Dick Longbridge

Shall we try something different?
I woke up today and gave the Beat some air - the interior still needs a scrubbing from the winter mildew.

As documented earlier, the Beat failed the MOT in November for high emissions and leaking exhaust gases. I took it to a local fabricator who made a link pipe for it at the cost of £270, took it back to the MOT centre and it still wasn't passing. 
During the exhaust work, it was noted that the rear of the catalytic converter had melted. Luckily, I had finally sourced a second hand unit from someone in the Beat club, and I've been waiting for an opportunity to do something with it.
I never actually had the chance to check over the work that the exhaust people did, and I'm pretty disappointed with the work I saw.
The exhaust was blowing and holding no pressure when I covered it when I picked it up. Saw this extra nut haphazardly screwed onto one of the cat securing posts - it's not even the same fucking thread pitch!
It was also given a slathering of exhaust paste at both ends of the link pipe in a failed attempt to stop it blowing.

The other end of the cat had been chopped off and replaced with a generic flange, so I took the cat and link pipe off and went off to the exhaust place to source a new flange....
....and once again, I came back empty handed, with nobody in the area supplying bits for making exhausts.
That being said, I /did/ have a suitable flange, it just happened to be welded to the broken cat!
I took a couple of reference photos to the rough position and angles of the flange:

You can see from the comparison photos that the old cat had been shortened, they would have just chopped the end off just behind the weld of the old flange.

First things first, the donor flange was chopped off. Had to be careful not to damage it 😅

Marked up the cut on the new cat. Added a slight angle on it to match the previous one. Just had to cut between the lines 😅

Once that was cut, everything was refitted to the car, and the rear exhaust was supported, to give the correct angle. The loose flange was reattached to the link pipe.

Took a bit of time to get it supported in a manner that didn't allow contact with the subframe, but once I was happy, I applied a couple of tacks to the flange, and removed the cat to go back on the bench.

It was quite a gap, but this is never an exact science 😅
Anyway, it doesn't have to be pretty, but it's welded up and survived the hammer test.

And bolted in. Thankfully, this bolted in nicely and I even managed to close up the flange gaps that the previous people failed to close, without resorting to paste!

Firing up the engine revealed that there's no blowing now, and there's pressure when I put my hand over the backbox, and nothing touches the subframe so that's a proper result!
However, I did notice a couple of rust scabs underneath, so now is as good a time as any!
Raised the car up on all four stands.

And gave it a thorough pressure wash on the underside, ready for some more work tomorrow.

Either way, this is ready for another MOT, so this is just some extra-curricular activity now 😅
Cheers!

Just around the block to park it up. Gearbox feels nice, but needs a bit of a serice/ tune up. Much choke and some bogging down. Much preferable to a weldathon!

I was at a model fair last weekend and look what I saw on one of the Wyre Forest model railway club displays!

Hello together,
this is the state of work regarding my Invacar...HEV109H...it is not a long way to the goal now.

On Facebook I have also shared a Video with running engine...

Best regrads from Germany
Stefan

More progress in the last week or so with the help of @grogee (all the thanks, as always...)
Last weekend we got the block bolted back roughly in place and sat securely on some stands

I then did little but often in the week. Knock sensor reseated and a lot of cleaning of timing parts etc. Then we had time this morning to get it all timed back up. 
First up lower chain:Bit of a faff with the tensioner after getting the chain loose on the correct side. Then we got the cylinder head back on. Heavy thing but taken care of 💪Finally got the upper chain on:
This being the 2.9, it's a double chain on the top (I think that's the differentiator). Which proved quite tricky to get in with the guides and slotting the intermediate cog teeth. But we got there. George held the crank on the bar and I did that up to mega torque.
Four rotations and all the marks we had made were still where they should be 😎 I then went round and torqued up the head properly. 
Next up can be one of many things - upper/lower timing covers, upper inlet manifold, exhaust manifold, you name it... But I have some fairly quiet days with working coming I hope so 🤞for more steps forward this week!

My first car was an N reg Mk2
 

I remember that! My mate used to change the colour of his badges on his red Cortina P100 pickup every other week. Yellow seemed to be a favourite from what I remember. While I'm reminiscing, the boss at the garage at the time bought a white mk2 Escort on an N plate for the forecourt. I remember stuffing a load of p38 in the front wings to cover his shonky plates. It was an unusual one though - it was on an N plate. Has anyone seen another on an N? I remember mk1s were still being registered on N plates. 
The Escort looks really solid - well bought. I see the sticker tells the story of its Portuguese past - that would explain the rogered paint but lack of rot. 

I remember that! My mate used to change the colour of his badges on his red Cortina P100 pickup every other week. Yellow seemed to be a favourite from what I remember. While I'm reminiscing, the boss at the garage at the time bought a white mk2 Escort on an N plate for the forecourt. I remember stuffing a load of p38 in the front wings to cover his shonky plates. It was an unusual one though - it was on an N plate. Has anyone seen another on an N? I remember mk1s were still being registered on N plates. 
The Escort looks really solid - well bought. I see the sticker tells the story of its Portuguese past - that would explain the rogered paint but lack of rot. 

That is awesome! Well bought that man👍
Goes to show what a decent climate does for cars. Hopefully it’ll not rust into the ground in this wet cold salty shit hole!
 
Back when I got my Capri in 2001 all these old Ford’s were at that point of being deeply unpopular. I got loads of shit off my peers for having it. How the tables have turned! Which is a blessing and a curse in some ways.

So the paints knackered, and its a bit accessorised. So very 1990. But then again its unwelded and original- not very 1990 at all.
 

However- 
this one can stay

And this one ive added….

But first matter of business…. lets just turn the orgy of stickerage down a bit….

 

 

 

1990 just arrived with someones first set of wheels…..

Once off loaded….

She rests at her new home. A quick wash on the outside. Inside the radio is tuned to the stations I listen to. I had a good check of what buttons do what. There is some sticky plastic, as mentioned in a previous Petrolblog video, I have tried isopropyl alcohol and it's better but still not perfect. I will look into other options. Service history is mad! Everything has been covered. 23 services in the book upto 127000 miles. I am missing the drivers handbook so will be looking for one of those. 4 almost new Falken tyres. A few foibles to be expected from a 25 year old Renault, but otherwise a bloody brilliant car. I feel very lucky to have been given the opportunity to own her.

I like mine. It's an 09 J10 QQ with the 1.5dci lump. It's a non-DPF setup - DPFs started appearing on some of the later 10 plate facelift examples. I think some of the earliest facelifts are also non DPF though. Mine had the rear arms replaced by a previous owner which is  major box ticked. 
Mine sips diesel and hits 50mpg pretty easily despite its size and shape. 
I bought it as I'd had enough of zero storage in the MR2. I also wanted something half decent on fuel too. I didn't really want or expect to like it but both I and Mrs L both like it way more than we thought we would. 

'I'll have a 999 with a flake in it please'.

£400 in Chelmsford!
https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/1098626305266033/

Your Vitesse is particularly lovely. Wow!

I like mine. It's an 09 J10 QQ with the 1.5dci lump. It's a non-DPF setup - DPFs started appearing on some of the later 10 plate facelift examples. I think some of the earliest facelifts are also non DPF though. Mine had the rear arms replaced by a previous owner which is  major box ticked. 
Mine sips diesel and hits 50mpg pretty easily despite its size and shape. 
I bought it as I'd had enough of zero storage in the MR2. I also wanted something half decent on fuel too. I didn't really want or expect to like it but both I and Mrs L both like it way more than we thought we would. 

Mot time today.  Clean sheet, no advisories!!! Happy days. 

While waiting for glue to dry on the MAN I’ve been putting the ex 007 partwork Ford Econoline Club Wagon back together.



Just got a few bits to touch in by hand - door handles etc then make a pair of tail lights as they broke getting them out. 
Im pretty pleased with this one! 
I wouldn’t mind finding another and doing it as the panel van version with less chrome.

Went to Asda (about 6 miles away) for a test run in the Maestro with Master Grogee as co-pilot. 
Parked up and thought, "safety first, let's get the crook lock on". As I clicked it on I realised I have the wrong set of keys which don't have the crook lock key... 
So we're waiting for @Cluffyto rescue me, he's popped into our house to get the correct set of keys.
Here's Master Grogee attempting to 'pick' the lock, and a bonus 5c3n3 VW Golf in the Asda car park.