Saabnut

Whilst I am still stuck offshore, though should escape tomorrow, my friend has been borrowing my Disastra H. This car was bought just over a year ago as a Cat N write off from the original owner. Last year for MOT it needed a drop link, and the otherside had recently started to rattle. For a bonus, as my friend and his lad arrived at the MOT station as they had realised it was due soon, the cable operating the passenger door handle from the inside snapped. So, the MOT results: Repair immediately (major defects): Nearside Front Anti-roll bar linkage ball joint excessively worn (5.3.4 (a) (i)) Nearside Front passenger door cannot be opened from inside the vehicle (6.2.3 (a)) Monitor and repair if necessary (advisories): Rear Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (1.1.14 (a) (ii)) Nearside Rear Brake pad(s) wearing thin (1.1.13 (a) (ii)) Rear Service brake fluctuating, but not excessively (1.2.1 (e)) Offside Front Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement rear bush (5.3.4 (a) (i)) Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge both rear, also perished and cracked [original tyres 2010] (5.2.3 (e)) So all in all a top result. Drop link and cable are ordered, the rest can wait til I get back and can get it on my ramp. BUT that last advisory item! The car was tested with 99,072 miles recorded. On the original rear tyres! The original owner was an old lady who drove it like you would expect, but really?

Delighted to see this live on another year! It definitely went to the right home, as there is no way I would have done all the work you have, as much as I liked the car!

If it helps any, in 30+ years of P4 ownership and knowing many, many others, I have never heard of HGF on one.

Perfectly good if a bit dull and uninspiring an car. The most you can lose is a bit over a grand and you can use some of the cash saved to hire a really nice* camper on the odd occasion you want one. Makes sense to me.

Unlikely to be a main seal, they are not known for it. My money is the usual suspects, cam cover, oil pressure switch etc.

I doubt they will be too concerned as the pads were new when I purchased it, but that was 12.5 years ago! Being light the rear brakes do not do much so pads last a long time.

Today I had an email from my friend who is storing the Cobra for me. A set of ramps and a quick look soon diagnosed the problem, and explained the loss of brake pedal a couple of times after which they have been fine. The Cobra has a single circuit brake system. This was the culprit: One of the EBC Greenstuff pads fitted, and which I had checked at the end of last year as still having plenty of meat on, had decided to part company with the friction material. Fortunately the calliper piston had not made it out far enough to make a bid for freedom and it went back in OK. The disc has a fair bit of scoring on one side, but not enough to weaken it, so a second hand pad (I know, I know) has been fitted which will get me back to blighty (or last for many more years as is the AS way).

Superb. Just bloody superb. Cap well and truly doffed.

Today I have been a bus wanker 😀 Taxi out to the airport to get my passport stamped then another back to the bus station (thanks Schengen). Comfy and quiet Volvo for the 2 hour journey to Haugesund. of course being Norway the trip involved many tunnels including one with a traffic island in the middle and a ferry Another taxi got me to the boat

Now at my hotel after 14.5 hours of travelling. Still probably quicker than driving 😀

I had planned on giving you a shout before work intervened

Then SAS to Copenhagen (20 minutes delay) which is where I am now but the flight to Stavanger is 65 minutes delayed. once I get to Stavanger it is a taxi to the hotel for the night but looking to be well past midnight again

Then there was the driverless train/tram/whatever which did not hang about

From Le Mans it was TGV direct to Charles De Gaul airport with just two intermediate stops. Fast comfortable and cheap

Another friend gave me a lift to the tram at Le Mans

Flight 2 of 2 today and both delayed 😞but at least AS is back so let’s see if my phone battery lasts Left LeChezSaabnut at 10 am and dropped off the Cobra with my friend

Sun shining, visitor from blighty so beer consumed. Off to work tomorrow

The brakes have been behaving perfectly but I have been driving it as if they were to go again, just in case. Yesterday I booked my expensive ferry back to the UK (it is summer and I wanted the shortest distance in France 'cos of the brakes) and took the cheaper non refundable option as I need to get home for a few days rest before heading offshore again. Today I was back at the supermarket refreshing the beer stock when my phone went. It was a colleague in Norway letting me know the mobilisation of the boat had been put back 24 hours so I would not now need to be there until Sunday! After much confusion, it appeared everyone had forgotten to tell me, assuming someone else had! No time now to drive home then fly to Norway, so I am going to leave the Cobra with a Jag enthusiast mate down here and fly from Paris on Saturday. As a bonus, my friend has offered to have a look at the brakes whilst I am away, but tomorrow is going to be busy booking hotels, flights and trains. Will return to France once the job is over and it looks like I might make the Classic Lemans now!

What? Was there a race on? The local supermarket had work ongoing in the car park last time I was here. Turns out it was for solar panels. What a great idea, shade is most welcome today. Went shopping Now not shopping!

Smoke on the water! leaving the campsite this morning and the others are heading back to Blighty whilst I am heading back to my house for a few days R&R

All running well today

Looks like it is the master cylinder as the brakes are perfect or zero. Russian roulette at its finest. Now at the Classic British Welcome at Saint Saturnin.

No loss of fluid and when working feels and works fine so I am suspecting a sticking valve in the mc

Well that was interesting* Just before lunch heading down to the Seine where our favourite lunch stop is and as I arrived at the roundabout I had total brake failure! An extra lap of the roundabout and many presses of the pedal and I had some brakes In true AS fashion it was duly ignored over lunch and afterwards the pedal seemed fine so we continued on. After about 20 miles and a few spirited overtakes at a good 3 figures (56.2 km obviously) I suddenly lost them again. That was fun* Decided to quit the back roads and go back to the peage where no* brakes required and of course the brakes have been perfect since. Oh well. Still it is here now and all is good

At the first fuel stop in France 🇫🇷