holbeck

Ever since I was a kid, I’ve wanted a bmc 1100/1300. I even rang Derek Bayliss of the 1100 club when I was 15 to ask about buying one.  27 years later I’ve got one incoming- currently being loaded onto a polish registered  beavertail in central london….

So guys. My birthday is in April. We are going to go over to France on the ferry and generally make a nuisance of ourselves over there in the Austin 7 in rural France. Yes I am an idiot abroad.

Tavistock achieved, collection achieved.
Didnt have any time for collection shots as @HMC was a bit pushed for time, good to see you again though.
Pez station shot at Sourton Cross:

Child 2 approves, she’s along for the ride back to Shrewsbury.
Onwards!

Collection day today, off to another prolific shiter in the South West. Not much in the way of photos or updates as I’m driving, but I’ve just stopped at Taunton Deane Services.

Inlaw’s Kia Sportage is the chariot of choice.

My friend recently won a Austin 7 on a online charity raffle and drove it home 190 miles from Cornwall to Gloucestershire, the previous owners had already driven it 18000 miles across America so it can be done! 
 

This old ruby is being delivered on Sunday. I prefer the earlier styling but the coupled front and rear brakes and supposed synchros on the 3 highest speeds and having a mostly steel roof means a later car, plus they are generally less expensive and a basically a bit more forgiving of an idiot (me) at the wheel.
 
This will be used for local pottering semi daily In The centre of Tavistock in all weathers. it’s not going to be kept under a blanket and sat beside at shows in a fold out chair. Can’t think of anything worse to be honest. After all cars were designed to be used; and I can’t wait to park it next to an Audi Q7 or possibly a Tesla at Tesco and do a smol vs LARGE photo. Elon vs Herbert FACE OFF!
Anyway thanks to @horriblemercedes we may soon have some photos of its previous escapades. Sadly a lot of history has been mislaid, apart from the plaques Rivited to the bonnet as spotted by @Dick Longbridge so I’ve not got much to go on.

 
If I still own it at shitefest I will book a few days off and drive there avoiding motorways and dual carriageways; hopefully keeping out of the way of modern Britain with the keys chucked at anyone that wants a go 😂

Still got this.
Needed a tyre for the MOT.
Boring but economical.
I really should go out and buy a V8 to restore balance.

Still got this.
Needed a tyre for the MOT.
Boring but economical.
I really should go out and buy a V8 to restore balance.

Still got this.
Needed a tyre for the MOT.
Boring but economical.
I really should go out and buy a V8 to restore balance.

In;
2003 Nissan Micra 1.0e 'Ella'
As I'm now known as a "car guy" by a lot of the folks at the coffee morning my parents run, it nets me the occasional cast off; this came as the elderly driver had been struggling with clutch control and they didn't need two cars any longer.

 
2005 Volvo V50 Sport 2.0d;
I love the S40 as a daily, but I'm often frustrated by the fact it's a saloon, so when this popped up fairly locally,  as spares or repair due to a CEM issue, I bought it.  I had a local chap transport it back from Fleet Hargate as my shift pattern didn't allow me to go there and potentially break down bringing it home.  I am hoping to get to look at it one day, it currently resides on my neighbour's drive.
 

2014 Peugeot Expert
Taken as a spares or repair project from the same company that used to own @worldofceri's Ranger, this one proved quite troublesome to get right, and was only finished in time for the used van market to slump, as such it's still available for £4750 ono (cheap trade in welcome)

2007 Volvo V70 D5 Auto 'Hector'
Now MrsR's daily,  really low mileage local purchase, just approaching 51,000

2011 Ford Ranger
Bought in to repair and tidy up, spent several hours driving around in a holding pattern around Wickenby to prove it was fixed.

 
Non - Movers;
2006 Volvo S40
My current daily until the V50 is proven,  the previous owner has expressed an interest in buying it back,  187k on it now but still drives spot on.
 

1995 Citroen Ax Vts
I haven't found time to do anything other than change the radio,  still waiting for a quote to rebuild the workshop so I can get into it properly and rewire the engine bay.

 
Out:
2003 Nissan Micra 'Ella'
Sold on to @comfysofa only a few days ago.

 
2003 Volvo V70 D5
I never really thought I'd part with this one, but it really wasn't suited to my commute, so it was sold to make way for a newer one, and now resides with @Cord Fourteener

2011 Ranger
Once MOT'd and faults proved fixed, it was packed off to @worldofceri to be the Isuzu's understudy.

2008 Fiesta 1.4 TDCi
Bought to run to and from Derby whilst I was still training and the V70 needed a repair.  Sold to @holbeck as a commuter car I believe?

Belated pez shot back home.  Just wanted to get out of Ilford tbh.  Also needed a piss, but good luck finding any public toilets there.
Drives really well, nice and wafty.  Probably not quick but I'll find out tomorrow on the run down to Devon.  Was perfectly adequate bimbling around London.

Cooorrrrrrr! Is this for sale yet 😆

And a Few general photos now work done with I’m able to drive it….

 





So much velour !

I’ve done a buy, it’s arriving tomorrow.
 
Was spotted some while ago by @quicksilver by the looks of it….
 

Rolled over 108,000 miles this morning.

So, after putting a call out on here for someone to look at a car for me @pilninggas offered to help. 
He not only went to look at the car, he negotiated a deal and bought it for me and then got it back to his house.
I went to collect it today, and as the train service was to pot the train that was running when I left home was no longer running when I got to Bristol. So after a £60 taxi ride I finally got to his house.
He had told me he was going to be at work so left the key in a safe place for me.
After finding the key and starting the car I tried taxing it but the server was down on the .gov website but no drama I will do it later.
So I went to leave and then realised I had to open both gates to get out. I got out of the car and opened the gates and then went to get back in and the car door wouldn’t open.
Bollocks!
So the engine was running with both keys and my phone in the car ‘double bollocks’.
With this in mind and @pilninggas not at home I was left with somewhat of a dilemma.
Luckily @pilninggas must of known that this was going to happen (as he had told me the central locking was temperamental) so he kindly left me a brick.
So I have managed to do more damage to the car in less than 5 minutes of ownership than the previous owners in 18 years 🫣😂
 

Yes. I can definitely see you in that. 
Well bought....... You mad bugger!

They say you should learn from the mistakes of others. I’m obviously a bit slow on the uptake, especially given another shiter’s recent experiences of old British metal. 
Not content with one car capable of throwing ruinously expensive bills, and timed perfectly to coincide with a global recession, I spent a load of my now near worthless pounds on this:

The best bit:

Back in a bit, there’s someone at the door in what looks like a white coat, holding something that looks suspiciously like a rolled up straitjacket.

With two consecutive FoD weekends anybody who wants to have a holiday in the area is welcome to camp free for the week. Family, children and dogs welcome.

Thread resurrection!
Came across this on Facebook.  I'm on the LDV staff group as I used to visit as a supplier in the 90s
It just strikes me as a totally AS way of working if you're going to try Peugeot as an engine supplier. Send two lads in a van and make them drive overnight rather than a hotel!

This is fookin' ace.
 

 

Time for an update.
I Sold the Chevy pickup to a local farmer who deals in American cars. I think he’s selling it which is what he does as he’s a dealer. I had an easy sale and he should eventually make some money when it sells.
I’ve had an itch for some time for an  S class coupe. I’ve owned most Mercedes’ models made 1972-2006ish but not the coupe made during their fall from grace years at the tail end of that period. It was at the money that broken ones go for (usual quick visual of them sunk  on their bump stops ) But this one was not broken. 
It’s a 2002 cl500 so basically the “base” model. Still that gives you heated electric soft close everything so it’s all relative. All of that works too, plus at the time of writing the active hydropneumatic suspension works, which is basically the most complex and clever / borkable system they could devise at the time.
 

 

I also recently bought an w124 estate which I don’t think I’ve mentioned before. It’s a 1991 230te. I was particularly taken with the indestructible cream mb tex (vinyl) interior which is very old school MB.