What have I done...

erm

OK..

There's a good reason (I think): I need to save some cash to buy a decent Daimler, it comes with 1yr MOT and recent restoration (the owner's a car body repairer) and I've never owned a soft-top.

David

Here's the only reply so far:-

Jack up the rear axle, getting both wheels off the ground. Rotate one and see what direction the opposite rear wheel turns. If it is the same direction then the diff is slippy. If the other wheel rotates in the opposite direction then the diff is bog standard. Quaife did make a LSD for the axle but as it had to be fitted into the axle casing there are no external ID's present as far as I know.

The ball joints in the bottom links ain't replaceable - you fit new assemblies which includes the inner bush too. Guessing, I'd say he's given you track rod ends?

Up until recently, the nearside bottom links were near unobtainable and cost about 100 quid if you could find one. Offside were plentiful at around 20 quid. But Rimmers have now plenty stock of both.

Notice it's been lowered. Dunno if that's a reason.

Ah ok, nothing I'll be able to do when I get it then. Will just have to wait and see.

Doh.

That's good then!

Yeah I did think that. I'll see how it drives on the way home, might be able to suss it out from that. If not it'll be going straight up on a ramp anyway, and I can check everything thoroughly.

What are their "don'ts" then?

Wonder if it's possible that a "Powrlock" (IIRC) as fitted to older Jags has been fitted. Could be possible with the BL connection.

From the article:

BUYING ONLINE: "This is a tricky area, especially with the easy buying temptations offered by online auctions. There are bargains to be had, and there's quite a thrill to it, but there are also many ways it can turn out wrong. Brian Page (author of said article) is quite blunt: "I'm not a great lover of eBay. It gives people an outlet to get rid of junk. I think it's good for ideas and locating cars, but if you find something, go and see it, as you would normally". Lawyer and car collector John Draneas agrees: "If you really want a nice car, go and look at it for yourself. Or if that's impossible, hire an expert to inspect it for you. It's so easy to believe the car that looks so good in those little internet pictures is the car of your dreams. It's so easy to believe that the seller, who has offered such a detailed description of the car, including its very few warts, is being both honest and accurate." Meeting the seller and the car face-to-face also covers that other gut instinct value judgement of whether thi is someone and somewhere from which you would want to buy a car. Only once all your practical happiness boxes are ticked should you return to your keyboard and enjoy the undoubted excitement of online bidding, safe in the knowledge that you know what you're getting into. The only remaining issue, as Brian Page points out, is: "Be very sure of your limit!"."

Anyone guilty besides me?

The article also covers some scams/don'ts:

- A non-existent car - cheap and wanting an electronic deposit.

- Using someone else's photos.

- Paying for the car via Paypal in advance

- Downgrading components in the car after it's been sold, before collection.

- Using fake ID

- Service history missing years

David

Oooops!!

I bought the Manta, BX and SD1 on ebay without looking at them first. BX and Manta turned out to be ok, so lets hope the SD1 does.

But, each of those cars have been

Agreed, my purchases have been:

Volvo 740 estate; £300 - OK but not my cup of tea. Sold on quickly for a bit of a profit. Peugoet 309; £20 - swapped for a valet on the Zafira after it did it's job of doing 800+ miles in a week (no hire car would let me do what I was intending). Talbot Samba; £750. We'll see on Saturday, but the owner works in a bodyshop, has a classic car collection, it was restored 3 years ago and he's been using it, he replaced it and a Stag (minus engine) with an MGF.

However, I've sold:

Merc 300TE; £740. I was happy .... Pug 205D - for the neighbour; £56. Dead. Very dead. Guy who came with a Ferrari trailer was pleased. Citroen AX; bought of a colleague for £50 sold on eBay with fresh MOT for £380.

The Rover 416 will be on in the next couple of weeks, probably starting at £250.

David

Yes. Why is it making it?

Be nice when you throw away the 2 ton car its sat in. And put it in the Sierra it should be in! Then it weighs ONE ton...

And they love nitrous, compression hikes, and different/better/bigger/downdraft carbs...

It will likely need new cam/lifters/rockers and shafts and a valve lapping session once you chisel all the coal out of the rocker covers. They are all like that. Except mine!

While general valve train wear is common on a neglected example I'm not so sure about the lapping in bit - I've never needed to do this on any Rover V-8 despite changing many a camshaft, etc.

D shaped exhaust valves are pretty common on them maybe because all the lead has gone from our fuel.. Plus valve seats get to be about a foot wide which impedes flow at low liftt and need a light recut by hand if you want that power and crispness of a new one back! Depends how fussy you are I suppose!

Land Rover who make the engines are very shy about saying which are happy on unleaded - but in practice all will survive ok if not caned and post '80 or so pretty bomb proof.

Well, yes.

No thanks, prefer the look of the Rover. Besides 1.4 ton is closer to the SD1's weight, definately not 2!

Been looking at replacement carbs on the Rimmer Bros site. Niiiice!

We'll see

Nowadays? No idea probably all doing frantically healthy things and saving the planet like all other young things. But 25 years ago, deffo, like ickle cute bunny rabbits.

You can buy a complete EFI set off Ebay for about 100 quid. A bit more effort to fit than new carbs, though, but more power too without having to fill up at every garage - the four barrel carb conversions just drink petrol.

Is that all? That's pretty damn good.