Collecting classic cars from the 1970s and 1980s on a real world budget.
I have a collection of a dozen or so 70s/80s cars that I keep in a couple of big sheds here in sunny south Wales. I make films about driving them, fixing them and why I think they’re interesting in the first place.
Sometimes I get to drive other people's cars and make films about those too. I especially like to tell the real car stories that the 'cool' commentators gloss over.
This isn't my full time job so there aren't uploads every week. But I try to make them worth the wait.
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Twitter: twitter.com/realgrandthrift
Website: grandthriftauto.uk/
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I'm open to relevant collaborations if they would be interesting to Grand Thrift Auto viewers. If you want to contact me please use the secure form on my website: grandthriftauto.uk/contact-8.
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Great work! I wouldnt know where to start with that repair!
looks a bit like the Volvo 480 Cabrio we never got
Great video with great fabrication & hard graft, no wonder they are so rare
Great update Martin. That is a scary amount of rust, but with your metal working skills you'll web able to fix it with no trouble. Loved watching all that metal work. Keep going.!
Thanks Gentil!
Very impressive progress! I get that it can be frustrating but working through rust and MoT bodges is not easy. Thankfully that car doesn’t seem to have any chicken wire, Daily Mirror and Isopon so it’s still a more solid base than many. Keep going and keep up with the excellent videos!
Thanks! You’re right, it could be a lot worse - I haven’t found any filler at all so far.
Sorry chap but they were rot boxes when they were new so you were lucky to find one so good luck
Normally I’d be tempted to leap to its defence, but I kinda have to agree about the rot…and thanks!
I have something that may interest you it's a radio controlled one of these
Putting a sterling effort into an obscure unexotic motor. All power to you.
Wowser! Well, hats off to you for perseverance! Best of luck with that A pillar - daft question - would there ever be a chance of getting a Simca 1100 van shell from anywhere (France, or Spain maybe?) to cannibalise for parts?
Thanks Simon... not a daft question at all, but I probably couldn't bring myself to cut up a good Simca 1100. And actually, while there's a lot to do, most of the shapes aren't actually that complicated to fabricate. They're much simpler than all the compound curves on the Honda Aerodeck, for example.
Fantastic work Martin, you have impressive patience as well as excellent fabrication skills. It will all be worth it for such a rare machine.
My question is this.... Why do you care what that "Pratt" thinks? This 1975 Vauxhall Victor FE2300 is stunning ...
Fantastic progress ! looking forward to the next episode 👍🏽 thanks for sharing.
Thanks! Hopefully there won't be such a long wait to the next update.
Blimey - you don't do things by half, do you? That is an epic project on a complicated structure. Nice work on the repairs and fabrication. Good luck with the project.
Thanks! That means a lot coming from your good self :)
It's easy to see why most of these, and probably all other seventies car got dumped. Yikes! You're a brave man.
True. Also you spelled 'foolish' wrong ;)
How does this channel not have more subscribers and views? Another great video, one of my favourites!
A very good question! Glad you enjoyed it though.
A++ for the determination to keep on pushing it, all the way through!
Nice to see some Rancho dressing. I'm glad you are taking your time. I saw a lady classic car collector on Johnny Smith's channel recently who had some her rarest cars laser scanned so that parts could be fabricated again if required. Maybe someone should do that with a Rancho if they have the abilty to hide so many issues
That's an interesting idea. Reasonably accurate scanners are stilly pretty expensive unfortunately...although they might be free with three packets of cornflakes by the time I've finished, of course.
'Still lots to do', brill. I was going to be critical but can see I suffer from the same sort of madness tbh. Only age, laziness, and no fabrication skills save me from following you over the cliff. Maybe if you were compelled to talk it through with someone before getting your wallet out? An escrow bank account or power of attorney would help. Anyway, I'm looking forward to the next instalment.
It must be your good sense because age, laziness and no previous fabrication experience weren't enough to keep me on the right side of this particular cliff :)
My heart sunk when I saw the extent of that A pillar rust, as I imagine did yours. However, the manner in which you’ve tackled it - calmly, methodically and competently - is reassuring. Good luck with the build. I look forward to seeing it progress.
Thanks a lot - very much appreciate your unfailing support!
Great to see this special car get the special care you provide - lovely to see and great explanations, thank you
Thanks, really glad you liked it! I've been trying not to over-explain, so I appreciate the feedback.
Fascinating video Martin, but sad to see how much nastiness was lurking underneath the outer layers. I'm absolutely in awe of your fabricating skills!
Thanks Phil, that's very kind of you :)
Hi Martin, your metal fabrication skills are amazing, what a complicated project.
Thanks! It wasn't supposed to be complicated...
When you think about it, modern cars aren’t made much better. They just fit lots of plastic shields under the body which will help with road spray but, if wetness gets in then it’s free to propagate rust totally unseen to the eye. Of course lots of plastic panels are used today especially by the French and I do like a French car.
Very true. Plus the shapes are actually not that complicated to remake, unlike some elaborate modern pressings.
Your skills really have developed fabulously sir… superb craftsmanship ❤
Thank you! I'm still learning a lot with every piece and there's a great deal of off-camera head-scratching, but it does feel like progress.
Bravo young man, nice to see you finally finding the time to concentrate on your passion.
Thanks Niall! I'm glad to be back on the cars at last. Life has taken a slight left turn this week but I should be back in action next week.
Martin, you never fail to amaze me with your skills and determination to see a project through. Well done.
Thanks Alastair! Determination or foolhardy stubbornness though?
Bravo, looking forward to the next instalment…..
No, cutting discs do not go out of date, the date is there so that if there were to be a faulty batch, they could be identified. The disc failed the way it did because of the way you were flexing it. As others have mentioned, these relatively recent very thin cutting discs do not tend to explode in the way that the 1/8"/3mm ones did. They have a much higher reinforcement to abrasive ratio. When cutting tube frames, I've had blades pinched and lost a chunk. I've then continued to use the same blade! It cut and wore much faster, but survived.
Seriously, they really do go out of date - all the manufacturers say that the resin used to bond the discs together breaks down over time and they have about a 3 year life. It may have been under some flex load when it failed - it certainly wasn't flexing hard, I was just holding it perpendicular to a flat panel - but it failed because it was weakened by age.
Heroically shoving a rusty boulder up a mountain with your nose. I’ve always loved the Rancho so thank you so much for this incredible project
Fair play for taking this on & nice temporary jig to locate the door hinges.
Please keep going! Incredible to see the level of detail you’re going to!
I'm in too deep to stop now...
Wishing you the best of luck with the Rancho project! 👍
The impact of the environment on cars. Hence the environment to be banned in 2035
Indeed, the climate has definitely been getting its own back on this one.
Good job! Unibody cars, especially from the 70s onwards, are extremely difficult to repair. You have to peal the layers back and then rebuild from the inner layer out.
Keep at it, there's always loads more rust than you imagine, been doing this for forty years, and still am surprised at how much more there is than I imagined, though it's lovely when you find less. Be a fantastic car when finished, I remember someone in our neighbourhood had a green metallic one, with the spots and grilles, Uber cool when you are twelve years old! Thanks for all you videos, I like your style, and appreciate you NOT pestering for likes and subscribes.
Great to see you cracking on with the Rancho, look forward to the next installment. 👍
Thanks! By the way, you have my full attention with 'Tagora'. I LOVE Tagoras.
@@GrandThriftAuto Well next time I drag it from it's resting place I'll make a little vid. 👍
Thin cutting discs disintegrating are a bit of a nothingburger in my experience. Not enough mass to cause problems unless you are unencumbered with eye protection.
Good job, very brave, great video
You beast using a wood chisel like that, Im glad its not just me lol, Great vid great project and workmanship.
Guilty 😬😔
Keep with it, I think you should be commended for sticking with it.
I think you might be confusing 'commended' with 'sectioned' ;)
Absolutely fantastic work. Also highly informative and inspirational!
Thanks Alex!
Great work I always loved the Rancho it was so different at the time. Can't wait to see it finished 👍
I can't wait either! Sadly it won't be very soon though...
@@GrandThriftAuto Ah well Rome wasn't build in a day.lm sure it will be worth it
Complete loony heh good luck with it
I messaged you on Instagram, Martin.
Thanks Frank, I’d missed that. Interesting, I’ll look into that - thanks.
Btw, how far are you with the Accord?
Don’t ask! I’ve done some more since the last video but have paused it while I improve my fabrication skills on the Rancho. Hoping to go back to it soon though.
Wow, you've got your work cut out for you 😉 Maybe try to find and import a rust free Simca 1100 from Portugal or something as a donor?
That’s a good idea but knowing me I couldn’t bring myself to cut into the poor Simca. Luckily most of the Simca panels (and all of the few Matra ones) are reasonably simple shapes to fabricate. Actually a friend did recently bring a really nice Simca 1100 to the UK from France - I hope to feature it in a video at some point.
Where others celebrate a thorough wash of some cheaply bought but sound Mercedes, you rebuild the structure of an almost forgotten car that will not be worth a lot financially. But your viewers respect that, and it will ultimately help grow your channel.
Thats amazing work! Always loved the Rancho tried buying one in the late 80's early 90's it looked amazing but was sadly rotten underneath. My brother had one for 3 years in Italy (rust not an issue over there) and loved it as a small but big family car.
Good video. Impressive metal work. Don't know if you've ever watched Coldwar motors, he's also a master of metal work. Best wishes.
I winced a little at the rust, I was impressed at the metal work, I was entertained!
Thanks! Objectives met 👍