Dabooka

Found a few hours of sunlight today to get the new parts installed. Everything I've ordered fits perfectly so thank god no issues there. Also penis gasket:

Since I didn't really follow any instructions (and made my own cam pulley markings) success was anything but guaranteed. As long as that cam pulley stays where its supposed to be there's little you can screw up when installing the timing belt though.
Pointless photo of shiny new bits that are barely visible:

Once everything was installed, all thermostat housing gaskets replaced and torqued it was time to figure out if my theory above was true. Lo and behold...
Now this is a non-interference engine so there was no possibility of complete catastrophe and I haven't had the car on the road yet to see if there is any drop in power due to bad timing. The car idles exactly as it did before though and cranking the engine with the fuel pump disconnected resulted in a nice even compression sound so I guess things are fine?
Next step is further pressure testing the coolant system to make sure that there are really no leaks, and then reassemble everything again and hope that nothing else will break in the near future...

Sister in law has just phoned up in tears.
her partner had a sub-arachnoid aneurysm this afternoon and they’re switching life support off tonight.
Fuck.

I managed to find the secret injury clinic. See me after dogging for gauze and eye wash. 

VID_20210825_083547515.mp4

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/373772137465?hash=item57068e33f9:g:UWwAAOSwB-NhevdY
this Beaumont is a chevrolet parts bin special from Canada. built in South Africa, and now here in blighty.
isn't it lovely? i think so.

Petrol Power and MoT @ £1050.

”I think the clutch is slipping”

https://en-gb.facebook.com/marketplace/item/637832607212118
 

The Toyota Camry never sold very well in the UK, and the Gen3 is rather rare these days (in the UK) Earlier in the year I tracked down this beauty. It came with a massive service history folder. The first owner of 20 years had changed the oil every 2-2.5K from new. Everything works, electric sunroof, seats, original stereo, and the air con is ice cold 😀 Not bad for 161K miles and 25 years. The camry is really underrated and under appreciated in the UK. In the US, it was a best seller thanks to amazing durability, reliability and comfort. I think the exterior styling is what put lots of Brits off buying them, but I don't mind it all.
Usually when buying a car of this age, there would be loads of annoying little faults to sort out, but not on this one. Sadly I didn't buy it direct from the 1st owner, there have been some owners inbetween who did neglect it

850 convertible made by Nilsson Special Vehicles. I want it.

Pilgrim Street, Monkwearmouth.

Nice shot of the business end here. I know it's the business end, because Wikipedia says so. 

That was a big bus dump!
Good to see a Leyland National at the Metrocentre bus station. That brings back memories of the 1990's.
True strory - I once attended a 'bus rally' at the Metrocentre coach park. I was disappointed to find that they were static displays and not sliding around like mk2 Escorts!! To be fair, I was only 6. I remember buying a big Leyland 'plug hole of doom' badge, I've still got it up in my garage.

Does anyone like busses. 
Incoming mega bus dump. 
 

 

 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 
 

 
 
 

 
 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 
 

 
 
 

 
 

 
 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 
 

 
 

 
 
 

 
 

 
 
 

 
 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 
 

 
 
 

 
 
 

 
 
 
 

 
 
 

 
 
 
 

 
 
 

 
 
 

 
 
 

 
 

 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 
 
 

 
 
 

 
 

 
 
 

 
 
 

 
 

 
 
 

 
 

 
 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 
 

 
 
 

 
 

 
 
 

 
 
 

 
 

 
 
 

 
 
 

 
 
 

 
 

 
 
 

 
 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 
 

 
 
 

 
 
 

 
 

 
 
 

 
 
 

 
 

 
 
 

 
 
 

 
 
 

 
 
 

 
 
 

I think you'll enjoy this, @Ghosty
http://www.brixmis.co.uk

I am home now.
Absolutely no help from the RAC after 2 hours, just text messages to say they are too busy to attend to me.
All the thanks to Slowsilver who turned out at zero notice. Then allowed me to tow him in the Carlton at reckless speeds with him having no ability to slow me down even if he wanted too!
It was decided not to punish the Zafira  and we put my Chelsea tractor to work instead. I think I heard it complaining it needed a pampering full valet after that activity.
I hope we can get the Carlton going where it is or if not a quick tow to the FoD over the weekend.
Once again BIG Thanks to @Slowsilver

So the second then. I think.
I may need to get the Cougar back on the road for the next meet to hear it live. We can all take a vote

So the second then. I think.
I may need to get the Cougar back on the road for the next meet to hear it live. We can all take a vote

Cheers to @reb for an enjoyable afternoons tinkering!
 
Having sold him this car a few years back, it was great to see it live again!
 
Thanks to @DodgyBastard for supplying a peach of an engine - we didn't have to bleed it at all - literally just a few pumps of the primer and a glow of the plugs, and it fired right up!
Cheers also to @Tickman and @Supernaut for all their graft getting the engine in and wired.
 
today we fitted the passenger drive shaft, 2x new bottom arms and balljoints, filled the gearbox with oil and stuck a clutch cable on it.
I also changed out the battery to starter/alternator loom so the bloody battery clamp tightened properly
A bit of time was spent trying to get it to crank - we had dash lights, but no attempt to start at all (couldn't hear any load on the Volvo that was providing jump start capabilities)
REB was able to read the wiring diagram (I have no clue with them!) And we worked out that we needed to attach a wire from the glow plug relay to the starter, and also swap the correct wire for the exciter on the starter.
did that and away we went!

Ch eye chest a

Moving up here I could never understand how it's pronounced.
Chi-chester or Chich-ester. I seem to get mocked regardless 😃

Moving up here I could never understand how it's pronounced.
Chi-chester or Chich-ester. I seem to get mocked regardless 😃

Big thanks to @320touringfor the help getting this going today!
We're now going to see if we can get it to move!

We’ll ultimately this will be disappointing compared to the choices offered here… but I bought an Elgrand and I’m well chuffed with it!! 

It was a bizarre happenstance that my wife and I were looking for something interesting with 7 seats, but had discounted Elgrands as being too expensive. Enter Northern Monkey and his very reasonably priced Elgrand! Available in Colne… which is exactly where I happened to be away for the weekend with family! How spooky!
So purchase was arranged! It’s a brilliant thing, and we look forward to ferrying the existing brownnova-sprogs and the one we have on the way! 

There was no collection thread as @NorthernMonkeydelivered today. He has been a really A1 seller, as the day we went to view my daughter ended up being very ill and spending the night in hospital. Straight away he offered to deliver save me coming away from her whilst she was poorly. Thoroughly good chap and very much appreciated!! 

Having breakfast at an airfield! It's very nice 

This is more of a WHAT THE FUCK than a makes me grin 

6ee19fa00233296d2e797c0f42f2863a.mp4

The launch date was also Hitlers 77th birthday!
There are no plates on the inner wings but I think they may have been painted at some stage, probably at the same time by whoever did that fibreglass and filler in the wing fronts. The arches have been painted too.
I rebuilt the engine, it may have had a steel timing gear already, if not Richard will have a receipt for one in the paperwork I had. The heads were converted to unleaded by Vulcan Engineering who managed to convince AJ to have them gas flowed as well!
The clutch was an interesting one, I think it was a diesel Sierra I ended up fitting. Pistons were hard to find too, I did suggest fitting a 3ltr Granada engine I was offered but AJ wanted to keep the original 2.5ltr which posed endless problems on parts. 
In all the time it sat in my front and rear gardens the paint was always flat. I pressure washed the green algae off it regularly and there was always a pale blue tinge to the water running away!