Lagondaforum

Subject: Rapide 125 for Sale...

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Lagonda Rapide 125 for sale £40000...

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Subject: Re: Rapide 125 for Sale...

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Nice project car - and, on wires!

Subject: Re: Rapide 125 for Sale...

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This car has not been known to the register since about 1968. Thanks for the link Christian

Subject: Re: Rapide 125 for Sale...

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The number of missing cars shrinks by one, then. Hurrah!

Subject: Re: Rapide 125 for Sale...

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Driveshafts replaced three times in the first 18 months...

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Subject: Re: Rapide 125 for Sale...

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Not that unusual, mine had 3 gearboxes in the same period. The warranty bills must have been huge

Subject: Re: Rapide 125 for Sale...

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I wonder if they were also driven hard because of the type of person who bought them?

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Subject: Re: Rapide 125 for Sale...

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Here's a thought. Many sub-assembles such as gearboxes etc were bought in, as was the Meadows engine with pre-war cars. If, for example, a gearbox was causing problems, it could be whipped out and a replacement put in so the customer had his car back very quickly. The company could then have a dialogue with the component supplier as to who was ultimately responsible for the warranty claim.

In the mean time the customer was delighted with the "no quibble" guarantee of his super-car which of course he drove hard!

Colin

Subject: Re: Rapide 125 for Sale...

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Many of the cars were originally driven by chauffeurs, perhaps they were harsh users when the boss was not in the back. Many of the issues however were of design, especially for example the half shafts; these are not at right angles to the plane of rotation of the road wheels but at about 89 degrees to save space in the de Dion arrangement. This means the shafts carry loads they were not designed for by Hardy Spicer, which causes spline wear especially if the wrong grease is used. When new this was not appreciated so "ordinary" grease was used, but this was quickly changed to a more resilient graphite grease which lessens the problem but does not cure it. The Rapide warranty claims apparently nearly broke AML at the time, quite apart from the opportunity cost of losing DB4/5 production (said to be 4 off) to build one Rapide. The "finest of fast cars" was quite a tough slogan to live up to for a demanding clientele who often were personal friends or associates of DB

Subject: Re: Rapide 125 for Sale...

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So this is a lost car to resurface. It is in need f restoration from the looks of it but is this chassis rust free? does anyone know?
40 000 pounds is a hefty price to pay for a car that will eventually have to be dismantled completly for remake.

Francis