19 Years of Tin Snail - Back to normality

[dollywobbler]

OMG, IZ TODAY! And, it's pouring down with rain. Oh well. Washes the salt off the roads at least...

[dollywobbler]

I am waiting my turn. First drive a success!

[mrbenn]

Fingers crossed!

 

How far was it to the MOT station? Decent run?

[dollywobbler]

About 4 miles, with a nice, steep downhill section to clean up the brakes. I hope...

 

Running a bit late, so she's not on the ramp yet.

[KruJoe]

Good Luck Elly!

[Eddie Honda]

Sorry

[mrbenn]

Elly came off the road in April 2015 for restoration, MOT lapsed at that time.

[Eddie Honda]

I'm back up to speed now.

[Eddie Honda]

Sub 2 year turnaround is good work.

 

Hope everything is bolted up OK for test. Forgot to tighten up the front end of a bike once...

[M'coli]

^^^ I suspect that lead to "something else" tightening quite dramatically on the ride to the test centre...

 

Good luck, Elly.

[dollywobbler]

She passed! Though she also conked out twice and had to be bump started...

[320touring]

Good news! Sure the bump starting just added to the charm of the occasion:)

[mrbenn]

Great news, nice work

[oldcars]

Result, great news.

[tapir]

great news! congrats

[richardmorris]

Hooray!

 

MOT history of this vehicle

• Test date 6 January 2017
• Expiry date 5 January 2018
• Test Result Pass
• Odometer reading 200,398 miles
• MOT test number 5911 5551 6312
• Advisory notice item(s)
  
  nearside front play in kingpin

  offside front play in kingpin

[dollywobbler]

It's all gone a bit wrong. Currently broken down outside the Shitefest Cymru hotel. Arse.

[Eddie Honda]

Arse.

 

You are Bert Bastard AICMFP.

 

 

ARSE!

 

Well done on the pass btw.

[mrbenn]

It's all gone a bit wrong. Currently broken down outside the Shitefest Cymru hotel. Arse.

 

Bright side: it didn't break down on the way to the MOT!

 

Has she just conked out?

[richardmorris]

electrical or petrol I expect! Is the fuel pump pumping?

[dollywobbler]

Right. Let's get up to date, in pictorial form.

 

The drive down to the MOT station was problem free. A steep hill allowed me to clear up the brakes with several hard stops.

 

Then she was on to the ramp. Sadly, she conked out at this point, and refused to restart. Lights were checked on battery power, and the tester allowed me to adjust the headlamps.

 

I was pushed off the ramp, got the car going with a bump start and then she was on to the brake rollers. She conked out again after this, so another push and bump start and she was in for the emissions test. Then she conked out again. I paid, got my delicious certificate (just the advisories for kingpins, rightly so) and pushed the car outside myself, then bump started it to drive home. The lads had had quite enough of helping by this point!

 

I got to the junction near my house, and decided to go and get some fresh fuel. As I turned right, away from my house, she conked out again. I managed to use a hill to bump start her, but she was very reluctant. She just caught by the time I rolled down to the hotel, so I turned in the junction, where she conked out again. Just around a blind bend. Helpful! I pushed her up on the kerb, and was glad I did, as a huge artic came past moments later.

 

I had no tools, no spare parts, so there was nothing I could do. I rang home and Mrs DW dug out another coil from my parts stash and ran down to the hotel with it. This seemed to do the trick.

 

But, I've no confidence in this car at the moment, so I feel it would be pretty foolish to attempt a 500-mile trip this weekend, especially when I HAVE to be home on Monday for a press car delivery. She needs a full service, possibly with a brand new coil and a 123 electronic ignition unit. I'm away to a work meeting this afternoon, so I just don't have any tinkering time, nor a 123 unit to hand. This adventure is going to be parked up for now therefore. A bit disappointing, but sometimes, that's how these things go. Mrs DW did remind me that this is a car that hasn't been on the road for the best part of two years!

[dollywobbler]

electrical or petrol I expect! Is the fuel pump pumping?

 

Fresh coil fixed it for now. Was misfiring rather than just cutting out, so fuel not the main culprit at the moment. I would like to get a fresh tank in her though.

[Jim Bell]

This is what happens when youre nice to cars.

[mrbenn]

I think thats a pretty good show for a 200k mile car thats been off the road for the thick end of two years.

 

Teething troubles, thats all it is.

[dollywobbler]

Yeah, that's how I'm trying to look at it. It's a scary feeling though. This car is usually turn-key reliable. Mind you, the spark plugs are ancient, the points and condenser are old and unknown and all of my coils appear to be old and knackered, so I'm not really giving her a fighting chance. If I had time, I'd be doing a serious overhaul this afternoon, but I have to jump in another car and drive to Welshpool and back, so that's not leaving a whole lot of tinkering time.

 

Far easier to just remove the pressure and abandon the weekend's plans. Not liked we'd booked anything.

[mrbenn]

The real win here is that Elly is MOT'd and back on the road

 

Congrats!

[dollywobbler]

The real win here is that Elly is MOT'd and back on the road

 

Congrats!

 

Yes, I need to focus on that WIN, because I just feel disappointed at the moment. Ah well. She's now legal (just sorted the tax) so once she's running sweetly, I'll have a trip out somewhere. For now, she's back hiding in the garage again, drying out (I've not shut the garage door!)

[Eddie Honda]

Sod it, do the trip armed with tools, parts, breakdown cover/credit card. Where's your sense of adventure gone?

[dollywobbler]

Sod it, do the trip armed with tools, parts, breakdown cover/credit card. Where's your sense of adventure gone?

 

A year ago, I had the luxury of time. I don't have that time this time. I've got a ton of work to do, and an MG GS arriving on Monday. They'll be a bit miffed if I'm not here to receive it because my ancient Citroen has gone wrong.

[Guest Breadvan72]

Much more classy to have a totes legal but beshaggered car than a heap that is not even entitled to break down on the road.