dollywobbler Posted July 10, 2018 Author Share Posted July 10, 2018 This is it then. The final mod for the trip. Naturally, it's a shitty bodge. Also had to top up the brake fluid again, so I'll be needing various fluids on this trip. She's far from perfect... RayMK, Exiled_Tat_Gatherer, mat_the_cat and 7 others 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christine Posted July 10, 2018 Share Posted July 10, 2018 Viagra pill to hold up the handlebars... Crikey , I've not even mot'd the Fiesta yet , or driven it for 6 years ...and i'm driving it miles and miles on Saturday to Stowe... better get it tested timolloyd, CGSB, dollywobbler and 1 other 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noel Tidybeard Posted July 10, 2018 Share Posted July 10, 2018 what route would one be taking just in case anybody wants to wave and cheer you on point and laugh at the welsh brummie person doing an insane journey in the most unsuitable car :mrgreen: LightBulbFun 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SiC Posted July 10, 2018 Share Posted July 10, 2018 Have you got a power feed connected up ready for the camera & phone? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noel Tidybeard Posted July 10, 2018 Share Posted July 10, 2018 Have you got a power feed connected up ready for the camera & phone? beardcam FTW Christine 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dollywobbler Posted July 11, 2018 Author Share Posted July 11, 2018 Have you got a power feed connected up ready for the camera & phone? That hasn't happened, yet. what route would one be taking just in case anybody wants to wave and cheer you on point and laugh at the welsh brummie person doing an insane journey in the most unsuitable car :mrgreen: I don't have much of an idea yet. Probably Droitwich and then I haven't got a clue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scruffy Bodger Posted July 11, 2018 Share Posted July 11, 2018 If you're going via catsinthewelders have fun with that bit of a tump that he lives on. Saying that, in the early nineties an Invacar was a regular site on that road to Ludlow, you'll give some of the locals a real deja vu moment! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dollywobbler Posted July 11, 2018 Author Share Posted July 11, 2018 If you're going via catsinthewelders have fun with that bit of a tump that he lives on. Saying that, in the early nineties an Invacar was a regular site on that road to Ludlow, you'll give some of the locals a real deja vu moment!We're travelling separately, so think I'll avoid that. Scruffy Bodger 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mat_the_cat Posted July 11, 2018 Share Posted July 11, 2018 Have you got a power feed connected up ready for the camera & phone?The only Invacar with a USB port? SiC 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sloth in a bowl Posted July 11, 2018 Share Posted July 11, 2018 If you want to split the journey in two then I can offer shelter, food, tea and bodging space. Cats is welcome as well. catsinthewelder 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hairnet Posted July 11, 2018 Share Posted July 11, 2018 Insane Carver looks fit Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dollywobbler Posted July 11, 2018 Author Share Posted July 11, 2018 If you want to split the journey in two then I can offer shelter, food, tea and bodging space. Cats is welcome as well.Thanks but I'm having an Invacar meet with Zel. Cats heading up on the morning of the show. Mrs6C 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tadhg Tiogar Posted July 11, 2018 Share Posted July 11, 2018 I never thought I'd see a long-distance Invacar. Surely that will be worth a special award* at FoTU? eddyramrod, outlaw118, HarmonicCheeseburger and 1 other 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
outlaw118 Posted July 11, 2018 Share Posted July 11, 2018 I've just reminded Blind Trev of the event, and that you'll be bringing TWC. He's a trained Samaritans counsellor, so if required.... (you'll have to look for him for obvious reasons....) egg, RobT, chodweaver and 1 other 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noel Tidybeard Posted July 11, 2018 Share Posted July 11, 2018 If you want to split the journey in two then I can offer shelter, food, tea and bodging space. Cats is welcome as well. cats are welcome chaseracer, LightBulbFun, Talbot and 1 other 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barefoot Posted July 13, 2018 Share Posted July 13, 2018 Good luck with this today. LightBulbFun, dollywobbler and oldcars 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaseracer Posted July 13, 2018 Share Posted July 13, 2018 Maister Flower and I will look out for you on the road. Chodspeed, mon brave... dollywobbler, LightBulbFun and Floatylight 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post dollywobbler Posted July 15, 2018 Author Popular Post Share Posted July 15, 2018 Friday was only two days ago, but it started with this essential modification. With dash cam and phone both charging, I was worried the Dynastart would eat up all the engine power. The run up the Shitefest Cymru Test Hill confirmed that power was going to be a problem. I reckon that might have been more to do with carrying spare oil, tools, many T-shirts and various other detritus for a weekend away, but even so. Eventually, we laboured up a hill. England was achieved. I reached Stratford upon Avon in about 3.5hrs, which isn't an awful lot more than it took to get home from Stratford Upon Avon the night before. Jeez I've done some miles this week... Then I reached The Cotswolds. It were right pretty. Eventually, Milton Keynes was achived, and TWC was reuinited with TPA, the spares car. Looking rather different! I was staying with Zelandeth. His spare bedroom decor game is strong. Then it was off to the Festival of the Unexceptional, where I met many nice people. Later in the day, we got the fleet together, seeing as Cats had driven over in the Mighty Dacia. Then it was off to the Field of Dreams, where TWC met other fine friends. Just like old time. ie a few weeks ago. Other people had a go.https://twitter.com/HubNutVids/status/1018406680072216576 This morning, Day Two at the FoD. Even more fine friends. By this stage, I was a bit worried. The drivetrain was making truly horrible noises, sounding like the mother of all fanbelt squeals. It's the main drivebelt, and it's slipping, which is not helpful. Likely just because the belt is ancient. At times, it feels like it has corners. So, I cut short the FoD fun and headed home. Some hours later, I reached Chipping Norton. Hills were becoming a MAJOR issue. The slightest rise had the speed disappearing very quickly, and Boughton On The Hill was travelled through very noisily at just 20mph. This wasn't fun anymore. But then we came down Fish Hill at 65mph, and that was more fun to be fair. If rather scary. The wind was starting to gust. I saw a sign for Lawnmower Racing in Herefordshire, so had a brief diversion from the A44. Guess who I found! This wasn't very surprising, as Cats had said he was going Lawnmower Racing. He could be in here somewhere. I pushed on, reached Wales and then got held up by a vintage Morris. Remarkably, some Twitter people captured my dilemma. The Morris was very slow, mostly 30mph even on the flat. There were no overtaking spots, so I settled back. I knew a big hill was coming, so thought it'd be fine to just slipstream it up. As the hill began to bite, he waved me and the car behind past. Ha! No chance! I let the modern go. There was no way TWC was overtaking anything at this point. Down the other side, gravity was my friend and I went screaming past. But, I knew there was one more big hill to climb, and there wouldn't be a Morris to slipstream (not sure that actually works at 20mph mind). I called Mrs DW and she headed out in the Nippa to meet me, and so take all the heavy stuff that TWC didn't want to carry anymore. Here we are at the bottom of the hill, waiting. I got fed up with waiting, and had a go at the big hill anyway. Typically, we passed the Nippa as we slogged up at 20mph. We just about made it to the top, but then the Nippa caught up, and we did the transfer anyway. That made a difference! It was very nearly sprightly up the remaining gradients. In fact, Mrs DW said she was struggling to keep up. She also said there was a horrible burning smell, like a burnt belt. Not very surprising... However, we made it! After more than 380 miles in three days, in a car which, back in November, was still sitting the same field it had resided in for the best part of 14 years. A car definitely not conceived with long distance in mind. A car which can have its course adversely affected by a farting sparrow. I'm pretty chuffed. My arms ache, my ears are ringing and my throttle hand may never recover, but we did it! Gawd knows what I do next with this car. Another long trip certainly isn't appealing... Glad so many other people got to enjoy TWC in the FoD though. She clocked up over four miles just in the field! captain_70s, chodweaver, Zelandeth and 50 others 53 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timolloyd Posted July 15, 2018 Share Posted July 15, 2018 Epic! LightBulbFun 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SiC Posted July 15, 2018 Share Posted July 15, 2018 Being a Japanese car magazine editor you should be a right pro at drifting. As this has a solid rear axle I hope to expect some drifting videos were done at the FoD. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dollywobbler Posted July 15, 2018 Author Share Posted July 15, 2018 Being a Japanese car magazine editor you should be a right pro at drifting. As this has a solid rear axle I hope to expect some drifting videos were done at the FoD. It doesn't have a solid rear axle... Did I mention the pain? Pretty sure I wouldn't be able to put on a jumper that was slightly too tight at the moment. Even a loose one would be a struggle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RayMK Posted July 15, 2018 Share Posted July 15, 2018 Being a Japanese car magazine editor you should be a right pro at drifting. As this has a solid rear axle I hope to expect some drifting videos were done at the FoD. The Invacar has independant rear suspension - unless you were referring to something else. It was galloping unperturbed around the FOD, unlike my Reliant which has got a live/rigid back axle. Ha. You beat me to it because I had to look up how to spell 'unperturbed' RobT, dollywobbler, Mrs6C and 2 others 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SiC Posted July 15, 2018 Share Posted July 15, 2018 I must have remembered incorrectly. That pain is good. It means you are working muscles that haven't been worked that hard before. Instead of going to the gym, just drive an Invacar around the country. What about doing John O' Groats to Lands End? Admittedly you might need to rig a throttle stay up. dollywobbler, GrumpyCat, New POD and 1 other 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coprolalia Posted July 15, 2018 Share Posted July 15, 2018 This is excellent, even more so for the diversion into lawnmower racing! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben_O Posted July 15, 2018 Share Posted July 15, 2018 Just INCREDIBLE! Well done LightBulbFun 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christine Posted July 15, 2018 Share Posted July 15, 2018 Well played. I had to have Gigglepin take over driving duty of the Fiesta at the end of the M40 , I was falling asleep at the wheel I did feel a bit guilty, him taking over, and then having to go straight onto the M25 in a strange car . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dollywobbler Posted July 16, 2018 Author Share Posted July 16, 2018 One final shot of the Support Nippa arriving. The Support Nippa was last deployed in February, on the way to the MOT, when TWC kept spluttering to a halt all the time. Belfast Gipsy, Lacquer Peel, egg and 13 others 16 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs6C Posted July 16, 2018 Share Posted July 16, 2018 Gawd knows what I do next with this car. Another long trip certainly isn't appealing... Marvellous! How about a 'Thundersley Rolls!' travelogue book and calendar, photographing and writing up the anecdotes of TWC meeting with all kinds of people in iconic places across the geographic extent of your choosing, like 'Round Ireland With A Fridge' meets 'The Red Couch, a Portrait of America'?https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Round_Ireland_with_a_Fridgehttp://www.kevinclarke.com/portraits/red-couch/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dollywobbler Posted July 16, 2018 Author Share Posted July 16, 2018 Marvellous! How about a 'Thundersley Rolls!' travelogue book and calendar, photographing and writing up the anecdotes of TWC meeting with all kinds of people in iconic places across the geographic extent of your choosing, like 'Round Ireland With A Fridge' meets 'The Red Couch, a Portrait of America'?https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Round_Ireland_with_a_Fridgehttp://www.kevinclarke.com/portraits/red-couch/ At the moment, I can't face driving to the local shops! Mrs6C and Braddon81 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dollywobbler Posted July 16, 2018 Author Share Posted July 16, 2018 Perhaps a conversion to traditional controls? Not a chance. She is what she is. I've also been told that if anything, a steering wheel makes them even more difficult to control! HarmonicCheeseburger and LightBulbFun 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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