I think I'm a wedge magnet. I am on many forums, and a fellow user that I don't think is on here chanced upon a red Princess on a truck when going the wrong way and stopped off to find out what the score was. Turns out it was being stripped for banger racing after failing to find a buyer for the car or the parts for the past 18 months and much of it was now in a skip. I got a phone call to ask if there was anything I wanted for free, which of course I did because free is my favourite price. A little later I received some pictures of what was saved but I couldn't get over before the skip was taken away so I daresay there were a few nicknacks that would have been useful that I missed out on.
I will not enter any sort of debate about banger racers, ethics and morals. The one I met was a thoroughly decent bloke, interested in helping me keep mine going and trying to prevent the car from going round the track, the fact he kept hold of it for so long before doing anything with it says that much. Also, the car itself was in a poor way, it looks pretty good in the pictures but it was actually a work of Isopon art with rust in quite a few structural locations. Trust me, I know about these things, I would not have tried to save this one.
Anyway, the car in question was a T reg HL with a 1.7 O series engine in it. Unfortunately the engine and running gear had to stay put for it to be raced, but if the spheres survive - and there's a chance they will - then I can take those, likewise the head from the engine and the exhaust downpipe which would be quite useful to me. Princess parts are still worthless, presumably because there's such low demand, so every opportunity I have to scoop up some bits of trim and oily bits I do take but with my limited funds it can be very difficult. I'm also more than happy to move anything I don't need on at reasonable prices, or trade them for stuff my cars need, I'm not in this for profit I'm in this for keeping them going as best we can.
You can see the rot in the rear door and the rear arch, it was quite advanced in both panels and while the sill had received numerous repairs, the rot was heading towards the axle fairly rapidly.
Rust was so bad on the bumper that I couldn't remove them at all. Wing was full of filler that was very finely crafted, but cracked and splitting all over the place.
Front door this side was the only good one and even then the inner skin was rotting out on the same corner that's fallen off on my car. I would have liked to save this door but I didn't really have the resources on my own to strip the door on the car I'd driven over in, rebuild the good stuff on the banger's door and refit it to my car, it's at least a two person job and pretty involved. Likewise the bonnet, which is really good, I didn't have the means to get it back and get the bonnet from the HLS over to swap them, because of the damage to the front of my car I need to adjust the bonnet catch to make any bonnet fit and fitting/removing Princess bonnets is a two man job due to the massive size of them.
You can see here where the lower wing has rotted out quite extensively, the rot went all the way up to the bumper mount. That rear axle is in superb condition, it'll be a shame if that gets trashed on the circuit but there's literally nothing I can do about it as I can't provide a crappy axle to put on this car for them and it's a fairly involved job to swap them round.
If I can get my old Ambassador steering wheel over to him, I can take the Princess wheel that's fitted. The leather needs a small bit of stitching, but it's in better shape than the wheel in the HLS so would be worth getting. I also snagged quite a bit of random wiring and plugs from in here, there was a surprisingly large amount of useful little bits that will help sort the dashboards out in both the cars I own.
Items rescued from the skip now, starting with this which I forgot to pick up, so I'll have to go back for that and a cuppa or something.
The dash is in a bad way at a first glance, but all the bits I need are there. I'll strip the whole thing down and throw the bulkier bits away but it's netted me more spare plugs, switches, trims and an all important telltale so I can get that sidelight modification done to my own dash. The spare clocks are useful to have and there are a few unique fixing items that will help restore the HLS dash fixings properly.
My one of these switches, which is for the heated rear screen, recently cracked across the toggle so it was opportune one was available in the skip.
Rare blanking plate for the fog light switch, the car didn't have any fog lights fitted and pre-dates the legal requirement for them.
One of my seatbelt stalks is frayed, so these are very handy. I did forget to remove the associated belt, but the tongue looks similar if not the same to the ones already in my car anyway so I should be okay.
There was quite a substantial haul of stuff from this car even though it appeared to have very little left. I missed out on the matching rear seat back and what might have been better door cards. I also missed out on the front and rear screen seals, window scrapers, headlining (for taking a pattern) and sun visors but a lot of that is stuff I want rather than need.
1 stainless sill trim and seal
1 door latch (the only one I managed to remove, will return at some point for the rest)
1 gutter trim
2 boot rams and correct boot light trigger
2 good wiper arms
1 complete tool kit including never-before-seen wheel chock
1 rear wing aerial (manual) and extension
4 wheel trims with logos intact
2 NOS brake discs
3 number plates - 2 pressed metal, 1 raised digits
2 complete rear light clusters and interior covers
1 very good boot mat
2 seatbelt stalks
2 indicator-sidelight units
2 side repeaters
2 under bonnet fresh air vent grilles
1 black Tex door mirror
1 fuzzy lined glovebox
4 halogen headlights, direct swap for sealed beams
1 repair sill, almost complete
1 handbrake gaiter
1 original wooden radio blanking plate
1 almost complete dashboard, all the bits needed for current repairs
1 NOS Unipart fan belt
1 sealed beam headlight (untested)
2 boot badges, two-pin version
1 enamel bonnet badge
1 battery securing strap in perfect condition
Veng brand gold thick-and-thin vinyl coachstripe
1 handbrake warning light wire - useful, the one on the HLS is broken
1 carb float, full of water or petrol or something so probably fubarred.
2 NOS door hinge pins
1 NOS Lucas contact breaker points still shrink wrapped in packet
2 courtesy light switches
1 boot interior light
1 relay, unknown type and condition
4 used spark plugs, reasonable condition
2 wire clips, possibly for brake calipers
The most satisfying thing is that I now have a contact with a decent old car enthusiast who has said he'll be in touch if he finds out about any other Princesses that are going to be raced so that I can get the word out and salvage parts or save the cars which to me is worth its weight in gold. I may also have a new contact for getting my artwork out to a wider audience so all in all this one chance event has lead to what might be quite a few good things. Today was about 130 miles on about £25 of fuel, something I could only afford due to a belated christmas gift arriving the same day I got the tip off about the car and all of the above cost me nothing but time, effort and a long drive in a car I love across some really pleasant countryside. Life could be a lot worse.
I like to keep busy.
