seth

Following on from my grin last week...

Veteren car driving hint #46. Keep control of your tongue.

Almost the furthest (Schlumpf collection in Mulhouse is a bit further away) but definitly the highest, at the top of Grand Ballon in Alsace.

FInally bolted my home-made brass trumpet/perspex air filter combo on the Oxford today. Nearly time to fire it up again.

I saw XAV13R on something quite modern as it drove by yesteday and mentally congratulated the driver.

My first visit was on a press ticket (and several times after that to FoS) so it was nice having the photographic access but I'm always aware at Goodwood how many people probably haven't paid to get in. I eventually grew tired of being pressured into taking pictures and having to sort, process etc photos within hours of getting home. Annoyingly the weather's never been as good as it was that first time and when you've paid the money that is a little frustrating. But I quite enjoy finding good photographic spots from the public side of things. Exactly. Its not rocket science to leave the jeans, t shirt and trainers at home and wear something that blends in. No need for 'fancy dress' as such. He was telling me it was a factory car as I mentioned the number plate having the same area code (BL) as the Hillman, which was registerd in Reading. Apparently many of the MGs got that plate code. Perhaps that was the nearest office to Abingdon though I'd have assumed there was an Oxford one.

Sort of. I didn't rebuild them but got through three good second hand 1500 lumps in four years or something. The second hand MX5 engine has been in there over seven years now.

Yes, I agree /\ If a conversion is done for 'futute proofing' (and assuming legislation doesn't get in the way), the MX5 makes a good candidate too because it has such a big following. How many Minors received Fiat twin cams back in the 80s/90s because they fitted and were relatively cheap at the time but are now much harder to get parts for. That's one reason I didn't use a Nissan lump.

Some photos from Sunday at the Goodwood Revival, our first visit for four years. It meant a 6am departure from home to get there soon after 8 and make the best of the weather which we knew would turn sour. Warning- Adult Content: This thread contains photos of adults (and some children) enjoying themselves at a brilliantly organised and themed event. Some of them might even be posh. You have been warned. We followed this MG the last 15 miles or so in. He did say he hoped nothing had fallen off into our path. I realise I have taken photos of this MGB before, because it looks so good on those Borranis rather than the usual chrome wires. Round the corner from Betty's Hair Salon was a food stall 'Betty's Baps' . But I saw no-one sampling her baps any time we walked past and I felt sorry for the couple of women manning the stall. Fiat 500 parade was brilliant. Inside the 'Earls Court motorshow' building were some significant TVRs, prototypes etc. displayed in TVR style. Factory restorations now all the rage. Stuff driving to and fro the fueling area in the paddocks. Two 250LMs and a GTO Granted these guys were cylcing in the Fiat parade but they had clearly taken styling tips from Jonny69 There was an Italian garage. This Abarth prototype (on Fiat 850 underpinnings I beleive) was being mostly ignored. Serious pedalling. Ah. Proper cars. Into the car park for a spot of lunch. Demonstrating that not everything at the Revival need be expensive, here's Mrs_Seth sitting in the boot of the Hillman eating a pot noodle made with water from a flask (and watching West Side Story on the Drive in Movie screen we were by) http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa65/sethke/Classics17/GWoodRevival/GWoodRevival17-083.jpg http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa65/sethke/Classics17/GWoodRevival/GWoodRevival17-085.jpg http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa65/sethke/Classics17/GWoodRevival/GWoodRevival17-086.jpg http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa65/sethke/Classics17/GWoodRevival/GWoodRevival17-087.jpg After lunch we went to watch the rest of the hour long 'TT' GT car race. http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa65/sethke/Classics17/GWoodRevival/GWoodRevival17-098.jpg http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa65/sethke/Classics17/GWoodRevival/GWoodRevival17-099.jpg http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa65/sethke/Classics17/GWoodRevival/GWoodRevival17-104.jpg http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa65/sethke/Classics17/GWoodRevival/GWoodRevival17-110.jpg http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa65/sethke/Classics17/GWoodRevival/GWoodRevival17-113.jpg http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa65/sethke/Classics17/GWoodRevival/GWoodRevival17-114.jpg And then as the rain set in saw the Ecurie Ecosse vehicles before heading under cover for a hot drink and then to the car and home. http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa65/sethke/Classics17/GWoodRevival/GWoodRevival17-115.jpg http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa65/sethke/Classics17/GWoodRevival/GWoodRevival17-116.jpg

A 1.6 MX5 engine in a Herald does not loose any character of the car other than slowth. It has a little more power but less torque than a 2 litre 6 pot Triumph engine while being a heck of a lot lighter so the later Herald or Spitfire disc brakes are just fine, as should be diff and the steering will feel the same - that is all assuming you don't drive like a twunt everywhere. The overall gearing of the Triumph drivetrain and wheels is very similar to the overall gearing of an MX5 (depending on which Triumph diff you have - we have a 3.89). A bigger engine with more torque will start breaking things. (Over 30,000 miles experience since the conversion)

I might do a photo thread from today just to annoy the grumpy codgers on here who hate the thought of people who are probably richer than them enjoying old cars.

Need a grin? Go find the Goodwood Revival live feed that's currently being repeated on YouTube and find the saloon car race. Just brilliant stuff.

Yes, we've still got it. Have had niggling intermittent ignition issues on and off for ages (the only relatively modern electronics I had to succumb to) and not really had the time to sort it out so its not getting used quite so much at the moment. Happy to answer any queries.

Weather was fantastic right up to the last day which meant a wet pack up and a garden full of wet canvas when we got home. A spotted match, SNAP! etc. I think I'd be able to 'work' Rouen after another go. The drive out was the only time we used Sat Nav. It was a bit further away that I took the wrong exit and ended up in Les Essarts as we were quite low on fuel and I was worried we were about to end up on the Peage motorway for miles. The race circuit is visible here hopefully: https://www.google.co.uk/maps/search/Les+Essarts,+Rouen/@49.3326108,0.9963927,3719m/data=!3m1!1e3?hl=en with info on the layouts here: http://www.gdecarli.it/php/circuit.php?var1=309&var2=2 The ghost of the curvy circuit across the top is visible on the satellite google image and you can also see a section of the trees by the D938 opposite where the pits were that are clearly younger than the rest - where the grandstands were. The wood yard area on the pits side fo the road is I think totally unrelated to the track. Look forward to seeing your thread. Does this help?

Iain, defintily do it. I know I was cautious before the first time we went and it always takes a day or so to start feeling at ease. We've always used the motorways to get to the area we are staying because they are easy to navigate and makes it much easier when towing - no stop-start at roundabouts or negotiating towns etc. But then once we've got there we stick to the smaller roads as you see so much more. Day trips are planned and Mrs_Seth does all the navigating with a map rather than sat-nav too so we often, by choice, take a less obvious route. The only downside for us is the plethora of small towns and villages who have decided to install speed bumps which while not being particularly tall or sharp in shape and I didn't generally scrape on, do upset the smooth flow of driving. John, that's got to be the same place. I wasn't expecting to be the only forumite to have spotted it since it was on a main route. Pretty sure that was just a saloon. I forgot to mention best spots not photographed were probbaly a Dodge Viper out in the countryside and a Panhard CT on the Sunday which was just motoring about. Obviously plenty of 2CVs and R4s also seen in the wild. Only early shape R5 I saw was on a trailer on the motorway when we were heading back to Calais.

Its been three years since we went abroad on holiday and thought it was about time to reaquaint ourselves with the continent. An 8:30am ferry from Dover means an early start from London but misses all the traffic and means a couple of hundred miles into France is achievable while still leaving time to set up camp. This time the destination was Normandy about midway between Caen and Rouen. We do like a good bridge and the Pont d'Normandie is pleasingly impressive with a rest area by the toll booths and a viewing gantry. Chateau d'Orange in full effect. This photo was taken by the campsite owner without our knowledge who posted it on their facebook page with the question of what year it was taken? The answer we liked best reckoned 1976 since the car looked about 8-9 years old... Had no issues to note on the way down but when I opened the bonnet the next morning the rad was missing about two litres of water and it was clear it had escaped from the front of the engine somewhere. I chucked some more water in as we weren't driving too far that day, and then again before we headed back to the campsite from our bike ride. That evening I had a proper look and it was obviously the heater hose by the thermostat housing, split by the hose clip. I cut the end off with a kitchen knife, fitted a new clip and that was the trip's only mechanical issue sorted. Next day saw perhaps the best photographed 'wild' spot, a super cool Simca,seen as we headed to the Juno beach museum. Later that day we were meeting up with my brother in law and his family in Deauville, a posh seaside resort. They'd already been away much further south for a couple of weeks and were on their way back to England. Anyway, there were many smart cars cruising about the place.And some rubbish ones to see. I didn't get to photograph the Moke, the big Healey or the early '50s Caddy convertable. The next day we were headed along the same road towards Caen and so made a stop at a garage we'd already seen but couldn't stop in time for. Seemed to be a restoration shop of sorts with a line of 2CVs and R4s out front and other decaying wrecks lying around with a few smart cars inside. Panhard Dyna, mmmmmm. Slight reflectivity issue. We'd pulled in just after a German couple in this outfit who were also having a look about! On the Sunday I'd found a listing for a local classic Gathering in Ouistrahem which worked well with the itinerary (which coincidentally I'd put together) The dark car here is a Mathis which is what we saw a bunch of when we were in Alsace back in 2013 since they were made there. Here's a novelty. Chenard et Walcker A whole heap of SUAVE Super-cool Dart These guys turned up playing instruments and possibly looking for a revolution? They deffo looked hot as it was high 20s Celsius. Having parked by the Pegasus Bridge... ...we cycled into Caen but this was the only spot there. When we got back to the car we then saw the bridge opening and this was stuck in the queue. The chap got out and started polishing it while waiting. Tat-haulage en Francais. Teh next day we headed to Falaise for more Norman castle exporing and on the way I pulled over in a village to take off the jumper I was wearing as the day was warming up. Got out the car to discover completely by chance (and it really was) I was outside a Hot Rod shop! Shame it was closed. Some Alfa restoration and a couple of American pick ups were visible inside but teh poster on the window was advertising a big show about 100 miles away so I suspect they were probably still up there or recovering from that weekend. Sorry, another gratuitous Hillman photo. A tiny village made famous by cheese. And another one. And another one! But this is cool. Because this is the hairpin on the Rouen-Les Essarts race circuit that was in use from the '50s up until the nineties. The original cobbles are showing through the tarmac there. Further on the lap the version of the track that was used later disappears off, though I did drive a complete lap and a half of the original '50s layout. There were pit and spectator buildings along side the road just like at Reims but sadly all that was demolished about 20 years ago. About the only sign was a bus stop which was marked as 'auto cicuit' I was really impressed with Rouen itself. Incredibly picturesque city centre. Main attraction for me was the Gros Horloge, a 14th century clock still in its original tower and in owrking order but sadly no longer being used to drive the hands on the large dials or strike the bells it was connected to. Oh, and a Simca. We took a wrong exit on the way out of Rouen and ended up passing throught eh village of Les Essarts, where Mrs Seth shouted for me to stop and take a photo of this building! http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa65/sethke/Holidays/2017/CarThread/NormandyCarThread-060.jpg And so it was time to pack up and say goodbye to the campsite Chateau. http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa65/sethke/Holidays/2017/CarThread/NormandyCarThread-061.jpg Calais had some good spots, I think these two were possible being recovered, as the Mustang had a smashed screen. http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa65/sethke/Holidays/2017/CarThread/NormandyCarThread-062.jpg German registered DS and Merc, then a Mustang drove into shot. http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa65/sethke/Holidays/2017/CarThread/NormandyCarThread-063.jpg Swedish Chevy had come a long way. http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa65/sethke/Holidays/2017/CarThread/NormandyCarThread-064.jpg We lead the way back in to Dover. http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa65/sethke/Holidays/2017/CarThread/NormandyCarThread-065.jpg I hadn't noted the mileage when we left home so I worked it all out on Google afterwards. Came in at 1202 miles over 10 days, about 600 of that was fully laden and towing. Was lovely to be reminded how pleasant driving in France is.

Just home after a 10 day trip to Normandy (via Dover/Calais), first trip over the channel for the Hillman & trailer tent since 2014. I might even do a holiday spot thread once I've recovered.

Very sorry to hear that news. I can only echo the others in that on the couple of occasions I met him he was great company. Here's his starring role in the AS Stondon photo. (Edit: Just seen that Trig had already posted this photo in the Grump thread but, well, it always deserves another look I think)

That looked like a properly good roadtrip and I doubt it would have been much better even if the original show destination hadn't moved date!

I had a close look at a Bedelia today. (Its a particularly rubbish old car if you've not heard of it.) That made me happy

You see that man there with the white hair and the sandals? That's you that is.

Was nice to get my Oxford back on its wheels today for the first time in a year or so. Havign got the rear wings etc sorted the recent work on the rear suspension has all worked out well. Does feel like I'm finally on the home straight with it.

Just renewed my car insurance. Policy is for two cars, one on the road and one project. I've upped the value on one of them to reflect the fact it is in slightly fewer pieces that it has been. Obviously the premium had gone up since last year. By 73 pence. Its over £160 now!

That Lancia '302YUP' is pretty amazing in a rather ugly kind of way.