LDF 532V Anyone know where it is now?

[Brenjacques]

Hi, my first marina I bought was a dented up russet brown one that everyone has probably seen somewhere down the line. A Mk3 Coupe with a brown vinyl roof, reg number LDF 532V. It was owned by an elderly lady in gloucester who only used to use it to go to the shops. In more recent years with her old age the car suffered from various dents and the local garage didn't do much better with the filler etc they piled on in various places. Running wise the car was solid as a rock underneath, just the regular holes in the boot and just a bit on the inner sills at the front. I drove it for a day and it was a prefect drive, probably from having the engine serviced every 6 months from new. I was going to restore her which would have been a big task but I unfortunately had to get rid when I faced possible redundancy at work (I didn't get saved until 2 weeks before closure). I sold it to a chap who ended up giving up too and he sold it to someone down coventry way I believe. Since then I last saw it on eBay without the engine and that is it. So does anyone know where it is now? With the possibility that it isn't going to be saved I am on a search to try and find it to buy back now I have a more reliable job. I never wanted to part with the car, and to this day I am still on the search to find her.
So if you've found her at your local scrappies or even now own her then I would love to hear from you, I suppose we all have that one car we never really want to part with!

[marina12]

There is one string from on here- it contains a link to a second string that I have lifted out.
index.php?option=com_jfusion&Itemid=12& ... f=4&t=8788

Lifted link:
index.php?option=com_jfusion&Itemid=12& ... 6&start=15

Sure there was more but can't find it. Seem to recollect the most recent appearance it had no engine.

[Brenjacques]

That is a great help! I have been looking for that ebay listing for a while. I have contacted the person who sold it and I am awaiting his reply, will ge interesting to see what happened to her!

[Brenjacques]

I have had a reply from the last seller, he said that the buyer bought the marina to use for historic drag racing, quite an interesting outcome! Maybe we will end up seeing it around somewhere soon!

[ClaytonSpeed]

Was that the guy who bought it for its gearbox? Or was that who he sold it too?

[Brenjacques]

This chap had the engine from it, as far as I know it hasn't been up for sale since he sold it.
Regards

[ClaytonSpeed]

Ah, thought I remembered a guy selling the shell as he said he bought it for its box ... Maybe I'm mistaken.

[Brenjacques]

Hi everyone,
I have now managed to track the car down. It is now in a car breakers and metal recyclers. I asked the chap how much he wanted but he said £500. I know that it just isn't worth the money, as I only paid £450 for it when I first bought it with the engine, box, tax and MOT. I then cut a loss when I sold it for £550 with all of the panels it needed, still as a complete car. As I remembered it, it will need the following:
New outer sills
Inner sills welding
Both rear arches
Both front outer wings
Grille
Both headlamp panels
Welding to driver and passenger floor
Front valance
Front drivers and passengers door
New bonet
Welding under windscreen rubbers
Rear windscreen panel
Boot floor welding
Jacking points welding
1275 Engine
Gearbox

With that in mind how much do you think it will be worth? I want to have it back as I want to complete the work on it but for £500 I could get a much better shell.
Cheers

[marinabuoy]

I recently bought a car with engine missing, large parts of interior missing and needing chassis leg welded up and other smaller bits of welding too, although not nearly as much as your car. I paid £400 which I reckoned was probably more than the car was worth, but I just wanted it! Depends how much you want the car back? I'd probably offer him £300, it's a worthwhile sum of money for him and not a completely silly amount for you. He's probably not going to get that from anyone else either - maybe start him at £250?


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[MarinaCoupe]

To get it maybe £300-£350, turn up with cash and see what he says. You will have to add the cost of transport on unless the guy will do a deal. Your problem is that if he breaks it, it could be worth more to him. If there is no engine or gearbox then that's most of his profit gone.



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[Brenjacques]

He says that he won't take a loss but surely what is left of it won't get him 500 if he were to scrap it?

[Brenjacques]

I'd be prepared to strech to 350, that would seem fair. Chances are with the state of the body he won't get any profit from it, only the rear bumper and one rear light lens and boot lid was good from what I remember. So that along with the breaking system and tatty interior wouldn't get over 500. It's a shame to see a car lost due to peoples idea of value but I suppose it happens. If anyone is interested in it for £500 then I have the chaps details but you will need to have a lot of patience for this project. I'll make a seperate offered thread later.
Cheers

[marinabuoy]

I'd say if you were waving £300 cash under his nose he'd be stupid not to accept, saves him all the hassle of breaking it and finding people who want to buy the bits.


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[ClaytonSpeed]

£300-£350 for the shell all day long. No way will he get that for breaking it. Scrap is very low at the moment anyway.

As for parts in sure if you asked here and in the club mag you could get the panels you needed. Very few mk3s about anymore, it would be a shame to loose another.

Good luck!

[Brenjacques]

Hi, we are currently talking about the price with transport. As for the work I am going to try and do this one myself. I have bought a welder and I have picked up a few metalwork tools too. As soon as I get it I'll start cutting the panels off that need replacing and see what can be saved. I see coupe quarter panels for sale now and then so I may pick one or two of those up too. It is almost like building it from the chassis up again but I shall see what we can save from it.
It would be a shame to see it scrapped, any ideas on what to do with the 1275 engine before I drop one in?