Black Elford Turbo

[Threesevens]

Series 2 Elfords were fitted with pepper pots and i think they were painted.
I am sure all series 3 were fitted with the same ones that you have.
Malcolm can i ask where you got your done and how much were they to refurb?
I seem to remember someone got their series 3 wheels refurbished with diamond cut and the cost was £450

[A7RXY]

They are different Kevin because of the PCD .... series 2 had 110mm dia and series 3 114mm dia.
I think it was Dave (Codge) who had his wheels done that way but that was a while ago, as we know this car is now will Ian (Gus).
Dibs

[Casey]

Malcolm can i ask where you got your done and how much were they to refurb?
I seem to remember someone got their series 3 wheels refurbished with diamond cut and the cost was £450

I've checked and the "Wheel Specialist" franchise branch in Colchester I used in July 2019 to powder coat my wheels is no longer there! That's a surprise, as they were extremely busy with work when I visited, and had contracts with the likes of BMW. The Franchise is still operating, just no local branch any more.

The Franchise has forgotten to take down the relevant page though, the pictures here show the Colchester site and some of the cars they worked on

https://www.thewheelspecialist.co.uk/th ... r-ipswich/

Cost for 4 wheels was £220 +VAT, so £264.

[Threesevens]

I've checked and there is a branch in St Albans but it is probably a bit far away.
It's always nice to get a recommendation but will try to find someone locally but no rush until I get the car back (or should I say if?).

[Casey]

I've used "Wheelworx" in Colchester twice in the past for powdercoating two sets of RX-8 alloys. I've been very happy with the result, wheels still in use over 7 years later and still look good (apart from my error in kerbing one ).

Price about the same as above. They have a branch in Chelmsford. Their website says they do "diamond turning" too.

https://www.wheelworxrefinishing.com/

EDIT: looks like branches in Colchester and Ipswich only, despite what their web home page says!

[KiwiDave]

Check out Platinum Alloys in Swindon. As recommended by Harry Metcalfe. https://platinumalloys.com/

I took a set of wheels down to them as two local tire 'specialists' insisted that they required straightening. They called me back the next day to say that there was nothing wrong and the wheels were straight as a straight thing. I was impressed with their honesty and that is why they will have my business when I get around to having the OEM wheels refurbed.

[ian65]

Does anyone know if the series 3 only came with diamond cut wheels?
I know the wheels on my Elford will need a bit of a refurb and they are painted, but were they painted over the original diamond cut.

yeah, all S3 wheels were originally diamond cut giving the surface the appearance of a cd.
You can have them re-cut if they haven't been re-cut before. As a skim of alloy is removed to clear any corrosion the wheels will only stand this procedure once. All S3 wheels have the date of manufacture stamped into the face of the wheel on the rim.... this gets removed if the wheel is re-cut so if it's still there you should be ok.

One of the top places in the country to refurb and re-cut S3 wheels used to be Pristine Wheels in Milton Keynes and they had the series 3 wheel already programmed into their computer that controlled the cut and did a superb job. A few guys on here had their wheels done there and the finish was fantastic.... sadly they have ceased trading but other reputable places may offer the same service.

When Dave owned Gus he had 2 wheels re-cut by Pristine. He managed to buy 2 'new old stock' S3 wheels and then had 2 of his existing wheels re-cut and the finish was pretty much identical except Pristine put a heavier coat of lacquer on the re-cut wheels to give them more protection against corrosion.



the wheels on my Elford were also re-cut...



Back in the day we used to keep the diamond cut finish but paint out the insets with black or dark grey as seen here on my old car from the '80's.... I still like that look

[Threesevens]

My expectations of getting my car back had risen recently due to the help of Soapyfest who got his colleagues from Harlow police to intervene.
They contacted the restorer he said he would finish the car within 6 weeks. As you might have guessed I am in the 11th week and no contact from him.
A couple of weeks ago the police issued a warrant for his arrest for the theft of my vehicle.
I heard nothing from the police so I chased them last week for an update. Got a response last night and they have tried to ring him but he is not answering his phone. They don't believe he is living at his noted address as he is currently under police conditions not to live there. They didn't reveal the reason but I presume it has something to do with his wife and kids. They think he is living somewhere in Kent but until he gets spotted they won't be able to arrest him and no chance of recovering my vehicle.
I think was a bit optimistic when I started to look for wheel restorers.
If I didn't have bad luck I wouldn't have any luck at all

[Threesevens]

Minor update. Made about 5 or 6 arrangements with the restorer to see the car as he knew there was a warrant out for his arrest. Each time he called it off, the last time the reason he gave was he had received his covid vaccine and he was feeling poorly (WAC!). He is under arrest for assaulting his wife so a warrant for car theft is unlikely to phase him. The police are doing their best but I am realistic, this is not going to be a priority for them. They are triangulating his phone signal so they think they know where he is living and the approximate location of my car. So hopefully they can serve the warrant soon. They will then seize the car but then I am liable for all the recovery charges.

[Threesevens]

Well, you are not going to believe this, Simon Liggins the rogue car restorer, has finally been arrested for theft. My car has been recovered from a lock up garage to a recovery company in Ashford Kent. I have spoken to the agent who have said I cannot go and view the car or take photographs. The agent has told me that a lot of the car is in primer, the doors and front wings are off the car and the glass is not showing, although the doors and wings appear to be present
I have managed to get someone to take it in and access the damage. The car is being recovered to Essex tomorrow.
I will have to pay £ 384 for the recovery of the vehicle from the lock up and then at least £200 to get the car back to Essex plus £26 a day storage.
There are a whole load of parts which I gave him including a spare engine and gear box from Andy (Tool), new clutch, Sun Roof, brand new period correct spotlights and other stuff which has not been recovered. I may need some help sourcing other parts which are either missing or damaged but I will not know until the car has been inspected.
It must be debatable whether the car is a viable project but I really want to avoid scrapping it if possible.
Mixed feelings because I never thought I would see the car again.
Interestingly the recovery company advised they picked up two other vehicles for owners in a similar position to me