R1152

These (and the similar but plainer Rover P6 ones) were often found on camper vans (early Transits, Sherpas etc) and caravans in the early 80s. I guess a good set was probably liberated from every Zodiac/Corsair 2000E that ended up in a breaker’s yard. 

I've always liked the FD Victor hubcaps

likewise I've always loved some of Subaru's trims in the 1980's

Nice!

Great. Hopefully it doesn't pick up much. First storm to hit mainland US this year and we get it.

R8's look grumpy enough at the best of times from the front!

No, those are its tears at being left to rot in an English field.

I had a similar but simpler thing last year, a mixer tap in the bathroom of a house my daughter rents out.
Imagined the worst as the last ceramic disk taps I fixed the cartridges were very expensive.  Anticipated replacing the whole thing.
Removed the cartridge and took it to a plumbers merchants half a mile up the road.
£8! and fitted and working twenty minutes later - as I had to replace one of the service valves too.
Yours won't be that simple but if you can shut off the water to that unit it would give you a breathing space to source parts.
They are Plumbase and spread out throughout the country.  The one I went to is quite small but the staff were exceptionally friendly and helpful, unlike many of the other plumbers merchants.  Been back several times and they always give me a 40% discount, no idea why as it is easy to see that I am no plumber.
Your closest one is Bedford.

This is true, often from those that should know better. There's a friend of a friend who's been in the motor trade for years and I have very little time for as he always knows more than you, and often comes out with a complete load of horse shit. I'm polite and bite my tongue, but I just don't understand what's wrong with not knowing stuff. No-one knows everything, I'm happy to learn from those who do. I've met some very clever people but there always knobheads too.
The other problem with being "into" cars is everyone expects you to advise them about buying and fixing them

Bilal sounds like a gobshite.
The older I’m getting I’m finding what puts me off cars is the people. I’ve never known a hobby or pursuit that attracts such dickheads and know-it-alls. To the extent when someone asks you about your hobby I just tell them I’m into woodworking and they shut the fuck up and I’m spared the tales about their mate whose got a Focus RS who ‘you’d really get on with...’

Crazy its only been 3 years, felt like the Fox was around for much longer!

Blimey it's been ages since I posted anything about this one!.
Well i didn't use it much over winter, managed to rebuild the brakes as the wheel cylinders had all popped and leaked over the shoes, then replaced the rear axle pinion seal in that time, I done a few miles pottering about though.





then took it to a drive it day show in Kersey Mill here in Suffolk

On the way back from the show Mrs Trigger was having a right mare with the gearbox, kept getting 2nd and reverse muddled up until stopping in the middle of the road, it was this point i thought, fuck it, it can go!.
I wasn't really enjoying it, 2nd gear was too low, 3rd gear was too high so it was forever changing up and down when ever there was a slight incline and the suspension was very tired, the car wandered all over the road and steering box was worn out, i got a mot on it.

the first since 2017 which it passed straight though and sold straight away for £3500 to a older gentleman in town.
It was a case of looking pretty but rubbish to drive in my opinion but the new owners happy with it which is the main thing, I'm probably a bit young for it if I'm honest, That does now mean i have some money for a new toy but everything is soooo bloody expensive and overpriced at the moment so it could be a while!

So I made the decision what tyres to buy... 

Yep, I gave in and bought a set of normal ones! I spent a couple of days painting the wheels and nipped over yesterday and had 3 tyres fitted for £130. They look perfectly fine too. 
I've also repainted the bonnet latch back to silver, and the radiator panel from silver to black like they should be and fitted the correct lubrication plate and a new stamped up vin. 


Then today I took it for its first proper drive to Felixstowe with my oldest daughter , its bloody lovely to drive! Sit's happily at 60mph and the stainless exhaust sounds like a little fart cannon! It got lots of compliments too which was nice. 

Had TPA out today and can confirm that the brake light upgrade has had a noticeable impact on the behaviour of people following me - they definitely seem to back off when I brake now whereas a lot of people seemed oblivious to the fact until they realised I was visibly slowing down.
So mission accomplished I reckon.
Then I managed to hurt my hand closing the door...and I can report that driving an Invacar with a sprained hand is bloody uncomfortable.  Depending on how long that takes to heal it might be a few days until either the van or TPA are out. 
 

That was pretty painless.
Spot the difference?

Cue CSI style "Zoom, enhance..." sequence.



Yes, I fouled up the first time round and fitted it way to high up.
Then how it looks from average sort of driver head height when lit.

The photo doesn't do justice to how much brighter it is than the factory brake lights.
Will need to epoxy on a couple of lugs to the underside of the engine cover to hold the wiring in place to tidy things up but that's not massively urgent.
I don't *like* it, but just feel that it's kind of necessary with the standard of driving I see around here.  It should be a good deal more conspicuous to anyone following than the somewhat weedy original brake lights.   At least it's barely visible when it's unlit and you really wouldn't spot it unless you knew it was there.

Ah, welcome to the world of unwanted "restraint system" lights. My E60's just done that...
Scanned it with Carsoft 12: "yes, there's an error in the module".
Scan for codes.
"What error?"
I now have the 5-DVD set of BMW's official* software and I shall put it on a laptop, to see if I can really pin it down. What it isn't is the passenger seat mat, as is widely suspected - that reads and behaves as it should.

Yugo as art:
 

I think it's a year since I decided to buy my Yugo. That hasn't gone particularly well...
In happier news, the Matiz is back!

Rear sills repaired, one rear wheel arch repaired, fresh paint on the sills, buffed up so the old paint matches the new paint. Seems rather effective! I fear a mechanical overhaul is going to be needed at some point, but she's under 7000 miles from the big 100k, so hopefully she'll last that long at least. Chap doing the welding said she's remarkably solid apart from the bits needing work, so that's always good.

And I always thought the worst car in history was the KdF-Wagen... 

Labeling it as "the worst car in history" seems exceptionally harsh.  I'd drive a Yugo in preference to several other vehicles.

Sad to say, but that's a good few days car hire.

And I always thought the worst car in history was the KdF-Wagen... 

Sad to say, but that's a good few days car hire.

! LONG POST ALERT !
I went down to a car show at the Austrian Club this afternoon, the theme was all things rear-engined.
Naturally a lot Volkswagens were there:

... and a lot of Porsches:

But around a third of the cars there were Renaults which was good to see, the first of which I saw was this lovely Dauphine Gordini:

Eventually followed by Alpines, 4CVs, and Caravelles:

I watched @dollywobbler's A310 review this morning, so it was good to see one in the flesh at the show. Great looking cars these:

The Fiat Car Club of Victoria had a small selection of cars on show. An 850, 850 Spider, 850 Sport Coupe, and a 600:

... along with an 850T camper looking rather small parked next to the VW Type 2 Campers:

Other marques at the show included this Hillman Imp representing the Rootes Group:

This Lamborgini Uracco, parked with a Corvair convertible (which I forgot to get a photo of):

... and on the other end of the vast automotive spectrum, a 1958 Messerschmitt KR200. One of my favourites at the show:

An entertaining show overall, probably the first show I've gone to in about a year, so a good outing regardless:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/174216835205?hash=item289021f085:g:XqkAAOSwvN1fUcJm

Roger Waters telling Mark Zuckerberg to FRO. 😀😀