I suppose it would be
Going from this...



to this



in the space of just over a year. I did everything; welding, painting and mechanical, including a full brake, suspension and engine swap. It successfully passed its MOT two weeks ago.

18 months ago, I'd never used a welder or held a paint gun.
( Grrrmachine the indifference engine, Thu 11 Oct 2012, 13:03, 19 replies)

Would I be right in thinking that for the money you spent on doing it up you could have just bought one in good nick?

( Je suis un vagabond is an unfunny, up your own arse middle class knob, Thu 11 Oct 2012, 13:07, closed)

No, you wouldn't
you can't buy one of these in Poland, and the cost of searching, finding, buying and importing one from Germany would be about double the price.

And now I have a garage filled with lovely lovely tools.
( Grrrmachine the indifference engine, Thu 11 Oct 2012, 13:10, closed)

Ahh.
There's the rub.
(Misery McUglywife an attention seeking sociopathic fuckstain., Thu 11 Oct 2012, 13:12, closed)

Also,
that's not really the point.

Most restored cars, especially at the bottom end of the market, are worth less than they cost to fix.

There are countless MGs with '15k spent on restoration' around that are up for sale at 8 grand.

The point is to take an old banger and make it nice again.
(username failed moderation, Thu 11 Oct 2012, 13:18, closed)

And yet I'll be quids in on this one
if you don't include the hundreds and hundreds of unpaid man hours
( Grrrmachine the indifference engine, Thu 11 Oct 2012, 13:22, closed)

Easy now.
You're teetering dangerously close to SHED PORN here.
( Dr. Shambolic je suis charlie, Thu 11 Oct 2012, 19:06, closed)

Uh oh...
imageshack.us/a/img839/8900/dsc0100ci.jpg
( Grrrmachine the indifference engine, Thu 11 Oct 2012, 19:20, closed)

Ready for some Bu-car-ke.

( Dr. Shambolic je suis charlie, Thu 11 Oct 2012, 20:13, closed)

How come?
They worried it's a Trojan horse invasion?


Great work though!
( @><|= w0nu!) or cunt to my friends, Fri 12 Oct 2012, 1:06, closed)

Oh god...
I'm with Vag on this one.
*steps out to scrub with bleach*
(Misery McUglywife an attention seeking sociopathic fuckstain., Thu 11 Oct 2012, 13:11, closed)

That's a nice bit of work. Well done.
We're house hunting at the end of the year. One of my immovable conditions is somewhere to store and work on an old banger.

I shall be 2 years behind you . . .
(username failed moderation, Thu 11 Oct 2012, 13:07, closed)

Was it you that installed that fancy carputer system?

( Major Turd for tonight only, Thu 11 Oct 2012, 13:16, closed)

what, this one?
www.mp3car.com/worklogs/134401-1989-bmw-e30-320i.html#post1332518

yep.
( Grrrmachine the indifference engine, Thu 11 Oct 2012, 13:21, closed)

Haha, it's Budgens Knight Rider!

(quintsy, Thu 11 Oct 2012, 13:42, closed)

Why does the post say 2009 when you said you fixed the car up in just over a year?
Or did you spend 2 years making the carputer before getting to work on the rest of it?
( 2 Can Chunder Word to your mums, I came to prod bums, Thu 11 Oct 2012, 14:04, closed)

I bought it in 2009 in a driveable condition
And just drove it around until I knew what its faults were and whether it was worth fixing. I installed the PC for a road trip to the UK for Christmas that year.

But in Aug 2011 she was garaged for some welding, and the project spiralled out of control, and she ended up staying in the garage until Sept 2012.
( Grrrmachine the indifference engine, Thu 11 Oct 2012, 14:12, closed)

Nice work!
Anyone that says 'just buy a new one' kind of missed the point - It's like saying 'Why climb Everest, just go up in a helicopter, much easier'
And you've picked up some skills that'll last you for the rest of your life. :-)
( JamHamster My eyes, my beautiful eyes!, Thu 11 Oct 2012, 13:23, closed)

Although
landing a helicopter on top of Everest is so chuffing difficult and dangerous, only one person has ever done it [ see here ]

But you point still stands :)
( chthonic, Wed 17 Oct 2012, 11:52, closed)

you put the pictures the wrong way round.

( The Doveston haunted by the memory of his own amnesia, Thu 11 Oct 2012, 13:28, closed)

Hahaha!

(oneinthepink is at your cervix m'lady, Thu 11 Oct 2012, 14:10, closed)

Lovely Opel Ascona.

( Dr. Shambolic je suis charlie, Thu 11 Oct 2012, 19:05, closed)

How do we know the other side isn't still fucked?
v impressive btw - I can't even drive...
( 4Q just lurking, Thu 11 Oct 2012, 19:07, closed)

The other side has a mis-matchingly painted wheel which is a massive fucking embarassment
imageshack.us/a/img201/835/dsc0316xs.jpg
( Grrrmachine the indifference engine, Thu 11 Oct 2012, 19:21, closed)

Well, I for one say...
... well done sir! You have my respect. You did it - better than most chaps who now wouldnt know one end of a screwdriver from the other.
(Colonel Blink is now officially a pretentious prick, Thu 11 Oct 2012, 20:38, closed)