HMC

Those plates look fantastic!

My old 405 estate td was fantastic, probably the most comfortable and economical car ive owned. Boring reasons, but that would be my choice

Changed the manky old looking glow plugs in the hope of reducing further the start up mushroom cloud. The fuel system cleaner I ran through the tank helped, and pulling the cold start idle plunger out more have all helped to reduce but not eliminate it. The glow plugs make it a really on the button starter now, but some start up smog remains. I've decided it's just a feature of an old taxi like the NO SMOKING advice sticker and crumbling interior trim.

Midweek I had a karma fail on the 504 when I flashed to let someone out of a side turning followed by loss of all lights. Having a look round I saw someone had popped a massively over rated fuse into the lights circuit resulting in some of the main fuse box melting rather than the fuse blowing. I've repaired the fusebox and pre emptively given the rest of it and the relays a through service/ clean as it was so corroded and filth encrusted/ bodged I'm surprised I'd not have problems earlier. In the end I also replaced the complicated wiper/light stalk as that had been contributing to the trouble.

So apart from that its utter simplicity has meant no other problems. Its crying out for some TLC on the body though which will have to wait untill next year or earlier if I get hold of an alternative daily in the meanwhile.

This is scrapeing the barrel compaired to you lot but I once did own a metro Vanden plas 500 - one of 500.

How many left? Is rife with possible labelling errors but there were 539 504 family estates in the uk in 1994 and 2 left at the end of last year. I boosted numbers by a third! Commonplace elsewhere in the world but with natural wasteage and export rare ish here these days.

Great pic! I always try to take a pic of a car and make it look in period but my efforts always looks crap. How do you do it?

Some good suggestions! I was tempted by the xantia as its such a bargain but as it will be a third car etc I was hoping to stick it on a restricted mileage classic policy, but unsure who will do that these days. I remember having a Saab 900 on a classic policy in 2003 with it a mere 11 years old but lots of places only do stuff over 20 these days.

Woops! Edited title to reflect interest in a car not a concrete road intersection!

^ same here!

504 is fine, just looking for something extra so I can do bits and pieces to it without continually having to get it ready for commuting each day.

Looking for a local runabout really, something small or smallish and cheap. I had in mind a pug 205 but I'd consider anything......

I suspect Henry Royce would have devoted more of the "shop floor" to engineering etc rather than a sort of boutique but the keepers of the brand (who is that now?) see it as a sort of fashion label.

Then again go back to the 20s,buy the chassis, go shopping for the body, same principal really, just a modern interpretation of it.

Great results on the seats, trig!

Lately (specifically with the 504) I've found wife enthusiasm hard to come by !!!

If even a couple of years back we'd have MOT exemption pre 1960 and this rolling tax exemption I would have been

Surprised. We can argue about the merits of it all and what th future may hold, but the overall trend in the uk from those 2 changes is less regulation and a bit of goodwill. Who would have thought it?

Whilst on the subject of ecclesiastical chariots I suspect former archbish Rowan Williams was a dyed in the wool Volvo man.

Pope John Paul II had a mk II escort that later when for mental money at auction. This was pre OMG old skool ford prices but the little known Catholic Church scene tax seemed to do the trick.

That looks like a great old barge! These seem to be more and more popular on here, and I'm often browsing them on e bay ( goes off to browse again )

504 shenanegins....

Started the day successfully spotting where the fuel was weeping from on the top of the engine, one fuel return end cap rubber later and all fixed for a few pence.

Ended the day with all the lights failing a mile from home as I flashed to let a car out ahead. Karma isnt supposed to work like that! It may not apply to ageing French electrial systems. HBOL tells me Its fuse 1 unless its the switch. So at the end of play the to do list is no shorter!

Looking fwd to reading all about it in the next mag!

What was the tour of pc towers like?

Sana is Latin for " healthy, sane, sensible or sober"

Which sane person bought it then?

Thanks to all for the advice. in the end I lobbed some comma 'diesel magic' in the tank, changed the oil and pulled to cold start fast idle knob out more of a cold start, and im pleased to say its a lot better!

In other news I binned this aftermarket add on...

For this Retroviseur from french e bay...

Which matches the driver's mirror now. The french language makes even a wing mirror sound cool. The paint cleaned up well afterwards.

Cleaning, cutting and polishing the paint has worked well and im suprised how decently the formerly matt and moss covered panels have come up...

Its been used as a daily and apart from being a now common colour it tends to draw glances, probably not always for the best reasons. Most people ask what make it is.

I sprayed some bilt hamber dynax s50 into the main underbody box sections today and had a better look underneath. Unwelded and in great condition. Its definitely one of those cars that gets better the closer you look.

And it has lived up to its reputation in Africa by being a bush taxi here too....

^ dr sauce, that storage seems an absolute bargain! How many vehicles do you think will fit?

Glad to hear the Rover is back to full health.

SENSATIONAL!!! Solid gold shite, all on one thread! I'm surprised it didn't instantly break the server due to shite overload.

The sana appeals but my hands are full sadly.

GREAT! I had been planning a Similar route this year for a tour in teh jag but with one thing and another its not going to happen. I did overhaul the brakes and upgrade the cooling system in anticipation of the alpine passes. You don't fancy the extra leg the route napoleon to the take in the French Riviera then?

I've often eyed up those 328i bmws, I think they're largely forgotten about due omg m3 mania, yet on paper they're not slow and if you find an un Barried one a discrete way to get about quickly.

i would vote for a saloon like that one with the stock wheels for maximum discreteness. untill about 04/98 build these engines had Nikasil bores so go for a later one , check its been done under warranty, or if the cars cheap assume its not an issue if the car runs and goes well enough.

Nice to see its staying on the forum! I was tempted myself when DW offered it for sale as these old 3 doors are a rare sight nowadays, Especially with the natty graphics still intact and actual proper welding repairs to the shell that it was treated to by DW.