Six Cylinders Motoring Notes - Saying goodbye to a fleet member!

[Noel Tidybeard]

Something I have been meaning to get off my chest for some time.

 

IMG_20181031_141207 broad.jpg

I have had my CX vandalized, no nothing to do with the bonnet, look at the front wheel who would do this to another mans car!

 

after all the hospitality you afford these wastrels with your luxury* camping facilities THIS  is how they repay you

[hairnet]

nutter

[wuvvum]

FRISBEE

And get a RobT-style action shot of it flying towards the bin.

[anonymous user]

And get a RobT-style action shot of it flying towards the bin.

Could you get someone else to frisbee it whilst you shoot it down clay pigeon style?

[Bucketeer]

You have some horrible wheel trims. You have a JCB. You know what to do.

[Six-cylinder]

You have some horrible wheel trims. You have a JCB. You know what to do.

 

I like that one, before we put it away we should have tested my skill on the digger by removing the wheel trims without damaging them!

[Guest Hooli]

cable tie the wheel trims to the JCB

[Zelandeth]

I have similarly hideous items on the van that I really need to kill.

 

Anyone who wants them for target practice is welcome to them. Otherwise I'll probably use two and a bit tonnes of Mercedes T1 to flatten them...on camera if it would amuse people...

 

That CX, even looking a bit forlorn there is still a thing of beauty. Am I right in remembering you'd been having a lot of electrical issues with it?

[Six-cylinder]

The CX wheel horrors are not staged they just appeared, of course I suspect a culprit but there were no witnesses to the crime or I could call for an Autoshite court to act!

 

The CX would not start, then had a under bonnet fire from unburnt fuel squirted in by the starter jet. My local Auto sparks started it this year by replacing the injectors that he believed had gummed up in storage.

 

The current state is that it needs a throttle cable because of the fire and the rear suspension fixed as it collapsed with a pool of LHM fluid when we moved the car. 

[beko1987]

Another fine quality motor vehicle you've bought then!

[Six-cylinder]

Another fine quality motor vehicle you've bought then!

 

I have owned this CX for 12 years, been to Europe, Scotland and used it as a daily.

[davehedgehog31]

Great write ups and photography. Looking forward to the next installment!

[Six-cylinder]

Great write ups and photography. Looking forward to the next installment!

 

Plenty more to come but not much ready, just 3 for now.

 

Our next purchase was a 1968 Morris 1000 Traveller wood and all. Owned by an older gent who added all those little touches like a 2 pin 12 v socket and homemade load deck extension. Mrs6C used it as a station car, after a while the gearbox went and we could not get 2 or 3 but still moved house using it to carry large stuff. 

 

Between jobs in summer 1994, I did not have a company car for a while so I bought a very smart, well at least it was after my young son spent a day polishing it, 1974 Mercedes 280CE in black. I loved it but unfortunately it was going to need a fair bit for its next MOT so I passed it on.

 

The lure of the Vitesse was still calling and I bought a pale yellow MK2 convertible to use daily. It was also great to take Mrs6C on a business trip to Scotland and we made a holiday out of it. At the end of the year I had a company car again but we kept that Vitesse for 11 years. 

[Six-cylinder]

Cars I didn’t need

 

There was also a 1976 Affetta 1.6 in red during this period that I can not find a picture of. Single round headlight and giffer owned with countless off shade touch ups.

 

I took in a beautiful 1984 Vauxhall Carlton at work and wanted to take it home with me so did. My boss even helped me get it home.

 

A friend asked me how much an MGB was worth! I asked questions about year, type and condition and over a few weeks we established it was a rubber bumper GT for restoration and needed moving immediately so I suggested he offer scrap value. My friend said would you buy it for that, I said yes and he repeated would YOU buy it for that, he had lost interest and I had a MGB GT that needed a quick uplift. The company recover truck was useful.

 

While it was a project all was not lost because it had a solid shell but was too much work for me so I advertised it. I had a call from Mrs6C at work asking what she should take for it as somebody was coming round. I called her back later and was told my price was too low and the man would not offer more. When I got home I asked for the buyers tel number, Mrs6C asked what do you want that for because I sold it for full asking price this afternoon to somebody else!

 

As noted Mrs6C and myself both like Heralds and when a worn out but MOTed 948cc came up for sale in the TSSC magazine it was irresistible, we bought it and went straight onto the M25 with our untested 34 bhp Herald to go to a south of England show.

 

Following turning up at my friends with the 1974 280CE a year later I got a call to say his bother-in-law's white 280CE was for sale did I want it? It was a non runner and had rusty front wings and other odd spots. As my plan was to leave the motor trade buying and preparing this car for when I handed back my company car made sense. The non runner was the fuel pump and I booked it in with the guy who sold me my E Type for a no hurry respray.

 

This drive shot was summer 1995 and the Herald love was still strongest, the one hidden is Mrs6C’s 13/60 convertible.

 

I took a red 2CV Special in part exchange at work and as it was a good one wanted it, no problem as it fell outside the Citroen used car scheme I bought it. A friend from Scotland visited and found we had it and before long asked to buy it for his sister-in-law, she was a community projects leader all over UK including Northern Ireland and the car had years of adventures.

 

The same friend who alerted me to the white 280CE alerted me to his work landlord having a Rover 3500 P6 for sale and it was too good to miss. I knew it was juicy but I ran out of petrol 17 miles from home having been working on conservative 15mpg, then I found the leak!

[Heidel_Kakao]

Bit of a Chris Evans theme going on in that Summer 1995 picture with them all being white.

[hairnet]

p6mmmmmm

 

leak lol yeah right heeavy foot more like

[Tadhg Tiogar]

....The CX would not start, then had a under bonnet fire from unburnt fuel squirted in by the starter jet. My local Auto sparks started it this year by replacing the injectors that he believed had gummed up in storage.

 

The current state is that it needs a throttle cable because of the fire and the rear suspension fixed as it collapsed with a pool of LHM fluid when we moved the car. 

 

The mistress is throwing a strop, then.

[Mrs6C]

Bit of a Chris Evans theme going on in that Summer 1995 picture with them all being white.

The photo is a bit misleading!

 

The Herald saloon and Vitesse convertible to the left were both yellow and the Herald coupe in the back row is white over pale blue...

[Six-cylinder]

A Celebrity Joins the Household

 

A Herald 1200 saloon in grey spares or repair we still have it as a collection of parts.

 

The engine in our Herald 948cc was tired and while it was still running we decided to acquire a spare just in case and found one for sale in Blackpool. It was some years later when my former boss found out what had been in the boot of my company car.

 

The seller also had the 4^th production Bond Equipe GT4S for sale as he had lost storage, Mrs6C felt sorry for it and bought it home. Mrs6C persuaded some friends from Wales to hire a trailer and collect it for her from Blackpool using their Lada 1200 saloon as the tow car. This Bond was the car used to open the M6 Preston bypass.  Still with us and still needing a full restoration.

[hairnet]

Bit of a Chris Evans theme going on in that Summer 1995 picture with them all being white.

KGF cars right there

[hairnet]

 

The seller also had the 4^th production Bond Equipe GT4S for sale as he had lost storage, Mrs6C felt sorry for it and bought it home. Mrs6C persuaded some friends from Wales to hire a trailer and collect it for her from Blackpool using their Lada 1200 saloon as the tow car. This Bond was the car used to open the M6 Preston bypass.  Still with us and still needing a full restoration.

interesting phakt

[timolloyd]

I’ve driven a 1200 for years, but I’d love a ‘back to basics’ 948 Herald.

[Mrs6C]

interesting phakt

Also the last Bond Equipe ever to leave the factory... on account of being present in there for maintenance when the factory closed...

 

Here he is in more dynamic times... Italian Car press test day at Goodwood in October 1964...

[Six-cylinder]

Well now we have his and hers 156 V6s

[SiC]

Which is the his and which is the hers?

[Six-cylinder]

Mrs6C has laid claim to the silver Sports wagon as her station car, which is why I had to find myself another one.  I don't mind if I have a saloon or estate so I guess hers silver his black.

[SiC]

The silver one looks like a car that you can park for a day in a spot with each bay next to each other free, then come back and find those spaces never used.

[Six-cylinder]

Run away car from neighbours drive and then a carer reversed into the front wing!

[richardmorris]

As the happy owner of a 24valve straight six I’m interested in how the v6s behave. Mine is quick enough if needed but very docile and happy to cruise along under the speed limit, but if stabbed will hit 100 in third- over 5000rpm it’s hang on to the steering wheel time.

[Saabnut]

Interesting* facts: A friend of mine owns a Bond Equipe (the 4 cylinder), I believe a 1965 model. His wife bought it new. Still has less than 4k miles on it. Garage stored and scruffy, but she will not part with it. I also know of a Courier van in fairly poor condition hiding in a barn....