When does it become an addiction!
 

I think it is a sacred duty to save an iconic car. Now our 8s are iconic but most 8s do end up with our sponsors or a competitor, which is good for our 8s. But some of our 8s are iconic icons and today I took ownership of one...

Now the addiction question is because I now have had 4 D2s and still have three of the! +++

Should I get help?

For those that are wondering which iconic icon I have laid my hands on it's a PF A8 4.2 QS, Ming Blue (same as my first S8) and was owned by that special person, formally, and still, know as Dezzy!!!!

Yes, I have the that 8. 225k on the clock, needs a bit of polishing here and there and a couple (of dozen) bits and bobs. But it's Dezzy's bus, saved for the nation.

+++

It's addiction fueled by passion and love, and the only time you should ask for help is on this forum when you will struggle to fix something +++

Well done Mike and I am a little jealous, but happy for you at the same time.

Well done Mike I applaud you for saving a famous 8!

I often get very tempted to buy another one. What is it about these 8's just cant get enough of them.
:)

I'd happily have more if I had somewhere to put them....
(Even 2 is a tight squeeze on my drive - see signature pic!)

I'm now down to 3 cars from 5, and I can't deny that I've been tempted. If only one of the remaining three hadn't semi-permanently emptied my bank account...:-(

Whilst attending the docs (for a minor, non-car related ailment!) I saw a poster aimed at people with OCD which gave a detailed description of the symptoms. My first thought was, well, whats wrong with that? It seemed totally normal behaviour to me and was a fair description of most people on this forum :p

I think it's absolutely normal for car enthusiasts to behave this way as long we don't buy them to keep and let them rot on the driveways beyond any possible restoration.....and that's why today at 5 degrees temperature I'm washing, claying, polishing and waxing my beloved A8 in preparation for re-homing her along with full interior clean, diagnostics and sorting any issues I come across.
After two months of not driving it it was cruel to watch a well spoiled and pampered car feeling lonely and "abandoned".

Just been cleaning and waxing my winter wheels. Hands are now frozen!

Mike you are doing a sterling job in your almost single handed efforts to save '8s +++

Government grant
 

We should ask the Germans if we are saving their heritage... :love: :ROFL:

http://forum.a8parts.co.uk/attachmen...1&d=1478379161
So, Dezzy's bus is now at MikkiJayne's unit and on the ramp. After a few hours of assessment and a bit of disassemble the verdict is that; it's life Jim, but not as we now it! After 3 years standing in the open, the only thing we haven't found is wildlife! Plenty of flora! Fungi, plant life, lots of single celled lifeforms etc etc.

But the loss of steering fluid is due to the mahossive hole is the supply pipe which has been removed and a repair / replacement plan formulated. It needs all four callipers slider kits replaced. The almost new front pads have delaminated, the rear metal brake lines need replacing and all 4 brake callipers hoses need replacing. That should get it to its MOT.
There's a misfire issue, but that's small beers. Once MOT complete a full service and back on the road.
Bodywork can wait, after all it is a rat 8, which I am lead to believe is a cool thing to own!

Plenty of wildlife of the arachnid variety! :eek3:

I think that's called a "project"....

No such thing as an addiction in our minds. It's only an addiction when SWMBO decides she doesn't like the garden being filled with metal parts and would prefer plants

Oh, and a hornet hibernating in the passenger side rear door handle. Luckily I had gloves on at that point!

Surely that should be an EU grant? oh, wait........ :(

Oh yeah I forgot about Harry the hornet. He's okay can get a little angry if you wake him while snoozing though.
I have some calipers here if you want them for parts. Also have a drilled and grooved pair of discs to suit them. Calipers and discs on the front came from an early S.

This missing has developed while parked up so can't be a lot, I'm sure a good thrashing will fix that.

It was a bit of a sad moment if I'm honest, seeing it leave on a trailer. We've been though a lot together and I'm glad she can't speak.

I do have a few more bits for it here like number plates and the owners book, calipers, drilled and groved discs, twin stainless soot pipes, a rear bumper and 5 sport alloys among other things. I even have a stone chip kit for the body work Mike :D

Shall I courier it to MikkiJayne for Monday?

Missing could well be because of 3 year old fuel or moisture/corrosion in electricals. Depending on how much fuel is in the tank filling up with fresh fuel to dilute it could be enough if not much left. Or drain and refill if lot of fuel in tank. Then good thrashing to heat it up and dry out :)

"needs a bit of polishing here and there"

having seen the picture, I now get the joke :ROFL:


on the plus side, its got a black interior +++ a lot of the other minor niggles can be forgiven

Joke?
Minor niggles eh, be careful, you could stir up a hornets nest once you start looking. :ROFL:

Interior is aqua blue

I don't recall the bonnet de-lacquering like that the last time I saw the car in use Dezzy?

Outdoor storage is never optimal I guess...

Glad it's being given a chance at another life +++

The car was nearly new when you last seen it mateasy, okay no where near it.

I failed to shut the bonnet properly, it flew open and bent to suit the shape of the roof. The bonnet now on there came from a donor S of the same colour.
When you seen it, it would of had the original bonnet, the one I spent hours loving

Honestly, I would have killed it for that - I hate blue interiors with a special passion! Mike appears to be able to cope with it though, and tbh I'm mostly underneath it so I can't see the interior :D Its going to take some work to save it, but thus far it seems doable.

Calipers would be useful. The fronts are toast as the slider pins are rusted beyond saving. Not sure if Mike has any spares yet. Are you coming down the 377 in the next week?

Well done that man, another 8 saved hopefully +++

LOL :)

I definitely want to see this car when its done.

+++

I thought that before I bought it but actually in there its more of a grey and you get used to it. Luckily it's very similar to the interior of the yellow bus o love so the fronts look oknow in there too. If you want i have black door cards here and you can put bin bags over the seats.

I dug the calipers out the back of the shed not sure they're in any better condition than those on the car but I'll bring them down with a few other spares I have here, you can always weight it in.

I can come down tomorrow? with the bits as it's raining.

Tomorrow would be cool. I'll be about in the afternoon +++

I know machines don't like it when you anthropomorphise them, but I have never met a car that wants to be saved so much as this one. My S8 fought me every step of the way but this one, despite looking like the Titanic underneath, is coming apart remarkably well. Many fewer snapped bolts than I was expecting when it first went up on the lift.

Hoping to have it rolling again at the weekend & MoT next week, all being well.

A well crafted oxymoron MJ. +++

anthropomorphise

I had to look that up in the dictionary!

Us simple folk over here are used to building things like the titanic :ROFL:

Michaela is working wonders? The bus will live on! +++

The list of parts so far:-
2 x front seats
Front Subframe
Both sets front and rear calipers once refurbished
front and rear brake hoses
NS hub carrier
various suspension arms and ARB droplinks
Power Steering hose (pump to rack)
Replacement brake pipe securing brackets.
Rear spring(s)
2 x new tyres

Jobs to do for MOT
fit above
Flush black brake fluid for a real colour!
Flush cooling system and refill with G13
Sort misfire (pos fuel)
full Service

Have I missed anything?

Things I want:

17" wheels
Roof Bars

:cool:

Brackets and rubber mounts for the fuel lines
Clean corrosion from the brake unions & re-paint (8 of them!)
Pretend that the rusted out fuel tank strap was never supposed to be there anyway
Replace starter junction box and clean up connections
Replace front arch liners
Replace rear disk splash guards
Repair top radiator hose (or maybe replace?)
Remove hornets
Possibly replace coil pack amps
Fit number plates

+++

O yes. Those as well! :D

So fussy :D

I have roof bars.
And the plates, 2x rear, 1 for your trailer.

I'll take them off your hands; save you a trip to the dump! :ROFL:

You're so good to me. I'll bring them down Friday morning to MJ's for inspection.
Do you want a tin of intersleek for below the waterline? :ROFL:
I'll bring down as many spares as I can find and you can dig thru it, like the snap on van but with 8 bits.

I think scottD3 may have some 17" wheels available? worth asking. . .

You're a top chap.

Thanks Neil, I give him a shout.

Update:

A trailer and boot full of bits. I'll have to get newer ones for the projekt.
http://forum.a8parts.co.uk/attachmen...1&d=1478729072

New series coming soon, Inside the ambulance.... there were A8 parts
http:// http://forum.a8parts.co.uk/a...1&d=1478790638

Stoopid phone.

+++

MikkiJayne has been working wonders.

So she has done (with a little hindrance from me) by the time I left at 4 today.



2 x front seats - arrived from A8 parts, sat on a pallet
Front Subframe - fitted
Both sets front and rear calipers once refurbished - refurbished as required. rears fitted
front and rear brake hoses - sourced, rears fitted.
NS hub carrier - fitted.
various suspension arms and ARB droplinks - fitted
Power Steering hose (pump to rack) - fitted both.
Replacement brake pipe securing brackets. - on back order.
Rear spring(s) - Fitted.
2 x new tyres - Not required.
Brackets and rubber mounts for the fuel lines. on back order.
Clean corrosion from the brake unions & re-paint (8 of them!) - complete.
Pretend that the rusted out fuel tank strap was never supposed to be there anyway - pretending!
Replace starter junction box and clean up connections - Replaced.
Replace front arch liners - Replaced.
Replace rear disk splash guards - post MOT.
Repair top radiator hose (or maybe replace?) - Repaired (very clever)
Remove hornets - evicted.
Possibly replace coil pack amps - Under investigation.
Fit number plates

Flush black brake fluid for a real colour!
Flush cooling system and refill with G13
Sort misfire (pos fuel)
full Service


Roof Bars - arrived to be fitted.

MOT next week and on the road by Saturday? +++:D