Soundwave

I struck gold in this part of the field: Nothing to say here, I just really really like this. Genuinely didn't even know there was a 504 estate until today! I was Cordia-lly invited to take a photo of this. Actually I wasn't, I was just trying to shoehorn that shit pun in. Obligatory: Best(?) of British(?):

One of two early Alpines in attendance: Soft spot for this as well, my mum had a 216GSi on a G plate. Tin worm ate it in the end. A not-so-teenaged Starlet: A very late Simca pickup, so late it's wearing Talbot badges: I'm always divided on two-tone cars made after the 1970s, but this special edition Fiesta rocks it. A not-so-musical Maestro, resplendent in zero cost option blue:

R8s and 205s were both well represented as usual, although perhaps not quite as much as previous years. Volvo 900 estates and Citroen BXs seemed the most numerous this time around. Mad to think there's only a decade of difference between these two: Low mileage Laguna: I have a soft spot for Avenger estates, I was bought home from hospital in one of these, albeit an orange one. Explains a lot really. 2.3 Granada. All expenses spared! Cars in colour...

Bit of Italian flair: Nineties shades of red: A Florino van which hasn't disintegrated? Blimey. Also that's an incredibly beige Rover. Off-white Metro, in ultra luxurious* City X spec. Luxurious onion-carrier. Which decade? All of them.

I was thinking about starting a new thread with my pics on it, but what the heck. I'll join in here instead. So without further delay... time for a thread hijack. 😁 After a rather rushed job of replacing the Saab's rusted out wing, I went over it with a jet wash and decided that was good enough. Set off on the 60 mile journey to Grimsthorpe, this 120 mile round trip is the longest journey I've taken the car on. And of course, it was mechanically fine, it's a great cruiser on longer trips too. Got there in good time, although it took an additional 30 minutes from getting there to getting in. I didn't mind though, just before arrival I'd noticed a slight clonk coming from the front of the car, so the stationary traffic gave me a moment to investigate. Easy fix, and totally not the car's fault; in my rush to put the car back together, it seems I hadn't fully cinched up a couple of the wheel nuts and they'd worked a bit loose! Thankfully the centre cap design means they can't back out fully, a quick tighten and all was well again. Always check your nuts, kids! As mentioned above, upon arrival I ended up being parked next to some other executive class cars... I don't think it was intentional, but made for a good display! Then, it was just a case of wander around and take photos of whatever took my fancy. Didn't take as many as usual, partly because I wanted to actually look at the cars for myself, and partly to conserve phone battery. One of the downsides of phones being a camera and a sat nav in one, need to make sure I leave enough juice to get home! Anyway, here they are... Some might call this exceptional, but I don't care. Was bloody lovely, and RHD too: It's like an early 90s car park: Unos have been conspicuously absent from FOTU until this year. One of three in attendance: Believe this one did the rounds on social media, an ULEZ scrappage escapee: Is it wrong the first thing I thought of when I took this pic was "Hehe... the BX numberplate says "fap". Fnarr fnarr."

Thanks, but that's a very flattering pic. Still got door bottoms made of fresh air, and rear arches made of ferrous oxide and wishful thinking.

Had a pretty good day, Saab didn't miss a beat even though it looks rough. Actually pretty well received too, had a few positive comments about it. By sheer coincidence, I ended up parked in a row of unexceptional executive cars...

And all bolted up, which actually managed to be a bigger ordeal than taking it off. Still not 100% happy with some of the gaps, it'll need fettling down the line. But the main thing is that it's back together and drivable for FOTU. And not rotten like the old wing.

The Mistubishi Carisma had an "Elegance" trim level. A double fail, as it was neither charismatic nor elegant.

And for anyone wondering just how bad the old wing was... yeah. Not great.

So, prior to FOTU next weekend, decided I should probably get the Saab's scabbier front wing changed over, having already purchased the part. Jacked up and wheel off, so I can get at the arch trim/arch liner bolts... bodyside trim is already removed, as I've swapped it onto the replacement wing (it came with a slightly later trim which doesn't match - luckily the mountings are the same). All of which came out easily enough, bar the one in the rearmost corner of the arch. Mind you, that corner is the mangled corner, so that's hardly a surprise. We'll see just how mangled in a few moments. Prised the outer trim away to release the liner, and... yeah, the arch has seen better days! Also the photo uploader seems intent on flipping everything sideways for some reason. I removed the structural gaffer tape at the bottom of the wing, and found... Also some soggy paper fell out from behind the arch liner... fortunately this all seems to relate to the wing and none of the car's inner structure. Wing off... actually came off with a lot less resistance than I was expecting. And finally, I've very roughly offered up the new wing. Sure, it's scratched, but it's solid unlike the old one. Colour match seems nigh-on perfect too! I can't fully reattach the wing yet, as some of the fixings didn't survive the removal process. With some of them now NLA, I'll have to get creative with the remains of the old ones!

When you think "GTR", you probably think of various lunatic Nismo products, or maybe the raw and powerful Ultima GTR. In either case, the GTR designation conjures up images of performance excellence, speed and exhilaration. It doesn't conjure up images of a slightly jazzed up povvo R5, yet Renault badged some of them GTR anyway. Remember seeing one of these on holiday in France years ago as a child, and thinking it was daft even back then.

Even with its b0rked paint, I love this. Located in Poole, if anyone is interested. https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/196214669812577

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/266319768177 You don't see too many of this shape Accord these days... The interior. THE. FUCKING. INTERIOR. I think I need a lie down... Absolutely incredible.

OK, so it's a K-series, but it's also purple. Which can only be a good thing. https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202307129582760

As a short term bodge, you could buy one of the many MOT emissions reduction potions available and just throw a bottle of that in the tank?

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/195868832917 Holy rarity, comrade!

Mk1 Punto... getting rare now. https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202307109470876

It looked so ridiculously simple... shallow flanges on the ends of the pipes, with a larger adjustable flange on the outside to hold it all together. Fit pipes together, bolt outside flange. Bobby dazzler, job done. What caught me out was the very specific angles everything needed to go in at, with nothing on the car to assist in finding and maintaining those angles while you assemble it...

I do drive it, but perhaps not as much as I should. Fleet is currently 5, with a minimum of 3 on the road at any time, plus I work from home. So all my cars are somewhat under-utilised at the moment! It's an excellent cruiser once it gets up to speed, and actually masks its size very well through the twisties. Doesn't feel unwieldy or barge-like. I do find it glacially slow getting up to speed though! I like it, think I'll be hanging onto this one for a bit.