Six Cylinders Motoring Notes

[LightBulbFun]

5 hours ago, Six-cylinder said:

Well that didn’t go well!

On the way back from Flowers Farm the Sigma temp gauge started rise but as I was on a dual carriageway with no hard shoulder I carried on the 2 miles to the first layby. When I stopped there was steam wisping from under the bonnet.

The AA arrived and diagnosed a split water hose to the oil cooler. He had the right size hose and soon fitted a bit. Unfortunately when I went to restart the Sigma it simply pushed water out of the radiator and the diagnose was head gasket. He towed me to FoD on his dolly.

After all I have said about the service of Recovery firms the AA after a shaky start trying to contact them were great. The roadside patrol turned up in 40 mins was helpful and fixed the original problem. When that didn’t work he towed me to the FoD and then took the wheels I was carrying for @Flat4 and me home.

9/10 with the 1 point lost for the hard time trying to contact them 4 times, listening to all the spiel and press 1 for a long wait, 2 to be cut off..........

bugger! the Sigma really is being an awkward one aint it! glad you got recovered without too much trouble in the end tho  

[Zelandeth]

You're really not having the best of luck lately are you!  One of those cases where you have to wonder whether the system pressurised due to gasket failure and that cause the hose to let go, or the hose let go and the overheating saw off an aged gasket.  Hopefully it won't be the worst job to get it sorted.  If you're looking for someone to check, clean and if necessary skim the heads, I was really impressed with these guys when they did the ones for the Rover for me: https://www.headlinemk.co.uk/

[beko1987]

Now the carlton has a friend 😥

[Six-cylinder]

33 minutes ago, Zelandeth said:

You're really not having the best of luck lately are you!  One of those cases where you have to wonder whether the system pressurised due to gasket failure and that cause the hose to let go, or the hose let go and the overheating saw off an aged gasket.  Hopefully it won't be the worst job to get it sorted.  If you're looking for someone to check, clean and if necessary skim the heads, I was really impressed with these guys when they did the ones for the Rover for me: https://www.headlinemk.co.uk/

The AA man though it was the oil leaking long term from the rocker cover had softened the water pipe and I tend to agree with him.

Headline is who I used for the Carlon head work.

[Tommyboy12]

Have you had RAC cover to compare? Im a bit at my wits end with RAC and contemplating a switch to the AA.

[Six-cylinder]

4 minutes ago, Tommyboy12 said:

Have you had RAC cover to compare? Im a bit at my wits end with RAC and contemplating a switch to the AA.

Yes I had RAC and had terrible experiences with them taking forever to turn up and just sending me messages to update how long it would take. With the Carlton overheat even to the point I got @Slowsilver to help me because sitting on the roadside for 3 hours with nothing to drink or a toilet when I was not very well was just too much for me.

I changed to AA in 2021 and did not need them. This year I have needed them twice 2 days apart and apart from the difficulty in getting though they have been great.

My AA renewal is due November and due to the high cost I will be checking if anybody else offers all the things I need for a better price, except RAC and they can get lost.

[beko1987]

Claire has a different name, can't you just flip between names and make sure your both covered each year? Register one at the FoD, have 3 then 😂

[wuvvum]

1 hour ago, Tommyboy12 said:

Have you had RAC cover to compare? Im a bit at my wits end with RAC and contemplating a switch to the AA.

Having been with both in the past I can confirm that the AA are considerably less shit than the RAC.

[AnthonyG]

On 21/03/2024 at 06:59, Shite Ron said:

If a car was written off and rebuilt it got the latest registration until 1984 when the Q plate came out.

That explains the circa 1975 Marina Coupe on an ‘A’ prefix plate running around Tewkesbury then! 
It was perplexing me, I was considering having @LightBulbFun investigate the situation…

[LightBulbFun]

3 hours ago, AnthonyG said:

That explains the circa 1975 Marina Coupe on an ‘A’ prefix plate running around Tewkesbury then! 
It was perplexing me, I was considering having @LightBulbFun investigate the situation…

the Q plate scheme was introduced on the 1st of August 1983, along with Prefix plates and a bunch of other policy changes (for example imports and ex-army vehicles where from that point forward given plates according to the year of manufacturer not their date of registration with the DVLA)

 

so the Morris Marina on an A Suffix plate is quite unusual, wearing the identity of an ital perhaps?  (or is an Ital with a Marina front end?)

[AnthonyG]

There’s probably something dubious going on, as they didn’t do Ital coupe's. 

Next time I see it I will try a grab a pic, or at least the reg so you can apply your ‘particular set of skills’ 😉.

[Six-cylinder]

Another outing for the 480 today, this time to a car gathering in Milton Keynes. A much wider range of cars with many groups represented including Jap, VW, American Iron, East Germany, air cooled VW Nova and all points between.

[Zelandeth]

It amuses me how the two cars you ended up parked next to ended up making the 480 look like a big car!

 

[Six-cylinder]

@Andyrew Astra got a run out today as it was low on diesel and got a fill up.

Impressive, 584.7 miles mainly with Mrs6C taking it "Up North" used 41.74 litres giving 63.6 mpg.

[Six-cylinder]

At the end of last week the Morris 1300 came to the top of the list at my favourite garage and the steering rack bush has been fitted.

The other job it was in for was replacement of the heater matrix. It turns out the used matrix I bought was slightly thicker than the original and the inlet/return pipes were further apart so it would not fit in the case. While the original heater matrix was disconnected there was not obvious evidence of a leak so I took it to Kempston Radiators to have it checked properly. I await news.......

[Six-cylinder]

Yesterday the opportunity arose to get the Royale back out of its muddy puddle where it had been sitting since the crane needed the space in the yard.

Today I have started to think about what I need to get it running and there does not seem much missing on the face of it. HT leads, petrol pipe, vacuum pipe and an alternator. @Slowsilverstarted to help me get the ignition system back up and running at the end of last year before the weather closed us down.

Unfortunately the hinge pin for the bonnet cable plastic pull tab release seems to have broken so that's another job.

[Six-cylinder]

This is not what you think!

Yes we have had delivered a 1979 Mercedes 450SLC to the FoD, but it is not ours. It belongs to Colin from the Milton Keynes Classic Car Club and he has just bought it. The car has been stood for 10 years unused. The engine turns over and the car does not look very rusty so the aim is to get it running and driving. The plan is Colin will join us 20/21 April for the FoD event.

[hairnet]

i dropped some bits off to a scrapyard for one of their wagons

On the way out was one of these and your first pic of it i thought it was the one i saw

Yours is more red tho as the other pics

[wuvvum]

Those Mercs must hold the record for biggest air filter ever fitted to a European car.  I have cars in the fleet where the whole engine is smaller than that.

[Six-cylinder]

1 hour ago, wuvvum said:

Those Mercs must hold the record for biggest air filter ever fitted to a European car.  I have cars in the fleet where the whole engine is smaller than that.

Even our 4 cylinder 2.0 has a decent size air filter.

[quicksilver]

18 hours ago, Six-cylinder said:

This is not what you think!

Yes we have had delivered a 1979 Mercedes 450SLC to the FoD, but it is not ours. It belongs to Colin from the Milton Keynes Classic Car Club and he has just bought it. The car has been stood for 10 years unused. The engine turns over and the car does not look very rusty so the aim is to get it running and driving. The plan is Colin will join us 20/21 April for the FoD event.

I know where that came from, and I know the guy who transported it. Just went past on the bus, noticed it wasn't there and wondered where it had gone, then logged on here and got the answer.

[Zelandeth]

1 hour ago, quicksilver said:

I know where that came from, and I know the guy who transported it. Just went past on the bus, noticed it wasn't there and wondered where it had gone, then logged on here and got the answer.

It's a small world sometimes isn't it!

[Six-cylinder]

Nothing to see here!

Just an old Volvo estate doing what comes natural. A new wooden 6 seater garden table with chairs plus umbrella base, they looked a bit lost in there. The table is for the FoD and don't worry we have raised our standards as they were from Freecycle!

[beko1987]

I remember picking this up from Facebook for a tenner

Went into the xm estate whole and upside down fitted fine, infact I nearly took a window out halfway home cornering enthusiastically and it shifted 😂

On its 2nd year after a good wire brush and hammerite and doing well, will give it another in a couple of years

The white mark is brake cleaner where u clean oily metal vintage Hoover parts on it as its the perfect drain surface for parts washing 👌 The patio loves* it

[LightBulbFun]

1 hour ago, Six-cylinder said:

Nothing to see here!

Just an old Volvo estate doing what comes natural. A new wooden 6 seater garden table with chairs plus umbrella base, they looked a bit lost in there. The table is for the FoD and don't worry we have raised our standards as they were from Freecycle!

knowing the FoD its only a mater of time before that ends up either motorised or mounted on some sort of rail-wagon-chassis and also motorised

would that make it a multiple unit?

[chaseracer]

On 02/04/2024 at 22:56, Six-cylinder said:

This is not what you think!

Yes we have had delivered a 1979 Mercedes 450SLC to the FoD, but it is not ours. It belongs to Colin from the Milton Keynes Classic Car Club and he has just bought it. The car has been stood for 10 years unused. The engine turns over and the car does not look very rusty so the aim is to get it running and driving. The plan is Colin will join us 20/21 April for the FoD event.

OUTSTANDERATING!!

I do like me a C107... pity I'll still be in France that weekend, giving the Dyane a good thrashing on home turf.  See you all next time 😀

[Six-cylinder]

1 hour ago, chaseracer said:

OUTSTANDERATING!!

I do like me a C107... pity I'll still be in France that weekend, giving the Dyane a good thrashing on home turf.  See you all next time 😀

I am sure it will be here for a while.

[beko1987]

I also had this. All for free from the building opposite Bourne End train station when it was refurbished in (checks exif data...) 4th April 2014

I remember i loaded it badly and the bloody tailgate didnt shut, then smashed my finger removing it and adjusting and re-loading it. Also got some clutch slip on the way home (did it at 7am before work in Marlow up the road) which was one of the only times it ever did it (and was reasonable enough of it do do so I recall thinking at the time as I was driving probably too fast for the weight, just didnt feel it

 

Theyve been in the loft ever since, ceiling hasnt collapsed yet 🤞

[mat_the_cat]

9 hours ago, Six-cylinder said:

A new wooden 6 seater garden table with chairs plus umbrella base, they looked a bit lost in there. The table is for the FoD 

Great! I was thinking that the firewood pile was getting depleted!

[Six-cylinder]

A show outing for the 940 estate tonight to Milton Keynes Classic Car Club first of the summer season Friday night meetings.

The Rover 95 P4 next to me wanted to clean his spark plugs. He did not have a plug spanner, luckily the Volvo has its tool kit complete.