Another barn Find - NSU RO80

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Fri 28 Jul 2017 20:39
Another barn Find - NSU RO80 - oldroverboy.

Found by a friend today. all ok, starts but won't move gearchange servo motors failed, so no transmission. filthy..... body not bad under the grunge.. worth doing for somebody? owner only wants to sell to someone who will run it.

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Fri 28 Jul 2017 20:53
Another barn Find - NSU RO80 - Nomag

Please can you supply more info. I have a 74 Ro80 and I am a member of the international Facebook group there may well be someone interested. Where is it located?

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Fri 28 Jul 2017 20:54
Another barn Find - NSU RO80 - Nomag

Also is it rotary engined or a v4 conversion?

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Fri 28 Jul 2017 20:54
Another barn Find - NSU RO80 - badbusdriver

One of my all time favourite cars and such a beautiful shape, even today they don't look dated!. This car, from a design point of view, was so far ahead of anything else of its time with the possible exception of the citroen cx. Such a shame they couldn't make the engine reliable and the subsequent warranty claims sunk the company. Ironically, nowadays, through advances in technology, the w***el engine can be made to work properly.

Really wouldn't fancy one as a restoration project though. Body panels and interior trim are very hard to find!.

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Fri 28 Jul 2017 20:57
Another barn Find - NSU RO80 - badbusdriver

One of my all time favourite cars and such a beautiful shape, even today they don't look dated!. This car, from a design point of view, was so far ahead of anything else of its time with the possible exception of the citroen cx. Such a shame they couldn't make the engine reliable and the subsequent warranty claims sunk the company. Ironically, nowadays, through advances in technology, the w***el engine can be made to work properly.

Really wouldn't fancy one as a restoration project though. Body panels and interior trim are very hard to find!.

That's grand!

FAO honest John language police, you do realise that was the guys name?!

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Fri 28 Jul 2017 21:10
Another barn Find - NSU RO80 - RaineMan

What Wayne Kell?*! :)

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Fri 28 Jul 2017 21:13
Another barn Find - NSU RO80 - craig-pd130

The car's near Sc***horpe, I believe ;-)

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Fri 28 Jul 2017 21:48
Another barn Find - NSU RO80 - badbusdriver

I grew up in the Shetland islands, there is a place there (let me think about this now), with a name which has 5 letters, the last 3 of which are 'att' and the first 2 are 'Tw'. Not an easy place to talk about in a forum!

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Fri 28 Jul 2017 22:23
Another barn Find - NSU RO80 - RT

I grew up in the Shetland islands, there is a place there (let me think about this now), with a name which has 5 letters, the last 3 of which are 'att' and the first 2 are 'Tw'. Not an easy place to talk about in a forum!

Neither is the steel town in Lincolnshire.

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Fri 28 Jul 2017 23:36
Another barn Find - NSU RO80 - Andrew-T

I have stayed in a delightful small place in Newfoundland called Dil**. You can invent the two missing letters.

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Fri 28 Jul 2017 21:48
Another barn Find - NSU RO80 - RichT54

One of my all time favourite cars and such a beautiful shape, even today they don't look dated!. This car, from a design point of view, was so far ahead of anything else of its time with the possible exception of the citroen cx. Such a shame they couldn't make the engine reliable and the subsequent warranty claims sunk the company. Ironically, nowadays, through advances in technology, the w***el engine can be made to work properly.

Really wouldn't fancy one as a restoration project though. Body panels and interior trim are very hard to find!.

It really does show how ugly so many of today's designs have become, with their abundance of creases and awkward shapes.

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Fri 28 Jul 2017 23:45
Another barn Find - NSU RO80 - Nomag

It's true it's design was years ahead of its time. It is celebrating it's 50th birthday this year. More people should consider them as a practical classic. They do not like short runs but respond well to long high speed blasts. The rotary engine on song at 7000rpm is the antithesis to the modern turbo diesel. Sadly mine is off the road at present. Not due to engine trouble but three young children.

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Sat 29 Jul 2017 06:34
Another barn Find - NSU RO80 - oldroverboy.

It's true it's design was years ahead of its time. It is celebrating it's 50th birthday this year. More people should consider them as a practical classic. They do not like short runs but respond well to long high speed blasts. The rotary engine on song at 7000rpm is the antithesis to the modern turbo diesel. Sadly mine is off the road at present. Not due to engine trouble but three young children.

Ask Avant to email me link to you.. the car is in north east essex just on the suffolk border...

Personlly, I like the lines (design) much prettier than the batch of audeers since..

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Sat 29 Jul 2017 12:13
Another barn Find - NSU RO80 - Avant

I'll happily do so if you would like me to, Nomag.

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Sat 29 Jul 2017 13:11
Another barn Find - NSU RO80 - Nomag

Yes please Avant. The main collector and restorer of Ro80s in the UK lives in Suffolk and may be interested.

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Sat 29 Jul 2017 20:32
Another barn Find - NSU RO80 - Terry W
Despite Mazda adding a huge amount of engineering expertise to the product, it still suffered from a number of faults:

- high oil consumption
- poor economy
- short service life

No surprise it was canned a few years ago.
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Sat 29 Jul 2017 20:40
Another barn Find - NSU RO80 - RT
Despite Mazda adding a huge amount of engineering expertise to the product, it still suffered from a number of faults: - high oil consumption - poor economy - short service life No surprise it was canned a few years ago.

Although withdrawn in 2012, rumours persist that Mazda are planning to reintroduce the Wa.nkel engine - if you examine the shape of the engine, the change of direction at the two ridges/cusps mean that oil seals will always be challenged.

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Sat 29 Jul 2017 20:56
Another barn Find - NSU RO80 - badbusdriver

Yes, I've read that too, they plan to use it in a hybrid of some kind. I think I read that it will be sooner rather than later.

I also remember reading that Lada dabbled with the w4nkel (I think this would have been late 70's to early 80's), made some cars for the secret service. And they were pretty fast, but because of the poor quality of metal for the rotor tips, they had to replace the engines after something silly like 1000 miles!. Needless to say, the plans were quietly dropped.

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Mon 31 Jul 2017 14:19
Another barn Find - NSU RO80 - Nomag

There is an individual who lives in Suffolk interested in this vehicle. Avant/oldroverboy could you please assist in putting him in touch with oldroverboy preferably by email? He is a serial collector and restorer of Ro80s, in fact I purchased mine from him.

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