Mr P

Thanks to everyone for their generous comments! You know how sometimes you get to question whether or not all the hours of polishing and oil-in-the-earhole Saturdays under the car are really worth it? Well, you guys have just reassured me that they are! Back to the boiler suit…

Thanks, Cortina-city, that is an excellent idea - I hadn't thought of ceramic coating...

Hello, All, Just about to put my '80 back on the road after four years solitary confinement in my garage (the car, not me). I'm thinking of taking it to some shows this summer, but don't really know if it's up to that standard yet - any comments/tips appreciated! Here are some pics I took (just after cleaning her up a bit): 45K is genuine, though I've brought that average down a bit by not driving anywhere for 48 months! Yes, I know, I know - the mats have to go! Anyone able to recommend a good quality supplier? All pretty standard in the cabin The spare is a bit of a disgrace, I'm afraid - on my 'to do' list, along with sourcing an original back-seat liner to stop the boot looking too messy The worst rust on the car is around the near-side rain-channel of the boot (as you can see here) - another little job for the list! At least I have a boot-mat, albeit a bit worse for wear Seats need a bit of a steam-clean! Engine bay is a bit average; I could do with replacing the rusty four-branch, but I don't think it's gonna come off without a fight. Anyway, I'm glad to be back behind the 'tina wheel - hope to see some more on the roads this summer!

If anyone's still interested, I bought TNK634J from a chap in St. Austell in 1997. It was not in great condition, but I'd always wanted a 1600E and it fitted my £700 budget (first car!). I remember the car being rather unloved but completely standard, which was a big plus for me, and remarked to the seller how surprised I was to see all the Rostyles had retained their centre caps; after agreeing the sale, I returned the following weekend to pick up the car and, shock horror, all the centre caps had disappeared. The seller was in the middle of an RS3100 restoration at the time and I often wondered if the centre caps had found their way into his Capri spares box! TNK was a great first car and we covered a lot of miles and went through many, many polishing cloths until parting company in, I think, 2001. I sold the car to a fellow from Penzance who intended to undertake a full restoration. After seeing this thread, I remembered that I still have the original dashboard from the car – I'd removed it to refurbish it (woodwork's the easy bit), I even added matching veneer to the inside edges of the four centre-dial holes before giving it about 20 coats of lacquer! – it's sitting behind me now as I write, and still looks great! I wish the present owner all the best and hope one day to see the car again – hopefully on display at a show. I have some old pictures, but can't work out how to add them to a post (I'll read the instructions later…)

Car now sold (after running ad in Classic Ford magazine!)

Hello, all, It's a familiar scenario I suspect, but I now have three cars and only one garage; the ratio has to change! So, I need to sell my old warhorse 1.6 Crusader to allow my nice shiny Crusader to be warm and dry this coming winter. There are some pics here You'll notice that it's a bit rough round the edges, but not a basket case. The car is currently SORN, no M.O.T. (needs welding, mainly to chassis/suspension mounts - full failure sheet available on request) and has been sat in my garage since December '07. 107K miles, first registered Feb '83, only one owner before me - I've had it eight years. Oh, I should also mention that the car is now registered as URL 466Y - I've retained the 'BBC' plate to sell separately, though I doubt whether Mr. Ross will be interested now… The car would make a real easy restoration project for someone with the time and talent, I just don't want to let it go to the banger boys. Looking for around £250. I'm based in Cornwall, probably a thousand miles away from everyone else on the Forum but you never know! Thanks for looking, Mr. P

Hello, all, It's a familiar scenario I suspect, but I now have three cars and only one garage; the ratio has to change! So, I need to sell my old warhorse 1.6 Crusader to allow my nice shiny Crusader to be warm and dry this coming winter. There are some pics here You'll notice that it's a bit rough round the edges, but not a basket case. The car is currently SORN, no M.O.T. (needs welding, mainly to chassis/suspension mounts - full failure sheet available on request) and has been sat in my garage since December '07. 107K miles, first registered Feb '83, only one owner before me - I've had it eight years. Oh, I should also mention that the car is now registered as URL 466Y - I've retained the 'BBC' plate to sell separately, though I doubt whether Mr. Ross will be interested now… The car would make a real easy restoration project for someone with the time and talent, I just don't want to let it go to the banger boys. Looking for around £250. I'm based in Cornwall, probably a thousand miles away from everyone else on the Forum but you never know! Thanks for looking, Mr. P

Hello, Steve, I don't want to advise you to do anything that might harm your V6, but in stark contrast to most other members who've replied to your question, I've found the broquet 'in tank' tin pellets to work exceptionally well. One of these gauze tubes was dropped into my 1.6 Crusader about five years ago and has given me 70,000 trouble-free miles on unleaded fuel. Not only that, but my fuel consumption has decreased as well. I was REALLY sceptical about these things but my local garage had a few that thy wanted to get rid of (maybe because they thought they were useless!) so I paid a tenner for one and gave it a try. Before horsing it into the tank, my car was returning the usual 28-30mpg; after about six months of using unleaded this increased to 36mpg. 70K miles later and it's still consistent at this figure, so I'm not complaining. I suppose almost any question asked raises many different viewpoints, but my experience of these catalysts has been genuinely positive.

Hello, Raffles, Forgive me if I'm breaking protocol (I'm a new member); is it bad form to poke my nose in when another member has expressed an interest in your car? I'm looking for a low mileage Crusader to enjoy while my own is being restored (well deserved cosmetics, after seven years' sterling service!). Is the car still available? Thanks, Mr P