BL Bloke

While I was out this morning I saw a box on a market stall with a few diecasts in and came away with these. Matchbox Corvette Caper Cart. Stickers are a bit rough, the tow hook is missing and the bumpers have some damage but it doesn't look too bad. Corgi Junior Kojak's Buick. A few paint chips but in very good condition otherwise. I hadn't seen either of these casting for ages so I was pleased to add them to my collection.

Thanks to @Six-cylinder and @Mrs6C for another great day. Only being there on Saturday meant I missed out on the Manta revival but the 205 had another trouble free trip out, this time with the correct tyre pressures. 🙄 Upon arrival I parked by one of the cars I'd drive later on (no, it wasn't the Invacar). 🙂 It was nice to see the Mighty Dacia making an appearance. I had brief drives across the field in the Alfa 156 and Maserati Biturbo, which ticked a couple of boxes on my engine list as they were my first V6 and first turbo. Later on I also had a ride in @Andyrew's Allegro, It was good to see everyone again, prior engagements permitting I'll be back again next month.

I'll be coming down tomorrow. Transport will be the same as last week, now @Six-cylinder approved. 🙂 It even had a clean out last weekend thanks to @beko1987 letting me borrow his vacuum cleaner. Not sure I'll be much help with the SAAB although I did hold the funnel last Saturday when @bobdisk was emptying whatever the petrol had become into a plastic fuel can. It was interesting watching people who know what they're doing working on it though.

I'm planning on coming down tomorrow, hopefully I'll get there before it gets too hot.

That looks a lovely old thing, well bought. Hopefully the starting problem isn't anything too serious.

Liked for the contrast of a bASe Ibiza outside a place called High Speed Heroes. 🙂 Plus it does look a very nice example.

I'll be coming down for one or both of the weekends next month, hopefully the 205 will be making its FOD debut.

A bit late posting here but I thoroughly enjoyed my first Shitefest. I arrived late Friday afternoon a was able to park on the field with some of the others who were staying off site for a couple of hours before we had to move to make room for those who were camping. The ride on the train was fun if rather hot and the slate museum was very interesting. Being a BL licker my favourite car of the weekend had to be the Marina but the Hondas and SEAT Ibiza ran it close. It was great to meet everyone although I must make more of an effort to introduce myself to people next time. The Rover performed well all weekend without any trouble although on the way home the fuel gauge did pretend that it was the speedo and dropped to empty a couple of times when i stopped for traffic then went back up when I moved off again. 😕 Thanks to @Sunny Jim for arranging it and to everyone else for making it a great weekend. 🙂

July has been a busy month for the Rover as on the 10th it was at Gaydon for the BMC & Leyland show. The following weekend it was off to North Wales for Shitefest. Back in August 2019 I had planned to take it on a run out to Llandudno but due to HGF issues it didn't happen so I took a detour on the way home and it finally got there. By the time I got back home via the A5 it had covered around 500 miles in just over a week without any noticeable problems which I was quite pleased with. When the 205 came out for the Summer the trim on the nsr door was hanging off. After a couple of attempts to stick it back on I decided to remove it and noticed that the rearmost few inches of the nsf door trim was loose too. I went out in it the other day and after doing some shopping I came ack anf found the trim had come off and the end was resting on the mud flap. It's a good job I approached from the passenger side or I probably wouldn't have noticed that it had come off. It was put in the boot and on the way home it clocked up 2000 miles since I bought it back in June 2019. I now have to decide what to do with the side trim. As I see it I have three options; 1. Find something suitable to stick them back on as they've done an excellent job of protecting the body from parking dings & scrapes. 2. Take them all off as, according to my 205 brochure, the GL shouldn't have side trim. 3. Take the asymmetric route and take the piece on the ns front wing off and leave the other side as it is. Decisions, decisions.

Here's my list with the current fleet in bold. Looking at it you'll see why I chose my forum user name. 🙂 I bought my first car in July 1979 and only 5 of them have cost more than £500 to buy, although a few have cost more than that to keep on the road. 1. 1970 Austin 1300 2 door 2. 1970 Morris Oxford 3. 1976 Vauxhall Chevette E 4 door 4. 1970 Morris 1300 4 door 5. 1965 Austin A35 van(with rear seat and side windows) 6. 1958 Austin A35 Deluxe 2 door 7. 1969 Austin 1300GT 8. 1981 Audi 80 GL 9. 1992 Rover Metro 1.1 3 door (the only car I bought brand new, it wasn't worth it) 10. 1969 Austin Maxi 1500 deluxe 11. 1978 Vanden Plas 1500 12. 1981 Austin Maxi 1750 HL 13. 1980 Vanden Plas 1500 14. 1975 Austin Maxi 1750 15. 1974 Austin Maxi 1500 16. 1981 Austin Allegro 1.3 L 4 door 17. 1977 Austin Maxi 1750 18. 1981 Austin Allegro 1.5 HL 4 door 19. 2001 Skoda Fabia 1.4 16v Elegance 20. 2013 Skoda Fabia 1.2 SE 12v 21. 2003 Rover 45 1.4 Impression 3 5 door 22. 1986 Peugeot 205 1.1 GL 5 door 23. 1998 Ford Fiesta 1.25 LX 3 door 24. 1999 Citroen Saxo 1.1 East Coast 3 door Not as many as a lot of the folk on here but the current fleet is more than enough.

I'm up for the train ride, count me in. I haven't decided which car to bring yet but it'll be either the Rover or the 205.

@Sunny Jim, can you put me down for Sunday breakfast please.

Interesting project.

That Merc looks lovely.

No battery problems since the last update as the Rover has been in regular use including a couple of visits to the FoD, where it was joined last weekend by one of its younger siblings in the shape of @MrDuke's 45. A couple of months back it was my lowest mileage car but with a few long runs over the past few weeks the Fabia is now lowest again by 40 miles. On the French front the Saxo has been put in the garage as a car with a non functioning heater fan blower isn't ideal for summer. On the plus side this means that the 205 is out for the first time since the end of March. 🙂 To mark the occasion I took it out for a run to the countryside. I have been thinking of reducing the fleet again but I can't decide which one to sell as I like them all plus I wouldn't know how much to ask for if I did decide to sell one.

Many thanks to @Six-cylinderand @Mrs6Cfor hosting a great weekend, although I was only there yesterday. This time round it was the Rover's turn to make its first visit and just before entering the field this happened. Shortly after I arrived the Rover was joined by one of its older relatives, also in silver. Further along the line there was a bit of contrast with the E Type and Ami side by side. I got a ride in the Ami later on as I went on the chippy run with @catsinthewelderand @hairnet. It was the first time I'd sat on a bench seat since the 1970's when my Dad had a Mk3 Zephyr and never having been in a flat twin Citroen before I was surprised how noisy it was. After fish and chips it was off home listening to Eurovision on the radio and as I arrived home I clocked up 3000 in the Rover since I bought it back in Feb 2019. Already looking forward to the net one when the 205 may make an appearance. 🙂

1. davidfowler2000 - both nights trailer2. Brownnova - both nights tent or car3. Beko - both nights tent4. Supernaut - both nights tent5. Juular - both nights car6. catsinthewelder +kids both nights tent7. Fumbler- both nights car8. chaseracer - both nights tent or car9. EightMegs - Both nights, tent10. batterypowered - Both nights, tent11. Twosmoke300 plus 2 or 3 guests (awaiting confirmation) - both nights van and tent12. cms206 - both nights, camper13. ghosty - both nights, car14. Captain_70s - (Maybe) both nights, car or tent.15. Fatharris - both nights - tent16. 3VOM - both nights - car, tent, something17. 320touring - both nights tent or car (TBC)18. horriblemercedes both nights, tent19. Hillmanimp - both night, tent or camper.20. Kirton - Friday, Saturday, Sunday nights camper21. LiteAce Owner (EightMegs) - both nights, van22. Dave_Q - Saturday only, maybe van, maybe moped + smol tent23. Cord Fourteener - (possibly) both nights + (possibly) some family24. taxi paul - Saturday day visitor + (possibly) some family25. dozeydustman - (if can get cover) Saturday - car26. reb- (if the time-off gods allow) both nights - car27 - Anthony G, Friday & Saturday night, staying off site.28. Six-cylinder - b&b booked locally Friday & Saturday nights 29. maxxo - both nights ten30. Jaypee - both nights, car #galaxy31. LightBulbFun - both nights, staying off site 32. BL Bloke - both nights, staying off site

That sounds like a lot more fun than work any day. 😀 The Rover's battery is on charge so it'll probably be making its FOD debut on Saturday.

Hopefully I'll be there Saturday. If I can be bothered to charge the Rover's battery I'll give it a run out otherwise it'll probably be the Saxo again.

A quick update on the Rover's battery troubles. At the end of the last post I had this, which I wasn't happy with. I bought another clamp with a 2 way connector and fitted that which looked more like the original set up. The battery had been charged three weeks earlier and had been in the car disconnected since then but after a few turns of the key the Rover fired up for the first time in over a month and over the next few days just over 100 miles added. Since then it hasn't been used for a week and half so yesterday evening I thought I'd see if it would start. Nope. ☹️ As the battery held charge when it was disconnected I'm assuming that the battery is OK and the problem is elsewhere. The question is, where?

Put me down for two nights in the chalet as well.

I'm planning on coming along for the weekend but I don't do camping so if the chalet is available I could split the cost with @LightBulbFun and provide a lift from the site to the chalet and back. The Saxo has already been to South and Mid Wales back in 2019 so a trip to North Wales would complete the set. 🙂