Barry Cade

3 if you look carefully!

Happened across some sort of banger racers yard today, odd stuff everywhere!

Just noticed your Astro has the flip down front number plate/step.. Still got it?

Just back from a couple of days away in the Astro, did about 200 miles, and it seems to be doing 22mpg, which is better than expected, but more painful than I imagined, especially when the tank holds 27 gallons, sk if you splash out and put 50 quid in it, it disappoints and disapproves and shows a quarter of a tank. 😔 It's about 80% a camper now, still got a proper sink/cooker to put in, as well as some sort of fridge, but its perfectly usable and very comfy. We spent the night at Glenshee and it got down to just above freezing but we're were toasty but I do think the 5kw Diesel heater is a bit of overkill. A 2kw would have been better but are more expensive and harder to find. The Eberspacher I had in the Vito was more controllable but they are £1000 more... I built a split charge setup with voltage sensing relays, but a night out a few weeks ago left me with a very slow starter in the morning. A whiff of Camping Gaz got us going but it seemed like the relays were allowing both batteries to be drained.. now swapped for a different system and it's cured the issue. I am still using a 11 year old Ford Focus battery as the habitation power though 😁 The bed is proper comfy and I always sleep better in a van than a house. Bed is longer than a standard bed too, which is great as I'm 6ft4. Last night I was sitting in 24 degrees, feet up, with a Wießbeer reading RIDE magazine at the top of the Cairnwell Pass at 2200ft, listening to the Grouse and deer. The clouds even cleared for a while to see the stars! I do have a noise from one of the pulleys,actually I think it's the alternator, so I'll have to check that out but otherwise I'm up to date with maintenence etc. It's had a full service, and coolant flushed, etc . It's far from being the easiest thing to work on, and to get to the rear of the engine, all the Starcraft wood has to come out, followed by the Chevy plastic and then the metal doghouse. I had it running with everything off and it feels like you are working in a blast furnace.. I've fitted a swivel passengers seat too, which gives so much more space and opens up the whole van. Obviously you can't get an off the shelf one here in the UK, so I got a universal one and set out to make it work, with the huge,heavily padded leather captains chair. I keep all my leftover towbar brackets and bolts and got the whole thing fitted only needing to drill 2 holes.. result! It still works electrically and looks standard. Only thing is I had to fit the swivel unit upside down so the lever doesn't turn with the seat.. not a big deal. Looking forward to testing out the AWD if the snow comes, these things are supposed to be pretty capable, would like some All Season white letter tyres though..

😍

Very nice! I saw my first ZZR in 1990, at the the bike show in Musselburgh when they were just launched . 16 year old RD50 riding me decided there and then I was having one, one day. Had to be an early one though. Really wanted black and blue, but got black and red..

In surprised at all your opinions on ZZRs, I've always found them to be very good also I hate Hondas! I've had more bother with them than anything else, and that includes Italian stuff! 4 ZZRs, and a GPZ1100s, and never an issue, apart from stuffing one into a Polo ..

I've had a few, and think they are brilliant bikes. Fast, comfy and seem pretty bulletproof. My first big bike was a zzr400, which suddenly gained 200 cc 😳. Brakes are a bit crap, calipers sieze at the first sign of damp. Put firestorm calipers on and that sorts that, most will have aftermarket exhausts on by now, but the original system seems to work best. 1993 is on the change. I like the early colours but later models are a better bike, 1993 on had a fuel gauge.. The 90s shell suit in the pic was my last one before I got an 1100.. paid 400 quid for it and went through it all. One of my favorite bikes.

Remember watching a "the making of" the original, way before CGi.. the scene where the car is smashed up in Darnells was filmed and played backwards so the car "repairs" itself. Cool to watch!

Also stars in the opening credits of the Fall Guy!

The 68-70 Charger has been the star of quite a few films and TV programmes, off the top of my head.. Dukes of Hazard Dirty Mary Crazy Larry Bullitt Vanishing point remake Deathproof Fast and furi*out.. Christine (remake coming soon I believe!) Any more?

Tangerine Dream, proper '80s! Also.. Automan, The Fall Guy, Hardcastle and McCormick, BJ and the Bear.. The A Team, Knightrider...... then all the films. Made me into a proper 'murican car nut. Chargers are well out of reach now, but I did manage to have an original Challenger, a big block full size pickup and a cop car.. all of them were crap, but brilliant!

That 850R tho.. 😍 I was concerned for the headlining when they stuffed all the crap in the boot, then noticed there was no trim on the inside of the tailgate.. these are impossible to find in good nick so think the owner removed it so it wouldn't get trashed for a stupid TV programme. Won't watch again... Bitchin rides, that's my go to TV show. Can't be bothered with the nonsense, but the workmanship is amazing. The one where the weird guy made a metal retractable hardtop for a pickup from scratch was genius.

My local motor factors have started stocking it, but prices are comparable with Comma or Mobil.. must be quite a mark up for them.. Noticed Mannol 4- takt, for bikes too, just ordered some for the Tiger.