Back on the road

andymc · 7th November 2018, 13:51

Happy days - my green Connie is back on the road after nearly a year & a half on SORN. Failed last year's MOT due to corrosion of the rear upper arms and the subframe itself, plus a rear shock had started to leak and the bottom coil of both rear springs had broken off. The price of a rear subframe was too high at the time, so at the time I decided to just SORN it until I could get it sorted out.

That took longer than expected, and the car essentially stood for over a year, just being started up & driven up & down the lane every couple of weeks to protect the battery, stop the hubs seizing etc. However I didn't notice until it was too late that rust had started to take hold under both rear sills - it had spread so far that they essentially had to be completely replaced. The first MOT was a fail because the tester wanted the new sills to be seam welded rather than spot welded, then once that was done it took three weeks to get a date for the retest, but I finally drove out of the testing centre with a crisp new certificate yesterday afternoon.

I'm several hundred quid poorer after all that - more than I would get now if I tried selling the car even with all those issues rectified, but it just drives too well to scrap! It'll get a full service tomorrow, then I'll treat it to a valet next week. Next up is to finish the Wedgie - replacement slam panel, brake discs and front backplate are all sitting in my garage waiting to be fitted. Maybe next month!

elroy · 7th November 2018, 14:03

happy motoring

planenut · 7th November 2018, 19:40

Great to know that you've been able to get all the work done and it's back out on the road, well done.

andymc · 7th November 2018, 21:28

Cheers folks. I don't have much in the way of mechanical skills beyond changing oil and brake pads etc (and even that much can be beyond me these days), which means usually having to pay someone to do the work on a car. It's great to have the car going again after watching it just sit there for so long!

phatfiesta75 · 8th November 2018, 06:01

Nice one Andy, I was in a similar boat lol with mine sat for 7 months near enough 😒 two front spring this and that £700 notes spent but like you say I love the drive 🙂.
Ste

75c · 8th November 2018, 15:51

i keep seeing a green tourer in dundonald mcdonalds opposite the ulster. dont think its yours as its been there nearly every day for a month or so.

andymc · 8th November 2018, 16:56

Nope, I'm* down to three saloons again - the only tourer I had was the red one, and it found a new home during the summer.

*perhaps I should say "we", but they're all mine really. She just drives one under licence.

7th November 2018, 13:51	#1
andymc Posted a thing or two Wedgewood Connie SE / Black Club SE Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Ballymoney Posts: 1,459 Thanks: 542 Thanked 583 Times in 365 Posts	Back on the road Happy days - my green Connie is back on the road after nearly a year & a half on SORN. Failed last year's MOT due to corrosion of the rear upper arms and the subframe itself, plus a rear shock had started to leak and the bottom coil of both rear springs had broken off. The price of a rear subframe was too high at the time, so at the time I decided to just SORN it until I could get it sorted out. That took longer than expected, and the car essentially stood for over a year, just being started up & driven up & down the lane every couple of weeks to protect the battery, stop the hubs seizing etc. However I didn't notice until it was too late that rust had started to take hold under both rear sills - it had spread so far that they essentially had to be completely replaced. The first MOT was a fail because the tester wanted the new sills to be seam welded rather than spot welded, then once that was done it took three weeks to get a date for the retest, but I finally drove out of the testing centre with a crisp new certificate yesterday afternoon. I'm several hundred quid poorer after all that - more than I would get now if I tried selling the car even with all those issues rectified, but it just drives too well to scrap! It'll get a full service tomorrow, then I'll treat it to a valet next week. Next up is to finish the Wedgie - replacement slam panel, brake discs and front backplate are all sitting in my garage waiting to be fitted. Maybe next month! __________________ My blood brother is an immigrant A beautiful immigrant My blood brother's Freddie Mercury A Nigerian mother of three

7th November 2018, 21:28	#4
andymc Posted a thing or two Wedgewood Connie SE / Black Club SE Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Ballymoney Posts: 1,459 Thanks: 542 Thanked 583 Times in 365 Posts	Cheers folks. I don't have much in the way of mechanical skills beyond changing oil and brake pads etc (and even that much can be beyond me these days), which means usually having to pay someone to do the work on a car. It's great to have the car going again after watching it just sit there for so long! __________________ My blood brother is an immigrant A beautiful immigrant My blood brother's Freddie Mercury A Nigerian mother of three

8th November 2018, 16:56	#7
andymc Posted a thing or two Wedgewood Connie SE / Black Club SE Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Ballymoney Posts: 1,459 Thanks: 542 Thanked 583 Times in 365 Posts	Nope, I'm* down to three saloons again - the only tourer I had was the red one, and it found a new home during the summer. *perhaps I should say "we", but they're all mine really. She just drives one under licence. __________________ My blood brother is an immigrant A beautiful immigrant My blood brother's Freddie Mercury A Nigerian mother of three

7th November 2018, 14:03	#2
elroy I really should get out more....... MG ZTT Join Date: Jun 2014 Location: TUXFORD Posts: 2,086 Thanks: 3,602 Thanked 1,158 Times in 643 Posts	happy motoring

7th November 2018, 19:40	#3
planenut Regional Secretary Rover 1.8T Tourer Join Date: May 2007 Location: Heathrow Posts: 6,948 Thanks: 1,551 Thanked 2,036 Times in 1,264 Posts	Great to know that you've been able to get all the work done and it's back out on the road, well done.

8th November 2018, 06:01	#5
phatfiesta75 Loves to post rover 75 2.0 cdti connoisseur se Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: warrington Posts: 475 Thanks: 223 Thanked 91 Times in 85 Posts	Nice one Andy, I was in a similar boat lol with mine sat for 7 months near enough 😒 two front spring this and that £700 notes spent but like you say I love the drive 🙂. Ste

8th November 2018, 15:51	#6
75c Gets stuck in Rover 75 Saloon Join Date: Feb 2018 Location: Belfast Posts: 601 Thanks: 150 Thanked 294 Times in 190 Posts	i keep seeing a green tourer in dundonald mcdonalds opposite the ulster. dont think its yours as its been there nearly every day for a month or so.