Abandoned Or Not Used Classics

rman2000 · November 21, 2008

I thought of writing up of the types of abandoned classic wrecks that we see in Sri Lanka spotted by me when I was living there either by the roadside or inside a compound,this post might spark off some interest with all the classic car lovers in SL

Ford Prefect E93

An abandoned car inside a garage in Castle street ,Col 8,the shell looked good the last time i passed that way in 2007

Fiat 1100

3 Fiat 1100's were parked and left to the elements at the top of Anderson road where it meets up with Pepiliyana Road sometime back and 2 of those cars seem to be in easily restorable,hear that the owner was working for Colonial motors long time back

Triumph Herlads

Triumph Heralds there were 2 good cars which were ruined by the same owner in a landside lane near St Marys Church in Dehiwela just a few years back one was a 3 sRI coupe model in red color and the other was a Herald 1200CC 5 SRi model (perhaps the only one in Sri Lanka) both were in running conditon and and then left to neglect and rot as I heard the owner a business man was near bankruptcy! such shame about the car and once when I went near his house I also saw a another rotting dark blue Herald inside!

Jovette Javelin

Parked insied a house in Dharmapala Mw (Turret Road) Col3 been there for ages and not used as far as i can remember

Dickmans Road

Many old classics inside a house near Elibank road and never used and talk is that the owner does not want to sell them off and he does not run them either,I remember seeing a Healy Sprite and an MG among others while he was persuaded to part with a Packard Limo to a well known garage owner in COl 5

I hope other members too will add to this thread about the classic wrecks that they see

MasterDon · November 21, 2008

looks like someone's hunting for some bargains

Gummybr · November 21, 2008

rman2000 said:
Fiat 1100
3 Fiat 1100's were parked and left to the elements at the top of Anderson road where it meets up with Pepiliyana Road sometime back and 2 of those cars seem to be in easily restorable,hear that the owner was working for Colonial motors long time back

This guy used to have them for a long time. Remeber them very well as I used to pass that way daily when I was small (used to stay on that road with my grand mom). I think he still has some cars even now, cant remember as I havent been that way during daytime.

There is a Karrman Ghia parked in a garage near Vajira Road on galle Road. Been there for sometime now.

Devinda_Z · November 21, 2008

Gummybr said:
There is a Karrman Ghia parked in a garage near Vajira Road on galle Road. Been there for sometime now.

along with a coupla Mini's and what i recall was an Austin A30

everytime i try to go in there, the place seems to be closed up

Devinda_Z · November 21, 2008

rman2000 said:
Fiat 1100
3 Fiat 1100's were parked and left to the elements at the top of Anderson road where it meets up with Pepiliyana Road sometime back and 2 of those cars seem to be in easily restorable,hear that the owner was working for Colonial motors long time back

quite possible seeing as they had the Fiat agency long years back - in fact i was once told that Colonial Motors was known as "Fiat House" back in the day

rman2000 said:
Many old classics inside a house near Elibank road and never used and talk is that the owner does not want to sell them off and he does not run them either,I remember seeing a Healy Sprite and an MG among others while he was persuaded to part with a Packard Limo to a well known garage owner in COl 5

C.I. Gunasekara's place right?

Tikiri · November 22, 2008

Devinda_Z said:
quite possible seeing as they had the Fiat agency long years back - in fact i was once told that Colonial Motors was known as "Fiat House" back in the day
C.I. Gunasekara's place right?

Thats correct , but he has parted most, the TR to Akbar brothers and another to Sidath F,

Cheers Tikiri

rman2000 · November 22, 2008

i also heard that he or his family (anderson road Fiat chap)was linked to some underworld group n one of them even got killed some time back

Gummybr said:
This guy used to have them for a long time. Remeber them very well as I used to pass that way daily when I was small (used to stay on that road with my grand mom). I think he still has some cars even now, cant remember as I havent been that way during daytime.
There is a Karrman Ghia parked in a garage near Vajira Road on galle Road. Been there for sometime now.

rman2000 · November 22, 2008

no mate coz unfortunately im currently i live in england but have an avid interest in the SL motoring scene and visit SL each year

C I Gunasekera as in the famous cricketer? wow what a collection but sad that they are collecting dust

HelRazor said:
looks like someone's hunting for some bargains

MasterDon · November 22, 2008

rman2000 said:
no mate coz unfortunately im currently i live in england but have an avid interest in the SL motoring scene and visit SL each year

chill dude...i was only joking...

rman2000 said:
C I Gunasekera as in the famous cricketer? wow what a collection but sad that they are collecting dust

a cousin aiyya went to see that humber of his sometime back..wasn't selling

Edited November 22, 2008 by HelRazor

Devinda_Z · November 22, 2008

rman2000 said:
no mate coz unfortunately im currently i live in england but have an avid interest in the SL motoring scene and visit SL each year
C I Gunasekera as in the famous cricketer? wow what a collection but sad that they are collecting dust

yup, i'm not entirely sure if it was C.I or C.H - but definitly the same family

There is another collection with some impressive and fairly rare cars (American , British ++ ) which has been under wraps for sometime...

as of late i've noticed a few cars from that lot being advertised by the family of the owner who i'm to understand passed on some years ago...

GTAm · November 22, 2008

These two sad 132s were found last year. Now they are with another wierdo who just collects and neglects.... They've got that cracking twin cam and five speed under the hood.

MasterDon · November 22, 2008

Devinda_Z said:
There is another collection with some impressive and fairly rare cars (American , British ++ ) which has been under wraps for sometime...
as of late i've noticed a few cars from that lot being advertised by the family of the owner who i'm to understand passed on some years ago...

devinda are you talking about the wanigasekara family?

rman2000 · November 22, 2008

what a crime to was such good cars,whats that in the background? one looks a Merc and the other looks a cut up A30/35 ?

who is this joker who is wasting such good cars?

btw are C.I.Gunasekeras cars in running condition or just left there to the elements,i have never seen any of them ever running!!

GTAm said:
These two sad 132s were found last year. Now they are with another wierdo who just collects and neglects.... They've got that cracking twin cam and five speed under the hood.

Devinda_Z · November 22, 2008

HelRazor said:
devinda are you talking about the wanigasekara family?

no machan

why are they also selling off their collection?

i'm refering to a De S/Zoysa

MasterDon · November 22, 2008

Devinda_Z said:
no machan
why are they also selling off their collection?

yeah they sold a couple after mr.wanigasekera's death...last i heard riley(his son,cool name eh?) was keeping them...

Edited November 22, 2008 by HelRazor

Gummybr · November 23, 2008

GTAm said:
These two sad 132s were found last year. Now they are with another wierdo who just collects and neglects.... They've got that cracking twin cam and five speed under the hood.

Well, you sure this guy is a collector? If I had a car of that sort I wouldn't dreaming of exposing them to the elements.

Kinda reminds me of a friend who collects junk, but at least he brings them back to their originality.

GTAm · November 23, 2008

Gummybr said:
Well, you sure this guy is a collector? If I had a car of that sort I wouldn't dreaming of exposing them to the elements.
Kinda reminds me of a friend who collects junk, but at least he brings them back to their originality.

No no this is how the cars were when this so called 'collector' bought the two 132s. But the thing is this 'collector' is only one step better. He has about 80 cars! And all are in poor shape, with no attempt at restoration taking place. But they still go around buying stuff and adding to their collection. Some of the cars are just covered with a bit of polythene and all are packed almost touching each other like sardines.

Really a sickening sight.

GTAm · November 23, 2008

rman2000 said:
what a crime to was such good cars,whats that in the background? one looks a Merc and the other looks a cut up A30/35 ?
who is this joker who is wasting such good cars?

Yep there were a couple of Mercs a few Peugeots, a the remains of a Lancia Beta . It was a company that was in the tourist travel trade and these cars were used to transport tourist in the 70's I believe, before they went bust.

What a waste!

rman2000 · November 24, 2008

where is the guy and will he like ppl seeing his collection? i love classics and would love to see him next time im in SL and who is he btw?

GTAm said:
No no this is how the cars were when this so called 'collector' bought the two 132s. But the thing is this 'collector' is only one step better. He has about 80 cars! And all are in poor shape, with no attempt at restoration taking place. But they still go around buying stuff and adding to their collection. Some of the cars are just covered with a bit of polythene and all are packed almost touching each other like sardines.
Really a sickening sight.

harshansenadhir · November 24, 2008

GTAm said:
No no this is how the cars were when this so called 'collector' bought the two 132s. But the thing is this 'collector' is only one step better. He has about 80 cars! And all are in poor shape, with no attempt at restoration taking place. But they still go around buying stuff and adding to their collection. Some of the cars are just covered with a bit of polythene and all are packed almost touching each other like sardines.
Really a sickening sight.

by any chance is he around Kurunegala?

ash · November 24, 2008

GTAm said:
No no this is how the cars were when this so called 'collector' bought the two 132s. But the thing is this 'collector' is only one step better. He has about 80 cars! And all are in poor shape, with no attempt at restoration taking place. But they still go around buying stuff and adding to their collection. Some of the cars are just covered with a bit of polythene and all are packed almost touching each other like sardines.
Really a sickening sight.

May be wants to put them in to a slow death & enjoy.... What a waste.....

Ripper · November 24, 2008

ash said:
May be wants to put them in to a slow death & enjoy.... What a waste.....

i would get these folks want to restore these "someday" but that day never comes... But they will not sell them off thinking that "someday" is near and the actual restoration wont be a biggie

ferrarif50 · November 24, 2008

there are some old fords and mercs in homagama (somwhere near upali factory) ... and the owner doesn't want to sell them to anyone !!!

Gummybr · November 24, 2008

ferrarif50 said:
there are some old fords and mercs in homagama (somwhere near upali factory) ... and the owner doesn't want to sell them to anyone !!!

Hmm.. havent seen the vehicles what your refering to. Must be more vigilant.

Well the "someday" is like what some people say "when tax comes down" I'll buy or "when the country situ is good" heheh...

Thing is if you cant do a proper restoration project yo9u should never buy these sorta vehicles.

MasterDon · November 24, 2008

Gummybr said:
Well the "someday" is like what some people say "when tax comes down" I'll buy or "when the country situ is good" heheh...
Thing is if you cant do a proper restoration project yo9u should never buy these sorta vehicles.

I too am guilty of the crimes u have mentioned,we have some being wasted away..with not a hope of restoring

but we have always bought the cars first and then worried about restoring,some were bought knowing that they were never gonna be restored...which resulted in most wasting away(...lol..some even have trees growing through them,you have to cut the tree to get the car out )you have to be somewhat selfish in these matters...just my humble opinion