Re: Series 2 V8 project, anyone seen it before??
Rudiger Wicke said:
Hi Rudiger, thank you very much for those, much appreciated! It looked great back then, but sadly in the 6 years since those photos were taken, it has fallen into a state of neglect.
Now is probably a good time to update this post as I have not done so for several months, and have not had the opportunity to get on the forum for a while due to other commitments.
When I last updated this post, I was in two minds as to what to do with it. I wanted to restore it, but having had it assessed by a P6 specialist, the car needs a lot more restoration than I was aware of. Having several unfinished projects around me, I was getting disheartened with them all, and not getting to drive any! It was all getting too much and I felt my enthusiasm was in danger of failing on me! I was considering buying another P6 that was on the road, so I had something to enjoy whilst deciding what to do with LRE, and possibly passing LRE on. Well I viewed and drove the other P6 which was a very nice car I really wanted to buy. Unfortunately before I was in a position to move on it, it sold very very quickly so I missed my opportunity on that one.
Back to LRE, and although frustrated with the projects around me, I still could not bring myself to part with it, as there is something about that old car, that keeps drawing me back to it. I decided to let LRE sit where it was and not be in a hurry to part with it. I put it on the back burner, and covered it up for the time being. In the meantime, I had visited the Classic Restoration Show at the NEC, and went along to the P6 owners stand. Meeting some very nice and helpful people there, and a guy wearing a name badge I recognised immediately from the sheer amount of invoices in LRE's file with his name on, Clive Annabelle! It was interesting when I introduced myself to Clive, I said to him, 'there's a name I recognise, I have a car you did a lot of work on over the years'. Clive replied, oh, which one is that?
As soon as I replied ' A burgundy V8', Clive said, 'Ah, LRE 525K'! I said, 'How in hell did you know that?' :shock: and he replied, it's the only burgundy one I know of, I painted it that colour'! and preceded to share the cars history with me.
The car was owned by a guy who raced Aston Martin's, and LRE was his daily driver. He did a lot of miles in it, and wanted it ultra reliable, and quicker than standard spec. Clive had rebuilt the engine and transmission, and apparently it now has 10:5:1 compression, SD1 heads, which have been worked, and various other little tweaks here and there. Clive added, it's a quick car and well sorted!
Although I have not yet had the pleasure of driving LRE due to what is required to get it roadworthy, I have started it every month without fail, and moved it around my property to keep everything turned over. It always starts first turn of the key, settles down very quickly, and purrs well. It will sit and tickover as long as you want it to, and it will not miss a beat. There is no smoke, rattles etc etc, and inspires confidence as soon as you hear it run. I am no stranger to V8's, and know a good engine when I hear one, and I have no doubt, LRE is as it is claimed to be!
Clive said he had painted it many years previously from Tobacco Leaf to its current Burgundy colour at the customers request, and also at the time, he had dyed the interior from Tobacco to Buckskin. The deep pile red carpet was also added, costing £600 for that alone, all those years ago. (Incidentally, the red carpet has survived remarkably well, and has come up very well after a clean. Only the over mats were worn and need replacing).
Having spoken with Clive, my mind was made up. LRE is a special car, and will not be going anywhere! It is staying with me, regardless of its condition, or what it will cost to be done, it WILL be done. I decided to take some pressure off myself and part with some of my cars, keeping only those I was really attached to, instead of keeping several projects which I knew I could never possibly get done. So, my 2000SC manual and my 2000SC auto were both sold to the same guy this summer, leaving me just one P6 - LRE. I had made my mind up on the colour I want LRE to be as well this summer, and that meant swapping out the buckskin for black interior to match the picture I had painted in my head. As it happened, one of my SC's had an immaculate set of black cloth herringbone interior, with door cards to match, so prior to selling the SC, I did an interior swap! The SC got LRE's buckskin, and LRE now has a nice set of black cloth herringbone.
As I mentioned previously in this topic, as LRE was now far from original, paint, interior colour, carpet, had all been changed from factory spec, I was no longer concerned with originality, as that was gone, The leather was tired though, worn, needing re dying again, and several repairs to the leather. I figure, if I'm to keep LRE, then it is time to transform it again, to how I want it, which meant the buckskin had to go, so on that basis, I had no problem with swapping it. I have kept LRE's red carpet though, as it has many years of life still left in it, and has cleaned up very well, and looks superb when contrasted with the black seats/door cards. So although work has not yet started on LRE's restoration, I have kept it turned over all summer, and covered up under a 4 layer all weather breathable cover it was treated to earlier this year.
Other than the above, I have not done anything to it. It waits patiently in line for its turn for restoration, but is kept turned over and moving, and will not deteriorate any further whilst it waits it's chance at a new 'disguise' . That time will be next year, and all being well, it will hit the roads again in time for next summer, 2015.
I am entrusting LRE's restoration to a Classic Car company who are restoring all the projects I have kept and do not wish to sell. They are taking one of my cars from me before Christmas, and will return it to me by April latest. Then they will move straight onto LRE, having it back to me by June all being well! That is the plan as it sits now, let's see how it pans out.
The colour scheme I have decided on, and which LRE will be wearing once returned to me, will be deep gloss black, with a black vinyl roof, it's now black cloth herringbone interior, and the same deep pile red carpet,with new matching over mats. It's 'shoes' will be nicely restored Rostyles in chrome and black, in place of its current standard steels with hubcaps. The picture I have of this in my head looks amazing, and I'm sure the end result will mirror that image.
In the time between now and LRE going in for its makeover, I will continue to get all the new parts needed together, to get it perfect. I did have a few panels and other bits lined up with a guy, but if have just not been able to make the 10 hour round trip drive to collect them, and by now, he has probably got rid of them,
but I will call him and see if by any chance, he has kept hold of them, and try and get them from him very soon!
Now that I have decided to keep LRE, I will continue to try and build its history file further, and would be so grateful to any one on here who may have any info at all on LRE, any old photos, etc, please let me know. I would love to see photos of it how it looked when in its original Tobacco Leaf, and when first changed to Burgundy etc. I will also write off to the previous owners, and see if I get any replies from them.
So that is it on LRE, watch this space in the months to come if this story interests you.
Thank you for reading!
