I have owned several cars with dubious bodywork over the years. The cut-n-shut 1983 Metro springs to mind, as well as the Triumph 2500 with socks in the sill. These were fairly well-hidden jobs though.. and obviously some of my cars are, uh, less valuable than others. Obviously, it’s worth having a dent in a newish Jag repaired professionally, but if the car in question is a $250 near-wreck with 200k miles on it?
Well… this is what happens.
I’ve posted about this car – and its coolant issues – before, but I didn’t really address the awesome bodywork. This is a 1990 Sterling 827 with 198k miles on it. It’s an SL model, which means actual leather seats and a real, genuine 4-speed slushbox. I owned it for a while, and I drove it 80 miles daily for a year or so. It had previously been used for transporting hay and other farm-related unmentionables, so cleaning it out was probably one of the more interesting experiences I’ve had.
Apparently a horse fell out of an adjacent trailer into the door (yes, really) and the requisite door and wing panels were pulled back into shape with a convenient hammer and pry bar. The door never quite opened all the way, but the poor car was fine. OK.. so it had a busted radiator and no A/C, but those were simple fixes.
Oddly enough.. no one would park next to me at work when I drove it. Who’s going to notice another dent, eh?