Six Cylinders Motoring Notes - a Workshop Day Today

[bangernomics]

I thought that was only the very early cars?

Yeah my 59 is powered by the speedo drive.

[hairnet]

the bl crew needs to be given definition of modern

[Six-cylinder]

Number 3 of the Bank holiday weekend car events with my Mini Mayfair was a success. There and back under its own power. It was the first outing for the Mini to a car event.

Previously all I managed before winter shut us down was a 2 mile test drive and then I was too mean to tax it again before it became tax free in April.

The trip revealed a few jobs that need doing:

·         N-S rear Flasher stopped working on route

·         Handbrake lever a little stiff

·         Front brakes need adjusting

·         Fuel gauge not working

·         A drip, drip oil leak from the engine when at idle

·         Low idle speed so it stalled without a cloth peg on the choke to raise the idle speed

·         Nearing home a slight misfire developed

·         Speedo stopped working on the return journey

·         Driver’s seat belt buckle won’t clip in properly.

 

Quite a few club members arrived, but low classic Mini turn out as it seems they were all broken!

[richardmorris]

1 hour ago, Six-cylinder said:

Number 3 of the Bank holiday weekend car events with my Mini Mayfair was a success. There and back under its own power. It was the first outing for the Mini to a car event.

Previously all I managed before winter shut us down was a 2 mile test drive and then I was too mean to tax it again before it became tax free in April.

The trip revealed a few jobs that need doing:

·         N-S rear Flasher stopped working on route

·         Handbrake lever a little stiff

·         Front brakes need adjusting

·         Fuel gauge not working

·         A drip, drip oil leak from the engine when at idle

·         Low idle speed so it stalled without a cloth peg on the choke to raise the idle speed

·         Nearing home a slight misfire developed

·         Speedo stopped working on the return journey

·         Driver’s seat belt buckle won’t clip in properly.

 

Quite a few club members arrived, but low classic Mini turn out as it seems they were all broken!

Lowering the tone!

[Six-cylinder]

3 minutes ago, richardmorris said:

Lowering the tone!

Yes the other two Classic Mini's were much better than mine.

[New POD]

Ref the oil leak. Its not actually leaking, it's marking its territory.  (Land Rover joke IIRC) 

Every mini and metro I ever owned (6 in total) leaked from the gear change linkage seal. 

At the back, bottom of the sump. 

[Six-cylinder]

16 minutes ago, New POD said:

Ref the oil leak. Its not actually leaking, it's marking its territory.  (Land Rover joke IIRC) 

Every mini and metro I ever owned (6 in total) leaked from the gear change linkage seal. 

At the back, bottom of the sump. 

Our Metro has weeped in the past, but this is too bad to ignore.

[hairnet]

1 minute ago, Six-cylinder said:

Our Metro has weeped in the past, but this is too bad to not scrap.

only joking

[richardmorris]

1 hour ago, Six-cylinder said:

Our Metro has weeped in the past, but this is too bad to ignore.

If it’s leaking , it’s at least got some inside.

[richardmorris]

1 hour ago, Six-cylinder said:

Yes the other two Classic Mini's were much better than mine.

They’d washed theirs at least- I do like the van.

[Surface Rust]

If it's a significant leak, it could be the inner driveshaft joint seal with the diff. When these go it definitely leaves its mark!

[Zelandeth]

4 hours ago, Six-cylinder said:

Number 3 of the Bank holiday weekend car events with my Mini Mayfair was a success. There and back under its own power. It was the first outing for the Mini to a car event.

Previously all I managed before winter shut us down was a 2 mile test drive and then I was too mean to tax it again before it became tax free in April.

The trip revealed a few jobs that need doing:

·         N-S rear Flasher stopped working on route

·         Handbrake lever a little stiff

·         Front brakes need adjusting

·         Fuel gauge not working

·         A drip, drip oil leak from the engine when at idle

·         Low idle speed so it stalled without a cloth peg on the choke to raise the idle speed

·         Nearing home a slight misfire developed

·         Speedo stopped working on the return journey

·         Driver’s seat belt buckle won’t clip in properly.

 

Quite a few club members arrived, but low classic Mini turn out as it seems they were all broken!

So basically normal day to day life with a Mini in the early 90s then...

[Six-cylinder]

1 hour ago, Surface Rust said:

If it's a significant leak, it could be the inner driveshaft joint seal with the diff. When these go it definitely leaves its mark!

Mrs6C had now seen where the Mini marked its place when I went out and then returned! 

[Six-cylinder]

In March I put my Fiat Seicento 1.1 Active in for an MOT and it failed on this list:

Front Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (3.5 (a))

Nearside Rear Seat belt buckle not functioning as intended (7.1.2 (d))

Offside Rear Service brake excessively binding (1.2.1 (f))

Service brake efficiency below requirements (1.2.2 (a) (i))

Parking brake efficiency below requirements (1.4.2 (a) (i))

Rear Brakes imbalanced across an axle Axle 2 (1.2.1 (b) (i))

It took until 26th April to get it repaired and then needed a full test again. The garage was being inspected  at the time and the inspector bashed a rust hole in the body under the rear subframe and failed it. Now the subframe has to be dropped to weld it so it is back home.

[Six-cylinder]

It didn't care!

Today Mrs6C wanted our milk float shifted up a few feet and asked me to give it a tug with the Range Rover, 2 of its 3 wheels were locked but it moved anyway.

[hairnet]

flash git obvs

[richardmorris]

3 minutes ago, hairnet said:

flash git obvs

Yea, the milk float screams Belgravia.

[High Jetter]

1 hour ago, Six-cylinder said:

It didn't care!

Today Mrs6C wanted our milk float shifted up a few feet and asked me to give it a tug with the Range Rover, 2 of its 3 wheels were locked but it moved anyway.

 

What breed is it? Not one I recognise.

[Six-cylinder]

8 minutes ago, High Jetter said:

What breed is it? Not one I recognise.

Wales & Edwards Rangemaster.

It was last used as Christmas float for several years, but the insures wanted them to use a 4 wheel milk float.

[Snake Charmer]

5 minutes ago, Six-cylinder said:

the insures wanted them to use a 4 wheel milk float.

Stick castor on each corner and the spare on the front panel likea VW camper then tell them it has 6. 👍

[Six-cylinder]

9 minutes ago, Snake Charmer said:

spare on the front panel like a VW camper then tell them it has 6. 👍

Trouble with that is the headlight is centre of the front panel!

[Snake Charmer]

15 minutes ago, Six-cylinder said:

Trouble with that is the headlight is centre of the front panel!

Cut a hole or 3 in the spare. 👍

Why do l recognise those mirrors, Vauxhall?

[chaseracer]

On 04/05/2025 at 18:28, richardmorris said:

If it’s leaking , it’s at least got some inside.

This is what the Owd Giffer always said about his sequence of Triumph motorcycles and (once I arrived) Mini vans: "if there's no oil under it, there's no oil in it!"

[High Jetter]

1 hour ago, Six-cylinder said:

Trouble with that is the headlight is centre of the front panel!

Unigate floats had one headlamp, Express Dairies had 2. 74/5 is late for one tho.

[Six-cylinder]

After the Fiat Seicento failed its MOT on a rust hole under the rear axle I need a patch welded in. Today I have had the rear beam lowered so it is ready for welding. No date yet as to when my welder is available.

[Six-cylinder]

Well I think it is good news!

Those who visit the FoD will know we have a 2005  Astra Van 17 CDTI Sportive I was given it because the estimate for getting it an MOT was £700 when at the time you could buy a good running van for £500. A mobile Mech Phil, who does good work for me started looking for a small van for himself and could only find junk. It seems  van prices have rocketed in the nearly 5 years we have had it and today he inspected it and said it it worth saving so I gave it to him.

It feels so good it has another chance to live and wasn't taken away for scrap.

[beko1987]

I bet that's ripe inside now 😂

You've got a field fiat now to replace it with 

[Six-cylinder]

4 minutes ago, beko1987 said:

I bet that's ripe inside now 😂

You've got a field fiat now to replace it with 

Yep, Phil says he is going to strip the inside and power wash it.

I only have one Fiat and that is now booked for welding next weekend.

 

[Floatylight]

That counts as 1 out, right? 

What u buying?

[Six-cylinder]

5 minutes ago, Floatylight said:

That counts as 1 out, right? 

What u buying?

What else can I buy for £0!