dollywobbler

I would say there's 0.00001% chance it's the same car. A possible scenario - owner has an Oltcit, not UK registered. UK-registered Oltcit is for sale at a scrappers. VIN plate, I mean, car is purchased. Robert becomes your dad's brother. Avoids the now more involved faff involved with importing a car. Just sayin' it might be possible.

Happy news indeed. I do hope we can have a gathering of these vehicles at some point. Am hoping to carry out bodywork and mechanical improvements on TWC this year.

An oddball choice. How are fuel prices in NZ at the moment? Hope you're well.

Thank goodness! Looks a lovely example.

It's not just the sunroof sadly. I pulled the door seals off and discovered yet more rot. It needs some seriously skilled repair. Which is a shame, because just look at it. PHWOAR.

Thanks folks! Can't quite believe it. Turns out other people like shite cars too.

Four wheel brakes yes, but for the first few years, the handbrake operated the front brakes and the pedal the rear brakes. They're terrifying to drive as the pedal does pretty much nothing.

Wonderful to have new photos still surfacing. Would dearly love to see a photo of my TWC in service but haven't been successful in finding one yet.

Absolutely nothing. The Falcon developed from the American platform, but drifted further and further away in isolation. Nothing mechanically shared with any Euro or American Ford. Thanks. That was such a hoot.

I've seen threads suggesting DVLA are after the Escort folks too, using social media to find out just how modified some cars are. Bit worrying but then some folk in some scenes do take the piss. After all, haven't Escort Mexicos got a 140% survival rate or something? The whole EV conversion thing is an intriguing one. Will watch with interest.

Watching with great interest.

Bloody marvellous. Great to see a single-pot out on the road.

Can confirm that 150 miles in a day in an Invacar feels like about 600 miles in any other car. And if it's windy, just forget it. Will be there. No idea in what.

Thanks folks. Very happy. Actual wedding planning still at very early stages.

Always nice to see a car moving to the right home. The new owner of the Sana has put some videos out too. Including buying ANOTHER Sana... In still-on-the-fleet news, after getting woefully stuck on ice with the electric Fiat I'm testing, today I relied on my own cars for gadding about. Fairmont was first up. If the arse looks saggy, that's because it is packed full of groceries and had just had the tank filled (143.9 - huzzah!). It does need a suspension overhaul next year though. All that weight certainly helped in that icy car park! No traction issues. The other steed was the Berlingo. Utterly joyous to drive on snow and ice, even on summer tyres. The low power output is easily adjusted once wheelspin kicks in on inclines, and the ABS-less brakes are progressive and easily controlled. Marvellous. ABS still optional on these, and the facelift ones apparently! Not a fat lot else happening, but the Berlingo did tow the camper to the unit yesterday, somehow, up the same icy incline. Momentum was the key! Camper finally indoors. It's too bloody cold for anything else. Thankfully warmer weather on the way from the weekend, but we have family visiting, meaning precious little tinkering time. Doesn't feel like much point rushing when it's bloody winter though.

Which is surely fine for us lot on here? Because we always have something else as well. Mind you, the cost would REALLY grate if it was sitting around not doing anything...

Cheers. The little Austin was terrifying! Especially when some old giffer almost drove into me. Wish I had some fleet news, but other than a very pleasant drive to Shropshire in the Fairmont, not much has been occurring. Did wash the Fairmont after that mucky trip. It was doing 23.5mpg. Photograph BEFORE the wash. Our local gets stupidly foamy. First car of the day was a delightful Zastava 750 currently for sale at Brightwells.

Brilliant. It was a search for a Renault 25 for a mag feature that brought me to Autoshite many years ago, yet still a car rarely seen even here.

Missed this arrival. I absolutely love it! Incredible cars.

I have someone tracking them down in Greece and Japan, so a fair chance I'll soon have more than I need. Which is better than none.

Tried Amayama, 'found' the gaskets in the UAE, ordered them, a few days later, order cancelled as they didn't actually have stock. Marvellous.

Preparations for the NEC Classic Motor Show are going well*. That is not where the exhaust should be. I was replacing some particularly iffy-looking exhaust mounts (bought replacements in January...) when a weak bit of exhaust (MOT advisory) just snapped off. New exhaust ordered and should be here Wednesday. We drive to the NEC on Thursday. Also, my co-driver has broken a rib... On the plus side, I've been loaned an engine to get the 2CV back on the road and it's AMAZING to have it back. So much better than the clattering, knackered engine I took out. Will do a postmortem on that but something crankshafty is broken.

Farewell. Peeing petrol all over the truck, dropping rust flakes everywhere. Poor thing. I fear all I did in taking it on was delay the inevitable, but it did provide some useful bits for the good Oltcit to be fair. But that's me hopefully out of hopeless projects now. Pending actually getting hold of Daihatsu parts...

What the heck is going on with the wipers?!

Entirely ghosted by the chap who was having the spares Oltcit, so it's awaiting collection by the local scrappy. At least they'll give folk the chance to nab bits off it before it is baled, though the market for Oltcit parts is not a particularly large one. Now getting stuck into yet another engine change on the 2CV. Two hours from bonnet off to new engine in, but thwarted by iffy wiring and I'd left my new wiring bundles at home. In theory, connect a couple of wires, fit starter, connect fuel, NOISE. Hopefully tomorrow.