Back on the road after 15 years

[valross]

My Bagheera is ready for the roads after 15 years of standstill!
The car broke down the summer of 1993. A radiator hose broke, the engine overheated and jammed. The owner jacked up the car, removed the engine, and a lot more – and gave up.
The car was left for many years in a garage, where I found it two years ago. In May last year I  got it home to my garage, including two and a half engines in pieces and numerous boxes of assorted bits and parts.
After hundreds of hours of work the car is ready for the roads. Today I took it for a first drive and it was wonderful – the sound of the engine, the handling, the brakes, the … feel of it all!
I need to adjust the clutch, and the gear lever linkage, then it´s ready for the MOT
Here it is:

[Anders Dinsen]

Hoooray! A big congratulations on what looks like a very fine job! You must be feeling so great! I'm full of respect for what you've achieved.

[lewisman]

Looks stunning! Well done

[Jacobosterlindh]

Very beautiful! Congratulations!

[valross]

Thanks for the nice words

[Bagheera Lars]

Congratulation.

Very nice, and original-looking example. Bagheeras in that condition is becoming more and more rare.
Hope that maybe one day you and your nice Bagheera will attemp a Matra-meeting on danish ground.(I know you dont live that far away).

Lars Tjørnelund

[michaltalbot]

Wow! Very nice one and rare with this door handles - it is 1979? Wonderfull car, ENJOY 

[valross]

Congratulation.

Very nice, and original-looking example. Bagheeras in that condition is becoming more and more rare.
Hope that maybe one day you and your nice Bagheera will attemp a Matra-meeting on danish ground.(I know you dont live that far away).

Lars Tjørnelund

I would very much like to come to a Matra meeting in Denmark! It´s not very far, I can actually see Denmark across the water from my garage window
Two things are not original on my car. It´s a Bagheera X and it was once bi-coloured red and black, just as in my avatar. I will try to repaint it sometime.
And the wheels are 14" Alfa Speedline instead of the original 13". The original tyres 1980 were Michelin XVS 205/70-HR13 rear and 175/70-HR13 front. Theese tyres - if you can find them - cost a fortune. So I had spacers made to fit the 14" Alfa-rims to get te right off-set and I bought Michelin MXV 196/65-HR14 rear and 175/65-HR14 front. Theese tyres have the same circumference as the originals.
This is the spacer:

Wow! Very nice one and rare with this door handles - it is 1979? Wonderfull car, ENJOY 

No it´s a 1980 Talbot Matra Bagheera - not a Simca . This was the only year with theese doors. The handles comes from the Rancho.

[Anders Dinsen]

I think the Alfa Romeo rims fit the car well. Some have used Murena rims in the past - I think they look good too on the Bagheera.

The spacers look very sturdy!

205 on the rear is a wide tyre - they must have looked very 'potent' when the car was new

- Anders

[lewisman]

Is it an "X" or did Matra fit the bumpers with the over-riders to all of the last Bagheeras?  Also, are those headlight washers that I can see?

I think I have some Bagheera X bonnet vinyls that I made up in the late 80's.  Not quite the same as the Matra ones but if they were any use to you you would be welcome to them.

David

[valross]

Is it an "X" or did Matra fit the bumpers with the over-riders to all of the last Bagheeras?  Also, are those headlight washers that I can see?

My car is an "X" 1980. The over-riders were fitted to the X models 1979 and 1980, thus making them 44 mm longer 
And yes, in the bumper in front of the head lights are the nozzles for the head light wash. Head light wash was compulsory for every new or imported car in Sweden from 1974 til 1995 when Sweden joined the EU.
My car was imported from Germany 1987 and was equipped with a head light wash to get swedish plates.

I think I have some Bagheera X bonnet vinyls that I made up in the late 80's.  Not quite the same as the Matra ones but if they were any use to you you would be welcome to them.

David

Thank you very much, That is very kind of you!
I would very much like to see them! Could you send me a picture? My mail adress is lasse@matra.se

Lasse

[lewisman]

I will look them out and take a photo.  Might be a couple of days - there is a lot of junk in my loft!!

[lewisman]

Finally found the vinyls. Unfortunately they are for an "S" not an "X" so might not be of use to you.

[valross]

Finally found the vinyls. Unfortunately they are for an "S" not an "X" so might not be of use to you.

OK
Thank you anyway for all your trouble!

[krede]

Wow!.. great job!.. A real peach 

Two things are not original on my car.

Are those side mirrors "original" ?? They look a lot like the irmscher mirrors I had for my manta