Marina door handles

Just to be awkward I prefer the top set with the plainer red decals, rather than the coloured ones.

I do like Monzas but ooft ,that is going to take a lot of chicken wire, old copies of the news of the world, dish rags and Isopon to fix.

They were selling normal (ie none show your car) tickets as well, which I have bought as I will most likely be in a not very interesting for another 20 years at least Honda Accord.

I am actually contemplating this with some of my existing tat. My MGBGT, its a rotten old thing, it was free which is a great start price wise! Once I have finished the body work the plan was always to improve performance. As we all know the B series was an asthmatic potato of an engine which rather let the rest of the car down. My initial thought was getting a 7 port head for some authentic period performance but after seeing a Landcrab with a VR6 in practical classics I have had a change of heart and so might the B... My other thought on similar lines is putting a 3ltr legacy flat six into my Forester. There looks to be just enough space, keep the rest of the car standard for maximum Q car effect!

The Subaru is back, back to being a bit broken..... The steering was becoming a little stiff on turning right (this was back in early December but it wasn't too bad), after a bit of prodding , poking and head scratching I had come to the conclusion it was the rack. I did a bit of a shopping around and couldn't find an affordable straight replacement or refurb rack so settled for a 2nd hand unit. I did find a company that could refurb my old rack but I didn't want the car off the road for an indefinite length of time. Over the last couple of weeks I have ended up using the car a bit more than intended and the steering has got a lot worse. So I finally decided with a bit of time off between shifts and a bit of a break in the weather now is the time to pull my finger out and get the rack changed over. Firstly, (and a couple of weeks before I made the decision to actually get on with this job!) I cleaned and painted the 2nd hand rack as this will clearly ensure it works properly..... Don't really want to fit something that looks manky. Partly down to the pit being flooded (and due to issues cannot empty it at the moment) and the fact that I didn't want to wheel the MG out of the garage again, I decided to do this on the drive. Fortunately I have an exceedingly toasty, set of insulated and water proof overalls, like a small child's romper suit but in adult size! Its been a while since I have removed or re fitted a steering rack, actually the last car I did this too was my Scimitar and that doesn't really count as I had the body off the chassis at the time, access was good... This on the other had will be a bit more fiddly to work on. First job, try and detach the steering column, I can see the bolt but cannot get to it, so I removed the air box and filter, still cannot get to it. Then decide the best way is to remove the off side front drive shaft. Fortunately I have done that quite a few times on this car for various reason, so out that came.. Steering column now undone, next awkward part, the hydraulic lines, why are these always in an awkward spot?! In this case very awkwardly positioned above the subframe the rack was bolted to. I had a real fight to get these undone, had to really loosen the rack itself and wiggle it around for the best angle of attack. After some swearing and the use of my brake pipe spanners they came free. Finally to free the steering rack completely I had to drop the front anti roll bar and the exhaust manifolds to extricate it. And its out.... Its clearly got a small oil leak but apart from that nothing obvious without stripping it down In with the new.. Re fitting never quite the reverse of removal is it? I just could not get the smaller hydraulic line to screw in, the angle and access just made it impossible. What they looked like from beneath... I decided to take stock and figure out if you could remove more bits from the engine bay (preferably not the engine !) to get better access. On rummaging about I realised a large bracket was one of the bigger items obscuring my view so out came a 12mm socket and off it came to reveal.... There they are! And I can even get an arm in and suitable spanner to get at them (photo taken after the event). That job done it was just a case of buttoning everything up, which is a glib way of saying that I .... Deep breath..... Re connect the steering column, torqued up the tie rods, greased the inner tie rod swivels, fitted the bellows, fitted the track rod ends, re fit the subframe lower plate, re attach the front anti roll bar, re fit both exhaust manifolds, re fit the bracket which obscures your view of the hydraulic lines, re fit the hydraulic lines to the pump/reservoir, top up the PAS reservoir, re fit the the drive shaft, re attach the steering knuckle to the strut, re fit the caliper and re attach part of the ABS wiring, re fit the air filter housing and the air box gubins.. Bleed the power steering .. Re fit the wheels - lower the car, torque up the hub nut and stake it like a Vampire, worry about the tracking... park that thought, torque up the wheel nuts, shut bonnet, take overalls off.... Road test! Road test went well, needs tracking but its no longer threatening to seize up.. 😐 Nice to do a mechanical job that unlike my work on the Rover (mostly body work) that doesn't take months, very satisfying. Anyway thanks for reading, assuming you made it this far down!

Yes but Steph would like to remind you of the restraining order!

Can I nominate this cavalcade of previously owned crap?

Yes would be interested (wall type) , can you do February to February just to be awkward and properly stick 2 fingers up at convention?

Dear God! I didn't spot the fwendship corner bit when I purchase tickets, doesn't seem very Autoshite does it? There definitely needs to a be an awkward introvert corner with strictly policed social distancing and a healthy lack of eye contact. Mind you I am looking forward to mooching around 349 red MGBs with tartan blankets and one Mighty Dacia in the Exhibitor area........

I have narrowed this down to maybe a Mazda Bongo Frendee, an Umm Altar or possibly a Lynx Eventer?

I have had some estate cars but some are all a little unconventional... Firstly there was the Scimitar (which I still have ) a 3dr sports estate/shooting brake count don't they? Then there was the Alfa 156 Sportwagon, it looks like an estate but just like the BMW E30 3 series touring its actually tiny in the back but it looks right! Then there was the Forester which is just a slightly jacked up estate, which does the estate thing pretty well which is impressive as its based on the Impreza which wasn't a big car. There was also briefly this superbly unreliable thing..... No not the MX5 the Range Rover (yep argue all you like its a 4x4 its an SUV but it is most definitely an estate as well), the boot was cavernous, sadly the electronics were roger 'ed and it failed to proceed part way through its final MOT ending up at Copart.

You do have to watch these bastards like a hawk. I thought I had stopped the auto renewal occurring. The website had given me the impression... Anyway this morning I get a thanks for renewing your policy email........ Wasted 20 mins on the online chat getting the policy cancelled. I am still getting confused messages from Esure saying things like, we notice you have cancelled your direct debit..... We cannot email your renewal docs please contact us...... Online insurance should be so easy but the brokers /insurers choose to make it a faff.

Have we had .. Jowett Javelin Morris Mini Minor Citroen Cactus yet?

Up to date, dead modern racing from Crystal Palace.... Murray commentates, the images are rather black and white and the action is excellent https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cawBXWWgqCI Crystal Palace is a place close to my heart. On my first visit in the late Seventies/early Eighties, the motor racing may have been over but I managed to get head butted by an errant goat at the petting zoo. So it was still an exciting place for a small boy!

Well errrrrrr..... https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/134870112292?hash=item1f66e29824:g:jU4AAOSwISpljyaP&amdata=enc%3AAQAIAAAAsEpRVuJSQspiAONM4wcxNqAe717ZwMiBhA2Xk%2FRR74CtuyhjqccCPtsL%2BPUsC3IdP3D4T6MttVJKFGtwS%2Bs309E%2B5HzOzyR5NGV1cCnOe7SdSmaUA%2Fm7XeVHohkVWkCVULCCvOLXzRGyGUQD18wdygo42P45P2Q03uyWCx4CH5HDeZMe2k7Xi4gxUXZZpAP4czLTN86%2B3Ro8%2FiadG185msBmplZxK1MKbPBlrywySd%2FG|tkp%3ABk9SR_6yuuaYYw It probably helps that I don't really get the whole VW thing, which is why I don't hate this!

It does seem that insurers have gone back to jacking the price up at renewal, thought this wasn't going to be an issue any more? Anyway I did change car 3 months in last year but the increase was the equivalent of a £300 policy, now its up at £550. Shopping around I have changed to Aviva (Norwich Onion) with a premium of £292 so it really does pay to check what's available.

On a more car based note, best of historic rally by the excellent Tots Prod....

Something entirely silly and not remotely car related, the Andertons hot ones challenge....

Happy Yule logs and Seasonings greetings to you o'rrible lot. I hope Crampus doesn't upset your plans, especially if they involve knackered old motors....

Spotted at the local Garden center today.... Yes its a Fiat Panda hiding behind a scabby SD1.....

Its been a while, time for an Xmas-ish update, Santa is unimpressed with my work and has sent Crampus to play havoc with my plans! Rover update... I have been procrastinating again partly because I still haven't decided what to do about the fuel filler. My initial plan using a Land Rover part , I forget that virtually any LR part comes out about 20% bigger than you think it will.... Well that clearly doesn't fit! I could in theory make it fit but it would look fucking stupid! Anyone want a Land Rover 90 filler neck? I do have another possible candidate, Subaru Forester filler necks are pretty similar-ish and cheap (£60 ish ) and available. I will be replacing the neck on my Forester (it leaks when you fill the tank to the brim and needs doing) so when the new neck arrives (some time in the new year when I get around to this job) I can then offer it up to the rover and see if it really does fit. Yes I still cannot bring myself to pay the £200+ for the hand made necks that are being sold through ebay. Back on the body work front, I have been poking and prodding around the NS rear wheel arch, sill and passenger seat area just to make sure I am definitely, absolutely and completely finished welding on this side.... I spotted this, crusty bit right next to the rear back rest bracket. Ewwwwww.... I just have to pick at a scab, to be fair I wire brushed it thinking it was surface and just needed cleaning but no its all the way through... So I cut it out Then the holes got even bigger, after another poke so out came the zappy sparky stick out and... Bit of a clean up.... And finally some Ketchup oxide primer...... This car is just the gift that keeps on giving, I think it really wanted to be a colander. Whilst waiting for paint to dry on the Rover I started fiddling with the MG, well its just sat there so why not? Firstly I was getting a bit fed up with the mess that was in the boot so I cleaned that out, (I found that a mouse had clearly been living there) and discovered the spare wheel was rather loose, or more accurately the spare wheel retainer was... When I took it out it looked like this...... Another thing to add to the list but at least I should be able to create a new end for it. Also the wheel had got rather crusty so I cleaned that up. One for the comedy tyre name thread? Attacked with whizzy brushes Looking a bit healthier so I then added some rust treatment stuff, possibly Kurust... Hmmm doesn't look great, definitely needs painting! I also decided to remove the stupid sill cover on the passenger side, (the drivers side doesn't currently have an outer sill let alone sill cover! ) I hate sill covers you know they are just fitted to hide things. Surprisingly the metal underneath doesn't look to be in a bad way I was expecting a gapping rust hole or three.. It actually looks okay well apart from a couple of deliberate drill holes (maybe some one decided to wax oil it from above?) . I need to get my endoscope in the sill to really check it out but it looks like I might not have to replace the passenger side sill, I wont hold my breath! Anyone want a singular MGB sill cover, its scratched to buggery and looks like ass bit it will cover an Mot fail rust hole! Plans for the new year? Well I think I need to focus on the Subaru, not only does it have a fuel leak but the steering starts to stiffen up at a certain point, I am suspecting the rack as everything else seems okay. I even have a used rack to try, I did want a recon one but I cannot get hold of one (in theory I could get my existing one reconditioned but I don't want to be without the car for too long) so having a 2nd hand rack gives me some options. Considering how much time and money I put into this car earlier this year (new rear subframe, fuel tank, rear dampers and wheel bearings) I cannot say I am too thrilled about this but there you go! Obviously I will be carrying on with the Rover, aiming to get it to a point were it becomes mobile again so even if I cannot get it on the road, I can move it around the property so I can work on certain other cars properly! That's all Folks, hopefully I will have a more productive new year! Thanks for reading.