Six Cylinders Motoring Notes - a Workshop Day Today

[Six-cylinder]

Today I collected our XM from MOT and service, we have had it 1 year 8 months and 4800 miles. When I bought it @dean36014promised me that he would send me a drivers door check strap he had bought as the original was broken, but had not been delivered in time for the handover. True to his word the door check strap turned up in days, it has taken me until this week for me to have it fitted. It is great to have a driver's door that does not try to bash your legs getting out!

[Six-cylinder]

This blue box really is a Tardis!

I had to move an Allegro wing today and stood it by the front door to contemplate what car to use. It seemed a fair size so I selected the 200TE wondering if I would have to put the seats down. Somehow the wing shrunk when it entered the Tardis boot!

[richardmorris]

27 minutes ago, Six-cylinder said:

Today I collected our XM from MOT and service, we have had it 1 year 8 months and 4800 miles. When I bought it @dean36014promised me that he would send me a drivers door check strap he had bought as the original was broken, but had not been delivered in time for the handover. True to his word the door check strap turned up in days, it has taken me until this week for me to have it fitted. It is great to have a driver's door that does not try to bash your legs getting out!

I hadn’t noticed. Perhaps I’m used to my x1/9 doing the same.

[richardmorris]

17 minutes ago, Six-cylinder said:

This blue box really is a Tardis!

I had to move an Allegro wing today and stood it by the front door to contemplate what car to use. It seemed a fair size so I selected the 200TE wondering if I would have to put the seats down. Somehow the wing shrunk when it entered the Tardis boot!

I think any replacement for the daily w124 coupe will have to be an estate.

[Six-cylinder]

1 minute ago, richardmorris said:

I think any replacement for the daily w124 coupe will have to be an estate.

Not sure, the coupe is so beautiful.

[richardmorris]

10 minutes ago, Six-cylinder said:

Not sure, the coupe is so beautiful.

But practically modern cars just don’t have the boot space.

[Six-cylinder]

17 minutes ago, richardmorris said:

But practically modern cars just don’t have the boot space.

Trouble is I think you would have to spend close to £100k to get something as beautiful and stylish as your 320CE.

[richardmorris]

3 minutes ago, Six-cylinder said:

Trouble is I think you would have to spend close to £100k to get something as beautiful and stylish as your 320CE.

I’ll start saving! 

[beko1987]

1 hour ago, richardmorris said:

I hadn’t noticed. Perhaps I’m used to my x1/9 doing the same.

I was warned about it when I drove it, but I'm used to shitty psa check straps anyway! 

[dean36014]

I still miss that xm, however I'm really enjoying the jag I've bought even if it did mean dismantling the front door step so I can fit in on the drive! Glad the xm is still providing sterling service.

[Six-cylinder]

Action stations!

I don't often seem to be fit the usual  collection pattern but today there is a plan. so have a picture of my breakfast to get you in the mood.

I have never seen it but a friend has, he dropped a note on my mat Sunday afternoon about a poor bereaved car........

The late owner's sister tells me it is currently a non starter but was running. 180,000 miles, 6 weeks MOT.

so what is it? No, I am going to make you wait until this afternoon, 1988F, red is all I am saying because I know you lot the smallest of clues and you will have it, you are too good at the game.

[SiC]

Morris Traveller sounds interesting! Are you collecting that too?

I'm pretty sure it'll be something PSA ...

[Six-cylinder]

7 minutes ago, SiC said:

Morris Traveller sounds interesting! Are you collecting that too?

I'm pretty sure it'll be something PSA ...

Traveller is a problem, it is derelict and fit for a few parts only. The trouble is it is in a shed in the back garden but is now land locked by new housing behind.  

[SiC]

33 minutes ago, Six-cylinder said:

Traveller is a problem, it is derelict and fit for a few parts only. The trouble is it is in a shed in the back garden but is now land locked by new housing behind.  

That's a shame. Sounds like it'll have to be cut up into small bits and removed that way. 

I really quite like the idea of Traveller and it's a rare classic that gets the thumbs up from Mrs SiC. Unfortunately, given what they go for now, it'll probably have to be something needing work! 

I'm surprised you don't have one or anything Morris Minor based in your collection. 

[Six-cylinder]

4 minutes ago, SiC said:

I'm surprised you don't have one or anything Morris Minor based in your collection. 

You had to drag that subject up again!

We had a Traveller and the gearbox failed in it no longer had 2nd or 3rd. It still sort of worked cane it in 1st, lug it in 4th. At the same time my Bond Equipe 2.0 Ltr convertible project had stalled so I did a deal with a guy where he would MOT and make the Bond usable and in payment he would get the Morris with the broken gearbox. Mrs6C has never forgiven me!

[HMC]

There’s not much to go on for a guess.

im assuming a cruisy long distance type of car with 189k on the clock.

what body type is it?

late owners sister. Hmmmm winter giffer special. 740 estate?

[wuvvum]

BMW E30?

[Six-cylinder]

8 minutes ago, HMC said:

im assuming a cruisy long distance type of car with 189k on the clock.

Sometimes in life there are surprises!

[DoctorRetro]

I'm going to guess Austin Maestro with a 1275 A series and a previous masochistic owner! 

[wuvvum]

2 minutes ago, Six-cylinder said:

Sometimes in life there are surprises!

Fiesta 950 Popular Plus?

[Six-cylinder]

Just now, wuvvum said:

Fiesta 950 Popular Plus?

blimey how rich do you think I am, I can't afford a Ford!

[wuvvum]

Also, being pedantic, a Mk2 Fiesta couldn't have 180K on the clock as they only have 5-digit odometers.

[beko1987]

Uno? 

[SiC]

29 minutes ago, wuvvum said:

Also, being pedantic, a Mk2 Fiesta couldn't have 180K on the clock as they only have 5-digit odometers.

This actually rules out most British vehicles of that age surely too?

Iirc Volvo made it a bit thing about having an extra digit around that sort of time-ish. So I'm saying big Volvo estate (740?). Also because the previous owner sounds like they liked the estates with the Traveller. 

[Six-cylinder]

3 hours ago, TheDoctor said:

I'm going to guess Austin Maestro with a 1275 A series and a previous masochistic owner! 

As far as I can see this is the only way you knew.

Your crystal ball is working great so what is my next car going to be!

[Mrs6C]

3 minutes ago, Six-cylinder said:

As far as I can see this is the only way you knew.

Your crystal ball is working great so what is my next car going to be!

You don't need a crystal ball if you have access to a TARDIS!

[LightBulbFun]

35 minutes ago, Mrs6C said:

You don't need a crystal ball if you have access to a TARDIS!

ahhh that would explain where this lot of 200 8ft 125W Bayonet capped fluorescent tubes that im currently having a crisis over came from then?

 

could of dropped em off closer to London mind! but I know how temperamental the TARDIS can be! ah well I foresee a hired van and a trip down to Cornwall in about 6 months time to grab some for myself  

 

 

 

for those unaware the 8ft bayonet capped fluorescent tube was/is literally the stuff of legends among British lighting enthusiasts , apart from 1, no one had every actually seen one or even seen picture of one, we only knew of their existence via old catalogs and literature 

and then suddenly somewhere between 200 and 870 of the things show up! they have happily been saved by a couple collectors and will hopefully be distributed among the lighting community in time  

 

the very first fluorescent tube put to the commercial market in the UK was a 5ft 80W bayonet capped tube, made so as WW2 had just broken out and they needed to minimise the amount of new components they had to make for the new fluorescent tube, so designed the tube to run off an existing 80W Mercury vapour lamp ballast, and used regular bayonet end caps from the incandescent lamp production line, so the 5ft 80W bayonet capped tube was born, 5ft 80W Bayonet capped tubes are  quite rare on their own, (I have only just recently only managed to get my name reserved on a GLS end capped example with another collector ) but as they where used MASSIVELY during the war, so much so that the last 5ft BC tube was produced in 1992! the odd one does crop up here and there, shown pictured is a 1956 example with GLS end caps 

later Bayonet capped tubes, used regular fluorescent tubing, with a flanged end cap to meet the diameter of the glass rather then have the glass neck down to meet the GLS end cap, the older GLS end capped tubes are the most sought after type

a little bit later in the 1940's a 125W 8ft version complete with Bayonet end caps still was introduced to run off the next size up of already available lamp ballast, the 125W mercury vapour ballast

but the 8ft tube was not nearly as popular, and the 8ft tube size only got popular after the war when they where finally able to switch to the original  Bi Pin end caps the fluorescent tube was invented with in the US, with the last 8ft BC tubes rolling off the production line in the late 1960s, and like I said was so rare that until now only 1 has ever been found and photographed!

[Six-cylinder]

Thanks to Slowsilver for turning out on a very wet miserable day. The wet weather prevented lots of pictures and standing about admiring it.

The car started with a jump and we added some petrol, while I did the paperwork Slowsilver gave it a good look over and declared while it had been stood for 10 months everything worked except one fog light so I drove it home.

 

[DoctorRetro]

34 minutes ago, Six-cylinder said:

As far as I can see this is the only way you knew.

Your crystal ball is working great so what is my next car going to be!

I just looked back through my own car history and I only had two red 'F' reg cars, a Metro and. Maestro. I figured nobody would do 180k in a Metro. That is precisely the sum total of thought that went into it!

 

I wish I had a real TARDIS!

...

Or do I, and the chameleon circuit is now working? It might explain the constant car changing.... 

[LightBulbFun]

7 minutes ago, Six-cylinder said:

Thanks to Slowsilver for turning out on a very wet miserable day. The wet weather prevented lots of pictures and standing about admiring it.

The car started with a jump and we added some petrol, while I did the paperwork Slowsilver gave it a good look over and declares while it had been stood for 10 months everything worked except on fog light so I drove it home.

 

ohh yeah more 1980's and A series powered British Leyland chod 

I approve  (and hope to get a chance to drive it some day! really quite curious to experience the mighty A series )