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Hello all,
I recently joined the MMOC as I was given the chance of owning a 1991 Montego Saloon 1.6 LX but (to be honest) still had the view that owning an old Monty may end in some unhappiness, especially via the wife who thought I had grown out of the dirty fingernail, covered in oil, skinned fingers and bad language phase!
A bit of history.
The car was owned by a friend's dad who sadly passed away some weeks back, and his mum was keen to get rid. They had bought it 6 months old in 1991 so the history is known and the dad really looked after it.
My friend and I used to spend hours working on old classics "in our yoof", but he has emigrated to Oz, and I had no room to keep another car, having sold my dear 1963 Spitfire last year after 37, yes 37, years of ownership!
God I now miss her!
So the chance of "another car to tinker about with for fun" was on my list of wants, but no real plans - certainly not a Montego.....
But having helped my friend free off the brakes (the Monty had been stored in a garage for last 2 years) checking, cleaning and bleeding the brakes, curing a petrol leak and generally cleaning it up, with the aid of some jump leads she started up!
His lovely mum subsequently gave me first refusal on it, and not only that, said I could use her garage to store/keep the car whilst I "tinkered with it" if I wanted it.
"Lovely mum" is actually an understatement because the car also passed an MOT and some bits I haven't mentioned yet is that the car has done only 19,000 miles and is in exceptional condition. Apart from a couple of scuffs on the front corners where the dad has touched the garage doors getting in and out it is 99% rust free and original! Amazing!
So, I've got the fingernails dirty over the past week reverse flushing the cooling system ...blimey it was brown and gooey!... curing the cam cover oil leak (common problem according to the info in this Forum) with new gaskets, the usual oil, filters and antifreeze changes.
New spark plugs, distributor cap/rotor arm to be fitted, and I think a new battery is required too.
I'm a bit shocked at the idea of £230 Road Tax, having previously paid £0 for the old Spitfire, but hey ho at least I've got a car to play about with, and it's at least a bit out of the ordinary I guess!
Anyway, enough rambling. Just wanted to say hello and thanks for the info I've picked up on here so far.
I'll try to attach a couple of photos to this post, and I'm sure I'll be posting on here again in due course.
Oh!..... first question - anyone know a good supplier of coolant hoses for the Monty. I'll probably replace all to be safe, but the to/from heater & manifold hoses (rather than the top and bottom main hoses which look ok-ish) are what I'm after.
Cheers f'now!
John
I recently joined the MMOC as I was given the chance of owning a 1991 Montego Saloon 1.6 LX but (to be honest) still had the view that owning an old Monty may end in some unhappiness, especially via the wife who thought I had grown out of the dirty fingernail, covered in oil, skinned fingers and bad language phase!
A bit of history.
The car was owned by a friend's dad who sadly passed away some weeks back, and his mum was keen to get rid. They had bought it 6 months old in 1991 so the history is known and the dad really looked after it.
My friend and I used to spend hours working on old classics "in our yoof", but he has emigrated to Oz, and I had no room to keep another car, having sold my dear 1963 Spitfire last year after 37, yes 37, years of ownership!
God I now miss her!
So the chance of "another car to tinker about with for fun" was on my list of wants, but no real plans - certainly not a Montego.....
But having helped my friend free off the brakes (the Monty had been stored in a garage for last 2 years) checking, cleaning and bleeding the brakes, curing a petrol leak and generally cleaning it up, with the aid of some jump leads she started up!
His lovely mum subsequently gave me first refusal on it, and not only that, said I could use her garage to store/keep the car whilst I "tinkered with it" if I wanted it.
"Lovely mum" is actually an understatement because the car also passed an MOT and some bits I haven't mentioned yet is that the car has done only 19,000 miles and is in exceptional condition. Apart from a couple of scuffs on the front corners where the dad has touched the garage doors getting in and out it is 99% rust free and original! Amazing!
So, I've got the fingernails dirty over the past week reverse flushing the cooling system ...blimey it was brown and gooey!... curing the cam cover oil leak (common problem according to the info in this Forum) with new gaskets, the usual oil, filters and antifreeze changes.
New spark plugs, distributor cap/rotor arm to be fitted, and I think a new battery is required too.
I'm a bit shocked at the idea of £230 Road Tax, having previously paid £0 for the old Spitfire, but hey ho at least I've got a car to play about with, and it's at least a bit out of the ordinary I guess!
Anyway, enough rambling. Just wanted to say hello and thanks for the info I've picked up on here so far.
I'll try to attach a couple of photos to this post, and I'm sure I'll be posting on here again in due course.
Oh!..... first question - anyone know a good supplier of coolant hoses for the Monty. I'll probably replace all to be safe, but the to/from heater & manifold hoses (rather than the top and bottom main hoses which look ok-ish) are what I'm after.
Cheers f'now!
John
Attached Files
so will try to play around again later and add them by some other procedure......
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