Post by Admin on Dec 10, 2010 14:10:25 GMT
My 18/85 was supplied on the 27th August 1971 (one of the first on the new "K" registration) by SMAC Group in Southend on Sea to a Mr Oliver Abrehart of Leigh-on-Sea. Mr Abrehart treasured his Wolseley, always kept it garaged and polished and used it for several long journeys over the years, in 1974 he took it to Wetherby in Yorkshire on holiday, then onto a campsite in Edinburgh. His grandson who was a mechanic and MOT tester, always looked after the car for him and it's had quite an easy life by the sound of it.
Sadly in December 2009 Mr Abrehart died at the age of 89 and his grandson advertised the car via Ebay. It was only a few miles away from me so I went to have a look and was amazed by the condition. It didn't sell first time round, but it was relisted several months later and I won it!
The paint was very flat as it hadn't been polished for several years and had been sitting idle in the garage for at least a year, but it ran well enough and is scrubbing up like new!
Unfortunately the PAS rack is leaking so a new one is required (£350 from Earlpart!) and either the PAS pump or dynamo is rumbling loudly so they'll need replacing soon. And some welding needs doing around the headlight on the drivers side fron wing, luckily the other side was replaced 25 years ago after a small accident so that's good and solid. Undersealed from new, this car shouldn't need any structural welding - which will be a nice change from my Austin Cambridge!
Sadly in December 2009 Mr Abrehart died at the age of 89 and his grandson advertised the car via Ebay. It was only a few miles away from me so I went to have a look and was amazed by the condition. It didn't sell first time round, but it was relisted several months later and I won it!
The paint was very flat as it hadn't been polished for several years and had been sitting idle in the garage for at least a year, but it ran well enough and is scrubbing up like new!
Unfortunately the PAS rack is leaking so a new one is required (£350 from Earlpart!) and either the PAS pump or dynamo is rumbling loudly so they'll need replacing soon. And some welding needs doing around the headlight on the drivers side fron wing, luckily the other side was replaced 25 years ago after a small accident so that's good and solid. Undersealed from new, this car shouldn't need any structural welding - which will be a nice change from my Austin Cambridge!
I won a NOS one on Ebay for 99p, bargain! Tomorrow we're taking it to North Essex on a Chrimbo run, probably the longest run it's done for 20 years!
