jonathan49bat
Active Member
A few years back I took my bat to a local garage for a mandatory MOT test (uk test for road worthiness) at the side of the plot was a late CSi looking very sorry for itself and belonging to a garage client.
While waiting I perused this rusty wreck and noticed that it had a rare 3 spoke Alpina steering wheel that i thought attractive and had noticed were fetching quite high figures on ebay.
To cut a long story short I contacted the owner through the garage and offered the owner a reasonable sum for the steering wheel. Over an 18 month period during which he refused any offer for the steering wheel I ended up purchasing the car for not a cheap figure.
This vehicle has sat in my yard awaiting breaking (less the steering wheel which is now fitted to the bat) and deteriorating by the year.
However this has unexpectedly turned out to be a blessing in disguise the triple dellortos fitted have been reserved by one and there are many original items which are common to both models like water bottle, air vents, sill covers, fixtures and fittings, screws, speedo, trim for the footwell, owner manual in good condition, etc etc.
This evening I salvaged the nearside bonnet air vent (the bats was broken) the grommet which houses the wiring loom through the front panel by the battery to the headlamps (mine was missing) the engine bay sound proof barrier and so it goes.
The point being that these rusty wrecks yield all sorts of fittings like screws that are unobtainable and when I come to cut up the rotten shell of the CSI I will also come to understand the way these vehicles were constructed - those hidden A frame sections and the joining of the front wings that as of this moment remain a figment of my imagination will become a reality.
As of this moment I hold a debt of gratitude to the previous owner who obstantly rejected my offer of a simple steering wheel but has yielded me with obscure parts that would take for ever to find.
Richard
While waiting I perused this rusty wreck and noticed that it had a rare 3 spoke Alpina steering wheel that i thought attractive and had noticed were fetching quite high figures on ebay.
To cut a long story short I contacted the owner through the garage and offered the owner a reasonable sum for the steering wheel. Over an 18 month period during which he refused any offer for the steering wheel I ended up purchasing the car for not a cheap figure.
This vehicle has sat in my yard awaiting breaking (less the steering wheel which is now fitted to the bat) and deteriorating by the year.
However this has unexpectedly turned out to be a blessing in disguise the triple dellortos fitted have been reserved by one and there are many original items which are common to both models like water bottle, air vents, sill covers, fixtures and fittings, screws, speedo, trim for the footwell, owner manual in good condition, etc etc.
This evening I salvaged the nearside bonnet air vent (the bats was broken) the grommet which houses the wiring loom through the front panel by the battery to the headlamps (mine was missing) the engine bay sound proof barrier and so it goes.
The point being that these rusty wrecks yield all sorts of fittings like screws that are unobtainable and when I come to cut up the rotten shell of the CSI I will also come to understand the way these vehicles were constructed - those hidden A frame sections and the joining of the front wings that as of this moment remain a figment of my imagination will become a reality.
As of this moment I hold a debt of gratitude to the previous owner who obstantly rejected my offer of a simple steering wheel but has yielded me with obscure parts that would take for ever to find.
Richard
