phil_lihp

Well, had this back on the road about seven months now so just thought I'd report on how it's shaping up!
 
Well, in short, I love it. Done around 2500 miles so far without a single breakdown, which I'm chuffed with but then I suppose it is a fair bit newer than everything else on the fleet. Took it to the Gaydon BMC day, where I had it on the Maestro and Montego club stand along with Dollywobbler's Maestro van he had at the time. Unfortunately, the trip threw up a couple of issues. Firstly the throttle kept sticking down (it did that on the M25 at 70, that was scary). Secondly the crappy aftermarket exhaust was blowing badly and knocking over bumps. Managed to get a NOS QH throttle cable on Ebay for a tenner, that  was a bit fiddly to fit, but transformed the feel of it! And no more sticking. The exhaust was a bit more involved and I just thought "Fuck it" and welded the downpipe to the centre section of the exhaust, in a position where it no longer knocks. That was awkward, but turned out a success as I now have a completely knock and blow free exhaust which is excellent. I then used it infrequently for a while, before lending it to my dad as he needed a car to take to Norfolk for a few days. He was full of praise for it when he got back home. Then I moved back down to Kent and took the Maestro with me. 
Then, on a complete whim I decided to display my Somerset on the Young Guns Classics stand at Manchester. Had everything planned, then the newly fitted electronic ignition decided to fail, leaving the Somerset stranded with a bad misfire and no way I could attempt the journey in that.
So, it was down to the Maestro. I got it out of the lockup, where it had been languishing for a while, topped up the oil and had it valeted at the local East-European hand car wash. It was a really hot day and I had to ask the car washers if I could stand outside the car while it was being washed as I'd roast inside with the windows up and no air con! All the modern car owners were just sitting in their cars in air conditioned comfort while they were being washed. Incidentally, the Maestro looked really quite strange in the queue to be washed; there was a new 5 series BMW, newish Civic, Maestro, Qashqui and XC90!
The next day I bombed oop north to Manchester, which took seven hours. I can honestly say I never envisaged the amount of interest the Maestro would get on the stand. We had cars spanning four decades, much more desirable cars that were ignored as people made a beeline for the Maestro. I didn't take any pictures of it on the stand as I'm useless, but I found these on Flickr:
 
Austin Maestro by adam.delaney1, on Flickr
 
Austin Maestro by adam.delaney1, on Flickr
 
I managed to get out of the show after it finished at 5pm on Sunday. Filled up at Trafford Park Asda before heading back down south. Finally arrived back to my digs in Canterbury at midnight. Much of the journey back was completed at 70mph. Had it up to 85 at one point and it could have gone quicker, but I didn't want to push it too hard. Even at 70, I was able to overtake a lot of dawdlers and spent a surprising amount of time in the outside lanes of the M6 and M1.
 
Jobs still to do? The heater is still bypassed after the heater pipes split when Gary had it. Found a secondhand heater matrix and pipes on Ebay, but there was clearly some shill bidding going on, so I left it. If anyone sees one let me know! Also, despite my best efforts rust is coming back through the NSR door, so that needs replacing. I had hoped to get one in Champagne Beige, to minimise the prep needed, however, I've not been able to track one down. Oh and I still need a pair of front indicators as both mine are cracked. And the clutch is quite high, but isn't slipping, so I think I'll just put up with it until I've got a load of spare cash then get it changed.
 
Oh yes, the eagle eyed among you may have noticed the mudflaps in the Manchester show pictures. The original mudflaps simply said "Maestro" and were really work hardened/perished after 30 years. Besides which, the fixing bolts were really corroded and two flaps has actually dropped off the original rotten wings - ugh. I'd been on the lookout for a NOS set of Maestro mudflaps, without luck. Then, I just happened to be browsing the dusty shelves in a long-established Canterbury motor factors and I stumbled across these beauties. NOS, in the original packets and £20 for the set. I was very fortunate to get the last four, I reckon they'd been on the shelf since at least 1988-89 as that's when they dropped the Austin-Rover name.
 

 

 

No, they were being completely honest.  It's the number of combined fault codes, warning lights and other random problems/broken things that particular car is currently experiencing.

No, they were being completely honest.  It's the number of combined fault codes, warning lights and other random problems/broken things that particular car is currently experiencing.

No, they were being completely honest.  It's the number of combined fault codes, warning lights and other random problems/broken things that particular car is currently experiencing.

No, they were being completely honest.  It's the number of combined fault codes, warning lights and other random problems/broken things that particular car is currently experiencing.

No, they were being completely honest.  It's the number of combined fault codes, warning lights and other random problems/broken things that particular car is currently experiencing.

Nice one!  Lovely colour, 205s have aged incredibly well, it still looked fresh on a P plate in 1995, never mind back in 1984.

^ I'm glad it'd had a new starter motor fitted by times I had it!

This is how you make a petrol tank safe. The choice of music is important.
 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Ford-sierra-project-track-car-spares-repair-not-cosworth-/111484398456
 
DANGLY MIRRORS

I like it other than the sticker bombing.
 

While you're there, check page 16 for something familiar!  The Bo11ox tat blog is an excellent read.

Excellent buy, I really like the rear end on these, particularly the way the lights are arranged.  Reversing lights hidden up in the dark panel on the bootlid I believe.  Unusual to see a white one but it really suits it quite well.  Did they change the dashboard in these at some point?  Looks remarkably conventional given the exterior design.

Just back. 

 
What a car! How on earth can something so good be bought for just £375? As that video demonstrates, the dynamics are incredible. You just turn into a bend and it sails around it without rolling like a barge. It's uncanny. It whispers along at motorway speeds and appears to have drunk barely any fuel. I think I'm in love. The ABS fault even cured itself! Full capers report to follow. Not sure how swiftly I can get it done due to the need for food.
 
Many thanks to FPB7 for transport today and Eifion for putting the car on my radar.

Have to wait until Mikeknight and I have finished filming our garage documentary.  We're calling it For Fuck's Sake and it covers what actually happens when you do any job on a car that's 20+ years old.

Nice one!  Lovely colour, 205s have aged incredibly well, it still looked fresh on a P plate in 1995, never mind back in 1984.

I've not been on here much recently, it's been a difficult couple of years. As a treat to myself for what I've done during those difficult times I bought myself an early Peugeot 205GT in August.
 
My father had an A-reg 205GR from new, I was 13 when he got it - looking at the brochures and reading the road tests between picking my spots, I really wished he had had a GT instead! He also had a couple of GTI 1.6s later on, but I've always had a soft spot for the cooking models in a car range (given a choice, I seem to go for the top-of-the-original-range models for some reason??).
 
The car was mentioned in passing on the Footman James (Event City) show thread on here, as it was parked in the car park both days and a few people spotted it there.
 
I first saw it at Tatton Park in August, it was in the one make parking area on the Sunday. Note the lettering on the windscreen!
 

 
One of the first jobs was removing that... He was apparently sick of people asking him what the car was (I found out later from someone else). He wanted £2,500, looking very closely at the car (and, afterwards, seeing how much bodywork it's had done) this is what I paid. I have an agreed insurance value for this amount.
 
Googling the registration number throws up some (pleasant ) surprises (including a YouTube video), which 'encouraged' me to agree to pay what he was asking... It had two lady owners (the first for 4 years then the second for 25 years). The chap I bought it off was the third owner and he purchased it early last year; he owned it for about 15 months and seems to have had a fair bit of body- and paintwork done to it.
 
It has just clocked 25,000 miles (the MoTs confirm this), all the annual service & MoT invoices are present since 1992 and the MoT certificates since 1989 (but only the tax discs for the past decade). The original V5 for the second registered keeper, dated 5/2/88, is also in the history file.
 
The only work it has had in my care has been new plugs, leads, distributor cap and rotor arm and a new air filter, as well as two new Good Year tyres.
 
Autocar finished off their Long Term Test (40,00 miles) of an early 205GT by writing that the car reminded them of the old MG1100 - yes, that's right, a big Mini. This is a very fair description!
 
Enough waffle from me, on with the pictures...
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
It could do with a new rear bumper and valance, the left hand 'blank' in the rear valance, an ashtray (the bit that slots into the centre console has been 'trimmed' for some reason), a replacement gearknob (chewed by a dog? it's breaking up anyway) and a bit more paintwork (not that you'll spot this in the pics ).
 
The chap who owned it before me has set it back in some ways, such as the rear bumper which certainly wasn't on it when he bought it . He has also sprayed the wheels a darker shade (and not very well), rust is breaking through and they need refurbing... He also sprayed the exhaust pipe (seemingly all of it!) but that looks surprisingly OK.
 
Finally, the rev counter doesn't work... there is no electrical feed to it!! Ah well...
 
 
I'm chuffed to bits with it .

Yeah its still mint, no rust on it as its garaged all the time. Even after owning it for like 6 years or whatever, he tells me every time we mention the car, 'what a great car it is'. Always waltzes through the MOT with no bother.

Your (mingebag) motoring is our concern ! Diesel, needs an MoT in two weeks, £112 with one day to go until the auction ends.

Rover 25 with knocking engine. Current bit £1.20p no reserve with 6hrs to go.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2004-ROVER-25-I-84-RED-/191371647142?pt=Automobiles_UK&hash=item2c8ea398a6

It's very nice.  It's very shiny.  It's not got many miles on it.  
 
Whether or not it's worth ten times the price of a fairly tidy one remains to be seen.
 
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Pristine-Original-Volvo-940-SE-2-3-Turbo-Estate-95-Tax-Mot-Stunning-Classic-Car/111469793433?_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20140122125356%26meid%3D47b66781ac7b426786e134242fb03662%26pid%3D100005%26prg%3D20140122125356%26rk%3D3%26rkt%3D6%26sd%3D321543621490&rt=nc
 

It's very nice.  It's very shiny.  It's not got many miles on it.  
 
Whether or not it's worth ten times the price of a fairly tidy one remains to be seen.
 
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Pristine-Original-Volvo-940-SE-2-3-Turbo-Estate-95-Tax-Mot-Stunning-Classic-Car/111469793433?_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20140122125356%26meid%3D47b66781ac7b426786e134242fb03662%26pid%3D100005%26prg%3D20140122125356%26rk%3D3%26rkt%3D6%26sd%3D321543621490&rt=nc
 

I am quite literally glued to this thread. It's betterer than "don't tell the bride" for drama and intrigue... What will he pick? Will she like it?! Imagine the clip where Bol's betrothed takes her giggling bridesmaids and gently sobbing mother to the local scrap yard to show them the exact 2litre V6 that she's dreamed of since she was a child and cut back to MrB handing over a pack of star mix for a dusty old Reliant engine and spending the rest of the budget on a rover 75.

Hit me with some examples, it's quite likely I can't do what you're after as many of the art styles of old car brochures I find I cannot imitate.
 
 
Bike sketch, picked on shiter Bub2006's Honda C90.  This is the second stage where I've gone through and tidied up much of the detail work.

 
It's highlighted to me how little I know about how bikes are put together, and how fiddly they are compared to most of the cars I've been drawing.  Definitely outside of my comfort zone, but in a rewarding way.