Six Cylinders Motoring Notes - a Workshop Day Today

[richardmorris]

5 minutes ago, Noel Tidybeard said:

it's not the prettiest version of a 308/328 but by christ is better looking than half of their modern munters

It’s my favourite classic Ferrari. The only Bertone ( probably gandini) Ferrari. About 2008 I was at Brooklands with my x1/9. A very smart lady came up and started chatting, she had a yellow ‘80s x1/9 from new and her husband had a blue gt4.

The same meeting another lady came over to chat. She’d just bought an x1/9 at auction( said she hadn’t registered to bid but they know me there !).  Said it looked so sweet she just had to have it. She appeared in classic cars magazine a month or two later with her multi-million pound collection. I can’t remember her name now, but I think she’s well known.

[LightBulbFun]

25 minutes ago, Six-cylinder said:

As we finished Mrs6C said I hate this, all these people think that nice man in his Ferrari has stopped to help that poor lady in her Fiat!

 

that gave me a good chuckle, I would have loved to have seen their faces as it @Mrs6C got back in the Ferrari and not you!  

 

and yes I do feel a bit bad for assuming the Ferrari was yours and not @Mrs6C

but its not for those typical reasons that everyone thought the Ferrari was yours rather then the Fiat, its just I always picture @Mrs6C as the most shite-est out of you two  for lack of a better word (yeah take that out of context! LOL)

I mean I dont see you standing up for Pacers in the railshite thread now do I? so I just assumed the Ferrari was yours!

 

(and yeah it looks sharp in black I like it!)

[Dick Cheeseburger]

40 minutes ago, Mrs6C said:

I'm sure it has been posted up here before, but here you go:

That is sublime. You guys need a museum for the fleet so we can come and explore properly. 

[Six-cylinder]

15 minutes ago, Dick Longbridge said:

That is sublime. You guys need a museum for the fleet so we can come and explore properly. 

I would love that but just not affordable so we will have to hide them away when not in use.

 

[richardmorris]

27 minutes ago, Six-cylinder said:

I would love that but just not affordable so we will have to hide them away when not in use.

 

And if anything the last year has shown, it’s not easy having multiple cars with no where to drive.

[Six-cylinder]

12 minutes ago, richardmorris said:

And if anything the last year has shown, it’s not easy having multiple cars with no where to drive.

There were good moments between lockdowns!

[Talbot]

2 hours ago, chaseracer said:

"Hello, is that the 1960s?  Can I speak to Citroen please?"

"I'm afraid Citroen from the 1960s aren't available.  However, I do have a note that Lancia from the 1970s may be able to assist with your enquiry about Horrific Rust Problems."

[Dick Cheeseburger]

1 hour ago, Six-cylinder said:

I would love that but just not affordable so we will have to hide them away when not in use.

 

At least we get to see them on here from time to time. The Ferrari is a first time spot for me though. 

[wuvvum]

2 hours ago, Six-cylinder said:

Now who wants to polish it for Mrs6C come the spring............

I'll polish it if I can have a go!

 

Actually that might not be a good idea, my trader's only covers me up to £6K and 308s are worth a bit* more than that nowadays.

[wuvvum]

9 hours ago, Six-cylinder said:

This was rather special @flat4alfa

It is a wet Saturday afternoon 1st July 1998 and the best place for car ads was AutoTrader with a tiny black and white photo. We spotted an immaculate 1981 Lancia HPE for sale in Maidenhead. It was still raining and the seller could have not been more helpful taking us to town to visit two cashpoint machines!

On the way home it had wayward handling and next morning it was difficult to start. When it was dry you could see prep marks in the paint. I sorted the rear suspension alinement with a straight edge and sting and the cars handling was transformed. In spite of the flaws in the paint it still looked smart and a fiddle with timing made it start better if not easily.  

I know this was 1998 but it was a flying machine with only a 2.0 carburettor engine.  

Then it started to rust, I could not believe the bubbles that appeared on the side of the roof in less than a year. Still enjoying the car the fateful day was the 18th March 2000 when a load of timber was blow over in a storm and dented the HPE all down the drivers side, roof and bonnet. When we got it, it was put on classic agreed value insurance and I had asked that it was insured at £600 in line with what I had paid and the company came back and said I should insure it for £2,000. Come the claim £2,000 less excess was paid out with no fuss, the insurance company took it away and that was that.

I loved it and wish I still had it.

I had an HPE - bought from the local auction for £150 in 2001.  It was a 2-litre injection so went like the clappers, but it had a badly leaking water pump so required constant topping up.  Still one of the best handling FWD cars I've ever driven.  It had a decent plate on it too - ALE456Y.

[Six-cylinder]

Today a tongue in cheek spot the difference competition, I am only looking for ONE difference.

[wuvvum]

The XM has moved. 

[LightBulbFun]

2 minutes ago, wuvvum said:

The XM has moved. 

and changed colour? in the snow picture it looks like an Estate, the Merc 200TE I think

which has then been swapped for the XM in the bottom pic so thats my guess LOL

[Six-cylinder]

2 hours ago, wuvvum said:

The XM has moved. 

Yes 20 miles as it had been away having new front seat belts as the passenger one would not pull out and the driver's had worn, frayed webbing.

[mitsisigma01]

You've parked the Alfa about 3 inches closer to the kerb 🧐

[quicksilver]

There's snow in the first pic and rain in the second. Obvious isn't it 😃

Well, that and the Merc has turned into an XM.

[High Jetter]

They say cars look better in the rain, but that rear door and the dented front one look better in the snowy sun.

[Six-cylinder]

26 minutes ago, High Jetter said:

They say cars look better in the rain, but that rear door and the dented front one look better in the snowy sun.

Even better in the dark!

[hairnet]

4 hours ago, Six-cylinder said:

Today a tongue in cheek spot the difference competition, I am only looking for ONE difference.

one of them isnt broken?

[hairnet]

gt4

great because

bertone (ooh)

blek

wedge (did lertus nick some of the cues?)

ive not seen pics of it only one from the back

nice one chris ya madman

whens the weathers nicer can @Mrs6C take it out and bounce it off the limiter with a video camera

[High Jetter]

5 hours ago, hairnet said:

gt4

great because

bertone (ooh)

blek

wedge (did lertus nick some of the cues?)

ive not seen pics of it only one from the back

nice one chris ya madman

whens the weathers nicer can @Mrs6C take it out and bounce it off the limiter with a video camera

What, exactly, are you referring to? 

[Tadhg Tiogar]

On 1/27/2021 at 10:48 PM, Six-cylinder said:

There were good moments between lockdowns!

Jaysus I'm going bald.

[Six-cylinder]

I have been trying to buy this white 1991 Volvo 340 LE 5 door 1.4 which belongs to a neighbour of a friend of mine. Unfortunately while I knew it was an MOT failure I did not know how bad it was until my friend got me the reg number today. I think I am out with that much welding.

Date tested12 June 2019

FAIL

 View test certificate

Mileage66,304 miles

MOT test number5989 1207 5215

Test location

 View test location

Repair immediately (major defects):

·         Offside Stop lamp(s) not working (4.3.1 (a) (ii))

·         Driver's door cannot be opened from outside the vehicle (6.2.3 (a))

·         Offside Rear Shock absorbers has a serious fluid leak (5.3.2 (b))

·         Nearside Steering rack has excessive free play detected at the steering wheel (steering rack fitted) (2.3 (a) (i))

·         Nearside Front Suspension component mounting prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength under bonnet (5.3.6 (a) (i))

·         Offside Rear Seat belt anchorage prescribed area strength or continuity significantly reduced door steep (7.1.1 (a) (i))

·         Offside Rear Suspension component mounting prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength inner sill (5.3.6 (a) (i))

·         Offside Rear Suspension component mounting prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength outer sill (5.3.6 (a) (i))

Monitor and repair if necessary (advisories):

·         Offside Play in steering rack inner joint(s) ()

·         Nearside Front Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))

[Fumbler]

1 hour ago, Six-cylinder said:

I have been trying to buy this white 1991 Volvo 340 5 door 1.4 which belongs to a neighbour of a friend of mine. Unfortunately while I knew it was an MOT failure I did not know how bad it was until my friend got me the reg number today. I think I am out with that much welding.

Date tested12 June 2019

FAIL

 View test certificate

Mileage66,304 miles

MOT test number5989 1207 5215

Test location

 View test location

Repair immediately (major defects):

·         Offside Stop lamp(s) not working (4.3.1 (a) (ii))

·         Driver's door cannot be opened from outside the vehicle (6.2.3 (a))

·         Offside Rear Shock absorbers has a serious fluid leak (5.3.2 (b))

·         Nearside Steering rack has excessive free play detected at the steering wheel (steering rack fitted) (2.3 (a) (i))

·         Nearside Front Suspension component mounting prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength under bonnet (5.3.6 (a) (i))

·         Offside Rear Seat belt anchorage prescribed area strength or continuity significantly reduced door steep (7.1.1 (a) (i))

·         Offside Rear Suspension component mounting prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength inner sill (5.3.6 (a) (i))

·         Offside Rear Suspension component mounting prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength outer sill (5.3.6 (a) (i))

Monitor and repair if necessary (advisories):

·         Offside Play in steering rack inner joint(s) ()

·         Nearside Front Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))

It's a shame, I rather like the shape of those (especially the boot) but they do seem to hide their rot well. I found a far worse one on eBay which was, quite literally,  being driven around with structural carpet.

[HillmanImp]

That could be four 5p sized holes though? Probably still worth a look. The wording on the certificates sounds bad even if it's not.

[wuvvum]

Get @Mrs6C on it.  If she's been welding up British Rail carriages then a 340 should be a piece of cake.

[Six-cylinder]

Black Beauty is 100 thousand miles old!

I did a trip to a local Co-op for few bits of shopping this morning and spotted we were heading towards 100k miles and managed to catch the moment.

I have had the black 156 2 years 3 months now and done 2500 miles.

[HMC]

I fitted that new wooden steering wheel to it, the leather one it had was falling apart at the seams (literally) 

[wuvvum]

4 hours ago, HMC said:

I fitted that new wooden steering wheel to it, the leather one it had was falling apart at the seams (literally) 

I remember seeing the state of the original wheel.  There was a spare thermostat housing or something with it too that I left on your kitchen side and only realised when I was half way up the M5...

[HMC]

😫

I think I replaced the thermostat as it ran cool, i also stripped and cleaned the gear selector mechanism as it had partially seized up. I thought that simply won’t do when it’s attached to a busso v6.

I also was the buyer of the breadvan v6 from breadvan (also now @Six-cylinder‘s ) before my wife put her foot down. We are now no longer married.