T-bar Fitment / Dodgy Motor (?)

[DefiantFrog]

Hey all,

Ok, the hunt is on for my motor (still don't know if the drums will fit, but I'm bored of waiting to find out!). I have been to see a T-Bar in Birmingham today - R reg, 24k miles (possibly not legit, difficult to tell with the short look I got at it before being offered a drive), at £5.5K. Took it for a spin with the roof off, and all seemed cool.

About half way through I decided to stop off, and put the roof back on. The passenger side fitted well, no problems... The drivers side was a different matter... The glass panel was difficult to get in properly to start off with, and moved quite a lot when locked in to place. Winding up the window, it didn't fit snuggly at all - leaving big holes (few cm squared in places) between the Window glass, the T-Bar roof, and the frame of the car.

Now I know these things can leak, but that seemed a bit over the top - I assumed it was just the rubber seals that leak, not the fitment of the window in the car....???

Looking at it when back at the forcourt, it looked very much like the windscreen frame had warped on the Driver's side. The guy who owns it said it had slight accident damage, but nothing to worry about (he focused on the driver side front wheel when going through all probs he has "fixed"). Once I pointed out the fixing of the T-Bar / Window / Windscreen, he got quite :censor: off with me (I guess he never knew!), then suggested taking it to a mate of his and bending the damn Windscreen back!!!!

So firstly, I'd like to know: Does this happen?? How bad can the fittings get around the t-bar / window / door / windscreen?

Secondly: I think this is a dodgy motor, who's true accident damage is being covered up, so a warning to anyone on the look out for a new one - if its 98R, black, t-bar, 24k miles, on the A38 in Birmingham (trying descreetly to make it obvious which company it is without naming them, and being liable for something :censor: !), I wouldn't waste your time. Unless, of course, I am wrong, and what I saw is actually usual - in that case, the rest of the motor seemed like a bargin. Just be careful tho........

[midmotorsteve]

cars made in the early 60's have that sort of gap, by the 70's they were quite good, got that sort of thing sorted. I think its safe to say that cars been well bent at some time.

[Bibbs]

the window SHOULD be snug as should the T-bars .. they actually leak where the window joins the Tbar rubber .. and bend the window back - you are having a giraffe ..

Walk away ..

[dawolf]

Hmm, is this place on the Moseley Road by any chance? If so, I have a feeling it's the same place I bought my MR2 from. Mine's been okay so far apart from a couple of niggly things ie crunchy gearbox and CD player not working. Got me thinking now <_<

[EarL]

RUN! :ffs:

[DefiantFrog]

the window SHOULD be snug as should the T-bars .. they actually leak where the window joins the Tbar rubber .. and bend the window back - you are having a giraffe ..

Walk away ..

Yeah, thats about what I thought... I'd expect gaping holes in a Mk2 Softtop Escort, but what I saw today was just disturbing...

As for bending the frame - he was at first reluctant to tell me what he was gonna do to fix it - saying "Just give me a deposit, I'll get it fixed for you", I told him to go hang at that, that I wasn't giving him any money till I saw it fixed up. He then told me he would take it down to his mates place, and have him move the Windscreen frame back so it all fitted nicely. At the point I gave him the keys, thanked him for his time, and the drive, and walked away. He wasn't a happy fella! To bend something so structurally important in the first place is dodgy. To bend it back??? Forget it...

Hmm, is this place on the Moseley Road by any chance?

Its on Kingsbury Road... Small place, first in a line of about 5 car lots in a row. All exactly on the A38, just over a bridge heading in to Brum.

[qwertyuiop]

You were wise.

[John R]

Stay well clear, and give the name of the garage. They can't do you for anything, unless it's untrue.

[DeusMR2]

Never heard of summin like that before, sounds like a dog..run away!! The T-bars fit very snugly against the rubber, on mine and i think most others it leaks where the window edge changes angle at the top if you see what i mean... Its really only a minor annoyance, even in todays monsoon weather i only got about 2 drops a minute on my arms. In light/medium rain not a single drop gets through

[houston]

wondred how it could be so cheap for an r reg, sounds like u did the right thing though, could be all sorts of other dodgy repairs going on that car

[dawolf]

To be honest a lot of used cars nowadays have been repaired in one way or another, that's the trouble. However, if the dealers are trying to avoid the issue then it's best to stay away.

It's not the place I got mine from B)

[DefiantFrog]

Stay well clear, and give the name of the garage. They can't do you for anything, unless it's untrue

Bridge Motor Co

637 Kingsbury Road

Birmingham

B24 9PP

www.bridgemotorco.co.uk

Steer well clear my friends.... WELL clear...

[John R]

What kind of car are you looking for, turbo / non-turbo? T-bar/Tin-top, uk/jap?

Cheers.

[ricomr2]

had a look at the pics of the car on their web site and you can actually see the window frame is the wrong shape!

Stay well clear mate.

[Rash@R.A.Motors]

the car is about £1500 underpriced for a private sale never mind a garage...!

u did the right thing....

Rash.

[System~G]

Hmm, is this place on the Moseley Road by any chance? If so, I have a feeling it's the same place I bought my MR2 from. Mine's been okay so far apart from a couple of niggly things ie crunchy gearbox and CD player not working. Got me thinking now <_<

The year before last when I was starting to look at and test drive MR2's I stopped in at the place in Mosely Road (i lived in Kings Heath Just up the road). They all looked OK - nothing special...

Every single car they had from a badly looked after £3k Goodwood Green Rev1 N/A to a mint looking £9k yellow Rev2 tubby had problems that would need sorting out. All these promises of sorting out the niggles were only verbal, they wouldn't put anything in writing without a deposit. even if you paid a deposit - it would be handscrawled on a torn off piece of paper.

Least they weren't as bad as the guys down closer to town

I walked away to find my perfect 2 10 miles up the road from a small independant seller