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Author Topic: I'm Giles from Stratford Upon Avon  (Read 3387 times)

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giles

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I'm Giles from Stratford Upon Avon
« on: 11, October, 2009 - 11:07:09 »
Hi Folks,
I will be looking to buy a good C5 at some point.  I'm really chuffed there seems to be a well supported club.
I'm a design engineer at Jaguar Land Rover so have an avid interest in any form of vehicle.
Are any of you from Stratford Upon Avon or close by?  Is there a local meet?
Cheers, Giles

Offline mike7201

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Re: I'm Giles from Stratford Upon Avon
« Reply #1 on: 11, October, 2009 - 11:56:20 »
Hey Giles, nice to meet you.  Mike here.  I'm a new owner of a C5, and can surely say that you'll be in good hands here.  I've only been part of the forum for a few months now, but I've learned so much in such a short space of time.  Wow, a contact in the world of Jaguar Land Rover!  You'll find the folk here really helpful and supportive.   Had it not been for the people on here I'd probably still be looking for a C5 today!

There are some great C5's out there for sale.  Some which have been fully restored to their original glory, if not better!  There are also some which haven't been cared for all that well and are in need of a loving home and a lot of attention.   If budget is a problem, you may be able to find a reasonably priced one on Ebay.  Or, if you have money to burn; Adam Harper who has taken on Sinclair Vehicles would be happy to sell you a brand new one from £1,200!  He's got his own section on the Sinclair Research wesbsite - http://www.sinclair-research.co.uk/c5

Don't let that price put you off though.  I bought mine for a tiny fraction of that, and have not looked back since...  Except to see what traffic I'm holding up when I'm on the road!  :D


giles

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Re: I'm Giles from Stratford Upon Avon
« Reply #2 on: 11, October, 2009 - 12:25:00 »
Hi Mike,
Good timing, just read your thread on your front wheel issue!  I was also worrid about car battery volts being to ohigh for the motor... it would seem people don't have issues with their leisure batterys.

Adam Harper's prices look quite hefty, reading on here looks like someone got a minter for 650, sounds good.  There is also a chap [with great reluctance] selling for 400, I have no idea what to make of the modifications, are they good points(?) or should the vehicles be original?  No idea!
It sounds like the C5Alive wiring kit means you can use and charge a normal car battery, sounds like a good thing, but then again you can buy a sinclair battery for £80 or so, I wonder how long a genuine battery would last, 3-5 years like a car?  Again, no idea ;D
Cheers, Giles 

Offline mike7201

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Re: I'm Giles from Stratford Upon Avon
« Reply #3 on: 11, October, 2009 - 13:03:33 »
Hi Giles, there have been some interesting discussions on this forum relating to battery suitability.  Only this morning did 'Umpa' post a very helpful explanation of the battery situation.  You can read this (and other helpful posts) here - http://c5alive.co.uk/forum/index.php?board=13.0

I wouldn't worry too much about some of the 'modifications' that people have fitted to the C5's, even the ones for sale.  Some modifications I have found are necessary to enable the C5 to become more reliable or easier to use.  For example, quick release battery clamps on the 'C5alive wiring kit'.  The bonus with this is that if you accidentally connect the battery the wrong way, nothing will happen, opposed to having no modification you'd cause lots of damage! 

Then there's the more reliable belts, and LED lights which can replace the old style lamps etc.  So it's not all bad.

Having everything original is fine too, but you just may encounter one or two extra things that need attention from time to time.

Having said all this, Adam's your man if you want true original Sinclair parts or accessories.  There's nothing wrong with the tyres which you can buy via C5alive though.  Check out the shop!  There's a great selection of things on there.

Have fun!
« Last Edit: 11, October, 2009 - 13:12:11 by mike7201 »

Offline Umpa

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Re: I'm Giles from Stratford Upon Avon
« Reply #4 on: 11, October, 2009 - 13:11:57 »
Hi Giles,

Welcome to the forum :)

As above the best place to find a C5 is eBay, but the problem is they sometimes need a little work to get them going.  The C5 Wiring kit is a great solution as it opens your choice for many different types and sizes of batteries, it also has cross wire protection !!

Keeping the C5 stock is one option, but as you have found out as the parts run out - the price goes up.  The ethos of C5alive is to keep the vehicle on the road & have developed (kind) mods so that your C5 can be reversed back to stock when needed.  I am a keep it original guy, but also a realist and so I bought two - one totally stock with original stickers key block - battery the lot, the other with just the bare essential mods to keep it usable - Wiring Kit, motor fan ETC.

Adam Harpers price also reflect that they are the original spare parts, stored for 25 years.  Many C5’s would not be working without him and he’s a top bloke too having met him at several events, where he gives a bit of a discount.

C5alive also has quite a few second hand parts for sale, and as a community there is always someone willing to sell parts to other members.

I hope you enjoy the forum and hope to see you both at some of the up coming meeting,..

Regards

Ian

Offline radiomarty

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Re: I'm Giles from Stratford Upon Avon
« Reply #5 on: 11, October, 2009 - 15:31:55 »
Hi Giles - great to hear from you and welcome to the forum - I was intrested to see you work for Jaguar Landrover as I am at Corus but as you know we are both owned by the TATA group. I formerly worked as a problem resolution team leader at Vauxhall (IBC) so there is an automotive connection too !!
But enough of all that welcome aboard any question please ask as someone no doubt will have had the same problem. Regards purchasing a C5 I have two routes
A. I brought a fully restored one and started using and enjoying it straight away.
B. I brought an unrestored one and learnt a heck of a lot and made some good friends restoring it which was just as much fun !

C5Alive are a great bunch and I would encourage you to come along to one of the meets where you can check out the C5'S and have a good old chat with the gang. These guy's know there stuff and can give you some great tips.

Regards Martin

Offline mike7201

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Re: I'm Giles from Stratford Upon Avon
« Reply #6 on: 11, October, 2009 - 19:48:35 »
Giles, it has just occured to me that Red Feather was selling his excellent C5.  I wanted to buy it, but couldn't get transport together to get me to where he's located.  It's a great find.  Located here - http://c5alive.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=650.0

Looks wonderfully restored to what is a really excellent example of a well-loved C5.

You may like to check this out.  Or, C5 Martin has some from time to time.  At the time of typing this, he has two for sale.  He restores and repairs them, and is a real fountain of knowledge where the pod and electrics are concerned.  C5's website is - www.c5martin.co.uk

He's also got a great 'Tech Tips' section too at - http://c5alive.co.uk/forum/index.php?board=11.0

Hope you find one you like.  Karl helped me locate one closer to home, and I've been thankful to him for that.  You never know, you may find one that you can reach within close proximity.

Mike