garycox

I had a 1956 Mercedes 180 Diesel, ex Berlin taxi, with 780,000 km on the first engine and gearbox when I bought it.
I paid something like 500 D-Marks for it back in 1984, which in today's money would buy you a Velosolex "barn find".
It was the closest thing to being stationary, mind. I had the 'Slow Movement' invented right there and then.
It had the vertical speedometer, vulgo 'thermometer', which never went into the red of the scale, which started at 80 OMGKPH.
The perfect OMGDRFTWEPON, if there ever was one.
When I did an oil change, about a litre came out, the rest was tar.
 
4 friends and I went on a holiday trip to Corsica with it, a 2,000 mile round trip from Berlin, where I lived at the time. It returned 38 OMGMPG with an inflated dinghy on the roof, and didn't put a foot wrong.
 
The most EPIK line uttered on the trip (by me): Can you please take that guitar neck out of the steering wheel spokes? I can see a bend in the road approaching.
 
We then took it on a trip to Denmark, Roskilde, if you are old enough to know what that means. Coming off the ferry, the Danish customs officer lifted a floor mat, which covered a rust hole the size of Holland, and said: I can see the road down there!
I said: Yes, but it's he road to Roskilde, dig?
 
This was the car of the last worth living in century, if you ask me, which I'm sure you don't.
Any cheaper from of motoring would be walking, and that costs shoes.

e*

As I needed to be chez M. Martin ASAP, I elected to go for travel via péage which adds a bit to the cost but simplifies things a bit. The penalty for travel this way is not much chance of chod spotting but I did take a few snaps...
 

 

 

 

 
 
 
 
The Prairie was going great and towing well so I was down in the Aube region by 2pm and rolled up at M. Martins place at 2.30pm, exactly 48 hours after he'd placed the advert.
 

 
By this time, I was getting a bit tired which made the thought of trying to communicate in another language more than a little daunting. I figured that maybe, if there were any English speakers, they would make themselves known. There weren't.
 
The location was home to Michel Martin (M. Martin Snr) who has run a business on the site since the war or possibly before. This, from what I can tell consisted of transport, car trading and a breakers yard of epic proportions, which I didn't see a lot of (I'll come back to this later). Martial, who is the son, explained that everything was being cleared thanks to environmental rules. Thanks for that, Brussels.
 
With the assistance of the Martins, we got the 510 loaded and Euros were handed over in exchange for a very old Carte Gris and a receipt. Unbelievably, I had a 510 SSS. And I bought a car from Leboncoin for the first time.
 

 
It was looking pretty ugly but closer inspection seemed to confirm that is was the real deal. For a car that's been sat in a scrapyard for over 30 years, it's fared pretty well. The sill were shot and the back end is a bit crusty but the floors and inner wings seemed decent and the engine still tuned. Even the tyres held air! 
 
Anyone want to take a guess at what that bumper of off? I think I have figured it out and if it's what I think it is, they used some logic in choosing it....
 

KITEFEST

Much as in against this kind of thing - people whining about noise after they've moved into an area next to a racecourse etc, I'm more against banger racing.

no.21 - Possibility a witch has cauldron brewing warning.
no. 8   - Shine torch on Christmas pudding
no.33  - Tinfoil hat required
no28.   - Sperm unlocked and ready to go
no22  - Just had a brainwave....bodge ahead
no45 - Neil Young tickets available

No. 4 - Fountain ahead
No. 29 - Hot Food
No. 20 - Speeding letter 'D'
No. 41 - It's raining by a petrol pump.
No. 14 - What the fuck is this key for?
No. 15 - Beware, key is Red hot.
No. 23 - Maybe this isn't such a good idea
No. 34 - Hammer a bigger spanner over the car
No. 39 - Passenger with bubble gum warning.
No. 42 - Bubble gum has popped warning.
No. 50 - Fuel tank is leaking
No. 51 - Flying car
No. 52 - Car spews out some liquid.
No. 53 - Petrol pump too hot, do not touch.
 
 

Something for Keef.

 

 

 

 
Finally, a bit of an oddball but a vehicle I was fortunate enough to see mid-restoration.  Owned and restored by Halls Garage in Lincolnshire who are an MG specialist dealing with everything from the very early cars to the newer models with a focus on racing and performance.  It's had just about every bit of the wooden frame repaired, a mechanical overhaul, a repaint in their racing colours and is used for shows and transporting various of their cars.  What they started with was a bit of a mouldering Heinz 57 that had been modified over the years to suit the job it was given and they've done an excellent job of breathing new life into what is a very rare and unusual vehicle.

 

I got Trigger's old copy, it's pretty good. Don't think I want to part with it yet but I'll offer it on here when I do.
 
Might have some regular Car magazines that I can get rid of though (duplicates).

I got Trigger's old copy, it's pretty good. Don't think I want to part with it yet but I'll offer it on here when I do.
 
Might have some regular Car magazines that I can get rid of though (duplicates).

You have a Cavalier?!
 
PICS IMMEDIATELY PLZ

You have a Cavalier?!
 
PICS IMMEDIATELY PLZ

I picked up a hitchhiker near Blairgowrie once.
Mainly because he was hot.

Having 3 Tagoras,  it was time for something special...
 

Yay!! All of the likes.
 
So, you can now come to Shitefest?
 

I'm pleased to report a FIRST TIME PASS! 
 

 
Another year's happy beige motoring ahead

Need a piss go where there's no tents/people
 
Need a dump bring a shovel and be further away than above (like Telford)

Plates arrived today and I fitted them. Rang the insurance people to give them the new reg. Pleased with the utility press steel plates suiting the car and that my papertrail to get the 504 official is now complete!
 

 

 

The plastic knob thing is for locking it to the back of the rear seat when the seat's folded.

More miles than the starship enterprise, but with these things the proof of the pudding is in the eating..it sounds as smooth as one of these can be and starts from cold fine, pulls well with no serious smoke issues.

'Saved' this from the scrapyard:
 

 
Will 'collect' tomorrow. Have been after a gold two door with brown interior and tombstone seats for a while. I love these Micras.

Indeed, with the Sierra gone prematurely, I need a big estate still for my impending trip up to Wellingborough where I will be relaying some parts for some shiters as well as picking up some shit for myself.
 

 
Solid and scruffy as expected, nothing too bad on the to-do list.
 
Pez station shot:
 

 
Drove back, decided to visit the parents on the way to give it a bit of a wash. Just as I got onto the A2 the rev counter started flickering between 0 and 4000rpm...
 
Shortly after, the indicators and fuel gauge packed up, radio turned itself off and it started misfiring so I had to stick it in '3' to keep it going...
 
It then cut out on a roundabout and there was seemingly no power to the starter (although the radio and windows etc still worked). Managed to get a jump start, it fired straight away but stopped immediately when I moved the indicator switch.
 
Jumped it again, and it's been fine since! stopped and started 4 or 5 times since then and driven for another 1.5hrs or so. Odd, still it seems to have fixed itself.
 
Anyway, gave it a quick wipe over
 

 

 
The pics are quite flattering there, the bonnet and roof look like this:
 

 

 
The interior seems to have hardly any wear considering it's on about 240k (the odometer packed up at 225k)
 

 
I'm pleased with it overall, it's LOUD as the exhaust is knackered but the relevant bit to repair it is in the enormous boot. Will get that done ASAP.
 
Most things work except the heated seats and one window, might fix that but it's a rear one anyway, probably won't bother with the seats.
 
Only other thing I've noticed is the steering's a bit grumbly at full lock. Hopefully that's not an expensive issue.
 
So cheers Dr F! Was a pleasant transaction.

Indeed, with the Sierra gone prematurely, I need a big estate still for my impending trip up to Wellingborough where I will be relaying some parts for some shiters as well as picking up some shit for myself.
 

 
Solid and scruffy as expected, nothing too bad on the to-do list.
 
Pez station shot:
 

 
Drove back, decided to visit the parents on the way to give it a bit of a wash. Just as I got onto the A2 the rev counter started flickering between 0 and 4000rpm...
 
Shortly after, the indicators and fuel gauge packed up, radio turned itself off and it started misfiring so I had to stick it in '3' to keep it going...
 
It then cut out on a roundabout and there was seemingly no power to the starter (although the radio and windows etc still worked). Managed to get a jump start, it fired straight away but stopped immediately when I moved the indicator switch.
 
Jumped it again, and it's been fine since! stopped and started 4 or 5 times since then and driven for another 1.5hrs or so. Odd, still it seems to have fixed itself.
 
Anyway, gave it a quick wipe over
 

 

 
The pics are quite flattering there, the bonnet and roof look like this:
 

 

 
The interior seems to have hardly any wear considering it's on about 240k (the odometer packed up at 225k)
 

 
I'm pleased with it overall, it's LOUD as the exhaust is knackered but the relevant bit to repair it is in the enormous boot. Will get that done ASAP.
 
Most things work except the heated seats and one window, might fix that but it's a rear one anyway, probably won't bother with the seats.
 
Only other thing I've noticed is the steering's a bit grumbly at full lock. Hopefully that's not an expensive issue.
 
So cheers Dr F! Was a pleasant transaction.

Indeed, with the Sierra gone prematurely, I need a big estate still for my impending trip up to Wellingborough where I will be relaying some parts for some shiters as well as picking up some shit for myself.
 

 
Solid and scruffy as expected, nothing too bad on the to-do list.
 
Pez station shot:
 

 
Drove back, decided to visit the parents on the way to give it a bit of a wash. Just as I got onto the A2 the rev counter started flickering between 0 and 4000rpm...
 
Shortly after, the indicators and fuel gauge packed up, radio turned itself off and it started misfiring so I had to stick it in '3' to keep it going...
 
It then cut out on a roundabout and there was seemingly no power to the starter (although the radio and windows etc still worked). Managed to get a jump start, it fired straight away but stopped immediately when I moved the indicator switch.
 
Jumped it again, and it's been fine since! stopped and started 4 or 5 times since then and driven for another 1.5hrs or so. Odd, still it seems to have fixed itself.
 
Anyway, gave it a quick wipe over
 

 

 
The pics are quite flattering there, the bonnet and roof look like this:
 

 

 
The interior seems to have hardly any wear considering it's on about 240k (the odometer packed up at 225k)
 

 
I'm pleased with it overall, it's LOUD as the exhaust is knackered but the relevant bit to repair it is in the enormous boot. Will get that done ASAP.
 
Most things work except the heated seats and one window, might fix that but it's a rear one anyway, probably won't bother with the seats.
 
Only other thing I've noticed is the steering's a bit grumbly at full lock. Hopefully that's not an expensive issue.
 
So cheers Dr F! Was a pleasant transaction.