brownnova

Done a multi car policy on the 2CVs… all four insured for just over £300. Weirdly it cost more if I had zero miles on any of them… so I can do 1500 miles in the one with holes in the floor if I can get it to run seeing as it’s Mot exempt! Also should serve as motivation to get the others back on the road!

Just had a thought… does the A-Reg have an electric pump too… Yes, yes it does…

Grabbed half an hour today to do something with the 2CVs. I chose the D Reg project. These cobwebs suggest this engine has not run for quite some time! Todays quick plan was to see if I could get some life from under the bonnet. The PO hadn’t been able to get any signs of life whatsoever when I went to view. So firstly I located a few wires to the back of the ignition which had been disconnected, and traced the other unconnected wires in the engine bay (which seemed to be indicator related). Then hook up a somewhat charged battery. On the turn of the key to position one we had life… a ticking noise from under the bonnet and the red oil light. Having turned the engine using the starting handle I knew it turned freely so ignoring (for now) the ticking noise I turned the key and the engine spun… albeit slowly… and the oil light went out as it was supposed to. Success - we have life and oil pressure. Attention returns to the ticking noise… if I didn’t know better it sounds like a dry fuel pump. But these are mechanical pumps. Hang on what’s this… That pipe should be connected to something. At this point I decided to make use of my best reference tool… one of my other 2CVs and quickly realised this should’ve been the fuel pump line. So where does that copper line go? Funnily enough to the source of the clicking! Yes, at some point an electric fuel pump has been fitted. Interesting. Mystery solved I quickly lobbed some easy start in and have the starter a turn. This was a move in optimism rather than any expectation. And sure enough not so much as a cough. No spark it would seem. No real surprise after an undetermined number of years since the last start. So with tea nearly ready I quickly found the bolts for the triangular panel on the side of hush were in the back seats in amongst some other odds and ends and fixed them on properly and ended the tinker time just as I was hitting me stride…

A rather damp cars n coffee meet this moninrg meant that quality was far more than quantity… Firstly, fair play to the fella who told me his favourite car of the meet was “that old Saab 9000 over there” before he knew it was mine 😂 Car of the meet though… Absolutely love a Prowler!!! Close runner up though… And bonus spottage on the way home… both a 2CV and a shiter!

Spoons is great for breakfast. Two breakfasts and drinks for under a tenner, and You can sit there eating your bacon and sausages whilst being entertained by the blokes all around the middle table going to the bar for their second pint of lager… at 8.45am… On days when the kids are at nursery it’s our little treat to ourselves!

Yes, in hawarden airport

6 years today since I swapped a PCPd BMW 1-Series for a £600 Saab to adopt daily shite life. Sadly has been relegated to occasional use these days. But every time I drive it it’s like being with an old friend who you know so well. Maybe I’ll drive it to work tomorrow to celebrate.

What a fantastic set of motor cars!

On 123… will see how we go in cooler weather… the vain hope it’s heat related!

The photos of my two 2CVs have been quite flattering in some respects. They look fairly clean in them for a start! The truth is they looked like they hadn’t been washed in quite some time. So the first job to do in the recommission was to wash them to better see what we had. I was rather pleased with how they came up… Its quite clear the A-Reg one (on the left) needs a lot of work, but a few new panels and a new roof would see it it looking 10 times better, and make it somewhere nearer watertight! I’ve ordered some decent quality covers (the main reason for the bath) to keep the water out. I had planned to get the battery ready to have a go at starting the D-Reg today. But alas the day ran away with me! Other fleet members? Daisy went to a show today. Having done the castle run and to my new place of work this week (where she caused quite the stir!) I detected a bit of popping on slowing down today. Then randomly it cut out at the car show entrance. Daisy’s idle is inconsistent and sometimes gets very low, but she never cuts out. So this was odd. She restarted no bother, but on the way home we popped to Home Bargains and she did the same in the car park. All the way home she simply didn’t want to idle about 50% of the time. I wonder if the coil got warm in the heat of the day… or could it be the E10 I put in it on Monday as all fhe E5 pumps were off in the local petrol station. Elsewhere: The Swedish portion of the fleet! The 940 has provided daily duties this week as my wife has had the XC90 and I won’t use her modern unless I have to 😂. It’s done a super job, although the non working fuel gauge led to some anxiety on Friday as I knew I must be near-ish the end of the tank. I’ve barely used the 9000 this week, so if the wife wants the XC90 again this week I shall use the 9k. I might just use it regardless, it needs a hood run. Everything else is as you were.

Fan-fucking-tastic!

The forecast storms and weather warnings did not put me off attending the car show at Bodrhyddan Hall today. For the third or fourth year on the trot we totally forgot to go into the house and gardens! But we did see some delightful sights: Of course, my interest was mostly piqued by this… We had the only 2CV there, and got a lot of attention which was nice. It repaid me by cutting out randomly, idling like crap intermittently and popping and spluttering on the way home. I wonder if the coil was getting hot due to the very warm temperatures…

Yes unfortunately search function is slightly broken atm and will only search the last week. It’s one of those pesky difficult to diagnose faults. But it is being diagnosed.

Great purchase. Always liked a Cav. Just needs a few anti ULEZ banners/slogans and it’ll be spot on!

It was off to the right of the site… maybe a bit of an airfield IIRC.

Ill start this month’s with @alcyonecorporation’s SVX courtesy of @Conrad D. Conelrad

Bicester heritage. It’s a great event to be fair. I really enjoyed last year. Sadly couldn’t make it this year.

Today I’ve enjoyed the fact that if you commute in a retro car, other people who are doing the same show you small acknowledgements as if to say… I approve. Had a mutual appreciation moment on the A55 in the 940 from both a Mk1 Golf (on the way to work) and a 90s Merc E-Class (on the way home).

I’m going to shamelessly self promote as I like this pic!

Restoration complete. 👍

No that was a TransSport, it was white and an Oldsmobile.

They really are, from the very first time @dollywobbler took us round the field in Elly at Chumley we were bitten by the bug. But we did laugh at the seller of the yellow one when we bought it when she said “they’re addictive, you’ll end up with more than one” “no chance” we said… but… here we are!

Rather than bother the new 2CVs today I was leading a 2CV run to a castle, an annual event which we lead. This year we had 15 car which is a new record! Great to have many ducks in the run including @eifion and his red special!

Yes… Twas me mad enough to take them both on! Especially the D Reg one honestly looks decent and with these engines often getting them running isn’t too difficult! This one? I was thinking I’d not seen one with twisty buttons before!

More mountains than valleys round here! But… one possible plan would be be to restore them properly, and then hire them out for weddings… but that will require a deep pockets resto for the A Reg one. So that might have to wait until we stop having to pay for childcare!