The Saint
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Post by The Saint on Nov 10, 2019 19:40:38 GMT
I had a moment looking at NHK today! I stood and really looked at the details for quite some time, it was so cool to see it in the flesh. But if I'm honest I was a smidge disappointed how it had been presented. I don't know the details of how it was booked to be displayed, but it would have been so much better displayed with some period props or a plinth in my opinion. Sorry for being a little critical here, for some reason in my head I was expecting a fully mint restored car, with perfect chrome and glass - I know Mr Shifter had some challenges sourcing some parts.... maybe my years of looking at concourse cars had made me expect more, especially since the time the restoration had taken to complete. I know they wanted to use as many of the original parts that they could, but they could have polished and finished the chrome better. I think I'd dreamt of seeing something different, and on reflection on the drive home I'm so chuffed to see the completed roadworthy car back in the public community, thanks to those that have been involved in bringing it back to life I don’t think the majority on here will agree with you. From my perspective the owner of NHK has restored it in exactly the right way, rather than change every part he has gone for originality by keeping as much of the car as possible original, for example the interior and external glass and trim and I am sure the original parts have been cleaned/polished as much as possible. NHK looks magnificent and still manages to keep its soul which is often lost when cars are fully restored to a better than new concours standard. It is very gracious of the owner to display it at the show for enthusiasts to view. The Saint
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B16YUG
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Post by B16YUG on Nov 10, 2019 20:19:48 GMT
I had a moment looking at NHK today! I stood and really looked at the details for quite some time, it was so cool to see it in the flesh. But if I'm honest I was a smidge disappointed how it had been presented. I don't know the details of how it was booked to be displayed, but it would have been so much better displayed with some period props or a plinth in my opinion. Sorry for being a little critical here, for some reason in my head I was expecting a fully mint restored car, with perfect chrome and glass - I know Mr Shifter had some challenges sourcing some parts.... maybe my years of looking at concourse cars had made me expect more, especially since the time the restoration had taken to complete. I know they wanted to use as many of the original parts that they could, but they could have polished and finished the chrome better. I think I'd dreamt of seeing something different, and on reflection on the drive home I'm so chuffed to see the completed roadworthy car back in the public community, thanks to those that have been involved in bringing it back to life I don’t think the majority on here will agree with you. From my perspective the owner of NHK has restored it in exactly the right way, rather than change every part he has gone for originality by keeping us much of the car as possible original, for example the interior and external glass and trim and I am sure the original parts have been cleaned/polished as much as possible. NHK looks magnificent and still manages to keep its soul which is often lost when cars are fully restored to a better than new concours standard. It is very gracious of the owner to display it at the show for enthusiasts to view. The Saint I hadn't intended on be discourteous, it was just what I was expecting it to be be and what I had dreamt of myself for the last week :-) I think in my head I was expecting that. - This was not a negative comment about what was before me more that it wasn't what I was expecting.
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Three Litre
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Post by Three Litre on Nov 10, 2019 20:39:45 GMT
I don’t think the majority on here will agree with you. From my perspective the owner of NHK has restored it in exactly the right way, rather than change every part he has gone for originality by keeping us much of the car as possible original, for example the interior and external glass and trim and I am sure the original parts have been cleaned/polished as much as possible. NHK looks magnificent and still manages to keep its soul which is often lost when cars are fully restored to a better than new concours standard. It is very gracious of the owner to display it at the show for enthusiasts to view. The Saint I hadn't intended on be discourteous, it was just what I was expecting it to be be and what I had dreamt of myself for the last week :-) I think in my head I was expecting that. - This was not a negative comment about what was before me more that it wasn't what I was expecting. I see no problem in your comments Yug, you were giving an honest opinion based on your experience. As Saint said the owners and restorers have taken a particular approach, maybe based on parts availability, maybe on cost, who knows. All opinions valid!
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Post by D.C. Burtonshaw on Nov 10, 2019 21:31:52 GMT
Thanks for the brilliant photos Saint and Charley! I didn't take any pics when I went today, as my camera in the past even with the flash has always made them come out too dark, and its an extra thing to carry but I did enjoy the day and the standard of the cars and displays just get better and better. Definately worth it if you're a car fanatic!
But I was very pleased to see NHK295M in the flesh finally, and it looks like it was worth it! Superb to see her looking like new finally! Many of the other displays were interesting, with some car types I'd only seen for the first time. Some stuff I even probably missed as I was looking at other things for quite some time.
Also noteworthy was a fabulous D plate gunmetal grey Jaguar S type 3.4 with red interior and steel wheels with hubcaps on a dealers stand for sale. Not only was it the correct "Sweeney blaggers" colour scheme, it had chipped paintwork and original pitted bumpers and looked in almost the same condition they would have been when the Sweeney car props supplier, were buying the ones wrecked in the episodes!! It really should have been photographed in front of NHK295M! The price? It was up for £22,995! Was apparently recently brought back from New Zealand where it was sent at some point in its life (when it was already a secondhand car from spending its earlier years in the UK where it was supplied new). Hence why the bodywork is solid.
Nice to briefly bump in to 43TV member "Carter" too! Lol!
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Del Boy
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Post by Del Boy on Nov 10, 2019 23:35:00 GMT
Thanks for all the smudges chaps. Its great to see these fine machines and it looks a great show. As for NHK it's fantastic to see it revived and its looks amazing. Its TV history certainly must of caused some headaches with the decisions on the best way to restore it. Originality is everything here as far as possible and from the smudges and vid of it I love it. Glad it survived.
I must say I don't get concours condition cars, it takes it too far IMO but each to their own I suppose. Are these concours cars anything but museum pieces as using them would diminish them? Do they get transported about everywhere too? Very odd.
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Batgirl
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Post by Batgirl on Nov 10, 2019 23:58:12 GMT
I do believe NHK will be there in Hall 5 someone has told me. I had the chance to go and display my car on the Cortina owners club stand but in my opinion it is not good enough for a show like the NEC. Too many things need doing on it and I wouldn't be at all relaxed displaying it in those halls. Also it was too much of a commitment with three days and all the messing about travelling back and forth. I went last year for the first time but it's not a show for me. Much prefer outdoor shows without too many stalls selling overpriced tat to bolt on your car but there are a few decent stalls at the NEC. I will miss seeing NHK but I'll hopefully see it somewhere else. I completely understand what you mean. My white 1972 TC Cortina is wonderful to me, but it is not show quality so there are some car shows that even though other Corty owners I know are displaying their cars (that have been restored and resprayed) I'll go just for a look. My car is 'survivor' and I get plenty of admiration from people (mainly when I am filling up petrol) telling me they love how real it is, and that I should never 'do it up' as it looks like it could still be in the 1970s. I hope you get a chance to see NHK295M at another show.
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Batgirl
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Post by Batgirl on Nov 11, 2019 0:01:14 GMT
Love it ! Love it ! Love it ! Thanks for taking and sharing the pics Saint, and Gene.
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Villain
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Post by Villain on Nov 11, 2019 11:45:35 GMT
More great smudges there Saint and Charlie, thanks for sharing those . Now that I've come down from the weekend's high I think it's fair to say that this huge show just gets better every year, despite all the doom and gloom and talk of the classic car market / scene slowing down, I think the reverse is true. The sheer numbers of people attending over the three days is testament to that. For me it's a massive highlight of the year, a chance to see and get close up to some cars you'd never normally see and talk to their owners in some cases. My mince pies were agog at the beautiful red De Tomaso Mangusta, its gullwing rear engine compartment hatches making it look like something from Gerry Anderson's 'UFO' or 'Captain Scarlet'. Likewise with the lovely metallic green Citroen SM, a car so advanced when it was launched in 1970 that it still looks futuristic five decades on. For me these two incredible cars were worth the ticket price alone, as were all the cars on the Lamborghini Club stand. In the dealer area there were some very tempting cars for sale, perhaps more 'future classics' than last year but the bonafide older stuff was interesting all the same. On the Friday I took over 400 photos but rather than posting too many on here I'll use the link to the ones I uploaded (in three seperate posts) on the sportsmaserati forum instead, under my user name 'P5Nij'... www.sportsmaserati.co.uk/index.php?threads/classic-car-show-nec.29983/For the first time in years I came away not having spent any money on car books, last year I spent about £200 on them but her indoors rightly pointed out that every penny not spent at the show goes straight into my 'next car purchase' kitty...! Villain
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Post by D.C. Burtonshaw on Nov 11, 2019 15:16:43 GMT
Cheers Villain, for the photo links, some fabulous shots and tasty steel there! Those Italian classic supercars were certainly something then and still are today!
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Post by Brown Granada on Nov 11, 2019 16:18:06 GMT
Great pictures of NHK at the show and great to see it finished but I can't help thinking that it deserved a bit more fanfare on its appearance. This car is a massive icon from 70s telly and everyone knows it when you say about the Sweeney. How much better would it have been if it had been revealed properly from under a sheet with press and telly people there and dare I even say it Dennis there too. It just seemed to me a bit of a damp squib.
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