Practically Classics Forum

Once the MGB is finished, it;s our family 105E that's next on my restore list. It's been sitting in the barn for 15 years this summer and dry but asdly a bit neglected. My brother decided last week to clear space around the old girl and give her a bit of a cleanup!





We didn't run it but cranked it over by hand and all still appears well. Just gotta get the other cars finished now!

From what I can see it's really tidy and a good project.
One of my sons fav cars!

Kev

That N/S/F wing looks interesting.

You mean the chicken pox?

Not so much that, which I really had to open up the image to notice , but my first thought was that it fitted exceptionally well for a GRP one only it isn't, is it?
Looking more closely shows that in fact the missing seam may be a result of someone smoothing off the area between the bezel and the main part of the wing with Cataloy, silicon, daub, choux pastry or whatever else was their medium of choice. Not a bad plan for keeping the moisture out of that area but incongruous in view of the otherwise pristine appearance of the nose of the thing.
That interior alone will probably look like new with minimal work (door card appears flat which says that the windows don't leak, seat looks the right shape and undamaged, etc.) and these days, the cost involved with even a basic set of car furniture can break an otherwise viable restoration candidate so in general it looks as though it has a lot going for it. Plus it's a light colour which always looks lovely on an Anglia with a contrasting colour on the side flashes.

So what's the plan? Modern engine? Roof chop with tubbed rear wheels and flames? Restaurant built into the boot like the PMR Anglia? Such a versatile car these. The sky's the limit.

I just noticed that too! I assure you it's a steel wing and there is a seam between the bezel and the wing, it hasn't been filled in at all. I think it's just the light.

I've wanted it restored for years, but my father has had it since 1971 and is very attached to it and when it came off the road in 1989 I think, it was because we couldnt find strut tops for it. Of course with the internet the way it is these days thats no longer an issue, but by that time it had been cucooned and other cars/projects had jumped the queue.

The plan? Well as I say the car is extrememly sentimental, my brother was nearly born in the back of it so it's not getting hacked about. Dad fitted a Cortina 1500GT engine and rear axle to it, and it has a 1200 Anglia box. So it will be being restored to it's current specification, except for maybe fitting a webasto roof as it has a tacky pop-up roof that he regreted fitting in the 80's.

So no, no restaurant

I bought a towbar for my Maxi a few weeks ago and the car the hitch came off had a gaping hole in the roof. A previous customer owned a Maxi originally fitted with a Webasto sunroof that leaked like a sieve and had bought the centre section of the roof to weld into his car. If you joggle a lip on to the panel before welding it shouldn't warp.

IMHO, this is one of those cars that should be preserved and not restored, almost to the point of painting over the rust spots with varnish or lacquer to slow the rusting process!

I can't say I liked the 105Es when they were introduced. A friend of the family swapped her 100E Anglia for a brand new 105E when they were introduced (she changed cars every year or two) and it did seem to be a strange, almost American, looking car. It seems strange that I actually liked the original Capri (though not the Classic!). However, in the last few years, I appreciate the appeal of the 105E and a nice straight original (to look at!) is a rare sight these days.

And NO - not another "Harry Potter" lookalike please!!

I think these days original , or original with history is the way to go. I saw so many of those when I was a kid with slot mags and the rear jacked up with ladder spring hangers, and bad paint jobs, it's quite refreshing to see one box fresh

SirTainleyBarking wrote:ladder spring hangers

I remember those. They were fitted to the unique type of Anglia that lived upside down in someone's field. At least that seemed to be the fate of many trap sprung motors which had the things fitted and taught their drivers why castor angle mattered and why dialling it out by creating a permanently downhill facing car was a bad thing to do.

At least these long shackles had one big advantage though. But sadly, I can't remember what that was.