Lawrie's Collected his Worst Ever Car! A Completely rotten RO80

[@patrickl2195]

You’re a braver man than I, standing under that NSU!

[@belyear]

I was thinking the exact same thing. There is a none zero chance it’ll collapse at any moment.

[@markwright3161]

Well, he was standing under more holes than car, so the odds of being missed when the little that's left collapses were in his favour :)

[@eze8970]

What I got from this, was Lawrie needs those two old boys to start his red tractor! 😂😂 The Scottish owners will be telling tales down the pub of how they finally flogged their NSU chicken coop for years!

[@QALibrary]

I am surprised it did not split into 2 or 3 parts while loading it - the only thing holding it together is the roof

[@trainswithnickyt]

"Today, you're looking at this...." meanwhile, I'm ogling the Hudson Hunslet radiator in the background

[@noexpensespentstudios]

It's astonishing that someone went to the trouble of cutting the sheet metal, screwing it in, and undersealing it at all. Even for a quick sale that's too much effort to reasonably put in. Worse still, the rust you can see is never all the rust there is so how that's holding itself in a car shaped shape is incredible. You definitely win, I've never seen anything that bad in person that has also been repaired (and I use that term in the loosest possible sense) that badly.

[@CaptainDonut0]

The interior seems in decent condition. Sell it and you can pay for the fuel you used up. There has to be a bofin that needs the interior.

[@markwright3161]

Always sad to see such a rare car in such bad shape.

[@notmuch_23]

It's a damn good thing the buyer(s) only wanted the engine! That seems like the _only_ decent part of the car!

[@m.geleick3903]

I owned about 21 Ro's. Now 4. Only one production year had that foam put in: 1974. But that particular one is at the end of it's being.

[@mbak7801]

In the 1970s I had next to no money but lots of 'plastic padding' and the confidence of immortality only a young man can have. Some of my cars were not a million miles away from this. You can have a suspension kept on by only a single bolt/screw as long as the force of braking pushes the assembly together. Only acceleration could rip it apart and that was not really going to happen. So not that bad after all.

[@hawkerhellfire9152]

Hudson Hunslet in the Garage? I agree!

[@graemew7001]

I've seen cars as rotten as that (minus the erm "repairs") when I worked in restoration but those cars were there to salvage the engines, gearboxes and back axles from to be rebuilt and re-used, never to be put on the road. I can't get over what kind of mentality it takes to do this and think it's fine to do, you're not the only one who's scared.

[@rudolphbondefangerer5513]

That wasn't so bad, after all, he has screwed the tin can material to what was once a car. I bought a car once (VW Beetle) where the tin can material was glued on top of body filler with body filler, and a friend of mine once bought a Ford Fiesta where someone had tried to camouflage brutal rust attacks in the lower body with cardboard, naturally covered with body filler and spray paint. Considering how much work some people put into such imaginative repairs, which you can't get away with anyway, they would have saved a lot by selling the car as it is. Body filler is not cheap.

[@wicks7581]

This video has made me feel slightly better about the beetle I picked up for a project. Cheers!

[@hazzalandy]

That's so cool! Love RO80s and big welding projects. Good luck!

[@Phiyedough]

I wondered if it had been done as a film prop or static museum piece?

[@lmm]

Sadly I think not!

[@paulhorn2665]

"The front suspension was hold together with some rope, thats normally a bad sign.", Yes indeed! 🤣

[@Valleys56xx]

My dad used worked on Wankel engines in Imperial College during the 60's and for some unknown reason had two RO80s. He said they were dreadful things. I remember being in one of them on a dual cariageway when the door fell off. Engine was rubbish too, the edges on the rotary cylinder were buggers to fit right so there was no gaps and wore like buggery. Sod that and sod them. PS he also had a Prinz which my mother (also a mechanical engineer) used to fix with her shoe.

[@djphilmanns]

If the door fell off, it doesn’t say much for the standard of maintenance the car received!

[@WH32R]

I have seen and have admitedly made some sketchy repairs before on my offroad equipment, but I have never seen anything that terrifying (and possibly driven on the road) over here in upper New York!! You're definitely braver than me to stand under that thing!!!

[@bentullett6068]

Wow that is terrible. Just shows1970's cars and UK winter roads don't mix, especially in Scotland. Many months of damp weather and long winters with many salty roads have killed this car.

[@westmus]

Looks like the 10 year old Alfa I once restored, The roof may have been the only piece of sheet metal on that car that didn't have any rust holes. I believe the complicated body structures on the Ro80 are known to be rust traps. The Ro80 Retropower restored did also need a LOT of welding.

[@pallsmortion4750]

He's either brave or stupid to stand under the thing!

[@allanblackesq]

See how much weight the roof will take before the car breaks in two. Yikes, you've found something rustier than the Titanic.

[@scotttait2197]

Given the titanic has been on the bottom of the Atlantic for 101 years and that rot box us from the 70s , the titanic faired better even if its only trick was to sink 😂

[@MrVinnyh]

Must be one to add to the collection Lawie 🤣 Even your mothers Mazda & your Vovlo you wnet up north in, has more metal and less tin worm ! The real srcap value is in the the seft tapping bolts 🤔

[@Technology-Repair-Proto]

If there were a picture under the textbook definition of 'galloping rot', this car would be it! Holy balls that thing is scary!

[@MrTheDudeSan]

you can tell that lived in Aberdeen but I've seen a 2cv in a worse state where the chassis completely disappeared in in 3 places along with all of the floor. The only bits that still survive are the engine and vin plate that's now attached to a brand new galvanized chassis and new body and runs like a dream.

[@asdatesco2594]

Take what's left of the body, use the chassis and running gear from a wrecked RX-8, and frankenstein the two together to create a true rotary restomod!

[@Arkay315]

So the floor is insecure, the frame has bowed out, the chassis is ruined, the suspension is held up by rope, the engine housing is rotten, and the body is work subpar at best, may God have mercy on that car

[@Meddled]

Lawrie's first encounter with a Teuchter Wagon, complete with TW repairs.

[@carmadguy]

Love how the bodged it with tin, then undersealed it 🤣 job well done 🤘

[@lmm]

It's... Certainly a job

[@mikes747]

That's shocking! I've seen some bodges in my life but this wins the cup!

[@PedalBox]

Repairing this would be the Trigger's Broom of restoration. That said there aren't many Flintstone-Optioned out cars left...

[@LewiBuchProductions]

Was it a Scottish registered one? Will of been the salt on the road up here that will of killed it, funny enough I also just crossed the Kessock bridge today! Also I have a vehicle worse than this 😅 unfortunately only one of 5 left and can’t bring myself to see it sent to scrap

[@cachebangwallop3482]

Where’s the engine headed? Would love to see!

[@888johnmac]

' this is making my Moggie look good ' .. no Lawrie , it's making your MGf look like a solid runner .. lol

[@beardedbodger]

Bodge repair? …… wasn’t me! ….

[@Ragnar8504]

This is worse than YCR's Datsun. Much worse. It's roughly as bad as the MK1 Golf some KZbinr found in a field in the US and actually got driving again. I was seriously surprised the car didn't break in half as he thrashed it down the farm track! Unfortunately I can't remember what channel that might have been on. To be fair, the extent of those bandaid patches makes me suspect the car was beyond restoration even before these lovely fixes were carried out.

[@shire_boy1]

The only way I'd see this as acceptable would be if it where for yard art... Be ideal for a body swap on say an old BMW platform tho

[@laserhawk64]

The video that introduced me to the channel, "Rainman Ray's Repairs" is titled "Customer States He Thinks He Needs A Clutch". My determination was that it needed to be filled with fireworks and have gasoline poured all over it, then to be set alight, preferably in the middle of an open field. If you go watch, you'll see what I mean. But... oh dear lord what a rotbox you have there. Not even good for what'd ordinarily be its scrap value, it sounds like.

[@lmm]

I'll have to go investigate that!

[@notsohairybiker]

Yes Lawrie, they do exist, they are called 'humans' a strange breed.

[@GothicSteamEngine96]

When that car started up, my first thought was is that an F1 car under the hood?!

[@markwright3161]

The one issue with this car is that those 'bolted' panels would probably have been done to get past the MOT while it still had to pass them. The testers can't unbolt anything, so if the rot is covered with a 'fixed' panel it passes with at most an advisory for inability to see the specific area, like if a brake line is covered in under seal, its conditions can't be seen to be good or bad. Having said that though, the MOT (or a non-emissions compliance derivative for cars over 40 years old) can/could still catch more than can go around legal in many US states (to name 1 place). A common 10 year old car that has spent a harsh life in northern states (specified purely because of the climate that could see this sort of rot develop that rapidly) could drive around held together with cable ties in some states legally, and unsuspecting people could buy them as their daily driver simply because that's all their budget allows, not the rarer case of someone buying to classic here to exploit a, as they might see it, road worthiness loophole. I remember a clip from a dashcam channel a while ago that was some CCTV footage of someone driving off from a car park in a pickup that folded itself in 2 when they accelerated. Terrifying that that pickup could technically have been perfectly legal for them to continue driving.

[@Morganstein-Railroad]

Don't Clean the rust off. That's all that's stopping it from falling apart. It's like the house that is so rotten, it's only the termites holding hands that stops it collapsing into itself!

[@ThatVoxelBlock]

the rover 45 that was scraped looks a little better then this good luck and at 3:40 i be wearing ear defenders for that and Lawrie this be a reguler on whats broken now :the Ro80 still broken now... the mr2 or something like that anyway and thats called rust i havnt seen anything like this other then a rusty old welsh slate waggon

[@Hewitt_himself]

I think it needs the boys and the MOT screwdriver and hammer

[@borderlands6606]

It's a 1:1 scale model of an NSU RO80.

[@Sohave]

I have seen something that was worse than this, in a bog belonging to a house that was for sale in Denmark near Viborg. It was the rear firewall, some roof section and some of the C pillar and rear body work of a Fiat 850 left in the bog years ago. Glass and pieces of suspension left about was the thing that showed us that there had been a whole car there at some point. The rest had just turned into rust. A knackered but more intact Fiat Ritmo was also present. Even through it is a rare car you can scrap that Ro80 with good conscience. Take a few good bits of it, crush it (perhaps for content) and have a good one. Is there anyone in the NSU community who knows what bits there is left on it that is in demand?

[@2760ade]

Ohmygod! You stand UNDERNEATH that heap and start pulling off the 'repair' panels......"I don't understand how this is all together!"😮😮

[@lmm]

I can't believe it made it back from Scotland!

[@dangerotterisrea]

It was quite pretty in its day

[@jamesmchenry4708]

...so...beyond just as spares? you'd...have to basically do a NASCAR-style tube frame chassis, cut what's left out from under it, make a rat rod. Maybe a 13B rat rod. My Sentra was bad, but not THAT bad... ...that said, the engine running gave me that brap brap brap spinning dorito pleasure. Sounded Ported! Probably just running badly but still...

[@harrisongrant8558]

Even by American standards, this is horrendous. I think only your Moggy comes close to being this bad, and I have seen some pretty rough vehicles in my day, even having worked on a farm where almost every vehicle had rotten floors and fenders, the floor that was left was patched together from scrap metal (mostly from old filing cabinets), oil and fluids were almost never changed, and bolts were held in place entirely by rust and mud. This is absolutely the worst I've ever seen from a car.

[@flick5848]

I’m only here to make sure someone says “I’ve taxed worse”

[@18robsmith]

One or two of the real restoration people I know would take that rust ridden thing, along with the contents of your bank balance and return it to you in concours condition, and not a bodge in sight. But that would take a couple of years (at least).... As for the individual that performed that series of bodges - I've just been creating some holes with a 65mm SDS drill, and would like to see how long it would take them to stop screaming if.....

[@borderlands6606]

Such restorations are a scratch-builders aid, with existing parts acting as no more than a template for their replacement.

[@Varinki]

We have an old parts car that has gotten worse than this. Things like one of the A pillars has parted company from the firewall and one of the quarter panels has nearly rusted off the car. But it was never that bad when it was on the road.

[@westmus]

Someone have an one off factory prototype af an Triumph Herald. It's now concours, but it was much more rusty than this when he bought it. Anything it's possible to fix, it's just sheet metal. Just think of all those old coachbuilt cars, every panel on those was usually shaped by hand.

[@lmm]

It is indeed possible to fix anything. This just needs an brand new floor plan, chassis sills, and handful of other bits!

[@stuartross282]

Heard stories of RO80 owners used use hand signals to each on how many engine they had replaced due tips of rotary engines wearing out

[@1toonhead]

Eeeeeeeeeeek there's no way in hell I would even be under that thing. I'm going to have nightmares from it now.

[@djphilmanns]

I saw this car on eBay some 12 years or so beforehand, when it was still metallic blue. It was really bad then. Although Ro80’s in good condition fetch a decent price now, project cars can be found for reasonable money. Why someone considered that this should in some way be returned to the road is anybody’s guess!

[@lmm]

That's a scary thought! I'll let the chaps know though!

[@mattwills87]

Don't stand under it. It might fall on you.

[@davidcollins9791]

The roof went in it you could put your hand along the roof in between the lining and the metal roof

[@harrypenn611]

Come to Statfold at the weekend

[@m.geleick3903]

Not a Are O 80 but a Row 80

[@alistairshaw3206]

A death trap is the best description! At least you can buy every panel to restore your Morris Minor! I own a couple of 50-year-old motorcycles, but they're solid, and I look after them. I think an inspection or MOT would improve safety. It used to be the 25-year tax exemption for classic vehicles, which would suit me as my newest bike is nearly 30 years old, and I don't mind paying for the MOT.

[@davidty2006]

Sheesh... Apart from the body shell and the interior the thing needs a full on rebuild.... Also jeez it's really crazy how metal can litterally just rot into dust....

[@lmm]

It's basically build a new car time!

[@bwilesuk]

“If we patch it up, we can pretend it’s not as bad as it is.”

[@davidcollins9791]

We drove a 60's landcurser for 9 to 10 years it was a 1986 12ht turbo diesel ⛽️ with the sub tank for diesel

[@PBRJOHN684]

Not as bad as the Rover TC300 we once MOT'd when Iwas working as an MOT Tester's assistant got the car on the ramp I sat in it for the part of my job and as the ramp went up the seat I was siiting on fell to the floor with me in tow! my boss didn't realise at the time and I turned to look up at him and said Ralph I have FAILED IT. He could not belive his eyes, he actually said to me "What are you doing down there?" and then he seen it the seat of the car still attached the the floor of the car on the actual floor of the MOT bay with me holding the handbreake! So far other than my old MK2 Clio that is the worst car I have ever seen! 🤦‍♂🤦‍♀

[@lmm]

Wow, that's pretty bad! 😂

[@PBRJOHN684]

@@lmm Looking back at it now it;s a right laugh 🤣🤣

[@roberthopper1872]

rust is lighter than carbon fibre, air is lighter then rust

[@BurpleRX7]

Poor poor car, it did not deserve the life it had. Interested to see the project the engine has been used for though

[@lmm]

If it happens, it'll be amazing!

[@anumeon]

I think it fair to say that the person who did all those "repairs" really, really screwed it up...

[@bigrobnz]

yeah....that might not buff out.......

[@Jorqell]

I had a Transit van in approximately the same condition.

[@dalecherne5377]

About the only thing thats still good on it is the seats. This may make a good fish reef. Its not a boat, but it'll sink the same ;-D

[@paulshirley6383]

Lawrie's Collected his Worst Ever Car! A Completely rotten love louis shirley

[@AndreiTupolev]

Goodness, an NSU RO80 at all takes a brave man* to take on, but one in that state is a whole new dimension! * sorry, person

[@lmm]

They are proper cool cars! This one is just a bit too far gone

[@djphilmanns]

By the way, it’s pronounced Row 80, not Ah oh 80 🙂

[@lmm]

Ro cause rotary I guess? I think I prefer R O to be honest 😂

[@djphilmanns]

@@lmm I think I don’t! 🙂 Yes, Ro for rotary or Rotationskolbenmotor to be specific. That’s why the badge is Ro 80.

[@HebrideanBBQ]

Only slightly rotten then 😂

[@ptonpc]

All the noises that were being made wile it was up on the lift. Poor thing.

[@shakeyhandsshedmodelrailwa2494]

don't know wether they are still there but autosave in bury used to have a whole isle of them stacked 3 deep

[@lmm]

Oh really?

[@shakeyhandsshedmodelrailwa2494]

@@lmm YEAH GOING BACK A WHILE SO MAY BE LONG GONE BUT A PHONE CALL TO ASK IF THEY ARE STILL THERE CAN'T HURT

[@smhorse]

Autosave. That's going back at least 30 years. They even had a couple of VW K70s in their yard.

[@shakeyhandsshedmodelrailwa2494]

@@smhorse the yard is still there and if the ro 80s have gone they were there a lot less than 30 yrs ago

[@johnsgarage9495]

Not seen worse but had a car in my care that’s was bad front crossmember sills floor d posts rear axle mounts bulkhead all rotten filled and badly patched was motd in 2017 thing bent it the middle when i got in it rotted because of a full length sun roof it’s not on the road anymore striped and scraped for safety

[@opticaltrace4382]

Looks like it spent most of its life at sea!

[@stevengrieve678]

Was that b+b in Fort William?

[@Mrflash222006]

Only seen one car that had tax on it - Mk1 Dagenham dustbin sorry fiesta super sport, even the dodgy mot tester wouldn’t put a bent ticket on it, 4 pages double sided of fail items 😂 - even your dodge has more structure than this Ro 80 - what’s the wankle going in ??

[@cbmsysmobile]

Less than 50 left on the road. You can see why.

[@djphilmanns]

Any other car would rust the same. It’s all down to the life it’s led.

[@martynwarren3192]

As a trained manufacturing first aider. Please wear gloves, I’ve seen some horrible rusty metal cuts. You make me wince when you yank on rusty crud with your bare hands. Just looking out for you. Great vid btw.

[@minisareus]

I don't know why you bothered lawrie with all the projects you have

[@lmm]

You have watched the video right?

[@minisareus]

Yeh I watched a Fred Flintstone car with no engine

[@yelfsteam]

Can we watch it being crushed?

[@lmm]

It may have already happened

[@cg7975]

9

[@LiamE69]

I've bought worse. Actually, no, that's a lie.

[@peterclarke3619]

I’ve M.O.Ted worst.

[@NeoJae]

1st