Six Cylinders Motoring Notes

[Six-cylinder]

This man committed adultery with a younger, lower mileage 2CV!

Then he scared his Vectra by giving JCB driving lessons around it!

[Mrs6C]

4 hours ago, Yoss said:

Also, is it just me thinking Star Trek here? 

Blake's Seven... symbol of the Terran Federation...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terran_Federation_(Blake's_7)#/media/File:Terran_Federation.svg

 

[Zelandeth]

The Gamnma is still a piece of autmotive artwork I say, inside and out.

Though the Trevi gets points for just being bonkers inside.

While it looks mental on camera though, I have to admit that the madcap dash design (which I really have no idea how managed to wind up on a production car) actually seems like it works a lot better than it looks like it would.

It's a car which has a lot of really nice little styling details...Which is pretty much what we expect from Lancia I guess!

I am slightly puzzled as to why there's a warning light which would normally indicate an automatic gearbox fault on a manual car though...

[Zelandeth]

2 minutes ago, Mrs6C said:

Blake's Seven... symbol of the Terran Federation...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terran_Federation_(Blake's_7)#/media/File:Terran_Federation.svg

 

I'm glad it's not just me who made that connection!

[Yoss]

13 minutes ago, Mrs6C said:

Blake's Seven... symbol of the Terran Federation...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terran_Federation_(Blake's_7)#/media/File:Terran_Federation.svg

 

I'll give you that, 

 

But I don't think I was far off, 

[Six-cylinder]

The death of a chair, I have to report an innocent green plastic chair was  badly assorted over the weekend!

The culprit was seen escaping on a powerful motorbike.

[Zelandeth]

The rest of the photos I snapped during my visit this afternoon.  Quite a few of these are me getting to grips with this camera, it behaves a bit different to my previous one, especially in bright sunlight so I'm having to relearn things a bit.

I honestly expected the heavens to open (for a second time) when this cloud appeared, but it skimmed past us somehow!

DS...Because how can you not enjoy the details on this car?

The automotive industry is so much worse off for Citroen having lost their sense of adventure where interior design is concerned.

Wide angle mode on the camera is so handy for car interior shots...

Small but perfectly formed instrument cluster.

Sticking with the Citroen theme...

More Lancia goodness...

I love how even the door handles on the Trevi are classy and have clearly had serious time spent on them by a stylist.

Then of course we had the rarely spotted gaggle of Invacars later in the day today when both Rev and Dolly were moved from their usual resting place in the corner.

First real run TPA has had since changing the drive belt yesterday and I'm glad to report no issues.  Only thing I spotted soon after arrival was that the engine cooling air intake grill had come loose again.  So this was removed and stowed safely for the trip home to ensure it didn't get sucked into the fan, as That Would Be Bad.

This is the third or fourth time it's made a bid for freedom so I'm going to make an improvement to the original fixing arrangements tomorrow to ensure it doesn't happen again.

[kirton]

 I got brownie points for arriving home before 6pm but thereby missed the resurrection of the FoD Invacars and the gilding of the lily on the arrival of a road legal one which should be in consideration for the motoring event of the year.

Apart from that disappointment a good weekend out thanks to our hosts Mr & Mrs 6C and fellow shiters. Fortunately the heavy rain I drove through on the way up didn't follow me.

[Talbot]

9 minutes ago, Zelandeth said:

gaggle of Invacars

Is that the correct collective noun for Invacars?

I was going to go with "A disaster of Invacars"  Unless anyone has a better one.

[Mrs6C]

Just now, Talbot said:

Unless anyone has a better one.

M70M - Model 70 Massiv...

[Six-cylinder]

2 minutes ago, Talbot said:

Is that the correct collective noun for Invacars?

I was going to go with "A disaster of Invacars"  Unless anyone has a better one.

Abomination!

[hairnet]

1 hour ago, Mrs6C said:

Blake's Seven... symbol of the Terran Federation...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terran_Federation_(Blake's_7)#/media/File:Terran_Federation.svg

 

sorry not old enough

by about 15 years *runs

i only know paul darrow - what was the woman with the short hairs name

[Talbot]

28 minutes ago, Mrs6C said:

Model 70 Massiv...

I thought they were quite dinky little things actually.

[Tadhg Tiogar]

59 minutes ago, Zelandeth said:

....gaggle of Invacars ...

....

Ah, the Unholy Trinity....

[brownnova]

4 hours ago, Heidel_Kakao said:

The IS200 proved rather popular and was easily in the top three of most laps completed of the FOD,

I think some of the most fun laps I had were in the IS, traction control off trying to scare a kitteninthewelder who turned out to be unscarable... 

Oh that and the lap where I was a passenger and somebody (mentioning no names) span it... that was funny too... 

[Zelandeth]

Now I know why I should have brought the Jag...V12, ancient tyres, a limited slip diff and lots of space...

[wuvvum]

The dumper is fun as the rear wheel steering makes it feel like you're drifting every time you turn - which is an odd sensation at 8 mph, even a Morris Minor would struggle to go sideways at that speed.

I was pleased that the V70 behaved itself, having not done a long run in it since I bought it in October last year.  On the way home, without the headwind I'd had on the way down, with less traffic and with the cruise control set a couple of mph lower, it managed 32.5mpg - not bad really for a T5.  The coolant level had dropped slightly when I got back, but I'm going to put that down to the fact that I had the heater on for the first time since refilling the cooling system.

Thanks again to the Cylinders for their hospitality and for sharing their amazing collection of vehicles.  I must have a go in the JCB next time...

[Zelandeth]

4 hours ago, Talbot said:

Is that the correct collective noun for Invacars?

I was going to go with "A disaster of Invacars"  Unless anyone has a better one.

How about a rattle or a wobble of Invacars?

[mitsisigma01]

"A ruination of Invacars" ???

[Mrs6C]

A Hooloovoo of Invacars, perhaps?

[Talbot]

Given the opinion of these when new, maybe a "Danger" of invacars might be appropriate.

[Tadhg Tiogar]

14 hours ago, Zelandeth said:

....I am slightly puzzled as to why there's a warning light which would normally indicate an automatic gearbox fault on a manual car though...

Possibly because it was cheaper for Lancia to leave it in place. What I don't quite understand is why, with a manual gearbox in place, that warning light is still able to illuminate..... There's even a little display showing you which tail light has failed.

I did try the Trevi, going clockwise round the field, against the flow of traffic. It has a comedy fuel gauge which wavers constantly between half and empty. I found the gearchange a bit uncertain, in the sense that I was uncertain that I had selected the right gear, but still easier to operate than the 2CV gearchange which I found very uncertain due to unfamiliarity with push/pull/twist 'n shout.

That said, the Trevi pulled well enough and cruises best when driven gently. Given its not particularly economical nature, it's probably best to be driven gently.

Not sure who signed off the body design; the rear quarterlight false "vent" that should really have been a window gives the car an unfinished upright look and contributes to the Zil limo-like back end.

[LightBulbFun]

that was a very fun weekend, am very happy to have finally been able to make it to another FoD gathering  

many thanks to all that took part, and let me drive their various vehicles, I was very happy to get some experience driving other cars and see how my skills learnt so far translated to those different cars, im pretty pleased with myself how I did there, I dont think I stalled any of them  

highlight for me (invacars aside) has to be when @chaseracer very kindly took me for a ride/lesson in @Six-cylinder's 2CV told me how to work the gearbox and then let me at it in the drivers seat  

that was very fun, had lots of fun hurtling around the field in the 2CV, you get the hang of the gearbox pretty quickly, main thing that threw me at first was the fact you cant actually feel when its in a gear, you just have to know how much to twist and pull it, but ya get the hang of that pretty quickly

and its quite confidence inspiring to drive, most cars I was happy to amble round the field at 20Mph or so, but I can say I was definitely  going quicker then that in the 2CV  you dont go slowly in a 2CV thats for sure

which makes me quite curious as to how it would be to drive one round London and manoeuvre in tight spaces, will have to try that at the FoD next time...

sadly it seems I was having a bit too much fun and forgot to grab some decent pictures im sure others have plenty of pictures of me hurtling round in the 2CV

although I do have this picture of @chaseracer giving @bub2006 a 2CV ride  

 

it was also nice just chatting Routemasters with @Yoss while I took his Favorit for a spin, it drove well, (ignoring the fact it had been lowered so did not ride that well over the field), just need to drive a trabant, and I think Ill have got most of the Major brands of eastern block cars done  

it was also much fun getting a chance to drive the Tractor the Dumper and the JCB  (once again I seemed to have entirely failed at grabbing some photos!)

 

 it was nice to REV, Dolly and TPA again of course  it had been far too long since I saw REV, and I got a bit determined on Sunday to take her for a spin, so @Mrs6C rigged up a temporary fuel supply in the form of a water bottle full of fuel

and after some fiddling with the fuses in the fuse box, she fired into life  (its a good thing I brought my can of contact cleaner with me!) and I created the first Invacar traffic jam in probably a good 30-40 years LOL (invacar Tetris?), REV (and Dolly) also gained a set of new spark plugs during the trouble shooting process, so thats one less service item to have to worry about in the future  

and so with REV and Dolly having been fitted with new tyres previously, we where able to push Dolly over and had all 3 together in a line, for the first time  hopefully eventually we will get TWC added to the line up, for the full lineup of the Forum's Model 70's   (and @BlankFrank's Mk12 would be a nice bonus ) 

@Zelandeth then kindly let me have a go in TPA, made for a an interesting comparison with REV, TPA rides a bit smoother, not sure how much of that is TPA herself or the nice Xantia seat fitted to TPA (REV's temporary fuel supply was quickly borrowed to try and get Dolly moving before I was able to make a direct back to back comparison sadly) although I find the bolstering makes TPA a bit harder to get out of, I cant just slide across like I can in REV), and TPA's twist grip is much nicer then mine!, oh and TPA actually has brakes! and of course TPA rattles a lot less than REV!

was also pleased to get REV running as it meant I could move her out of her space and park her up perpendicular to the hedgerow, I know it will all scrub off, but I did not like how dirty she was getting sitting horizontal to the hedge like that, and it looks nicer with both Model 70's facing the same way once more  

sadly we where not able to get Dolly moving under her own power, we finally did get her to idle, but just as we finished clearing all the stuff out of her cabin, she died and refused to idle from there on out, hopefully next time she will play ball finally once her carb gets a second go in Zels ultrasonic cleaner  

 

 

once again many thanks to all that took part and especially to @Mrs6C and @Six-cylinder for hosting us  (and giving me a lift to and from the station and the place I was staying for the night)

well worth the crippling pain LOL

(although I did not actually know the FoD weekend started on friday, its good thing I did not turn up on friday, I dont think I would have made it to sunday!, I only just about got my sorry arse home, which is why Im only posting now, as yesterday I was a complete mess, still am, but iv worked up enough strength to get this post done ) 

speaking of coming home, you dont often see major stations this empty!

[hairnet]

19 hours ago, Six-cylinder said:

Abomination!

an 'on fire' ?

 

[hairnet]

9 hours ago, Mrs6C said:

A Hooloovoo of Invacars, perhaps?

a van doorne or a slow?

 

[Six-cylinder]

I have had a letter, yes in the post.

Following your application for a V5C for the BMW 323i it will be with you 8th Sep. I sent the V62 5th July.

When I have the V5C I will MOT the car after it has stood for 3 years but at the weekend it was extensively used for driver training so should be nicely freed up!

[Zelandeth]

14 minutes ago, hairnet said:

an 'on fire' ?

 

I bloody hope not, I've put no small amount of effort into trying to ensure that's *not* the case!

 

I'm going to have to take a tape measure with me next time.  Every photo I'm seeing seems to make it look like REV is narrower, and I'm sure it can't just be spherical aberration in everyone's camera optics..

Given we've already spotted several differences in the Invacar/AC moulds (especially up front where the return under the "bumper" is totally different) I do wonder if the Invacar has a slightly narrower nose now.  It's surprising how many detail differences there are between them.

[Six-cylinder]

10 minutes ago, Zelandeth said:

I'm going to have to take a tape measure with me next time.  Every photo I'm seeing seems to make it look like REV is narrower, and I'm sure it can't just be spherical aberration in everyone's camera optics..

Given we've already spotted several differences in the Invacar/AC moulds (especially up front where the return under the "bumper" is totally different) I do wonder if the Invacar has a slightly narrower nose now.  It's surprising how many detail differences there are between them.

Rev look a tad wider in this photo!

[chaseracer]

20 minutes ago, Six-cylinder said:

I have had a letter, yes in the post.

Following your application for a V5C for the BMW 323i it will be with you 8th Sep. I sent the V62 5th July.

When I have the V5C I will MOT the car after it has stood for 3 years but at the weekend it was extensively used for driver training so should be nicely freed up!

It would* be a calumny to suggest I was having some serious jollies steering this on the throttle in second on slightly damp grass... ?

[Andyrew]

Does anyone recall what the radio plug in the e36 above looked like. Seems only one comes up for it