artdjones

Not sure how I drove this to Monaco and back, could hardly sleep with the nerves of driving it to the  MOT station today. That said as soon as I hit the road I felt ok, knew the car would be fine and really enjoyed driving it again for first time in about 8 months 
Thanks to @Rust Collectorfor the tip on running a wire from the tailgate earth to a body earth, it's solved all the dashboard light gremlins
Car passed the MOT,  I think a couple of the crusty bits around the turrets might need attention before the next MOT but for now they are deemed acceptable
 

I read an interview with him. He seemed fairly philosophical about it, although bemused that millions of people have watched it. He realises that he said some stupid things which were a mistake. He also said that there was a lot of winding up of him first that didn't make it to the final cut, somehow.

Today has been the best day I've had in a long time, I got money back on the taxes, and I've had the highest temperature since October with close to plus 10.
And best of all, dad and I have now got something we've been dreaming about and wanting for years a small wheel loader.
It is Chinese and electric but this brand has been sold in Norway for a long time and has a good reputation and we have a dealer close by who seems good so it is worth taking the chance on and it has exceeded expectations so far .And it may look like a toy but is bigger than it looks and can lift 500kg.
Have tested it on snow removal today and am very happy with it so far.

A nice car. Apparently some Standard Flying 10 engines had an oil filter. It might be worth researching whether parts could be adapted, as the engine is basically a Standard 10 engine.

Holy thread resurrection!
I bought myself a Mayflower on Saturday after years of wanting one. For once I spent proper money (four figures!) and got a decent one as my project queue is out of control and it’s embarrassing how few of my cars are actually on the road. The solution is obviously to buy MOAR cars.
It’s a bit of a sad story this. It was cherished for years by some old boy in Northumberland who bought it in 1969 and presumably when he died or gave up driving it was sold and immediately got plate raped. The original number MRM 79 ended up on a Range Rover and the car ended up down south with a chap who spent over £7k at a vintage Rolls Royce and Bentley specialist having work done. It’s had a full suspension rebuild with all new springs, bushes, kingpins, new loom, fuel pipes, recored rad, rebuilt carb, distributor, new brakes all round, 5x new Michelin XZX tyres and loads of other stuff. 
He then became ill and died before he had a chance to enjoy it. His son sold it for a fraction of the money spent to a chap who barely used it as he found it too slow. Also the gear linkage had been apart when the gearbox was out and they hadn’t got the adjustment correct so 1st to 2nd was very difficult. He used to slip the clutch and move off in 2nd which isn’t ideal on a Mayflower as 2nd is quite tall, being only a three speed. So he PXd for a Morris Minor it after doing about 150 miles. And made another whopping great loss on it.
I bought it from the dealer.
Spent a bit of time adjusting the gear linkage and now it’s a lot easier to engage, it was possible before but there was more of a knack to it.
It drives like a new Mayflower in 1953 would have done. The ride is excellent and the engine quiet and smooth. The steering is nice and taut with little play and it’s a delight to drive. 
There are a couple of minor tinkering jobs to do. It has no headlights at the moment. I’ve traced the fault to the switch so I’ve got a good used one winging its way to me.
The drivers seat is sagging and it needs restuffing. The leather is all quite dry and needs feeding. But the interior is amazingly well preserved, it’s all original. The headlining is in perfect condition and it even still has its original rubber mats under the carpets and underlay .
It also needs some decent numberplates as the cheap and nasty ones fitted look crap. The rear one hasn’t even been stamped, or fitted, straight. I’ll get onto Tippers when I get the V5 through.
One of the most amazing things with this car is how straight it is. It’s had the undersills replaced but apart from that, it’s had no welding at all and doesn’t need any. I can’t see any filler in it at all. 
It’s a great little thing to trundle around in and ok, it’s no speed demon but it’ll go at 45 all day and I’ve had it up to 50 a couple of times.
Here’s some pictures. Is @vulgalour still around on here? I’m sure he’ll like it.
















 

Yeah I love it, I think it's the perfect country to live in, my best mate is hopefully moving there in the next couple of years so I'm planning to be visiting a lot 🙂

This is probably the most well known 504 in Ireland. Converted from a new 1.8 petrol estate to a hearse and kept in perfect running order after it was retired from "active duty" It stayed with the undertaker until his death and is now owned by a collector in Kerry who uses it sparingly for shows, and was used recently for a funeral of a man who had owned a Peugeot dealership in the 70s

It was refreshing to be in Portugal recently, where no-one seems to expect a tip, although we did tip 10% as service was always really good. Before we left my wife looked up suitable tipping for cleaning staff at hotels and it's considered nice to leave €1 per day you stayed, which we improved on a bit. But it wasn't taken for granted, and we were thanked, not in a servile way, just a thank you from one person to another.
I could live in Portugal.

It was refreshing to be in Portugal recently, where no-one seems to expect a tip, although we did tip 10% as service was always really good. Before we left my wife looked up suitable tipping for cleaning staff at hotels and it's considered nice to leave €1 per day you stayed, which we improved on a bit. But it wasn't taken for granted, and we were thanked, not in a servile way, just a thank you from one person to another.
I could live in Portugal.

It was refreshing to be in Portugal recently, where no-one seems to expect a tip, although we did tip 10% as service was always really good. Before we left my wife looked up suitable tipping for cleaning staff at hotels and it's considered nice to leave €1 per day you stayed, which we improved on a bit. But it wasn't taken for granted, and we were thanked, not in a servile way, just a thank you from one person to another.
I could live in Portugal.

Detailing

Two new Heavy duty rear shocks which are about 25mm longer than standard are fitted,along with the aforementioned helper springs!😉
Back in the day Passat estate rear springs were and upgrade too,made of thicker material. 
Not my first rodeo with these cars.

It's taken too long,cost too much,pissed me off on numerous occasions,failed on two stupid items,but finally this shitbox has passed it's test and is fully road legal for the first time since 2012.

Appropriate badge...

 
 

That's not really working out for them.

I imagine it just sends a signal to say either a hand is there or not. Then it's up to the central locking system to decide if a fob is in sufficient range. 
The Kia Hyundai theft problem in the US is simply because for some bizarre cost cutting reason, they put no identification chip in the ignition key. Something that has been in cars for nearly 3 decades now. Iirc it's mandated under EU regs that there is a immobiliser system but US regs don't. Hence someone in Kia/Hyundai must have decided they could get away with saving a dollar or two by not having it. 

AERFER Firenze 426's   (based on a FIAT 412/1 chasiss. They had two staircases and the driver sat in the middle; the conductor sat at the back, the exit was at the front.

A few spots from Portugal.
A beautifully faded 190D in Lisbon

Old vans in Sintra

Three from Belém. I saw a couple more UMMs driving about.

The Portuguese love English cars, and there are still a good number of Rover 75s and older Land Rover products around.

I went to the Carris museum in Lisbon today. It's just like a transport museum should be, with everything in good shape, well explained (with English translation), not trying to be painfully relevant. The vehicle section is buried in the middle of the Carris works right underneath the 25th April suspension bridge. So you pay just inside the works entrance, look around the first part of the museum, and are then taken down to the vehicles on the old red tram in the photos. There's a huge amount about the history of Carris as well, with lots of other equipment on display. Amazingly, only €4.50 entrance. The only disappointment was that they don't seem to have any of the rather wonderful locally bodied AEC Regent Vs they bought inthe sixties.

A few spots from Portugal.
A beautifully faded 190D in Lisbon

Old vans in Sintra

Three from Belém. I saw a couple more UMMs driving about.

The Portuguese love English cars, and there are still a good number of Rover 75s and older Land Rover products around.

A few spots from Portugal.
A beautifully faded 190D in Lisbon

Old vans in Sintra

Three from Belém. I saw a couple more UMMs driving about.

The Portuguese love English cars, and there are still a good number of Rover 75s and older Land Rover products around.