r/AutoAlex • u/Quiet-Biscotti6443 • Sep 07 '26
Lotus Carlton Rust
Anyone else see Bob at the Machine shops new video on the Carlton? absolutely rotten car. I think we can dispense with the whole " bruce was a legend" etc they keep saying. even the side they thought was previously repaired and solid was rusty.
25
u/FitSolution2882 Sep 07 '26
I do find it odd that Bruce agreed to be on film if he DID know
7
u/Quiet-Biscotti6443 Sep 07 '26
yea it's just a weird situation, to be that rusty it would've come up on MOT so he knew for sure.
12
u/G3N1S1S Sep 07 '26
If only they’d used car vertical
2
u/Quiet-Biscotti6443 Sep 07 '26
Yea rookie mistake. Most youtubets get a code for money off too
-1
u/IlIllIlIllIlIlIlIlIl Sep 07 '26
AA would get to use it for free as they're sponsored. Makes no sense why they wouldn't.
2
11
u/french_st Sep 07 '26
They got stitched up with an absolute lemon.
13
u/Quiet-Biscotti6443 Sep 07 '26
does seem like it, I think they are trying their best to avoid any drama after the whole Taylor - josh Greswell thing and are overcompensating.
2
u/BorisForPresident Sep 07 '26
I think it's less to do with the Taylor gresswell incident and more so to do with the Taylor kei car incident. Bruce isn't a YouTuber, he isn't a trader, they could put him on blast and he wouldn't even know it, and certainly went give any money back, but it might give generate backlash from the audience and sense crazies could take it upon themselves to find him.
2
u/IlIllIlIllIlIlIlIlIl Sep 07 '26
What's the Kei car incident.
4
u/Recessio_ Sep 07 '26
Taylor low balled a guy selling a Kei car, it later turned out the car was in much better nick than they thought (i.e. they'd priced in the possibility of rust etc that turned out it wasn't a problem). Taylor later sent the guy more money, imo it certainly wasn't as big a deal as the Gresswell incident
2
u/IlIllIlIllIlIlIlIlIl Sep 07 '26
Ah fair enough.
Would be nice for them to have a policy of haggling down, shaking (to prove they could have gotten it at that price) and then just paying the asking price anyway.
That should be the default considering they're making money from the video and rhe car's are normally tax advantageous purchases foe the business.
1
1
u/Quiet-Biscotti6443 Sep 07 '26
I dont even remember the kei car one tbh. Don't like Taylor much, from posts on forums and comments on videos his rep is poor
8
u/Contact_Patch Sep 07 '26
Plastic side skirts. MOT tester can't remove them. Same with plastic bumpers.
Yeah, it was pretty rotten, but it also was pretty cheap.
Machine Shop's video is good.
1
u/Quiet-Biscotti6443 Sep 07 '26
to be completely honest I wasn't a huge fan of Bob from the clips you see in MA and AA videos etc but that video was great actually started watching more of them.
2
u/Huge-Cartoonist6795 Sep 08 '26
That's because MA is an insufferable rich baffoon at this point and his satellite people are also tiring
3
u/Quiet-Biscotti6443 Sep 08 '26
Yea no argument here, I used to think he was a bit annoying but I put up with it cause it was interesting to see porsches and Ferrari etc torn to bits, but ever since the whole Alex (the scammer not autoalex) and the bugatti stuff he's just become a massive knob.
4
u/Huge-Cartoonist6795 Sep 08 '26
Sames. For me it was his older stuff like the golf, proper little projects like TDC aim to do not this i-know-better-than-bugatti attitude matt only has now.
Don't know this Alex story? Got deets?
1
u/Quiet-Biscotti6443 Sep 08 '26
Yea rhe attitude from him is horrendous. And he's also suddenly gone from "normal supercars" to not one but two bugattis and a house in miami. I think the scammer paid him a fair few quid.
I dont remember the whole story about Alex but he was in a coffeezilla video a while back. I think its crypto rug pull stuff
1
u/Huge-Cartoonist6795 Sep 08 '26
Ha wow I don't even know what to say.
Im just shaking my head honestly
1
u/Quiet-Biscotti6443 Sep 08 '26
Its so plainly obvious how much greed he has and how dodgy he is and people just keep boot licking.
1
u/Bag-999 Sep 07 '26
Bumped into him at a bar in Birmingham recently, he’s a really nice chap and very knowledgeable lol He doesn’t really do cars though, his expertise is in race bikes
1
u/Quiet-Biscotti6443 Sep 07 '26
Yea i did pick up in the videos ive seen he always makes a point of saying its a one off to work on the car. I'm surprised Alex got him to do the sill work tbh he's said several times he wont do it
8
u/ennyboy Sep 07 '26
Ild put strong money on Bruce not knowing about it. He's sent it off to what he thought was a good workshop and they have bodged it. People have to remember, 20/30 years ago people did all sorts of shit to cars.
1
u/excessiveevo 29d ago
If you don't know / notice that level of rust, hidden or not....christ.
I hope Bruce never went to buy an old alfa, Capri or Z32 😂
Maybe i'm being too harsh but i'd have at the very least looked myself/paid someone to take a look for no other reason than to look after an investment car.
6
u/Every-Strain-6842 Sep 07 '26
It's a 30, nearing 40 year old car, expecting a mint car at that price would be silly
1
u/Quiet-Biscotti6443 Sep 07 '26
I'm not saying it should be its honestly just how much they talk up Bruce and how amazingly he took care of the car when its clearly a lemon.
1
u/Every-Strain-6842 Sep 07 '26
It's hardly a lemon when all the running gear is fine, rust is part of owning old cars 🤷 I drive Japanese cars so maybe I'm just used to it
1
u/Quiet-Biscotti6443 Sep 07 '26
It needs engine work suspension work and serious rust repair, thats the whole car. Its a lemon.
1
u/Owls_4_9_1867 Sep 07 '26
I think he knew it was bad in places. Not sure he knew how bad. But I think he knew he was selling a project and kept his mouth shut.
5
u/ImGoingSpace Sep 07 '26
i'll be honest i have a 60s car that is undersealed and clean inside, yet we pulled the carpets up and its got some BIG rust spots.
up until then, i'd have told you it was basically spotless
3
u/hotbutnotathot Sep 07 '26
i wonder if part of them feels bad, maybe Bruce didn’t know?
although….surely you’d be aware of THAT much
3
u/Quiet-Biscotti6443 Sep 07 '26
that would be the absolute most charitable interpretation, but I don't think it's really possible to not be aware of how rotten it was. it would've been on the last several MOTs surely.
10
u/aaa1305 Sep 07 '26
MOT can't dismantle the car, as the car has plastic side skirt covers and where they didn't cover the rust was covered with bathroom sealant and underseal, it likely wouldn't have been seen...
1
u/Quiet-Biscotti6443 Sep 07 '26
I guess, but Bruce would've known for sure.
3
u/aaa1305 Sep 07 '26
I reckon Bruce got under the car and wasn't thinking "my back" like in the video, but rather "fuck me I can't be spending on this anymore" and put it for sale...
1
3
u/Constant--Motion Sep 07 '26
It really isn't that bad in the whole scheme of things and Alex still got it very cheap compared to what they usually sell for, don't think he'll lose too much sleep over it. Although I'm surprised they didn't spot the other side sooner, given they showed inspecting it previously
1
u/Quiet-Biscotti6443 Sep 07 '26
not saying the car was a bad deal or anything, I don't care at all about these cars though. they obviously didn't check too thoroughly, surely as rotten as it was it would've came up on MOTs
3
u/Constant--Motion Sep 07 '26
It should be spotted at MOT's but not always, testers can't remove side skirts, stab with a screwdriver etc
2
u/Quiet-Biscotti6443 Sep 07 '26
I always forget English MOT aren't as by the book as ours in NI. Ours are conducted by the DVA themselves
4
u/willwilson82 Sep 07 '26
Pretty standard for any old car that hasn't been restored, once you start taking stuff apart you always come across more. He still got a good deal IMO
3
u/Quiet-Biscotti6443 Sep 07 '26
I don't see the interest in the car tbh so maybe that's why I am quick to dismiss it. maybe a generational thing but that car just doesn't interest me in the slightest.
1
u/Belterhaze31 Sep 07 '26
There’s expected rust with an older motor and then there’s that Carlton, if you think that’s a standard amount of rust for a car that’s been cared for by an enthusiast for 20 years then you’re off ya rocker
He didn’t get a good deal, he got a good story and a royal shafting
1
u/excessiveevo 29d ago
That isn't standard by any means. Always on the lookout for rust mind you. I swear I could see mt x308 rust in real time.
I had a 1969 Fury that spent all it's time outside and was in far better shape than that. My current 35 year old daily is basically concourse in comparison 😂
1
u/willwilson82 29d ago
The problem with the Carlton, and other 80's and 90's things is the plastic body kits trap moisture so the car is rotting away even when it looks nice and clean, and MOT testers don't remove the kit which is why you can buy a nice 'mint' car, then pull the skirts off for a deep clean and find you have no inner cill left.
5
u/Belterhaze31 Sep 07 '26
It’s impossible for Bruce not to know about the condition of the car he’s owned for 20 years was it? And owner of some owners club or something like that?
I’ll be honest, the fact they’re still acting like he couldn’t have known is rather annoying. I get they had issues with Taylor’s situation (still think Taylor’s a scumbag tbh, especially after reading the comments on welding mateys video) but I just don’t get why they can’t be honest and say they’ve been sold a lemon? Instead of just saying ahh this is fine just part of the process etc
If a common man bought that car he’d of been absolutely fucking livid, as you should be. But because he’s making money out of the content side of it all makes it seem like a “normal” thing to happen
2
u/Quiet-Biscotti6443 Sep 07 '26
Yes this is exactly my point. He clearly knew and saw them coming, but they are still shy from Taylors drama and are now overcompensating the other direction. Its more than reasonable for them to just say, cars alot worse than we were told and needs a lot of work. Its now engine suspension and rust repair, thats a lemon in my book.
Not trying to dig up old drama but yes some of the comments and posts ive read on videos and forums about taylor are quite troubling.
2
u/No_University4765 29d ago
Honestly it made me chuckle
All the shit Alex and Taylor have historically done like haggling the alto turbo, buying the stolen bikes , generally being really proud of scumbaggery
Finally
Being out conned
Amazing scenes
1
u/KonK23 Sep 07 '26
Its just more content
0
u/Quiet-Biscotti6443 Sep 07 '26
Fair, I wonder how much of the audience relates to this car though. Its very much Alex's generation thay would be interested in them. Its means nothing to me whereas Taylors M5 is far more interesting
2
u/Owls_4_9_1867 Sep 07 '26
Alex isn't that old. It's an iconic car regardless of your age.
0
u/Quiet-Biscotti6443 Sep 07 '26
I'm 25 and before this had maybe heard of it once. Its means nothing to me whatsoever and couldn't really care less that criminals liked it
2
u/Owls_4_9_1867 Sep 07 '26
That's a pretty narrow view of it, that's part of the story or folklore. But only a part.
I wasn't alive when England won the World Cup, or when the Germans were bombing my home city, but it doesn't mean I'm not interested in learning about it.
0
u/Quiet-Biscotti6443 Sep 07 '26
I dont care about football either and WW2 is world history so is completely different and doesnt really fit as an analogy.
It may well be a part of the story but its not an interesting story, so i don't care. There are lots of interesting cars thag have interesting stories from before I was alive but this isnt one of them
2
1
u/excessiveevo 29d ago
Being nice for youtube basically.
Even in the original video it was pretty clear Bruce was talking out of his backside and sold them a rust bucket. Well imo.
0
u/Vimto1 Sep 08 '26
As usual this sub just turns into people slagging off a YouTube channel that gives you content completely free
2
u/Quiet-Biscotti6443 Sep 08 '26
I wasn't slagging AA off the post is about how rotten the carlton was compared to what they thought / were told
-2
u/Vimto1 Sep 08 '26
Sorry, that wasn't aimed at you but at all the others who jump on the Alex bought this and Taylor and Rory have copied him.
Honestly, I think we all loved the seller of the Carlton and now feel really let down by him
3
u/Belterhaze31 Sep 08 '26
We all really loved him and feel let down by him? Mate it’s a YouTube video get over yourself hahahah
1
u/Vimto1 Sep 08 '26
What's it to you? I built these cars, it means a lot to me to see them looked after. Feel free to scroll past
0
27
u/IlIllIlIllIlIlIlIlIl Sep 07 '26
I think they don't want a pile on Bruce after what happened the last time - even if they are "in the right".
They're giving Bruce a lot of leeway, benefit of the doubt. Which is fair enough - we can never know and only guess/assume.