The thing we should all remember is that it's twofiftyAZU's car. If he wants to stick a Rover V8 engine in it and channel the bodywork, that's entirely his decision. The rest of us may not like it, but it ain't up to us. If it was mine, I'd probably try and restore it to original spec, if (Ha!) I had the money. But it's not mine.

Hi Vincent,

Thank you for that it's good to get your input.

It won't get a Rover V8, but if I could retain the FWD and graft in a Volvo T5R engine...........

Seriously guys, I haven't decided what to do with it yet. One thing is fairly clear, if it sits outside in the rain for a few more years the question will be moot, all that'll be left will be a seized engine and some glass with Belgian markings that can be put into another car.

For the moment I'm trying to figure out what the hell it is. Did it have the Lucas lights with Rubbolite number plate lights when it was sold in the UK? What are the hoops in the rear wings all about? Which headlights did it wear, I'm told by Nick that they were different from normal but they have been "removed for safe keeping" by someone unknown to Nick at some point. Perhaps someone here knows what they were and where they are?

I do have the skills to rebuild it, but if someone has a burning desire to painstakingly restore it then PM me. No one should be under any illusions about this car. It is seriously rusty, it'll need a chassis, it'll need floors, sills, boot floor, the box section under the rear seat, the reinforcing box section under the windscreen aperture, gutter repairs........

"We do not own these cars - we merely hold them in trust for the future."

Discuss...

Would the hoops accommodate some sort of mudflap perhaps?

Spelling mistake
''We merely hold them in rust for the future''

But whether or not that's true - and I don't believe it to be myself, but hey ho - it's still Someone Else's Car. While you and I have every right to keep our own cars in absolutely original condition (and mine certainly isn't ), we don't have any right to tell anyone else what to do with theirs. If you want to see this restored to original condition (and I don't actually disagree with you there, although I don't feel particularly strongly about it), the only way to guarantee it is for you to buy it yourself.

This is why I have a D*lly Not rare, not historically important - good for what it was designed for: economic, cheap motoring and a lot of fun



I completely agree with this. Working in a Museum, this is something we face everyday.

The process of replacing parts of an object with materials of equal (or better) quality, but strikingly different so the history of the object can be read by those in the future is the established and recommended advice from the government's Museums' regulating body.

If this type of object was entered into the Museum we would either preserve it 'as is' or, if we intended to make it usable again, replace damaged/missing parts with new ones and thoroughly document the process in a history file. Any substantial componants that needed replacing (engine, etc..) would be preserved seperately.

It's worth remembering that twofiftyAZU's car was designed for exactly the same things. Even though it is now rare.

Sam, a D*lly is still a 2cv and we are still losing them to the scrapman, so it will become rare,and it will become historically important(as one of the last of the line).