It sounds as though the restoration was worth it, at least from a personal perspective if not a financial one!

My experience of restoration wasn't the same alas. Since bing a 16 year old I always wanted an X1/9 Lido (we had a X1/9 VS when new), so I located a very good one a few years ago, sourced masses of NOS parts, spent big bucks on paint and LOTS of time putting it together. Two years later it was finished and on the day it was MOT'd after one drive I couldn't live with it.

In hindsight it would've been best to commit the desire of an X1/9 Lido to memory and leave it there.

 

You have to expect some niggles with major restorations and they are never quick or cheap , and although tr experts no the cars many don't do a good job .


Dad has just finished this although niggles are still being chased many down to crap repop parts





Dunno why image doesn't work

 

That looks really good
Glad it all worked out well in the end

 

MOO looks fantastic - would love to see it in the metal.

 

Who owns the TR7 in the background?

I longed to own a TR7 when i was young.

 

Saw a couple of potential "friends of MOO" at Silverstone this weekend:

This was being driven by a friend of my brother's (and was being looked after by BOZWELL's colleagues).



Moo-ped? (Note the writing on the rear mudguard)

 

Robsport International has lots of TR7s at the premises lower. Some are for restoration and I think they also buy cars to break as they supply Triumph used parts. A friend of mine bought a new TR7 but it was fraught with problems. I remember the paint peeling off the headlight covers days after she took delivery of it. I preferred the sporty Fiat 124 she had before the 7.

Moo has never had posh friends like that lovegroova. Nice pic.

How interesting. How come I have never heard of the NSU Quickly moped? I used to see an NSU Ro80 parked in the Law Courts in the late sixties. I thought it looked different and gorgeous. I knew that it had a Wankel engine but not much else about it. I remember enjoying cross country drives when I encountered the quite sweet little NSU TTs.

 

car looks great and I'm pleased for you MQ that it has all worked out all right in the end

will you take it to the Goodwood Revival?

 

Congratulations MQ

Glad to see the old cow on the road again, as you know, I met one of her relatives at Silverstone too:

 

Thanks gad and AE We're taking her to Panshanger, the poor man's revival, gad.

We took Moo out for her first post restoration spin today. Mr Q kindly let me drive and kept shouting, “Don’t go too fast!” I used to drive the car when I was young and fell naturally back into it. I thought it would be boring after the S but it isn’t. She really wants to go. Moo seems more powerful than I remember. Maybe all the work that has been done on the engine has something to do with it?

The huge steering wheel, the stiff controls, the lack of seatbelts, the low burbling exhaust note and the petrolly fumes mingling with the smells of the countryside and new leather make driving the car an exciting sensory experience.

When I see older people driving classic sports cars I imagine that many of them have bought the car they would have liked to have owned in their youth. How fortunate Mr Q and I are to have always had the pleasure of open-topped motoring.

The car is a real head-turner, it has been so well-received on the road. It makes people smile and shout approval.

We went on an errand and came back via Greensted church. I fancied togging our fifty-year-old car in front of the oldest wooden church in the world. I got some snaps with my grandmother’s Autographic Brownie which is about ninety years old.





When we got in the Olympic sailing venue at Weymouth was being featured on the TV. Mr Q towed his Flying Dutchman with the TR to the south coast for the 1974 Olympic sailing trials. The opening ceremony of the 1948 Olympics, which he attended, was then shown. I am really looking forward to seeing what Danny Boyle has created tonight.

Quite a special day.