MK 1 Storm - The Money Pit

[jimmy h]

Hi Craig, not sure where I sit wrt the Insurance, I did not have an agreed valuation on it.

The company who supplied me with a hire car who normally pick up the repair say that they would not repair a car of that age which I'm obviously not surprised at.
No one has been near to assess the damage? I'm in no doubt at all it is a total loss

I'm fairly certain when I took out the policy that I would have the chance of salvage rights in a total loss situation, but as this is my first accident in 22 years its all new to me this stuff..My primary concern is that I'm not found at fault for the accident and my no claims does not suffer (at this stage)

[Ryan]

Wow that's clean! Good find sir!

Looks like a beaut!

What's not practical about a Corrado? It has seats, a boot, a roof, a handle that (sometimes) raises at the back for pushing......

[jimmy h]

Paid out on my insurance, I've got money again, I'm off work Easter week, Then it will be back on the road.

[mark1gls]

I bet you can't wait to take the car out for a long drive.

[jimmy h]

I bet you can't wait to take the car out for a long drive.

^This^
Getting the Garage extension done was the start and, that seems like a very long time ago...
Then getting it back from the Body Shop, getting over the bill, and realising I still had a mountain to climb putting it all back together.
The last time I drove it on the road was 2004 so it's going to be a bit of a strange feeling, and I dare say a bit scary (the brakes and steering feel awful and that's just on the drive!)
Mind you, I can still remember the day I collected it at Tewkesbury 19 years ago! Yeah, a helluva lot of memories with this car.

The previous picture is of an old Blaupunkt stereo that I bought off e-bay which was working, then it stopped and I've spent the last couple of months fixing.
I think all the time and money spent, I could have put a really decent stereo in there - and I might still do that.

The pictures below are of the original parcel shelf which I've tarted up, basically the bloke who fettled the little bits of carpet which go around the shelf buggered off to Malta for winter so I had to wait for him coming back to put the 'Edging' on the main shelf to match the the other bits
I also stripped the shelf, painted it with a minni roller with Satin Black paint, stuck on some self-adhesive felt for where it rests on the supports to avoid rattles

[Ryan]

My word.
That last pic looks luscious!

[jimmy h]

Tyres: It has to be the most least interesting subject when it comes to cars, unless you are doing it like Winston!

I seriously hate ploughing money into the bloody things, that's why it was the last thing.



Ready for take-off.
[img]

[the edmundator]

I disagree, the pleasure of a new set of tyres (especially good ones) is hard to beat. Really worth spending money on as well, seeing as everything else in the car depends on them.

[jimmy h]

I appreciate and understand your comments Ed.

But, I'm not going to be doing any spirited motoring in it, I'll be saving all my white-knuckle stuff for the Lotus.
It's a funny thing, I'm not over-keen on the standard Storm wheels, but I feel it is important to keep it original. I could not wait to put Super Ts on my old Corrado and with the benefit of hindsight - I realise now what a waste of money (both for the wheels, and over years, the tyres it was). They ruined the handling.

I know this because my newer Corrado sits on standard 15" and it is a joy to drive, no camber crawling, no aqua-planing, and less dental fillings required when negotiating all the bloody pot holes that now litter our roads..

I'm sure car manufacturers, with their designers, spend a huge amount of time and resource addressing exactly what size of wheel will work best with the dynamics of the
vehicle they are selling.

[Reverend Frog]

I'm sure car manufacturers, with their designers, spend a huge amount of time and resource addressing exactly what size of wheel will work best with the dynamics of the vehicle they are selling.

Exactly. Most don't appreciate this. When I lowered my old mk2 and stuck it on 15" Sebrings it looked the dog's danglies but it 'skipped' at the front under hard steering, which it didn't before and nearly detached my retinas every time I so much as ran over a cigarette paper on the road. It was unquestionably a better drive before i mucked about with it.

Kudos for sticking rigidly to originality, definitely IMHO the only way to do it.

[81GTi]

Nice Exhaust, looks like an original... can't be many of them left

[jimmy h]

Well folks it could be this week!

It's just a question of weather at the moment and salt, I'm very reluctant to take it for its MOT with the amount of grit on the roads around here.
I'm off work for a week so I'll have plenty of time should things improve.

I got what I feel is a very good deal on insurance for 2 K miles a year, and a very reasonable amount agreed valuation in the event of a total loss (perish the thought)

So, I should be able to get some better photos up of it in a better location, I really want to get one of me and my brother next to it like the one of us with the old TS, but that road is completely blocked by snow at the moment so that will have to wait too.
Really struggling to remain patient at the moment, desperate to get it on the road again, I'm like a big kid....

[81GTi]

[jimmy h]

Guigiaro's masterpiece.



MOT tomorrow so fingers crossed! I took it for a cheeky "Installation Lap" around the block yesterday, first time I've drove it in 9 years. :D

[mark1gls]

Good luck tomorrow with the MOT, I'm sure it won't fail on rust!