smitty

Yeah Richard is getting a bit wayward and forgetful. Sometimes he needs several minutes to remember the most basic things we discussed just prior..

 

His Aronde is in good order, he also has two 1501's. Also there is another 1000 somewhere which he can't remember where he put the keys or papers.

 

He promised me first refusal on that blue Vedette for years and years, with his deteriating state and the fact it's in Napier worries me that I won't get the chance to own it despite waiting nearly 15 years so far...

 

Next time I'm in Auckland I'll try and track down the Skoda and Tatra guy who got the 1200, another reclusive character. I know where he lives, but he refuses to use a phone or the internet.

Was that the red 1000? I'm pretty sure he swapped that for the 1501

I've also heard that the Versailles was going to go to someone in Napier. Right now it is in good hands though. It drives and all the wiring was redone by my dad. That's why he got the blue Aronde.

I know the Yellow Vedette is going to Ivan here at some point. Heck I thought everything would come here though at some point.

Sucks that Richard is getting this bad though. Told me the wonderful story of how he got into liking Simcas from back when he was a train conductor. He's a real nice guy.

On another note, I met a guy at the local wreckers who used to own a blue Simca 1501 wagon. Said he sold it to a guy in Wellington, a very tall guy. Turns out he sold it to Richard who sold it to our friend Colin here in Napier. He drove it for a while in the 80s and eventually had it scrapped after some people knocked out all the windows when it was parked outside in Wellington.

List is getting really big now btw (oops posted wrong one, now its good:

Pretty sure the 1200s coupe got dragged out several years ago. It was super rough, but it may have been another. I know the guy who supposedly got the Skoda coupes in Albany. He might know.

I see you have Richard's Chambord listed, he also has an earlier Vedette and a Aronde Etoile stashed away.

 

Someone needs to save that early model Aronde, I have plates for one somewhere.

Not sure about Richard's Aronde, that might be here in Napier. But I know his Versailles is here in Napier waiting to get Registered. All he has to do is send over the paperwork but he is getting a bit old and forgetting things. I have met him 3 times already and every time he forgot who I was... Richard also has an early model Skoda too, and used to have a 1000 which he traded for a 1501.

It'd be cool if you ask the guy with the Skodas if he knows what happened to the 1200s. If it is still out there somewhere I really want to save it.

Anyone with a ke70 twin headlight front end willing to post a pic of their scuttle? Bought one from facebook and it was the wrong one, don't want to make that mistake again and so just want to see what a proper one looks like. Thanks

^^^ not sure if its the same guy in Pakuranga. Late 80's early 90's near Edgewater college had a couple of Skoda S110's (coupe/sedan) and a couple of Simca's including a very rusty 1200S coupe - probably long gone now.

Are you sure a 1200s coupe? I'd love one myself but I thought they were never sold in NZ. Do you have an adres or name? I'd love to check out if anything is still left. The guy I bought my Simca from had a fair bit too, back in the day. Used to live on a big farm. Might be the same guy.

When i used to live in Pakuranga one of the neighbours used to have a simca 1000 stashed away in the drive, visible from the street. Forgot the colour, only became aware lf the after bit of googling. Initially thought it was a Renault 8 but smaller. I can PM you the address if its not on your list

Sure, send me a PM and I'll see if I find out more about it.

Came across this the other day..

 

 

Where is that man? My dad may be able to salvage parts off of it for his 90A Aronde.

All of the wiring is now finally working, other than the horn which had to be relocated because of the front end. But that will soon be connected too.

Other than that we have fixed the dent in the front fender until I find another fender:

I mean, I've heard you should always have a lawyer present when involved with police stuff, but idk if that counts for car stuff too.

Hey! This may have been asked before but here goes:

I want to reregister my 1988 ke70. I bought it from r100 who bought it from turners auctions. Turners chucked the plates (I think). However, even though they are white plates I'd still like to have the original number seeing as it's on all of the car's windows. I have invoice from Turners and the car is still on carjam and everything. Just wondering is there any way to get the original plate numbers back without having the plates?

This is sick!

Yay!

Local wreckers had a recess front wagon with an intact bonnet and latch support. Now all I need is a new driver side fender and for everything to fit properly...

Watching the office just now:

Nah, it doesn't have the ridge in the middle. It may look so because of the photos. It used to have the chrome trim at the front like the normal flat front but I removed it as it was only attached on the ends and in general being a nuisance.

Nah, the bucket don't match either way. Maybe they are from a different year or something, hard to imagine though as the twin headlight was only for like one or two years.

OH BOY NOTHING FITS TOGETHER...

But first:

It looks okay for a start. I've had to drill some holes into the radiator support because the guy I bought the front end from already scrapped the car that he got it from. Although I am having doubts if that car was originally twin headlight too, seeing as the bonnet, which is in worse condition that I thought, is actually flat front.

Anyways, lets get to the problem at hand. I've already had to mess around a bit to get all the guards and the valence to fit properly with each other but this takes the cake...

You can't really see it from that angle but:

And then now you can definitely see what is wrong:

After all of my expert professional drilling, one headlight sticks out further than the other, by a fair bit.

Right:

Left:

Upon closer inspection it looks like the left is an entire centimetre ahead of the right!

So I'm not sure if the headlight is meant to stick out like that or if it is meant to be flush with the bonnet, because it seems like the right side (flush side) is bent back:

While the left side is not:

So maybe the twin front bonnet has a different curve at the front? I mean, otherwise I'm just gonna push it back a fair bit and hope for the best.

Also I'm missing my middle connector for the grille, which is why it's not really lined up properly...

Actually writing about it now makes it seem a lot less worse than what I thought it was, lol.

If anyone has any twin front spares hit me up!

Also, my driver side guard is fucked. Proper fucked, can't open the door.

If the plate is in a damaged condition you could always just repair it if need be. Mine I coloured in all the scratches with a vivid, but it was rego on hold so it was fine either way. Also know a guy who owns a car where the previous owner lost the front plate and had a sign writer print him out a new one, can't notice it at all.

On another note, with my corolla, the plates are gone. They are NXXXX plates so they are only just in the white plate era. I was wondering though is there any way to still get the same plate number when I rereg the car? The numbers are on all the windows and it would be kind of weird if the numbers are wrong.

Far out that looks cool. Similar looking to a renault 8 ?

Similar to a Renault 8, yes. Came one year earlier and has a (IMO) better shape to it too. Used to be sold as an economy car and very popular in Europe.

Failed the WOF Ayyoo!

Loose inner steering ball joints were an easy fix, friend with the gold wagon recently came along a stash of spares from 3 different 1501 sedans.Still have to fix a hole in the tailgate that has been there since I bought the car and the lights for the rear licence plate.

I also went to the international Simca Meeting while I was in Holland visiting family a few weeks ago. Managed to pick up some parts, mostly badges and light stuff, would've bought more if I knew that we would still have 30kg left when we were at the airport... Met a guy from Germany with a lovely restored grey 1500 wagon who might be willing to sell me his roofrack, seeing as he has a larger one on his wagon to put his kids bikes on. There was also a Belgian with a whole lot of stock who might have some synchromesh rings for my gearbox as when I shift to 2nd there is a loud crack.

Earlier I made a comment about getting my wheels widened like the guy with the red 1501 wagon. Spoke to him there too, turns out the aren't stock. They are actually stock Fiat 124 coupe wheels. The wheels fit on a 1501, 98x4 or 100x4 or something, but so do the 1501 hubcaps. 

Pics for those who are interested, not mine, but a Dutch guy's:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/140983117@N08/shares/hz85YD

There is actually a surviving Matra Rancho in New Zealand, a guy I met on Facebook has it in Christchurch. If I am correct there may have been multiple in New Zealand at some point. Nice cars they are, had a chance to ride in one when I was in Holland a few weeks ago. Did the entire 2 hour trip to the international Simca meeting in a fully restored one. It was a mint ride!

I have also added the Talbot SX in Hunterville and fixed the LD738. Thanks!

I was picking up something I got from trademe in New Windsor auckland and the guy had some Vedette cylinder heads on the wall witch I asked if he would sell and I got them for $20,

Now you just need to find the rest of the car, haha.

 

I spotted one a few weeks ago but looks like you've already got it on the list

 

 

 

Yeah I saw that in the oldschool spotted thread and my brother has seen it around Christchurch a couple of times. It's a replica of a Simca Rallye 2, seeing as they were never sold here new and it is NZ New. They used to be quite nimble cars back in their day!

I had a look and saw no 1100s on your list. Then I remembered seeing an 1100 van for sale on Trademe years ago for something ludicrous, like $12k, IIRC. Anyway, I found a couple of photos of it, owned by the company which flanks its sides at least in 2013/14 when the photos were taken:

 

 

From: http://harehouse.com/2014/01/day-forty-eight-record-buster/

 

 

 

From: https://www.flickr.com/photos/nzcarfreak/9004415397

 

NZcarfreak, or Riley is a member on here, I'm pretty sure. He's spotted loads of cars around various bits of the south island, so may know of some others. He's certainly spotted a fair few Alpines, too.

 

 

Here's a couple I can offer, all from Horopito scrap yard:

 

 

 

1301?

It is either a 1300 or a 1500. The front end indicates it is a 1500/1300 (1500 sedans have different grilles to 1300s but wagons are the same) and then the shorter rear bumper indicates that it is a 1300, but my friend told me that there was a 1500 wagon wreck on the North Island. I assume it's that but I can't know for sure.

Thanks!

The 1100 van was already on the list, but the rest are a good help. The list is going  along nicely which is good.

I am including a lot of vaguer reports of existing cars too but that is fine.

I will try with NZcarfreak too, thanks!

Guy who used to be a Simca mechanic and his son are buying most of them. And also because I live in Napier I can identify most of the Simcas in the area.

Hello everyone!

In my spare time I have been putting together a little spreadsheet for surviving Simcas in New Zealand and their owners:

If anyone has any info that can help me expand the list it would be greatly appreciated! I know there was a guy on the forums by the username "muzzie" but he seems to have disappeared from existence and taken the pictures of his car with him...

Thanks!

Bought a new loom from the wreckers but it seems to be slightly different from the loom in my car. Anyone know if there are any differences between models and what that would mean for the loom?