Six Cylinders Motoring Notes - What I was driving 15 years ago when I joined Autoshite.

[Six-cylinder]

7 minutes ago, High Jetter said:

Early rail carriage undergoing restoration in the background?

A new Shepard's hut being built.

[Six-cylinder]

Today my friend Colin came round and changed the front subframe mounts on my Mini Mayfair. One had sheared the rubber off the metal and the other was part way to separating. 

Just to make the day more interesting Colin arrived in his Mini van.

[richardmorris]

45 minutes ago, Six-cylinder said:

Today my friend Colin came round and changed the front subframe mounts on my Mini Mayfair. One had shared the rubber off the metal and the other was part way to separating.

Just to make the day more interesting Colin arrived in his Mini van.

Autumn calendar pic?

[High Jetter]

2 hours ago, Six-cylinder said:

Today my friend Colin came round and changed the front subframe mounts on my Mini Mayfair. One had shared the rubber off the metal and the other was part way to separating.

Just to make the day more interesting Colin arrived in his Mini van.

That's not a 5 minute job! Did it all go smoothly?

[Six-cylinder]

10 minutes ago, High Jetter said:

That's not a 5 minute job! Did it all go smoothly?

Colin has a lot of experience with Mini's and owns 5, this was his punishment for guiding me into buying this Mini Mayfair!😁

The worst part was it had been fitted with a bent aftermarket tow eye that had damaged threads.

[High Jetter]

1 hour ago, Six-cylinder said:

Colin has a lot of experience with Mini's and owns 5, this was his punishment for guiding me into buying this Mini Mayfair!😁

The worst part was it had been fitted with a bent aftermarket tow eye that had damaged threads.

Mini. Tow eye? Huh? Chain, sling or rope BITD, around anything solid - vanishing areas, tbh

[Six-cylinder]

I might not be able to open the field of Dreams to Autoshiters at the moment, but we have some other guests!

[Longbridge Apologist]

On 27/10/2025 at 19:08, Six-cylinder said:

Today my friend Colin came round and changed the front subframe mounts on my Mini Mayfair. One had sheared the rubber off the metal and the other was part way to separating. 

Just to make the day more interesting Colin arrived in his Mini van.

BeautifulMC

[Six-cylinder]

This morning did not start well having failed to reset the time on my alarm clock since the clocks went back, I got up an hour earlier than needed today. Friday @Slowsilver suggested I check for water leaks before taking the 1968 Morris 1300 any distance because we changed the heater valve Thursday, but it rained when I got home so I never looked. This morning with time in hand I run it up to temperature and there were no leaks. Then I checked the water level and lost the zero pound radiator cap down the back of the engine and could not find it.  

This resulted in me taking the 1989 Mazda 323 GLX to the MK Modern Classic Breakfast meeting. This was very well attended for a November meeting, I guess it helped it was dry and sunny.

While at the meeting I called our local NAPA branch look for a Morris Radiator cap, only to be told they have no listings for Morris’s. On the way home I stopped at Halfords Bletchley only to be told they don’t stock radiator caps full stop.

When I got home, I got out my magnet on a stick to look for the Morris radiator cap lost at the back of the engine. The magnet did not pick it up, but knocked it to the ground so recovered.

[richardmorris]

On 29/10/2025 at 17:58, Six-cylinder said:

I might not be able to open the field of Dreams to Autoshiters at the moment, but we have some other guests!

That’s the bbq meat taken care of of!

[LightBulbFun]

1 hour ago, Six-cylinder said:

This resulted in me taking the 1989 Mazda 323 GLX to the MK Modern Classic Breakfast meeting. This was very well attended for a November meeting, I guess it helped it was dry and sunny.

is there a list of these gatherings throughout the year and when/where they are taking place etc? I have often thought about Gate crashing one in REV, you know confuse the locals a bit, get them to think that @Zelandeth can somehow exist in 2 places at once

[Six-cylinder]

59 minutes ago, LightBulbFun said:

is there a list of these gatherings throughout the year and when/where they are taking place etc? I have often thought about Gate crashing one in REV, you know confuse the locals a bit, get them to think that @Zelandeth can somehow exist in 2 places at once

MK Modern Classics is first Saturday at the Rose and Crown Ridgemont, MK43 0TY. 9:30am to about 12 noon. Pub does a breakfast roll with bacon, sausage and egg with a tea/coffee for £6.00.

Milton Keynes Classic Club met Friday evenings in the summer, but are starting to meet the first Sunday of each month for the winter. They meet at a cafe, The Dog Retreat, Linford Lakes, Wolverton Rd, Milton Keynes MK14 5AH. I won't make the winter meetings because they clash with the Milton Keynes Mini group that I attend.

There are other Milton Keynes meetings, but not in the winter.

I also attend meetings from a group called the Loose Alliance Group they have two regular meeting all year round. 

London Gliding Club (Dunstable Downs Airfield) Icknield Way, Whipsnade, Dunstable LU6 2JP third Saturday each month 9:30 am. Breakfast available.

The Dukes 7-9 Leighton Rd, Heath and Reach, Leighton Buzzard LU7 0AA. 9am last Saturday of each month. Breakfast available from 10am.

[hairnet]

6 hours ago, Six-cylinder said:

 failed to reset the time on my alarm clock since the clocks went back

 

 

time moves slower in chrisworld

wtf christopher

a week lmao

[Bmwdumptruck]

13 hours ago, Six-cylinder said:

MK Modern Classics is first Saturday at the Rose and Crown Ridgemont, MK43 0TY. 9:30am to about 12 noon. Pub does a breakfast roll with bacon, sausage and egg with a tea/coffee for £6.00.

Milton Keynes Classic Club met Friday evenings in the summer, but are starting to meet the first Sunday of each month for the winter. They meet at a cafe, The Dog Retreat, Linford Lakes, Wolverton Rd, Milton Keynes MK14 5AH. I won't make the winter meetings because they clash with the Milton Keynes Mini group that I attend.

There are other Milton Keynes meetings, but not in the winter.

I also attend meetings from a group called the Loose Alliance Group they have two regular meeting all year round. 

London Gliding Club (Dunstable Downs Airfield) Icknield Way, Whipsnade, Dunstable LU6 2JP third Saturday each month 9:30 am. Breakfast available.

The Dukes 7-9 Leighton Rd, Heath and Reach, Leighton Buzzard LU7 0AA. 9am last Saturday of each month. Breakfast available from 10am.

If only my car was in a fit state to attend some of these, although quite a few of these dates clash with my bike club meets.  My old BMW GS is probably old enough to attend unless being two wheels rather than four is an issue. I’m out shortly for our clubs regular first sunday gathering/rideout.  

[Six-cylinder]

8 hours ago, Bmwdumptruck said:

If only my car was in a fit state to attend some of these, although quite a few of these dates clash with my bike club meets.  My old BMW GS is probably old enough to attend unless being two wheels rather than four is an issue. I’m out shortly for our clubs regular first sunday gathering/rideout.  

I don't think a motor bike is a problem at all, once you have established yourself with the group.

One of the member of the Loose alliance brought to the gliding club and one of the organisers of Milton Keynes Classics has a Hondo C70 he sometimes bring in the summer.

[Six-cylinder]

Today was all about my Mini Mayfair, still not sorted but getting better or so I thought.

I drove it to the Milton Keynes Mini Club meeting with no problems.

 I did notice the heater cable has sizzed

The windscreen washers have stopped working.

The driver’s seat back angle adjustment won’t move.

The speedo under reads, not wildly but 50mph on the speedo is 55mph on the GPS. I have changed the wheels to 165/70 10inch from 145/80 10 inch and my understanding was the rolling circumference was almost the same.

After taking a long route home I did 30 miles today, the most in one day. Just as I thought things were going well a misfire returned after I put petrol in in.

Then when it sat running for me to undo locks to put it away it dropped a little oil puddle.

[hairnet]

what a heap hehe

[Tommyboy12]

Guaranteed it's the timing cover leaking. That gasket is a pig to get seated properly and not leak.

If it misfires with fuel that's probably stuff getting stirred in the tank and blocking the fuel outlet. The gauze over the outlet can get blocked (if it hasn't disintegrated with time)

[Crackers]

Haven't been keeping up with the forum lately, but just saw this and realised you have the best wheels on your mini. I've always wanted a set of them, for a Mini I don't even own.

[Six-cylinder]

22 hours ago, Crackers said:

Haven't been keeping up with the forum lately, but just saw this and realised you have the best wheels on your mini. I've always wanted a set of them, for a Mini I don't even own.

They are Mini 20th Anniversary wheels later available as Exactons as an Austin Rover accessory.

The car is very original and still had its styled plastic hub caps, but the tyres were old. I then discovered the 145/80 10 inch tyres are a "specialist item" and cost more than 15inch tyres on our Mercedes estate.

For much cheapness I bought a set of 12 inch Minilite replica wheels and tyres in useable condition. Trouble was Colin told me it was against all the rules to fit 12 inch wheels on a 10 inch car!

I don't mind Minilite style wheels, but they are done to death. So I looked for other options, I really did not want to pay for 145/80 tyres but did find a used set of Exactons with 2022 dated 165/70 10 inch tyres and I liked the brochure picture of a Mayfair wearing them.

[Six-cylinder]

Now we are in November car stuff has dwindled both shows and tinkering, but I still think about cars! I had looked up when I joined Autoshite for another post and wondered what cars we were driving 15 years ago.

1^st December 2010 when I joined Autoshite these were the working cars. We also had a fair number of project cars as ever.

My daily was a 1993 Citroen ZX TD Aura, a recent purchase but previously I had a ZX 1.9D non-turbo Avantage so I knew what I was getting and liked it very much.

I was already addicted to overweight SUVs and on my third Range Rover which I had had for 5 years. This one was a 1997 P38 4.6 HSE, but at 16mpg I did try and restrict its use.

Mrs6C main car was the 1999 Volvo V70 T5 Auto she still has today.

Mrs6C special car was the 2000 BMW 330CI SE Auto E46 which she still has today and has had for 19 years.

[Six-cylinder]

We have always had a collection of cars and for this review I have only included running cars 1^st Dec 2010, not the projects cars.

This group of 7 cars we still have 15 years later.

1972 Citroen D Super we still have it today.

1983 Citroen CX2400 I/E Pallas we still have it but non running.

1986 Citroen Visa 1.7RD we still have today.

1970 Triumph Vitesse 2.0 MK2 convertible we still have today.

1979 Ferrari 308GT4 we still have it today.

1966 Jaguar E-Type 4.2 Fixed head Coupe, we still have it today.

1985 Range Rover 3.5 5 door Auto. While replaced as “best car” it was very much in use and we had been using it with an off-road club having a great time reaching parts other cars can’t get too. When the snow came in December 2010 it was the best way to get around on its mud train tyres when nobody else was moving. We still have it today even if it won’t fire its injectors at the moment.

[hairnet]

53 minutes ago, Six-cylinder said:

 

I don't mind Minilite style wheels, but they are done to death. So I looked for other options, 

MAMBA (not number 5 cough) (yes i know)

[Six-cylinder]

32 minutes ago, hairnet said:

MAMBA (not number 5 cough) (yes i know)

My race Mini Migle used to have Mambas on it.

[hairnet]

are you jackie stewart in disguise

 

[Six-cylinder]

The next group of 6 cars are the ones that were running 1^st Dec 2010, that we then sold. I know some of you think I never sell cars but that is not the whole picture!

1990 Volvo 480ES manual

1976 Triumph 2500TC manual

1998 Alfa 156 TS 2.0 manual

1985 Audi GT 2.0i 5-cylinder Auto

1975 BMW 2500 Auto E3

1988 BMW 735i SE Auto E32

That means when we joined Autoshite we had 17 working cars.

[hairnet]

1 hour ago, Six-cylinder said:

 

 on its mud train tyres

 

obsessed

 

29 minutes ago, Six-cylinder said:

 

 

OOF

[Six-cylinder]

19 minutes ago, hairnet said:

obsessed

 

OOF

We needed mud tyres on the green Range Rover!

BMW 2500 Auto was replaced by BMW 3.0S manual that I have today.

[hairnet]

18 minutes ago, Six-cylinder said:

 

no wonder they rust

jim bowen would love that

[High Jetter]

2 hours ago, Six-cylinder said:

We have always had a collection of cars and for this review I have only included running cars 1^st Dec 2010, not the projects cars.

This group of 7 cars we still have 15 years later.

1972 Citroen D Super we still have it today.

1983 Citroen CX2400 I/E Pallas we still have it but non running.

1986 Citroen Visa 1.7RD we still have today.

1970 Triumph Vitesse 2.0 MK2 convertible we still have today.

1979 Ferrari 308GT4 we still have it today.

1966 Jaguar E-Type 4.2 Fixed head Coupe, we still have it today.

1985 Range Rover 3.5 5 door Auto. While replaced as “best car” it was very much in use and we had been using it with an off-road club having a great time reaching parts other cars can’t get too. When the snow came in December 2010 it was the best way to get around on its mud train tyres when nobody else was moving. We still have it today even if it won’t fire its injectors at the moment.

You pair have impeccable taste, and great acumen to support your passion/hobby from your situation. From the FOD reports you both sound great  fun, I hope the health issues are fleeting.