Six Cylinders Motoring Notes

[Markeh]

The village I grew up in had a small local motor factors using the Motorist Discount name - been there as long as I can remember but maybe it took inspiration for its name from MDC?

[mat_the_cat]

On 10/16/2022 at 5:24 PM, Six-cylinder said:

I think the slide started at Easter 1982 when sales were below target across the company. It was all built on bank money and then we could not buy the advance seasonal stock to get best price and more and more supplies put us on stop. The figure that was banded about in 1985 was the company went down for 11 million pounds.

Do you think this was around the sort of time when the average motorist started to lose interest in cars, and when they began to become appliances? I vaguely remember in the early 80s it wasn't unusual to see folk working on their cars in the street, and by the 2000s (with hindsight) it was rarely seen, apart from me!

[bobdisk]

On 10/16/2022 at 5:16 PM, MiniMinorMk3 said:

I started at Tunbridge Wells in  May '82. I was only there for a couple of weeks and then got moved to Tonbridge.  The company always felt as though it was on the brink of disaster to me as orders started to not get filled. After a year I decided to go back to college and waste a couple more years in education.

Trying to place where in Tonbridge this was, I used TonTyres at the bottom of Quarry Hill in the 70s/80s for lots of things when I lived there, but cant think of another shop in Ton or Tun  Wells.

[Dobloseven]

A nostalgic thread for me, bringing back many memories. There were several MDCs in Leicester. One quite near where I worked in the late seventies /early eighties. That was my go to place for car stuff for a long time. Digressing slightly, in Leicester at least, when the influx of Asians expelled from the African nations, particularly Uganda had settled, a lot opened small open all hours, corner shop motor spares places. Probably successful businessmen back home, they were invariably helpful,nothing was too much trouble. If they hadn't got it they'd get it for you. Remember someone I worked with in the late eighties building a Mini based kit car and one such shop got him Austin Rover parts direct from a contact at the factory. This personal touch was a contrast to Halfords type places with a manager answering to head office and the ubiquitous spotty youth assistants.Only a few left now. The owners have mostly retired and sold up, their families uninterested in  carrying on the businesses. 

[MiniMinorMk3]

5 hours ago, bobdisk said:

Trying to place where in Tonbridge this was, I used TonTyres at the bottom of Quarry Hill in the 70s/80s for lots of things when I lived there, but cant think of another shop in Ton or Tun  Wells.

Tonbridge shop was on the High Street. On the right hand side as you travelled north before the river. Ton-Tyres was much bigger than the MDC, and you could park outside. Being on the High Street the only time you could park outside was on a Sunday.

The Tunbridge Wells shop was on London Road, on the corner of Castle Street. 

[Yoss]

On 10/18/2022 at 4:30 PM, Six-cylinder said:

My treat today was to borrow my favourite garages Triumph 2000 estate fitted with a 2.5Pi engine for a TSSC meeting this evening. I don't have to give it back until Thursday!

Marked sadface because jealous. 

[Six-cylinder]

1 minute ago, Yoss said:

Marked sadface because jealous. 

I am very lucky to have friends who lend me cars like this.

I took it to do errands this morning, changes a tedious journey into an event. 

[Yoss]

What are those front seats? 

[Six-cylinder]

Another busy afternoon with the help of @Slowsilver.

We are working on getting our cars put away for the winter, but there are a few things to check along the way.

The Gamma spat some water out when I forgot to switch on electric cooling fan. We had added fresh coolant but did not have enough fuel to test drive it so today we tipped in a gallon and took it out. The good new is I don't seem to have done any damage from the coolant loss, but the indicators seem to have stopped working. Also it needs a new battery and has a small stutter at low rpm and light throttle I don't remember it having.

[Six-cylinder]

11 minutes ago, Yoss said:

What are those front seats? 

Alfa 156.

This is his everyday Triumph built from a lost cause rust bucket! This was done using the lowest cost items that aren't always original.

Next year the plan is to finish a beautiful 2500Pi saloon he is rebuilding. I wonder if he will let me borrow that.

[Six-cylinder]

@Slowsilver hard at work checking the fluids in the BiTurbo before it winter lay up to keep it out of the salt.

[Six-cylinder]

These 4 were started, warmed though and driven outside so we could get the car on the back row out?

[hairnet]

16 minutes ago, Six-cylinder said:

@Slowsilver hard at work checking the fluids in the BiTurbo before it winter lay up to keep it out of the sheepshit/cow shit/mk wankers

(youve seen how they drive down the 421)

hellloooooooooooooooooo.............................................

(did it enjoy the stroke steve gave it )

[hairnet]

13 minutes ago, Six-cylinder said:

These 4 were started, warmed though and driven outside so we could get the car on the back row out?

4 italians

well ones built like them

 

[Six-cylinder]

So what was on the back row!

Mrs6C Volvo V70 T5 Auto.

It has not been used since 2018 because it has had it engine light one, diagnosed as cam sensor. Somehow it has never been done but today @Slowsilver said we would have a go at changing the cam sensor. I had bought the part and we have the i-soft Volvo code reader to help.

It started up just fine for the first time in ages, runs sweetly and has no warning lights on! The tyres were checked.

A quick call to a local garage and it is going for MOT this week. 

[Yoss]

42 minutes ago, Six-cylinder said:

Alfa 156.

This is his everyday Triumph built from a lost cause rust bucket! This was done using the lowest cost items that aren't always original.

Next year the plan is to finish a beautiful 2500Pi saloon he is rebuilding. I wonder if he will let me borrow that.

Ah yes, I've seen those used before. I was thinking about them for my 1300. If anything they look a little small for the 2000, there's a big gap between the front seats there, I reckon they'd look just right in the slightly narrower small saloon. Trouble is, they're not cheap any more. I should have bought some ten years ago when you couldn't give them away. 

[hairnet]

swedish lights lie for sho

get it sorted in case it does a bl/french

 

[wuvvum]

I've said it before, but I bloody love that Biturbo.

Also I'm now getting the urge for another Volvo T5 in my life.  I regretted selling the last one I had - it was a total heap but the power and the 5-cylinder warble were fantastic.

[Six-cylinder]

I visited Pure Triumph today, they found me somewhere special to park my MG!

[chaseracer]

On 19/10/2022 at 21:54, Six-cylinder said:

@Slowsilver hard at work checking the fluids in the BiTurbo before it winter lay up to keep it out of the salt.

Tidying the garage today, I happened across the April 2013 issue of Practical Performance Car.  Inside was a feature, written by @motorpunk of this electronic parish, thrashing this very Maserati around the Isle of Man TT circuit.

[hairnet]

2 hours ago, Six-cylinder said:

I visited Pure Triumph today, they found me somewhere special to park my MG!

bins are worth a few quid - keep those

[Mrs6C]

1 hour ago, chaseracer said:

Tidying the garage today, I happened across the April 2013 issue of Practical Performance Car.  Inside was a feature, written by @motorpunk of this electronic parish, thrashing this very Maserati around the Isle of Man TT circuit.

Any chance of a copy of that?

[Yoss]

13 hours ago, Six-cylinder said:

I visited Pure Triumph today, they found me somewhere special to park my MG!

It's good to see the Triumph/MG rivalry still going strong. When I first started driving you weren't allowed to like both, it was like rival football teams. 

These days I think any car that's lasted 50 odd years, there is a mutual respect. I even get MG drivers waving at me, that would never have happened back in the day. 

Sort of appropriately I have seen bins branded MGB. I have trawled the Internet but this is the best I could find. 

[Six-cylinder]

1 hour ago, Yoss said:

It's good to see the Triumph/MG rivalry still going strong. When I first started driving you weren't allowed to like both, it was like rival football teams. 

These days I think any car that's lasted 50 odd years, there is a mutual respect. I even get MG drivers waving at me, that would never have happened back in the day. 

Sort of appropriately I have seen bins branded MGB. I have trawled the Internet but this is the best I could find. 

 

I have always had spit loyalties, first Triumph 1977 and first MG 1980.

This removed component is currently restricting the use of my Vitesse!

[Yoss]

5 minutes ago, Six-cylinder said:

I have always had spit loyalties, first Triumph 1977 and first MG 1980.

This removed component is currently restricting the use of my Vitesse!

Snap! 

Only thing is I have to take the engine out to change mine. As of yesterday afternoon it is back in the car but I have to join everything back up. 

[Six-cylinder]

23 minutes ago, Yoss said:

Snap! 

Only thing is I have to take the engine out to change mine. As of yesterday afternoon it is back in the car but I have to join everything back up. 

When my friend Andrew from the TSSC who is borrowing the Vitesse says winter is coming, do you want me to see if I can sort the noisy bearing in the gearbox! 

[Yoss]

23 minutes ago, Six-cylinder said:

When my friend Andrew from the TSSC who is borrowing the Vitesse says winter is coming, do you want me to see if I can sort the noisy bearing in the gearbox! 

I'm very much hoping it's not in there any more. I was down to this at one point. 

[Six-cylinder]

9 minutes ago, Yoss said:

I'm very much hoping it's not in there any more. I was down to this at one point. 

3rd gear Synchro was poor when I bought the car, after 17 years it is more or less non existent! I am hoping Andrew will be able to tackle this as well. 

It all started with a problem with the remote and the job has expanded.

 

[Yoss]

3 minutes ago, Six-cylinder said:

and the job has expanded.

 

Say no more. 

[Dick Cheeseburger]

3 hours ago, Yoss said:

I've seen bins branded MGB.

 

Are you sure they were branded as MGB?