Daimler Six; a kilometer from home, e-mail for a year and a half

Or read in: Dutch

It often starts with a phone call or e-mail. Usually it goes on for a long time. But then

is the owner ready to sell so I will look at something that has been stored in a shed for years. This time also; the Daimler Six, just 1 kilometer from my house. Shed find? Not really; the Daimler was not lost, the owner just did not want to say farewell to it.

“Somewhere in Oirschot,” I didn’t know anything else. The contact lasted no less than eighteen months. Every now and then an email asking how the Daimler is doing, whether I can already come and have a look. Patience again. The harder the owner gives up, the better the classic, usually.

And then the time has com. Finally,  because I am curious what will come out of the shed again. Hopefully the Daimler will be dry, because a Daimler, stables and moisture are not exactly a good combination.

I drive into the yard and I immediately see there is a car enthusiast here; a Range Rover Classic, a Volvo youngtimer, a beautiful BMW E38, that promises good things!

The owner is already present and after a quick cup of coffee we went to the barn. Even I have to stoop; the door of the old barn is incredibly low. I see a cover over the silouet of a Daimler. A cover does not always mean good things. Even a breathable cover can leave marks on the paint after a long time. If the cover does not breathe, there is a good chance that a ‘rotten’ car will come from underneath, since moisture is locked up under the good intentions of the owner.

Remove the cover carefully and it looks good right away; a dusty Daimler appears. Immediately view the sills, the wheel arch edges, the corners under the rear window, finish the entire list. In the meantime, a cursory glance at the incredibly beautiful interior. Here the cover has done its good job; by blocking the UV light, the wood is still in its original, dark color. Something you rarely see today. The leather has also stood the test of time, the Six looks great!

You notice, I am enthusiastic. The owner probably also notices that, because we are not immediately around when it comes to the price. All right, we’ll probably work it out and both will think about it. Sometimes that is better, although I like to do business directly.

We call, we app and that is followed by a positive result, I can go and collect the Daimler!

With three people we push the Six out after years of storage. Why don’t you start it, I hear you thinking? I only start after an extensive inspection followed by a big turn at Jaguar specialist Coventry BV in Uden, so you know for sure that the basis is good! I winch the Daimler by hand on the trailer, a huge job considering its weight but definitely worth it. A drive to Uden follows the day after.

Up the bridge, also pushing of course. Soon a number of enthusiasts gather around the dusty Daimler.

It stands out immediately, this is not an average example. The Coventry employees are also impressed, as it appears when we walk under the Daimler. A sober look at the chassis and the bottom makes much clear. The bottom plate work is remarkably hard, it appears. The chassis looks solid, there are no strange clearances. The bottom plate of the rear axle shows some rust, but that is quite common and moreover it is easy to replace for a cleaner or a new one. For now not an issue but worth mentioning. A maintenance check is carried out, a spotless MOT follows, after which we go home again, time for the major cleaning!

And that is a chore; we tackle the entire interior here ourselves. First, the entire car is scrubbed, including glove box, door frames, trunk and so on. Then we record the state and on that basis we continue. It is usually necessary to thoroughly clean the leather interior and then to provide it again with a protective layer. The way we do this ensures that the original, matte gloss returns to the shiny, moderately maintained leather. The woodwork is polished, the mats are cleaned. Non-original stickers disappear from the windows, missing caps or damaged items are replaced. Indeed, quite a job, but definitely worth it because the results are impressive.

the result, you will see that within a few days, when the Daimler is offered for sale. So please be patient, but the detailed photos will certainly leave a good impression. See you later!

Rob

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