SiC

Back up again https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/632118321677712/ Because I like to be a dick to traders sometimes, I did ask on a FB post about it (in the classic cars for sale group) if it was the one from Mathewsons. He replied and said I must be mistaken as that was PX reg. Then deleted the listing shortly after and recreated it. 🤣

My bets are on @Kiltox or @red5

Isn't the manifold heating more of an advantage to stop ice forming on the inside of the manifold during cold weather running? If not running in cold weather then less of a use and allows cooler air to get in?

According to TotalCarCheck it is stolen. Link is here: https://totalcarcheck.co.uk/FreeCheck?regno=Pn60ytm Phone the police now to say it's been abandoned there and total car check says it's stolen. Also let them know where it is. I had it at my old place and they leave them in a quiet area to see if it's still hot or not. It was recovered shortly after phoning. Some poor bugger is probably lost a fair bit of money thinking they've lost all their tools. Might be the plod that investigated it didn't enter the reg number correctly or wasn't logged properly as stolen when they went around. Also don't touch it as it may go off to forensics and better off not having your prints on it too!

Tomorrow will be a week since I listed it here and on the P4 Facebook group. I've had (all from the FB group): - One person came to view for 1.5hrs and said he'd get back to me. He hasn't got back to me. - Someone else wanted my phone number and phoned me. He asked to pass my mobile number to his mate as he was interested to view. Didn't hear any more. - Message to say interested and sort a viewing for tomorrow. He has changed his mind and decided he doesn't want it as he has too many cars and doesn't want another project. So not a huge amount of success in selling this. I've gone down to my local paint place with the petrol flap to get some paint mixed up. Should be here by the end of the week. I'll paint that near side front and rear wing to make it more presentable than bright red oxide. Also I will have another go with the front bumper. This time lacquer it and see if that lasts more than a rainy evening. Once those bits are sorted I'll put up for sale on eBay and Car & Classic to see how much interest I get. It's been a long while since I put a car on the open market. Possibly I think it'll be my first pre-80s classic put on the main selling sites? Hopefully I'll have a bit more luck and I'm hoping for (generally) no hassle.

@NorfolkNWeigh may have driven one?

Nope. Pre internet times I think. He did post a picture of it up either on TDW or here. Edit a quick search bought up this reference: I think it was on TDW he posted the picture. FFS @ an inva sluthing this way onto the thread. Forum is filled with the blinking things.

@anonymous userhas owned a Frogeye

A walk and talk video

It looks better now it has eyes! Cars need to have lights otherwise they look odd. The far left is going to need welding for it to not fall out. I don't think it's a bad project nor a shell in that bad a condition either. I really want to get this Spitfire now but finding it really frustrating trying to sell stuff. Good job I don't have a big barn otherwise I don't think I'd ever sell!

Practical Classics Had to put another £20 of petrol in again today! I put that amount in yesterday (super unleaded) and it was back down to a quarter. I think I've done nearly 175 miles since I've had it already. All just by pootling around. Certainly gains the most attention out of all my cars. If you're a single woman in your 50s to 70s, this is a perfect car to attract a similar aged man 🤣 Was chatting to some old guys in the pub about it. They went outside to have a look and asked one of the servers if it was staff. My wife perked up and said it was mine. I think the first time she's ever done that with one of my cars... Anyway they were into pre-war cars and one of them was going to bring their Riley but had a bad back. He said he was thinking of selling some of his older cars to make room for modern classics as easier to drive as he ages. I didn't like to say I was starting to get interested in pre war cars and was waiting for his generation to thin out so they got my more affordable 🙃

Probably the same Lucas part they used for years! I wouldn't even be surprised if it's the panel dimmer rheostat in my BGT. Even though she likes it, I was having this conversation with her earlier that she reckons I'll get bored quickly. I think she's right as I'm already pondering if I'm a bit bored of it. Usually changes when I've gone for a drive but I think that's because it's still novel to me. Pottering around is fine but there is only so much you can do. It'll happily do long distances (it's quite refined at speed) but if I'm doing that then generally I just take a modern for the lack of hassle. Local journeys (i.e. upto an hour or so each way non motorway) is where I get the most enjoyment out of classics. Something like the Spitfire I'm getting is just me. Driving the hell out of it while being tailgated by a grandmother in a Skoda Fabia 1.2 because I'm not actually going that quickly. Admittedly Mrs SiC doesn't like that as it usually involves her getting thrown around the car and why she probably likes the Rover more. Pondering today I do think I'm getting close to having all the fun I will get out of it. Some more evening pottering to the seaside and sorting that paint out is probably all I need left. Strictly speaking I bought this as a N+1 and now over capacity. I can get away with it as I have driveway for two cars and the Boxster is small enough that I can go against the garage and fit a third (i.e. visitor) car. But N+2 is definitely too much. Even just down to the fact that maintenance for this many cars starts to get time consuming and expensive! There's a point where I start fearing something will break and I have yet another (potentially big) expense. More cars means more probability of that and I'm just about at that level.

£9k this sold for. Other frogeyes didn't sell. The Market on pre 80s stuff is definitely softening off as I thought. Bought a classic car buyer rag the other day and the front page is saying the same thing. https://www.mathewsons.co.uk/auction/lot/lot-660---1959-austin-healey-sprite/?lot=13872&so=0&st=Austin&sto=0&au=40&ef&et&ic=False&sd=1&pp=48&pn=1&g=1

She's pretty grubby in there! Presumably that cam is less "emissions friendly" than the one in there? And thus more sprightly performance?

Went to Clevedon sea front today in the P4. First proper journey my wife has been in it (she isn't a big fan of my older cars) and she quite liked it! Probably because I love sports cars and I drive them as such. But this car makes me slow right down and I'm quite happy just pootle along slowly, which she prefers than me revving the nuts off my others. Also stopped by the local Bluebell woods to have a wander and a photo. Not quite enough out to be the best picture, but it still hasn't come out too bad. It did make me wonder why I was selling this car. But I desperately need the room with another car on the way and I'm still piecing my Dolomite together with the intention of selling that instead (whichever sells first). But this is last in, so first out.

Fixed the blower fan on my P4. Actually was just the rheostat needed cleaning up. Quite easy to diagnose by touching the motor terminal on the power side. Opened it up and cleaned it with some 400grit sandpaper.

The 1100 advert says an Anthony S.

Do you think he wants a deal with a P4? 🫣 Say no otherwise my wife will kill me!

You white one is for sale again! I would love it but I need to urgently sell some cars. Edit: just looked at the advert. Oh my. I didn't know it has a 1300gt engine in 😬 I wish I could buy it.

I don't like to admit it, but put me in front of something that I really want and especially have done for years then it's very much

When you've been with someone for 20 years, you pick up on little signs. I was speaking to Mrs SiC this morning about the plan I had in my mind. "I put the Rover up for sale last night" At that point my spider senses tingled that her facial expressions signaled this wasn't a good start to the conversation. I knew she liked the idea of selling the Dolomite as it hadn't moved or worked on for ages and I'd get rid of all the scrap in the garden. Thinking quickly on my feet, I quickly replied with "As I need to get the Dolomite for sale and hopefully that will be done this weekend. But the P4 is easy to sell and the Dolomite is more work to, so if the P4 goes first then it gives me time to sort the Dolomite and get more money for it" *breath* Her face lightened up from the scowl that was originally forming started to clear. "Right" was the softened version of the original response she was intending to say. I still want to keep the Dolomite and get it to a road usable state (I.e. not necessarily fully restored). If the P4 goes first then that makes it easier to justify keeping the Dolomite. So the plan is to keep the P4 for sale and put the Dolomite up potentially after this weekend if I get a chance to fully prep it for sale. Tbh it sounds a better plan, so let's pretend that what I was doing all along anyway.

So today I test drove a Spitfire. It was ace. I want need it. I need to sell a car and the Dolomite is the chosen one as it makes the most sense. Highest value, most amount of work till a driver. I posted up on the Dolomite FB page and got a bit of a mixed response about values. That said, at the bottom end it's still about what I paid. If I split the spares then I can recoup most costs. I put some pictures up of it and admittedly not the most flattering. Probably why I didn't get the best response. Plus it's Facebook. While scrolling through, I saw this photo. Pre mass poking. I said to myself "why did I have to poke and ruin it so much" For me to put the Spitfire somewhere I have to clear the decks. To do this I need to get the Dolomite on the drive and sort it out. Headlight in, windscreen in, interior fully and get it running. This evening I went out to the garage to sort it. While I was there I thought I'd better put up an advert for the P4 as if that did sell, it would be less work to sell than the Dolomite. Even though the Dolomite should fetch more. Currently the Dolomite is penned in with parts from different cars. So this needed all clearing off so I could start sorting it. I cleared all the Midget parts out of the way and put the c-pillar trim on. I looked at the almost done wheel arch repair and thought "hmm. I sloshed some filler on the P4 and it didn't take too long while looking almost presentable. I have nothing to lose if I try on here" With that thought, this happened. Not finished of course but being in the garage, I can leave it without the elements mucking it up. It needs a few more sand/filler/sand/filler cycles but it won't take much. Yes the bottom arch needs fixing in but that's pretty see straightforward. I stepped back and thought, this is a friggin cool car. Sometimes being in the presence of something can make your mind change. It suddenly clicked. Yes the P4 is a great car. It is lovely to drive, it's big and imposing, it fully works (rare for me!) and it's interesting. But driving that Spitfire reminded me of something. I love sports cars. The Dolomite Sprint is a sports saloon. It looks cool, it's fast, it's fun to drive and also interesting. So why am I getting rid of it? Because it needs a lot of work? Yes it does. However! I've only poked one side. Let's get the driver's side all done and drive it for a bit. The work on the P4 has proved I can do it reasonably quickly. I just need to strongly follow the motto of "better done than perfect". In terms of condition, it's been stored in a garage for the last 3+ years, and it's not deteriorated that much as it hasn't been exposed to elements. Sort the driver's side and it'll probably pass an MOT just fine again even. So the plan: (as always, subject to change) Spitfire incoming P4 outgoing Dolomite to storage for a bit so I can knuckle down on the Midget. I'll need to have a sort out down there to make room as Mrs SiC is less than impressed with this spares pile in the garden. Garage space is freed up with the Dolomite in storage to allow me to use the MGB more and swap around with the Spitfire over this spring/summer period. Boxster and TT won't be able to go into storage and will have to live on the drive. That's okay as they're modern and won't deteriorate like classics being exposed to elements. Plus we're coming to summer soon anyway. Immediate steps: - Make a serious effort to sell the P4. That includes sorting the paint on the repaired wing. - Drive the P4 to a classic meet this weekend (weather dependent). This should fulfil most of my needs with the P4. - Get the Dolomite out of the garage this weekend and put it together more. Mostly as this makes it easier to move and crucially is a mojo booster if it's mostly in one piece again. - Find someone to transport it the short distance to storage. I possibly could drive it there but I don't want to push my luck too much! - Get the Spitfire home - Have some classic motoring fun. Game on.

Near Clevedon, North Somerset

I really am quite rubbish with filler and paint. Even these pictures flatter it. I'd spent longer on it but I needed to get it done tonight as it's just about warm enough to dry and it's due to rain again tomorrow. Better done than perfect. I also need to find where to buy a cellulose spray can of Juniper Green paint. You can see the repair at the bottom of the wing is too wide for the chrome piece to fit nicely. That was the previous person's attempt at a repair. I'll see how bad it looks with the green paint and chrome piece on. It may just have to do and at least it's solid.