Ah right. I thought the reason you wouldn't plan to do anything to it, is because who'd notice anyways???

Ross

spoken like a true Gent if i do say so my self!!!

Nigel, im MORE than happy to help you get Begbie back...

after all.. he did brand me with this :marco:

After the AGM before last that is very debatable....

Nigel,

have a go with www.goofbay.com

ITS FREE

just use the bid snipe tool to put in a bid 2 secs before it ends.

me and the misses use it ALL the time.

Did I mention its FREE lol

I've thought about using snipe tools, but I'm normally pretty good at getting bids in with seconds to spare. Its just this once that I logged in with two windows - one to watch and the other to bid, but for some unknown reason, when I came to confirm the bid, I was told I'd been logged out.

To be fair, Wifey was chuffed to bits, as I don't reckon she was enthralled with the idea of another car on the drive, but I'm still determined to get a 16v N/A and get it totally standard

From you Nigel, that sentence takes a bit of getting ones head around

What a bast**d!

Isnt it amazing, for all the stick the 16NA gets, out of the woodwork climbs all the closet fans.



We all know its the best model, oh if only they'd made a porto version...

From Curborough, last year...

I'm not a closet 16v fancier - I "came out" a couple of years ago after I bought the Blitz Blue 16v for Lee's 21st birthday - I really couldn't believe how good it was when I first drove it.

I never really got to drive it hard, so I didn't get to explore its limits, but seventy seconds or so with Neil's 16v last October told me everything I need to know - it really is the sweetest-handling car (in standard form) from the Coupe range.

I certainly couldn't own one as my only Coupe, as I've got my everyday Coupe to handle even better than a 16v, but I also have the option of monster power as well - the best of both worlds (actually, I have a third benefit with my 20vt - it will do 40mpg when cruising at the motorway speed limit - a feat that most 16vs would be hard-pushed to replicate)

I now have a bee in my bonnet - I MUST own the two extremes of the Coupe range - one for go and one for show...

Seems there is a God after all...

After I failed to bid on the 16v, I contacted the seller to say that if his buyer dropped out, I would be willing to come and see the car and at least match, or even better the high bidder's bid

Last night, the seller contacted me to say he thought the high bidder was trying to back out, and this morning, this was confirmed

Should be going to view / collect the car on Saturday

Just waiting for an insurance quote from Neil Willies - probably won't be very cheap, as I don't have any NCB, but as I'm restricting mileage to 3,000pa, it shouldn't be too bad

Just hope its OK when I get there - would be a shame to find lots of rust...

Good thinking - I've had success with that in the past, especially when trying to buy a car on ebay

Fingers crossed it's all okay Nigel.

Main points to check are under the boot carpet, inside bonnet edges and if you can, rear subframe mounting points, as this is where it has all happened on my 16v

They may well offer you classic car insurance, in which case you won't need the NCD to get a decent price.

Things are starting to come together - classic cover from Neil Willies was less than £240

I need to do some digging now - as an 'M' reg, I'm fairly sure this must be an early dealer car - it was registered on 29 June 1995. I'm hoping as a dealer car it will have leather & aircon, but I'm not at all fussed if it doesn't have either. I know it has a sunroof, so the chances of aircon are slightly reduced.

begbie - thanks for the pointers - I'll check them out

I'd be interested to see how the VIN and build number compare to mine. Guessing at 24960-24999 for the VIN etched on the window.

That's about the time I was test driving prior to ordering mine.

Damn, I am *so* tempted. I just don't have anywhere to put it...

Damn - I'm tempted too, but Wifey would make life hell if I came home tomorrow with two yellow 16v Coupes.... She's already less than impressed that I've said I want the first one, but hopefully, if I can get her to drive it, she'll see sense

Fingers crossed Nigel it's a nice one for you.

WooHoo! - my fourth Coupe, and it's rather good

It has a couple of relatively minor problems - there's a medium dent just behind the rear wheelarch - nothing severe, but I'll have to get it sorted. The rear wheelarches are a bit rusty, but they've been touched in, so they don't look too bad. And there's the very slightest sign of a bit of rust where the boot floor joins the inner wheelarch - not bad at all - maybe 20% of what I had on my Sprinty, but it'll still need sorting. The cloth seats are a bit mucky, but Wifey has a proper cleaner machine, so I'll buy her some flowers and choccies and ask for a favour... Headlamps have lost most of their anti-scratch coating, but I have another pair in the shed. Centre console is a bit sticky. Handbrake console has a few scratches.

Like I say - all very minor stuff, that can be sorted pretty easily.

Other than that, it's really sound. Engine is a peach - very smooth and tight - just 73,000 miles with full history. Handling is pretty good, although the tracking needs doing (maybe wishbones?)

It has a stainless 'performance' exhaust on it, with a 3" tailpipe, which is just too noisy for me (I already have one noisy Coupe!). So' I'll be posting to see if anyone wants a straight swap with a standard exhaust system

Piccies to follow once I've given it a clean, although it looks like its had a paint correction recently, because its already very shiny. engine bay is really mucky though, so that'll have to be done.

One for Barnacle - the chassis number is 25013, so its definitely an early one. Where is the tag for the build number?

this the same 16 then Nigel?

Yup - the one that was on Ebay

Nice one Nigel - hope that you are happy with it.

Niiiiice

Welcome to the best coupe you'll ever own.

Excellent, well done Nigel

25013? Three earlier than mine then - when was it registered?

The build number is on a strip tacked on the boot floor in the offside rear cubby. Almost impossible to read in black, easy in yellow.