Many life changes and changes in the world have brought me in a full circle back to where I began in almost every way. I am very much a set in my ways Classic fan and more so towards Triumphs. My return to the fold is driven in many ways to restore my fleet back to former glory but I am aware it will take encouragement, many hours/days/ years, a lot of patience and a lot of advice from people with the same dreams as myself. I have been a member of the TSSC for a very long time even keeping an interest when I retired my Spitfire years ago. Thankfully I am a fully trained engineer and spent many happy hours taking my cars apart and reassembling them as my Capri bears witness to in some ways. Money and bodywork are major challenges for me so I will be looking at that part very seriously. I also will be seeking advice on insurance, DVLA contacts and questions and so forth on the need for paperwork to be kept properly for my cars. Alll advice and help welcome bar two things. I am not about to either scrap or sell any of them. Happy motoring.