Hi, I am new to the forum so please bear with me as I have little knowledge on the subject. I am helping my wife’s family clear out a deceased uncles property. In one garage there was a 44 Jeep which I have restored and is now running and also in an early rebuild state what I believe is a RAM D type with a fibreglass body and tail fin, maybe originally purchased in the 1980’s. There is an engine in it partly rebuild but I suspect it’s been 25 years since being worked on. The nose is also missing. My question to any D type kit experts who may be able to provide help is are aftermarket parts available at all ( the Jeep has plenty of suppliers of OEM and repro parts) and is this worth time and effort as a restoration project?
Appreciate any guidance from the experts.
Hi Stuart…where are you located…Ram now Realm are UK…they no longer make the D type…and concentrate on the C type…as a “kit” build Ram/Realm are low end in price but have a great chassis and they make a good diy build and quite desirable…re aftermarket parts you shouldnt have a problem getting parts as the kit is based on XJ6…nose might be difficult to find but probably not impossible or have one made or an aluminium one…Steve
Hi Steve, thanks for your response. I am located near Derby in the Midlands and will be going over at the garage again next week and will take some photos. It’s actually inherited by my wife and her sibling, I am helpng dispose of the estate and dont know wether to have a go at restoration myself, or see if a buyer is out there as is. Will be in touch.
Thanks
Stuart
Your really big problem will be getting it registered assuming it isnt already…which i doubt if it isnt completed…you need to register as a kit converted vehicle…to do this you need a doner car and put the car through an IVA test…so unless this is something you really want to do just sell it as is…Steve
Thanks for your replies Steve. I need to see if there is any paperwork hanging around in the garage. What is a reasonable sale price as is do you think?
Regards
Stuart
Hi Stuart…i have no idea becaus i dont know what you have…Registration is becoming a big issue with replicas in the UK…in my opinion best price will be judged by the market…put it on auction on ebay…or with one of the auction houses…Steve
Did you have any luck finding the paperwork? I only ask as I have been trying to get a Cert. of Origin out of Adrian (Realm) for months now. And since you are near Derby, I recommend you take a drive over to see Adrian and his shop in Evesham. Perhaps he has a bonnet located in a back corner somewhere?
And, as Steve mentions, it is almost impossible to know what your ‘project’ is worth. If you haven’t done so already, I would recommend you search the Bring-a-trailer website. Peter just sold his ‘project’ Realm for about $7500 and a bonnet just sold for $16500. There is another D-Type up for action for the next few hours if you want to see what it may go for?
Hi Glen,
I haven’t visited the garage its stored in for the last few weeks but I suspect paperwork is unlikely to be there. We have a lot of draws to clear however so let’s see. I had a look at Bring a Trailer, some interesting pricing on D types, and particularly the project car. In the new year I will devote more time to looking into this, a question for you though in the meantime regarding the chassis. Did Realm provide any chassis markings anywhere, and if so where would it be located. As you can tell its early days for me and I need to research before deciding to commit to restore, or not.
By the way is yours nearing completion and did you manage to find any manuals to assist in the rebuilt?Thanks Stuart
Hi Glen…Realm did not stamp Chassis…Steve
Peter did a deal when the BaT listing closed but rest assured what was listed did not sell for $7,500. The engine alone would be worth more than that….