andy18s

There's one neighbour who keeps a decent log on here.

I'm sure the police soon put them right if they show.
Then it's another black mark against neighbours...
Is Hazel and others who are affected keeping any sort of log/diary for future reference?

So… the story is thus. Having had a desire for a Saab ‘vert since my last one, once the Nova was condemned to a mass weldathon I knew I wasn’t the man to do it. So an agreement was made to sell, meaning I had the money saved plus the sale cost burning a hole in my pocket. My intention was to buy a nice 900 or 9-3 convertible… or maybe another MX5 or maybe something else.
What I actually ended up buying was a cheap 9-3 which needs a little attention… 
I actually looked at two on the same day, one which was purportedly in very good condition and well cared for. It was rough, and had DMF rattle… no thanks. Then we went to look at the cheap one on Anglesey because it was within an hour and we like a day out to the island. Turns out this one too was a little cosmetically challenged… but the old lady who had owned it for a number of years was charming and knocked the price down further when we discovered the roof was not working… MrsB is a pretty good judge of these things and was very much in favour. So we did a deal for less than half of the asking price of the first one we looked at.


As mentioned, the main issues are in-op roof. Now this was working before winter, so the fuse seems a good bet. If not for the price I might either get it repaired or just use it manually.
Other bits are mainly cosmetic, the front bumper has taken a clack, and someone appears to have broken in on the past, so the passenger door has some quirks. 

Broken glass under the seats shows recent break in attempt. 

Nod to its flying heritage! 
 
However, despite all these minor things, it drives spot on, pulls well and is very very smooth… if I can get the roof working it will really have been a good deal! 

Eight years ago today this turd landed at mine. Tomorrow I will apply for historic tax and, judging by the complete lack of progress on the Mini, proceed to use it over the next few months. 

Both the other cars in this photo since sold and scrapped, the house SSTC and and my lovely friend Emma has moved onto a better place. Then again she lived in Hemel, so a move to Strangeways would have been a positive move. 
Happy bASe day, fellow motorist. 

The weather was looking ok, it was time to take the Sierra out for a test drive.
Even with the battery disconnected, the fuel gauge was showing that the tank was nearly full. Bearing in mind that I only put about 5 litres in when I first bought the Sierra, the gauge reading looked very wrong.

With the battery reconnected, the Pinto fired up first time and the exhaust spat out a mouthful of moisture. More on this later. 
Whilst walking out of the workshop, to move the E46 out of the way, I noticed that the brake lights were permanently on.

I quickly got changed, removed the bottom of the dashboard again to gain access to the brake pedal switch.

I removed the switch to check and clean it. It looked ok.

I refitted the switch and adjusted it to the correct position. Evidently, I must have disturbed the switch whilst fiddling with the pedal box yesterday.
All pre-flight checks done, it was time to set off. I got as far as my local Esso fuel station.

I managed to squeeze 5 litres of petrol into the tank before the filler neck was full. It looks like the gauge was showing an almost full tank because the tank was almost full. On the basis that the tank holds 60 litres and I've added about 10 litres since buying the Sierra, there must have been about 50 litres of fuel in the tank. At approx £1.50 per litre, that's a £75 gift. Thank you previous owner.
Before leaving the fuel station, I was approached by three people, who commented on how immaculate the Sierra is and who asked how old it is and how many miles it has done. How nice that the posh folk of Beaconsfield appreciate old Fords.
Approx 5 miles into my trip, I stopped off at a garden centre to check vital fluids and to give everything a once over. No problems to report. The pretty setting provided an opportunity for a couple of photos.



Back on the road, I headed for the A404. If you've ever watched Wheeler Dealers (the GB episodes), you will have seen Mike B towing or driving something along this famous* dual carriageway. 
Without any struggling, the Sierra got up to 60MPH.

I came off the A404 at the A4 junction and drove through Maidenhead, Cookham, Wooburn Green and towards home. I stopped off at Glory Park for a couple more photos.


I arrived back home almost exactly 20 miles later, as confirmed by the trip meter. This is good news, it means the trip meter and odometer are both reading just fine.

Ok, I've only driven the Sierra for 20 miles along local traffic free roads but my first thoughts are very positive.
Engine - I adjusted the idle speed at the garden centre, once the engine reached full operating temperature. Throughout the trip, the engine ran fine, quickly reached operating temperature and the needle didn't budge from the mid point. It pulled well from low revs, with no missing or spluttering. Nothing has leaked out, however there is still a whiff of paraffin / old engine oil / mucky residue from where I've been tinkering, which will need time to burn off. 
Gearbox - All gears go in and out just fine, synchros are strong. The gearbox is silent and I love the mechanical feel of the gear change.
Clutch - Biting point spot on. No dragging, no slipping, no juddering. Perfect.
Prop & Diff - Silent, no vibrations.
Steering - Noticeably heavy at parking speeds, otherwise works well and feels adequately light at speed. Steering wheel is on straight, no pulling, no issues.
Suspension - Smooth! No knocks, no bangs. Ride comfort is superb, on par with my W123. Handling is roly-poly, as expected. 
Brakes - Needed a bit of time to bed in, however once the pedal firmed up, they worked just fine. I tried a couple of emergency stops, no pulling, no issues.
Exhaust - Drill holes failed to allow any moisture to escape overnight and I could hear a significant blow from both silencers. Bollocks. Evidently, drilling holes in silencers is not a good idea. I will plug both holes with chemical metal and self-tapping screws this afternoon.
Radio - Played Greatest Hits Radio (105.8FM), including Popmaster at 10:30am. All six speakers work ok and the FM reception is better than expected, bearing in mind I live and drove the Sierra through The Chilterns.
Summary - I love it!
@N19 I am sure that I will find something to write about soon. There are a few more bodywork related issues that I want to attend to and I expect the forthcoming MoT test will reveal something wrong with the old Ford. 
 

Saab 900 was loaded with small humans and the A55 traversed: 
The journey has included: 
Tunnels

Distant castles 
 

Bridges

And prettier bridges

In an interesting factoid I have bought a car of this brand and body type before. Also from Anglesey. On that trip I stopped to check over the car ten minutes into the journey… in a car park about 20 seconds away from where I have picked this one up from. 

Duly noted!
Also noted...
Still some more boxes to sift through, and I'll get everyone a heads-up before going live with the sales.

As nice as the Cav is, I'm more impressed you can wait 15mins to eat your scone.....

As nice as the Cav is, I'm more impressed you can wait 15mins to eat your scone.....

▶️ Watch this reel
https://www.facebook.com/share/r/oAJPWYG8UmrZtkj8/
 

As nice as the Cav is, I'm more impressed you can wait 15mins to eat your scone.....

As nice as the Cav is, I'm more impressed you can wait 15mins to eat your scone.....

As nice as the Cav is, I'm more impressed you can wait 15mins to eat your scone.....

Just to finish off on Saturday's adventures, then...

The orange Hot Wheels Honda Civic custom came from Asda; I don't have that one, and £1.90 seemed not too unreasonable.
The longcard Matchbox Chevy Nova - a 2020 release which seemed to bypass UK retailers, but has been dribbling through more recently as a grey import - was acquired at the Smithfield model shop, as was the 2024 version of the '66 Dodge Charger in dark green, which I like much more than the silver and orange 70th Anniversary release from last year.
Of course, he wrote the price in marker pen on the packaging, as is his wont.

But it doesn't bother me so much on these as it does on 40-year-old Corgis.
I also picked up a not-bad Lesney Mercury Commuter with regular wheels from the loose selection for £2, and a very tidy My First Matchbox Rover Sterling for a quid.

He actually had a fair amount of ok Lesney stuff this time round at similar pricing - yet also recent Hot Wheels priced at £3 or £4, loose.
In some cases, he still had carded examples of the same models hanging over on the other side of the shop for only £2.
Like I say, bewildering and unpredictable.
I could have spent more, but only had a limited amount of cash on me.
The Superfast Cortina has been discussed, but for me the star of yesterday's show was this:

A minty US release of the MB22 Cavalier GSi, acquired from the collectables shop in Holywood. 
This is why I was uncharacteristically willing to forego the pretty good example I'd bagsied on Friday night from the @bunglebus sales thread.
Funny, I'd been thinking about this model earlier too, because the Smithfield shop used to have a bunch of these 1980s US issues in a case for only a fiver - including a Mk3 Cavalier.
Having stared at it for years, one day I went in to buy it  - only to find it was just sold. Regrets, hey?
So when I found this alongside a bunch of other boxed Lesneys from the 1970s and 80s on a shelf in the NO PHOTOGRAPHY PLEASE shop, I felt a strong yearning.
It wasn't amazingly cheap, but I felt it was a fair price for what it is.

More so than the other Matchbox, which on closer inspection turned out to often be rather less than mint, and housed in reproduction boxes.
I dunno about you, but I don't think that £20 is a particularly reasonable price for a chipped Fiat 131 Abarth in a repro box.
He also had a carry-case of fairly playworn Corgi Juniors and Matchbox Superfasts which were priced at £4 each, though he generously offered to 'do me a deal' on the entire box.
It's a weird shop.
But I think I did ok out of it.
So after that, it was time to head back down the road to IKEA, and roundly tear the arse out of their free coffee refills policy in the cafe while typing some of this up, as I awaited my 'come and collect your shiz' text.

Which eventually came through at 1.55pm.
Ah well. I've had worse days...

Some nice finds here recently; just goes to show that the Belfast market scene isn't quite the be-all and end-all...
No market action yesterday either, I'm afraid, since I was waiting in for a sofa delivery which could have appeared any time from 8am onwards (typically, it didn't arrive until after lunch).
Still, have an afternoon picture of the Tree of Tat, anyway.

An early afternoon trip to Tesco to find some avocadoes tested my willpower to breaking point - as the local store seems to have finally replenished their Matchbox tub with the last 2023 mix:

So, I broke.

I rather suspect the 5-packs will come off their half-price Clubcard offer soon.
Later, an unsuccessful run over to a retail park to procure a lamp instead landed me right beside a branch of Smyths.
It did not escape my notice that their Matchbox mainlines are now reduced to £1, suggesting these are now considered an obsolete line.

There weren't many from this selection that I don't have already.

But there were some.

I also picked up this Hot Wheels Premiums Toyota Land Cruiser - it was the only one left, there was no price on the peg, and I noted that a shelf above full of Big Air Bel Airs from the same off-road collection were down to a fiver... so I took a chance.
Well, ultimately it scanned at £8.99 at the till, so no bargains for me there - but it's a cracking big weighty thing and I do rather like it regardless.
I also nabbed another of the F&F Decades Silverline range, this time the '70 Chevy Nova.
What's odd is that, unlike the El Camino and Grand Prix I picked up before, this has a metal base and is nearly indistinguishable from the much more expensive Premiums release.

There's not even any extra tampo detailing or anything.

The bases are identical, and the only difference seems to be the rubber 'Real Riders' tyres on the Premium, and the bumpers are chrome plated rather than just grey plastic.

But not really a lot of difference, given the semi-premium retails at £3.49 and the premium at £8.99.
I'm very pleased with these, and although I've unboxed them I haven't taken any pics yet.
A turn through B&M netted me these...

Two I nearly bought a few weeks ago, but didn't.
The Dodge Ram is very nicely detailed, and the Forester... well, I have a soft spot for Subarus.
Though not as soft as their sills, apparently.
And a turn past an independent toyshop made my jaw hit the floor when I clocked the mahoosive Matchbox Action Drivers Airport Adventure set hiding up near the ceiling, and on sale for just £35.

I'd been over in this store a few weeks ago, how the hell did I miss this?!

This would have been a cracking bargain, but for the fact I'd already pulled the trigger on this one a week or two previously (having had it on my Amazon list for like a year), and it showed up earlier this week.

I thought I'd got a good deal on this, seeing as how some eBay headcases are trying to wrangle £90 for them, but it was still a fair bit more than £35.

Nominally, this is a birthday gift for my niece in September. Or so I keep telling myself. I haven't opened it, but we'll see how my famous* iron-will holds, shall we?
It's quite a bit bigger than the smaller sets in the range.

I did a bit of a photoshoot with my other Action Drivers sets last week; I'll put them up here at some point.

The airport set comes with two vehicles and all.

I don't know why I'm so smitten with these kiddies' toys right now, but I am.

I daresay a psychologist would have some theories, though...
And if that's not enough, I headed out this morning on an IKEA collection run...

I have an interview in an hour, one which will allow me to buy my DVDs 25% cheaper. (Volunteering at BHF)

Just popped up on a trek culture thread.

That was quick, only ordered it yesterday afternoon and it arrived this morning. 
 
just need to get it pressed on. That might be tricky, 

I probably will regret it at some point… but… I can now reinvest the money I would have spent on it (and the sale price) in something I can actually use now, and in moving some of the other projects (including whiteyugo) further forward.
I have agreed a sale… it isn’t sold yet, but SSTC. The good news is it will live on.
I’ve also agreed a purchase… but that’s for another day. 

*incoherent excited yelling and pointing*

*image stabilisation has no power over my excitement*

TWELVE YEARS I've been waiting for this to happen!  An Ambassador encountered totally randomly in the wild.  Mike, the owner of the Ambassador, was so surprised to see the Princess as he was leaving and I was arriving that he turned around and came back specifically to say hello.
 
I am inordinately excited and I refuse to contain myself.

I've been looking forward to this day for the past two months.
Once the Sierra was back on its wheels, I undersealed the jacking points that were concealed by axle stands / ramps.


The other side is the same.
It was time to pull the Sierra out of the workshop. As the underseal was still fresh and the car isn't taxed, I only drove the Sierra to the end of the road and back to outside my house to take photos.
At this stage, I recommend that you rewind to page 4 of this thread and remind yourself what the Sierra looked like on the 30th January, the day it arrived from Northern Ireland. I am pleased with the results and I'll let the photos do the talking. Please note that I haven't washed or detailed the bodywork and trim yet, hopefully I will get a chance to do that next weekend.






The bonnet, roof and boot lid look much better in sunlight than they do under a LED lamp. Yes, if you look closely and at the right angle, you can see the fine scratches but overall, the paint looks great.



Remember how the four corners looked? The tarpaulin that the Sierra was stored under rubbed the blue paint off down to primer / bare / rusty metal. My masking off and dabbing of blue paint has worked well. Up close, you can see the touching up but I am pleased with my low cost solution.




The sills and inner sides of the rear wheel arches look much better too.




The boot lid and rear valance now gleam.

I left the engine to idle for about 15 minutes and it ran well, nice and quiet, with no smoke. The temperature gauge reached half way quickly (and stayed there) but the coolant level was still low. The idle speed is a little too fast, I need to work out which screw needs a tweak.

With the Sierra outside, it took me two hours to clean the workshop. EVERY surface was covered with a layer of black overspray dust, which spread when I was painting the bumpers. Got there in the end.

I put the Sierra back in for another week, until it can be taxed and driven from the 1st April.

The 1st April is a Monday. According to the forecast, the weather should be dry. Let's hope so.

 

Today this happened…

…back on its wheels for the first time in 14yrs. Forgot the battery so only shunted it by hand, but it rolls. The handbrake seems to be working, the foot brakes not so much. 
 
Tried the bleed nipples, two sheared off, two came free. Not ideal but expected.
-Steve-

There's another premium set coming out, Nissan Drift Wagon included

These Corgi Mobil collection bmws are well detailed.
With an opening sunroof and the correct flip bonnet.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/204479425075?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=lN-PifFpSb-&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=TmlwaeDTSGW&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY