Chapter 1: Finding Raymond

25.05.2022

A sunny May afternoon, I received a phone call from a gent who was trying to sell his broken 2003 L322. Did it run? Did it change gear? Surprisingly, the answer to both was YES! Does that mean that it had dreaded corrosion around the sills and arches?

The next morning, I decided to meet this gentleman as he was only a short distance away. When I got there, I laid my eyes on Raymond for the first time. He looked very poorly sat on his haunches, broken bits and damage as far as the eye could see. Raymond was definitely in need of some TLC.

After a short negotiation, a deal was struck, and Raymond limped to his new home at Famous Four. We put him up on the ramp, fully expecting the ramp to go right through the jacking points, but lo and behold, Raymond held tough. Like Ashford and Simpson, he is solid! However, that is where the tale turns a little sour. It is probably easier for me to tell you what was working, rather than the list of problems, but here goes…

• Brake pipes and flexi’s
• Brake discs and pads
• Two rear tyres
• A front light
• Driver’s door mirror glass
• Door card repair
• Suspension fault to repair
• Good clean (he smells funky)

– Famous Four