|
|
At the end of 1994, I needed some transport while I completed the eternal stop-start restoration of Bluebottle, my Austin A35 van. A modern car was out of the question on grounds of taste but any classic had to be cheap, have good spares availability, be easy to work on, be driveable in modern traffic and not in need of immediate serious repairs. I wasn't too particular about make or model, so long as it had some style and individuality. I soon spotted a Herald 13/60 advertised locally. One of the cardinal rules of classic car purchase is never to purchase the first car that you see. However the Herald was in good nick for the modest asking price and my family has always had a soft spot for Triumphs (if you're not familiar with the Triumph Herald, you might find the Herald history page useful). £600 or so changed hands and, informed that my "new" car's name was Cynthia, I drove her home a couple of days later. The Early days page, which chronicles my first few years of ownership, contains some photos that show how Cynthia looked at the time of purchase. |
|
Five years later, the A35 van is still not finished (although she's just made the journey to my Leicester garage) and, although Cynthia will pass her MOT test with a few patches, I reckon she deserves better treatment. Foregoing my earlier promises, I've started to tidy her up to the condition of a good second hand Herald that you might have purchased in the early 1970's. The interior trim won't be perfect, for example, but when the restoration is complete Cynthia is destined to become my regular transport again.
|
|
October 1994 -- I purchase Cynthia. December 1998 -- Cynthia fails her MOT test. I decide to give her a "proper" restoration, starting in the spring. May 1999 -- Restoration commences, albeit at a leisurely pace. My back bedroom gradually fills up with bits of dismantled Herald. July 1999 -- In addition to the usual scrapbook and photo album, I start to put together some web pages describing the restoration. Progress on the web pages is slightly more rapid than the actual restoration... August 1999 -- Bluebottle, my A35 van, arrives in Leicester. Herald restoration is forced to take a back seat for a while. December 1999 -- These web pages are published for the first time.
December 1999 |
With
the A35 destined for the garage, most of the restoration
will have to take place outside on the driveway.
Fortunately, Cynthia's bodywork and chassis are good enough
to avoid a body off restoration.I expect to do at least 90%
of the work myself -- the Herald is the ultimate Meccano kit
car so I'm confident there won't be too many unexpected
problems that will send me off to the specialists. Each of
the 