Richard33 Posted February 8, 2021 Share Posted February 8, 2021 Hi Everyone, After many years of ownership, several house moves and family the time has come for me to finally start my A Series Turbo Project. I bought the car probably back in about 1990 as a wreck back then, it was in bits and needed a huge amount of work. I saw the car and initially decided not to buy it, deciding it needed too much work. Back in those days everything including your hoover had a Turbo sticker on it so I took little notice of the stickers on it and the fact there was a Turbo in the boot. It was only some weeks later I happened to read a letter in Practical classics describing the Broadspeed Turbo and everything clicked into place, the Black body colour, the interior trim colour etc. I was away at College at the time so sent my dad to buy and collect the car, I have had it ever since. An initial assessment of the car and contact with the club back then Mark Kinnon confirmed that is was the real deal and mostly complete. It was missing it's Alloy wheels and the Turbo boost gauge and a few other odds and sods shared with the standard cars. At some point in it's life back then the turbo kit had been removed and was still all together, although for some reason the plenum chamber had been chopped up and dumped in the boot. The car had then been just run as a normal carb car, subsequently taken off the road due to rampant rust in the floors. The car was in bits when purchased, so I have little idea of what I have and what is missing but I did know about the bigger items needed - Front wings, bonnet, front screen, seats needed re-trimming due to rodent action so it was always going to be a big task. The other major issue was the roof, factory fitted with a sunroof and vinyl roof it was rotten. Luckily I managed to get some lucky breaks at the time or a couple of years after buying - 2 new old stock US spec Opel front wings and 4 alloy wheels which were close to the originals but not quite the real thing. In addition I managed to buy an A Series shell that had been crashed in the front quite badly and managed to salvage a roof and decent floorpan from that car. After that intial flurry of work and interest it got put on the back burner due to other projects, working away a lot of the time and house moves. The car never left, just moved from place to place, so apart from getting knocked about at one of the places it was stored the rust never got any worse it was always stored undercover thankfully. So my next steps are continue to clear out my garage so I can actually start work on the car, take an inventory of what I have and don't have then get the shell stripped and blasted to find get rid of all of the rust. The plan is to keep the car as standard as possible, based on practicality and parts availability. Any mods that I make will be easily reversible, I know the brakes were marginal when new so that might be something I look at but am happy to take recommendations there. Here are some photos of the car taken at the weekend & the turbo kit in case you are interested in that. I will keep you posted once I get started in earnest later this year. Richard Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member. Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member. Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member. Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member. Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H-400 Posted February 8, 2021 Share Posted February 8, 2021 Hi Richard, a very special and rare car you'v got. Succes with the restaration. Thought there is a Broadspeed Turbo somewhere in Holland, got to check old pics. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GTEPETE Posted February 8, 2021 Share Posted February 8, 2021 Good luck with your project......I have mentioned this before, but was offered a Broadspeed Turbo via Ron D that had been in an accident....only £450?....still regret not going to see it! not sure who bought it.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jessopia74 Posted February 8, 2021 Share Posted February 8, 2021 Good luck with the project. Interesting way to deal with booth pressure through a carb ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H-400 Posted February 8, 2021 Share Posted February 8, 2021 Found the pics, was on a meeting on the circuit of Assen North of Holland in 2009. The car was transported on a truck with Dutch plates: Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member. But the car has got UK plates, not sure the owner fitted those plates for originality? Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member. Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member. Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fullsunian Posted February 8, 2021 Share Posted February 8, 2021 18 minutes ago, H-400 said: Found the pics, was on a meeting on the circuit of Assen North of Holland in 2009. The car was transported on a truck with Dutch plates: Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member. But the car has got UK plates, not sure the owner fitted those plates for originality? Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member. Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member. Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member. I remember seeing that car in the UK back in the 1990's Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Barrett Posted February 8, 2021 Share Posted February 8, 2021 oh wow. its my dream to build a replica, and you have the real deal, I have a lot of the bits required, even the headlamp washers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard33 Posted February 8, 2021 Author Share Posted February 8, 2021 4 hours ago, H-400 said: Found the pics, was on a meeting on the circuit of Assen North of Holland in 2009. The car was transported on a truck with Dutch plates: Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member. But the car has got UK plates, not sure the owner fitted those plates for originality? Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member. Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member. Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member. That car is the original prototype car that was based on an SR rather than a Berlinetta of the 'Production' cars. So no sunroof & different colour interior. It used to be owned by a chap called John Cordon, who I met and purchased some parts from many years ago. I heard that is was sold a few years ago and went across to Europe to it's new owner so may have been on it's way there when these photos were taken. That would also explain why the UK registration was still on the car as that is part of it's significance 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard33 Posted April 26, 2021 Author Share Posted April 26, 2021 One step closer on the long road! After a nerve-racking 3 months but, I have finally received a set of Alloy wheels for my car from a seller in Italy. The originals were missing from my car when I bought it so these are probably the closest I am ever likely to find. They are in fairly good condition from what I have seen so far, although they need a good clean-up and surface treatment. One of the wheels has a chunk out of the outer rim but looks like it could be repaired without too much difficulty. I am assuming they are Cast Magnesium which is what the original wheels were so know that repairs and treatments may be a challenge. Any comments and feedback on preparation and repairs for these wheels will be welcome. Although I don't need them right at this moment I could get on with the restoration of them. Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member. Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member. Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member. Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H-400 Posted April 26, 2021 Share Posted April 26, 2021 (edited) Hi Richard, nice to see some progress. About the rims: They are better than cast. "Geschmiedet" means forged👍 Edited April 26, 2021 by H-400 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jessopia74 Posted April 27, 2021 Share Posted April 27, 2021 Definitely very skilled people that can repair Alu wheels. Forged is better for repairing too. But Jake sure it goes to a specialist as it needs treating after the repair, seen some horrid repairs done that virtually junk the rim. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard33 Posted April 27, 2021 Author Share Posted April 27, 2021 Thanks for the comments, I know where I can get the rims welded. My dad is an approved aircraft welder so can weld up practically anything that is weld-able, one of the companies he used to work for used magnesium wheels for their aircraft nose wheels so he knows what he is doing from the welding point of view. I will just need to find someone who can take care of the surface preparation and coatings. There is a friendly local Italian car specialist who has probably come across magnesium Campagnolo or Cromodoro so I can ask him who he uses for wheel preparation. Not a big hurry, so just wanted to find the right specialist to get them done properly. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
611 Posted April 27, 2021 Share Posted April 27, 2021 Hey Richard Got mine refurbed by these guys a few years back and they seem to know their stuff, might be worth dropping them a line http://rhinoalloys.co.uk/ Also the side plastic vents on the back pillar, are they the ones that push in from the outside or screw in from the back? As if they push in from the outside i have a set in very good condition with all the pins still on and i can probably help with rear lights and i have a brand new set of front indicator lenses if you need those. Might be an idea to do a list of parts that you need and then maybe people can see what they have? Andy 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moodoo Posted April 27, 2021 Share Posted April 27, 2021 Nice project Richard! I'd be very interested to find out about the engine spec of that turbo CIH, would love to build one someday. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sutty2006 Posted April 27, 2021 Share Posted April 27, 2021 I remember seeing that black UK registered Turbo at a Dutch show some years ago, maybe 2012/14 that kind of era. Lovely car. good luck with your project. Be good to see updates! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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