Hi I thought you maybe interested in a project I am doing, this is my first posting so I am not sure if it will be seen.

If I find out how to up load pictures on here I will later on.

I have owned four Skoda cars in the past and always found them to be reliable fun little cars. From my S110 back in 1975 to the two Favorit's we owned from new, the last was an estate I had for 9 years and it never failed MOT, it did not cost me

anything apart from the normal servicing which I did myself and it was a great car, I even pulled a Sprite caravan with it.

So when I saw another Favorit Estate with just 450 miles from new I bought it and had it delivered to Cornwall.

Although it was put through the MOT before I received it I have started going through it again doing things to get it back

on the road.

First up was fix the brakes which had no working servo, then rub down and re enamel the rear axle and front

suspension including the sub frame and front wish bones, as they had slight surface corrosion from standing for 23 years.

Cure a water leak at the heater matrix and drain and refill the coolant with "frost stock" 50/50 mix coolant. Next job fix

the sunroof seal which has dried up with age and lets water in.

Re paint the mirror assembly with satin black as the powder coating is flaking, repaint the metal window runners and get

the alloy wheels refinished as they have some cosmetic damage.

I have had some paint mixed to the exact colour and have a couple of small rust patches the size of a one pence coin to sort out, not bad for a 23 year old. Then I will Waxoil all internal panels and the underside with clear Waxoil, it wont win

shows but it will preserve the car, it can always be cleaned off if required later on.

I am currently running it in and it will soon be due its official first service, although the engine oil has been changed I am not sure if the gearbox oil has been done so better safe than sorry. It is now showing 850 miles from new, it drives just how I remember and it is a real joy to have a car that does not ping or talk to you or tell you to take it to a garage.

It even still smells like a new car. We wont be using it every day but it is not a museum exhibit ether, we will keep it

sweet by using it on fine dry weekends, which is not that often in soggy Cornwall. So if you see us out and about in

"Jimmy" give us a wave or come over for a chat.

So when I saw another Favorit Estate with just 450 miles from new....

Very odd... why did she stay unused ?

Where did she stay? Inside or outside?

How much did you pay for it?

 

All rubber parts on her are cooked, including engine & gearbox gaskets, window seals, etc. Despite her possible overall decent looks, the engine and gearbox will leak like a sieve soon.

 

PS. Register then upload your photos to a free hosting site for photos (I am using imgur.com) then share Direct links in your messages.

Edited 7 May, 201511 yr by RicardoM

Hi thanks for the interest,

I am told the Skoda Estate was bought brand new by an elderly gentleman who also bought a new "rubber bumper style" MGB GT in Damask Red on the same day, he then parked them both in the garage and never used them. I do not know the reasons why he never drove them, maybe he did not have a drivers licence but liked the style of both cars, he certainly liked Maroon as a colour.

 

When he passed away his younger brother inherited his estate and found both cars "sleeping" in the garage, he took them both to a local garage to be re commissioned before sale, having the battery, all fluids replaced, oils and the brakes also renewed but the servo wasn't changed.   The car was then given an MOT and driven for about 350 miles. I bought it showing 450 miles and after doing the works I described in the last posting I have run the car for another 250 miles without faults or leakage other than a small weep from a hose and clamp at the heater matrix.  I looked at the sunroof leak this afternoon and it looks like the sunroof is not pulled down tight enough against the outer seal using the central hinge clamp fitment. I will look at a solution or adjustment to pull the glass closer to the rubber seal, the seal is in sound condition with no splits. 

 

I have restored many cars and motorcycles in the past as is my hobby and on many occasions have found old cars and bikes that have slept for many years, including a Rover 90 P4 which never moved for 38 years and with gentle works and change of fluids came back to life with minimum outlay.  Modern oils and fuels are more economic to run in modern engines but in my opinion they are more harmful and when they degrade attack the seals more so than older oils, certainly the nitrile in rubbers used today are less durable than rubber seals made even twenty years ago. I am an engineer by trade and have noticed an increase in better manufacturing ability but at the cost of durability and driven also by built in obsolescence and unit costs.   Modern petrol / ethanol mixtures used today are proven to cause damage to stored engines and fuel deliver systems as an example

 

The pictures I initially took are too large to post on here, so I will adjust the size format on my digital camera and take a few more that will upload as soon as I get the time.

Best wishes to all and safe motoring.

Mac