Its alive

[Monkeyzak]

Finally after months of having a broken car I have a less broken car.

I managed 15 miles tonight after a few wee other issues were resolved. Didn't want to push it. Its been parked up for a very long time

Nice to see it out the garage and not on ramps

New leads, plugs, cap etc. Turns out the wrong plugs were in it. Amongst other things.

Anyway. Its running reasonably well. Still lots to do to make it run well

Thanks for all the help and advice.

[Hasbeen]

Congratulations.

It certainly is a lovely colour.

Hasbeen

[prackers]

Well done on your perseverance! Certainly looks good.

[Monkeyzak]

When I bought it the car was a flat dull green/ grey colour as it had 20 years of concrete dust on it. Who knew there was a sparkly green under there. Thank God for polishing machines and compound

Next job is to get the old air con pulley off before it flies off. Finally ordered a 38mm socket for the job. Radiator out again job.

Just want to drive it. Yes it's slower than my modern mini Cooper. My Cooper outhandles it and beats it in every way. BUT the 7 put a huge smile on my face that a modern car can't

After lots of worrying whether I'd done the right thing buying this car. I have hope!!! I have a feeling ownership will be very addictive

[Roger27TBB]

Congratulations !!!

You can be happy. My one is still waiting for the continuation of repair until i get the ordered spare parts (O-Rings for the oil transfer housing and a water hose). Your car has one of my favourite colours look alike my daily driver (VW Scirocco GTII). Sometimes i whish my TR7 convertible would has got the identical seats, gearbox, steering with servo,window lifter, suspension, motor, brakes and cooling system except air con as my Scirocco has, because of the reliability (nearly 532000 km without failure) and easy repair and service.
I´m sure you´ll need a 32mm tube adapter instead of 38mm.

regards Roger27TBB

[littlepippin]

Well done... !! Go have some fun - the car looks great, your own bit of motoring history.

[Beans]

Well done indeed! Time to start enjoying it

[Monkeyzak]

First time commute

35 miles round trip commute today in the 7. What a laugh. The brakes are not the finest but the most fun commute I ever recall. Car behaved impeccably well. Brilliant as it's rarely turned a wheel this millennia.

Yes it's not quick. It doesn't handle like my mini but loved it. Can't wait to drive it as often as possible. I drove it fairly hard today. It's got a lovely weekend roarty sound.

I am now addicted.

[UKPhilTR7]

Good one for getting her running and enjoying every minute. These precious moments make all the pain worthwhile. The good thing is that there are things you can get (and probably will) to make the ride better. I am in the process of looking at replacing the servo, callipers, lines and disks.

For sure you will become addicted. For me, yes the newer cars are easier to drive, stop faster, go quicker, but they are missing that one thing the 7 has by the bucket load. That one thing that puts the smile on your fact and makes you think when you get out the car, you want to drive it again.

[Monkeyzak]

I'll defo look at shocks and springs over the winter. Maybe wheels too. I like the look of the compomotive alloys but would like a better choice of rubber as they are only 13inch

The bodywork is very rust free but tatty. Bodywork seems to cost a packet to do. That'll probably cost more than the cars worth.

Right now though. Drive it as much as I can and keep it ticking along. Then plan for winter improvements.

Im surprised at the amount of people who've stopped me and said not seen one in years. Usually followed by my uncle had one back in the day.

The other thing I've picked up is the detractors who hate them have never owned one. The stag seems to get the same treatment.

I think it was too bold for its time. I don't imagine golf gtis etc turning up did it's reputation any good either as it started, stopped, handled and was reliable.

Anyway. Another one on the road after a 30 year snooze,!!

[Hasbeen]

Monkeyzak Most of the tyres available today, even many from Asia, are a lot better than the Pirelli or Michelin tyres were when our cars were built.

I am not suggesting you should use the really bad ditch finders from Asia, but most of the range from companies like Kumho tyres leave anything from the 70/80s in the dust.

From my point of view, the suspension was designed to use the big bag of 13s, & needs them if you ever drive on lesser roads.

I can't even get the best rubber of today for the 16s on my Honda S2000, & the rubber available for 15s is not that much better than 13s, that it is worth losing that suspension advantage of the 13s.

Just my opinion, but I have seen the results of some testing which support how much tyre technology has developed, even with cheap Asian stuff. Before that I agonised over what size & what rubber to fit myself.

Hasbeen

[FI Spyder]

Im surprised at the amount of people who've stopped me and said not seen one in years. Usually followed by my uncle had one back in the day.

Happens to me on a regular basis, in fact happened to me just the other day in Walmart parking lot, had just parked it and got out to get some food shopping done when a truck rolled up and driver said "Haven't seen one of these for years, really good shape" and had a short conversation about the car after which he thanked me for talking about the car. (?) I also often have same encounters when parking my '88 Tercel wagon 4WD. "I used to have one" is the usual comment. You used to see them all over the place but are now as rare as hen's teeth as most have rusted out and sent to auto wreckers not to mention parts are hard (impossible) to get.

If you want to drive a new(er) car, buy a new(er) car, if you like driving an older car drive an older car. Or maybe I'm just approaching that curmudgeon age.

[busheytrader]

Im surprised at the amount of people who've stopped me and said not seen one in years.........

I received my second " I haven't seen one of these Fiat X1/9's in years" comments yesterday.

I remember the days when fellow wedge drivers used to flash each other on the road, because there were others on the road. Usually the oncoming 7 had one lazy light pod or both permanently raised.

Enjoy the time on the road after recommissioning.

[Monkeyzak]

Found a folder in one of the boxes that came with the car last night. It's so sad. My car had a nut and bolt rebuild in the 90s. A whole folder of pictures. A mental amount of work on a car worth nothing. Seems to have been to loads of shows. Makes sense how it's so rust free. Some youngsters posing looking very pleased with the car.

Why would the next person buy it and neglect it so badly?

Rubbish weather means I'm not driving it enough. Need to get the hood fixed.

[Monkeyzak]

Meant to comment. It was a concours winner no less.