Once again, proof gearheads aren’t heartless and selfish…
Way too often we have people throw out the accusation that gearheads or car enthusiasts are selfish, materialistic, and thus only care about themselves and their rides. While you can always find people who act that way, we argue the vast majority of enthusiasts are quite generous and caring. Case in point: some UK automotive shops are donating restoration work on a 1973 Reliant Scimitar 3.0 GTE, as reported by The Oldham Times.
Find out who’s leading the Ram brand now here.
Per the local paper, the Oldham-area shops are restoring the old Reliant after it was acquired by one garage last fall. The plan is to restore the vehicle, auction it, and use the proceeds to benefit local charities The Christie Hospital, Dr Kershaw's Hospice, and the Ricky Casey Trust.
The whole thing started as simply a business venture. The body shop which acquired the car put out a notice that they needed an automotive donation to help train a new apprentice. One can understand why learning on a customer’s vehicle isn’t preferable.
What they got was a genuine barn find. Literally, the Reliant Scimitar had been sitting in someone’s barn, covered in dust and hay. We’re not talking something perfectly staged like what you might see on these TV shows with “barn finds” but instead something truly gritty in need of serious restoration.
Even worse, the classic car had been vandalized. Someone broke out three different windows and different body panels were dented. However, none of that presents a problem for a body shop, so all the damage has been repaired and the broken glass has been replaced. Plus, the Scimitar has a fresh paint job and the leather seats have been recovered.
After hearing about the car, other shops volunteered to work on the engine, provide new tires, and fix anything else wrong with it. Now the 1973 Reliant Scimitar 3.0 GTE is reportedly listed on eBay as the car community in Oldham rallies to help charities.
