Six Cylinders Motoring Notes - Cars driven today mini Mayfair, Citroen GS and MG Metro.

[Six-cylinder]

25 minutes ago, Three Speed said:

Not driving a Citroen DS for 6 weeks.

Due a problem releasing the clutch - on any manual car -   we went to the DS Rally in an automatic Golf. That meant we could bum a ride in another DS. I had never been in a DS with a hydraulic clutch (BVH) nor a red fluid (LHS) so we really lucked out hitch a ride in Ian’s 1966 DS with BVH gearbox and webasto roof. Never met Ian before so we were very grateful for kind offer. Ironic really - I can’t drive my own DS (or my Traction) but I could have driven Ian’s.

I had my first ride in a Hydraulic DS at that weekend as well, with Shaun in his 23 EFi. I am not convinced I like it instead of a manual.

I did not go on the tour, because I was at another car event with my Ami. I was there the rest of the weekend and had offered my D Super which I left on site to another member but we could not sort the insurance in time.

[LightBulbFun]

6 hours ago, Three Speed said:

Due a problem releasing the clutch - on any manual car

dont fret, I am pretty sure @Mrs6C can lend you a manual you can drive!

(some assembly required mind...)

[Six-cylinder]

Today @Slowsilver came over to help me. There were two objectives for the day, first was to pull my 1985 green Range Rover out of the hedge and pump up the tyres ready to have it trailered away to a garage who are planning to get it running. The second task was to get the Rolls Royce 20/25 started as it has been blocking in the only car I have at home with air conditioning.

We started with the green Range Rover that had been sat since Aug 2025 after another garage said they could not work out why it would not run. As my blue Range Rover was blocked in, we took the Citroen C15 van. We pumped up the Range Rover tyres and attempted to pull it out of its parking space. While the engine of the C15 had enough power it was just too light and all we got was wheel spin. No amount of jerking would pull it from its parking spot and we had to give up and head home.

The Rolls Royce has a vacuum fuel pump on the bulkhead with a reservoir that gravity feeds the carburettor. As the car turns over it was lack of spark or lack of fuel. As it coughed a couple time Slowsilver bet on fuel so we took the top off the pump/ feeder tank to reveal it was dry. We put a couple of litres of petrol in the header tank and the car started instantly. Why was it dry, I don’t know it had only stood for 5 days when the problem occurred and the car has stood for weeks and still had petrol in the header tank.

We moved the Rolls Royce so the blue Range Rover TDV6 was free and went back to the FoD to tow out the green Rang Rover to a convenient spot for loading onto a trailer. All that tugging and jerking from the C15 and the blue Range Rover just walked it out. I had been thinking I can’t remember how to engage low box, I didn’t even need it.

[LightBulbFun]

2 minutes ago, Six-cylinder said:

Today Slowsilver came over to help me. There were two objectives for the day, first was to pull my 1985 green Range Rover out of the hedge and pump up the tyres ready to have it trailered away to a garage who are planning to get it running. The second task was to get the Rolls Royce 20/25 started as it has been blocking in the only car I have at home with air conditioning.

We started with the green Range Rover that had been sat since Aug 2025 after another garage said they could not work out why it would not run. As my blue Range Rover was blocked in, we took the Citroen C15 van. We pumped up the Range Rover tyres and attempted to pull it out of its parking space. While the engine of the C15 had enough power it was just too light and all we got was wheel spin. No amount of jerking would pull it from its parking spot and we had to give up and head home.

The Rolls Royce has a vacuum fuel pump on the bulkhead with a reservoir that gravity feeds the carburettor. As the car turns over it was lack of spark or lack of fuel. As it coughed a couple time Slowsilver bet on fuel so we took the top off the pump/ feeder tank to reveal it was dry. We put a couple of litres of petrol in the header tank and the car started instantly. Why was it dry, I don’t know it had only stood for 5 days when the problem occurred and the car has stood for weeks and still had petrol in the header tank.

We moved the Rolls Royce so the blue Range Rover TDV6 was free and went back to the FoD to tow out the green Rang Rover to a convenient spot for loading onto a trailer. All that tugging and jerking from the C15 and the blue Range Rover just walked it out. I had been thinking I can’t remember how to engage low box, I didn’t even need it.

I was 66% expecting to read that you used the RR20/25 to drag the RRC out! I bet that would of caused a few monocles to pop out...

[Six-cylinder]

29 minutes ago, LightBulbFun said:

I was 66% expecting to read that you used the RR20/25 to drag the RRC out! I bet that would of caused a few monocles to pop out...

I think it would have done a better job than the C15.

I was planning to use the C6, but could not find a place to tow from.

[Zelandeth]

Just been so absurdly hot that the fuel has evaporated from the header tank on the Rolls maybe?  Especially with how much more volatile modern fuels are.

[High Jetter]

Green Rangie needs to live

[hairnet]

1 hour ago, Six-cylinder said:

 to get the Rolls Royce 20/25 started as it has been blocking in the only car I have at home with air conditioning.

get you - middle class problems

 tugging and jerking

MATRON!!!!

@Slowsilver - beast

[Six-cylinder]

Busy weekend for cars

Friday I used the DS as an errands car and in the evening was Milton Keynes Classic Car club meeting.

Saturday morning was MK Modern Classic Cars Breakfast meeting. A different group from Friday night but in reality many members attend both.

[Six-cylinder]

Sunday was the Mini & Metro show at the National Motor Museum, Gaydon and I took my Mini Mayfair. Weather perfect and I went in convoy with two members of the Milton Keynes Mini club.

My favourite Metro of the day was this 1.3S in black. Over 10 years ago I got an urge to buy a 1.3S but could not agree a price with the seller. After that the price of Metros shot up and as this was a random urge to scratch an itch, I thought Mrs6C might not like me spending lots of money on a Metro. I was gifted from this forum a silver Rover 114 GSi with no MOT and a blown head gasket that I thought would satisfy the urge. A friend helped me change the head gasket but the GSi immediately over heated. I put it in our field to think about what it had done. I was very disappointed and just bought a working Rover 114SLi that I enjoyed with its 75 bhp K series engine and 5 Speed gearbox.

I was kindly given some Metro brochures and Mrs6C found one of them was for a MK1 MG Metro and said we need one! I protested how expensive MG Metros had become and how a K series engine with 5 speed gearbox was a better car, but was simply told to find her a Mk1 MG. The car I found was a one owner low mile car that had been laid up when the lady owner was too old to drive it any more. It took 18 months to recommission it as it needed a couple of bits of welding, engine strip as it was lightly locked, brakes overhauled various other jobs. The SLi had scratched my Metro itch and now we had a working MK1 MG anyway so I sold the SLi. We still have the MG Metro in good working order today.

Things did not go well on the way home and I was aware my exhaust blow was getting a lot worse, never mind I have new exhaust and the plan is to fit it in a couple of weeks.

Then tingle, tinkle as the front of the exhaust dropped onto the road while still driving 17 miles from home. The flange had broken off where it joins the exhaust manifold. Fortunately, I was still in convoy with the boys from the Milton Keynes Mini club who managed to wire the exhaust up so it did not hit the road any more. The car was very noisy and I had to drive past stationary police car, but he did not chase me!

My Mini Mayfair is now off the road until a new exhaust can be fitted.

 

 

 

[Six-cylinder]

The surprise of the day started on the M40 when a white Colt Sapporo GSR passed me in the Mini.

When I got to the Mini/Metro show at Gaydon I found there was also gathering of Colts/Mitsubishis and there were not less than 4 Sapporo’s there.

There was also 2 Mitsubishi Debonairs, a car I never new existed. They were cars that were offed to a limited type of buyer in Japan such as the emperor!

I have always like Sapporo GTR’s and really wanted one.

In Jan 1981 I was looking to buy a new car. On the list were a:

Ford Escort XR3 £5,395

VW Golf GTi £5,700

Renault Fuego 2.0 TX £6085

Trouble was the Sapporo was £7250 and out of the question.

[hairnet]

'yes dear im just taking the mini out for a break down somewhere daft/inconvenient'

also its diamante you idiot (talking to myself)

i always get diamante (sigma) mixed up with debonair

im supposed to be a complete nerd ffs

 

[Six-cylinder]

10 hours ago, hairnet said:

'yes dear im just taking the mini out for a break down somewhere daft/inconvenient'

also its diamante you idiot (talking to myself)

i always get diamante (sigma) mixed up with debonair

im supposed to be a complete nerd ffs

 

For the 1:43 model of my Sigma, the only one I could find was a Diamante Wagon.

[hairnet]

paint it white and have it in a diorama having its hgf fixed

 

[dean36014]

Can remember as a youngster my Dad viewed a Colt ( I'm sure it was Colt and not Mitsubishi) Sapporo. In the end he bought a Datsun 160j sss instead. Not the best car when you'd two sons to squeeze in the back.

[Six-cylinder]

2 hours ago, dean36014 said:

Can remember as a youngster my Dad viewed a Colt ( I'm sure it was Colt and not Mitsubishi) Sapporo. In the end he bought a Datsun 160j sss instead. Not the best car when you'd two sons to squeeze in the back.

My dad had a new 1968 company Vauxhall Victor FD 2000 SL, he did 55,000 miles in 18 months and wore it out. Looking for a replacement new car at the London Motor Show us boys found a Toyota Crown and loved it, mainly because it had rear map reading lights I think. My dad quite liked it and we went to a dealer for a test drive and mother approved it. My dad's boss agreed he could have it. My mother kept nagging about getting the Crown on order so it was ready for our holiday to Austria in August and got cross he was not getting it done.

I nearly fell off my bicycle when my dad passed me in his new to him, 4 year old Mercedes 220Sb! My dad had been out with his boss who had a Jaguar 420 and spotted the Mercedes, they both liked it so bought it. We never did get a Crown.

[hairnet]

merc yes

crown yes

[Six-cylinder]

 

Today was a car tinkering day with the help of @Slowsilver the object of today was to move around as many cars as possible in the heat for max discomfort no the object of today was to move my broken Mini off the drive until the exhaust can be replaced in a couple of weeks.

Wake up our Citroen GS ready for use at next week’s local 2CV meeting. Move the GS for easy access to where the MG Metro is garaged.

Bring our MG Metro home ready for the local MG Car Club BBQ and POO Thursday evening.

[hairnet]

^^^

POST OF OOF

[worldofceri]

9 hours ago, Six-cylinder said:

BBQ and POO

A barbecue and what now?!

[Six-cylinder]

46 minutes ago, worldofceri said:

A barbecue and what now?!

Sorry for such a boring explanation. 

POO=Pride of ownership

[Bear]

That GS is absolutely lovely!

I hope the Visa Decap gets aired out at some point

[Six-cylinder]

2 hours ago, Bear said:

That GS is absolutely lovely!

I hope the Visa Decap gets aired out at some point

One of the boot hinges is broken and needs repair to ensure it does not fall off when driving. Also the hood needs a bit of repair before it can be used.

[hairnet]

but you live in the sunny sarf

[Dick Cheeseburger]

2 hours ago, Six-cylinder said:

One of the boot hinges is broken and needs repair to ensure it does not fall off when driving. Also the hood needs a bit of repair before it can be used.

Is that the one which Foad welded up a few years back? 

[Stinkwheel]

42 minutes ago, Dick Cheeseburger said:

Is that the one which Foad welded up a few years back? 

Yes

[Six-cylinder]

1 hour ago, Dick Cheeseburger said:

Is that the one which Foad welded up a few years back? 

The original owner had it back for a year and then it was out of MOT again. The owner wanted it rehomed and Mrs6C decided it was something she wanted. @aldo135 very kindly helped her get it ready for the road and bought it down from Scotland.

[Dick Cheeseburger]

55 minutes ago, Six-cylinder said:

The original owner had it back for a year and then it was out of MOT again. The owner wanted it rehomed and Mrs6C decided it was something she wanted. @aldo135 very kindly helped her get it ready for the road and bought it down from Scotland.

Good to see it's been given an extended stay of execution!

[Bear]

5 hours ago, Six-cylinder said:

One of the boot hinges is broken and needs repair to ensure it does not fall off when driving. Also the hood needs a bit of repair before it can be used.

Poor thing. The boot hinge shouldn't be too tricky, the roof - wait until the off season and inevitable winter of discount tents?