Six Cylinders Motoring Notes

[comfortablynumb]

My D2 didn't last long enough to wear out a set of wipers.

Come to that, it didn't last long enough to wear out a tankful of diesel either.....

[dollywobbler]

21 hours ago, Talbot said:

It is.  Probably because a Discovery 2 somewhere is wearing the D1 wiper arms, as the blades for a D1 (generic) are significantly cheaper than those to fit a D2 arm (specialist).  It's seen as somewhat of an upgrade to put D1 arms on a D2.  As will come as no surprise, the mechanism between D1 and D2 is largely identical, and also similar to RRC.  Hence the interchangeability.

I never did it on my D2, but I wanted to.

Interestingly*, if you look at early brochures for the D2, they kept the D1 wipers so it must have been a late decision to change them. I was never keen on the upgrade. Saw a D1 wipered D2 only the other day. 

 

Edited March 26 by dollywobbler

[Six-cylinder]

A lovely afternoon!

@Slowsilver and my non Autoshite friend Colin came over to progress the VP1500.

The first problem from last time was no fuel getting to the carburettor of the VP.

We back filled the carb and the fuel pump and the car started which ran nicely until it emptied the carb without pulling any petrol from the tank.

Slowsilver laid down under the VP and checked petrol out pipe and that all seemed fine.

Next was the pump and we connected the fuel pump to a can close by and it filled the fuel filter just fine. We reconnected the line from the tank and now it was primed it was able to draw petrol from the tank.

It leaked petrol from the carb float chamber top so very took it apart and the shut off valve worked again.

We found the VP clutch had stuck on, but Colin started it in gear and took it into the field to give it a talking too, it came back working fine.

Colin then gave it a run up the road and slowsilver a run in the field.

---

 

6 days and the Mini becomes eligible for free road tax so it was time to wake it up, a drop of extra petrol into the carb intake and it bust into life and had a run around the field.

---

So 2 of our 4 BL products are up and running!

[Mrs6C]

37 minutes ago, Six-cylinder said:

So 2 of our 4 BL products are up and running!

Think you may have missed some... 

[ianbmw]

So does that mean the barn is empty? Empty so a Carlton saloon could move inside?

[richardmorris]

1 hour ago, Six-cylinder said:

A lovely afternoon!

@Slowsilver and my non Autoshite friend Colin came over to progress the VP1500.

The first problem from last time was no fuel getting to the carburettor of the VP.

We back filled the carb and the fuel pump and the car started which ran nicely until it emptied the carb without pulling any petrol from the tank.

Slowsilver laid down under the VP and checked petrol out pipe and that all seemed fine.

Next was the pump and we connected the fuel pump to a can close by and it filled the fuel filter just fine. We reconnected the line from the tank and now it was primed it was able to draw petrol from the tank.

It leaked petrol from the carb float chamber top so very took it apart and the shut off valve worked again.

We found the VP clutch had stuck on, but Colin started it in gear and took it into the field to give it a talking too, it came back working fine.

Colin then gave it a run up the road and slowsilver a run in the field.

---

 

6 days and the Mini becomes eligible for free road tax so it was time to wake it up, a drop of extra petrol into the carb intake and it bust into life and had a run around the field.

---

So 2 of our 4 BL products are up and running!

Calendar shot?

[RustyNuts]

On 11/02/2025 at 15:31, Six-cylinder said:

Not such a good day today!

The Renault Safrane V6 RT has come to me because of Andyrew’s clearout. Andy is convinced this car wants to die as after all the work Andy put into in, it now has a suspected head gasket failure.

I wouldn't be put off.

I have a ph2 from '98 outside with the 2.5 volvo lump. It was dead for 12 years and in that time i got through two engines (scrapping a 3rd and giving it away as scrap), did loads of rust removal and protection, had the shocks out, exhaust out, brake lines out and replaced etc. Still couldn't get it running right. Eventually 11.5 years into its deadness I finally got the HG done too (pig of a job that took me 11 months to complete for various reasons) and when even that didn't work I eventually found the electrical gremlin causing it to overheat and stopping the fans working.. Even now it has a coolant leak thanks to a defective pipe that is no longer available but i flogged that dead horse so hard it had no choice but to come back from the dead lol. It's now in daily use and still has other things i need to fix but it's a runner.

Sometimes it is easier for people to give up on a car but i'm skinter than most and although it took me 12.5 years, I managed to save and resurrect a PITA that threw absolutely everything at me.

Your car might bea bit more tricky as the head gaskets might be harder to find but it's not beyond saving.

[High Jetter]

2 hours ago, Mrs6C said:

Think you may have missed some... 

They disappear rapidly. Or hidden.

[Six-cylinder]

8 hours ago, High Jetter said:

They disappear rapidly. Or hidden.

We still have the Morris 1300 and MG Metro Mk1 to wake up, is what I was thinking of. 

What Mrs6C is referring to is should the two Daimlers. MGB GT and 1970 Triumph Vitesse be counted as BL vehicles? 

[EyesWeldedShut]

18 minutes ago, Six-cylinder said:

1970 Triumph Vitesse be counted as BL vehicles? 

I'd say yes as (I'm almost sure) my 1968 Vitesse had a small BL badge on each front wing just above the side locking levers.

[High Jetter]

2 hours ago, Six-cylinder said:

What Mrs6C is referring to is should the two Daimlers. MGB GT and 1970 Triumph Vitesse be counted as BL vehicles? 

Jan 17th 1968 wiki says BL started so I'd say yes too. In my mind though the XJ6 Sovereigns weren't 'proper' Daimlers, last of those was the DS 420, imho.

[Six-cylinder]

First evening Classic car gathering of the year and I took the Alfa156 for the joy of driving it.

[hairnet]

tart