The subect poses an interesting question. I anticipate there could be just a
few TR's
(5's/250's/6's) that might justify the title. Cars eligible for such an august
award would
have the following features:
1. A less than impressive paint finish. Fairly thin, lots of orange peel and a
few runs
would confirm it was painted in the Liverpool plant. Liverpool sprayers were a
competent
bunch and could paint with one hand and read a newspaper or betting slip in the
other.
2. No trace of mud in the wheelarches and the underside will be as clean as the
top. This
condition will indicate it didn't stay in the Honeybourne transit park for too
long.
3. Quite a lot of mud, the odd bit of grass and surface corrosion on some of
the plated
hardware will suggest it was at Honeybourne for at least six months and
probably sitting
in the middle of a flooded part of the former runway. A musty smell from the
carpets will
confirm this.
4. The engine ought to have intriguing transparent sticky stuff (in reality
dried lanolin
known as 'slush') all over it that smells like an oil leak (but isn't) when hot.
5. The fit of the doors, bonnet and boot lid should leave a lot to be desired
(the more
appalling the better) and there ought to be a clothes peg on a piece of string
hanging
from the cold start control.
Meet those few criteria and I think I'd agree the car was in 'as new' showroom
condition.
Of course these criteria shouldn't apply just to TR's - Spitfires and GT6's are
equally
eligible. Perhaps VTR might like to include these points for their future
judging criteria
for cars that are claimed to be original?
Oh yes I nearly forgot - tyre pressures varying somewhere between 25 and 50 psi
and while
on the subect of wheels, don't be too worried if your car has knock-on wires on
one axle
and disc wheels on the other. To make it truly genuine and in showroom
condition, check
the boot. There ought to be one of each wheel in there for the spare(s). I jest
not on the
last point. One irate customer once challenged me on how this could happen? My
reply was
flippant (while trying to conceal my laughter) and a straight right to my jaw
laid me
right out on the floor and the damage to my left lower molar still troubles me.
Jonmac
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