Project Rusty Triumphs in Scotland - Continued Crestaing - 31/10/24

[captain_70s]

I got my p6 through it's mot by covering all the rough edges and holes in the wing with gaffa tape.

I did that with the 1850's bulkhead for a few years... The bottom edge of the rear wing and front of the arch has completely gone on the 1300's passenger side though, due to previous crap repairs (a repair panel riveted on top of the originals), the whole lot has rotted from the inside out.

 

I taped it up for a start but there isn't much left to tape up!

 

The large "full arch" panels like the ones that have been applied badly are now unobtanium although you can get repair panels from the TDC. I'd need panels A and W and that's £100 per side in metalwork alone, also part A is massive overkill as aside from the arch the rest of the lower rear wings are really solid on my car*. Given the current arch is made of rust and major levels of wob to hide the seam twixt the original panels and repair panels and it's not structural I don't feel too guilty about just fiberglassing the whole lot up until I can afford proper metalwork, especially as I have no intention of ever parting with the stupid heap...

 

*Also I let my membership lapse, because poor.

[oldford]

You can't beat a bit of tape on sharp edges, even for cars on their first test.

 

 

 

[captain_70s]

Welp, the Doloshite is dead. I just can't get the damn thing to start, endless fiddling with electrics, ignition timing, fuel supply etc has been to no avail. She'll occasionally cough a bit and that's about as much as I could get our of her, last thing is to try with some fresh fuel just in case the stuff I'm using has gone stale...

Unfortunately I've also moved house now so the car is living in a rented garage 200 mile north of my home. I've shifted the rental of the garage to a rolling month contract so as long as I pay up I'll have storage but the logistics are now problematic.

 

 

While moving house I found 2000 miles worth of old oil cans in the shed from back when she was the daily driver... £25 a week in 20/50w mineral oil, living the dream.

 

 

Naturally the Civic is also broken, one rear brake is stuck on and attempting to remove the caliper resulted in a bolt rounding and I ran out of time to get it sorted due to the house move. I did manage to free it off a bit when attempting the removal but over the course of the trip to Glasgow it started to stick again and now makes fairly horrible noises and generates considerable heat. It did piss it down for most of the trip which must have a had a cooling effect though, the time I spent stationary in traffic probably also helped...

 

 

I'm probably going to farm this job out to a local garage and then sell the damn thing... Also the front spoiler scrubs on the pavement outside my flat, bah.

 

 

On a lighter note here is some shite I saw on my last few days in Aberdeenshire:

 

 

[captain_70s]

Jesus, look at this sexy thing.

 

To think a car of such provenance could be so reasonably priced! Also counts as donating to a charity as hear it's the last possession of value the owner has to sell before he becomes homeless!

[captain_70s]

UPDATE!

 

Couldn't sell the Civic, then I went north and got drunk in a field. In order to bring my mp3 FM radio transmitter, and by extension the soundtrack to the Rocky Horror Picture, to our camping area I drove the car through the field hitting several parked cars on the way. With a big scuff on the driver's door I gave up trying to sell it and had it MOT'd a fortnight ago.

 

Frankly as long as this keeps parking on my street I don't feel too bad...

 

So I went north once again recently to try and get the Doloshite running and bleed the clutch, stayed at my parent's place near Strathdon where agricultural equipment still looks like this:

 

Then drove to my mate's house whom I gave the yellow Doloshite to, which looks like this:

 

Grabbed some stuff and headed to see the car, seemingly my car jack gave up on life so we couldn't jack it up, so we had to improvise a bit with some bricks I found around the garage...

 

Also the handbrake wouldn't hold it, so we had to improvise some more (hence the tyre on the front)

 

Anyway, long story short after two days of tinkering we got the car running and idling, the carb linkages were all seized up, the HT leads were in the wrong order, the fuel in the tank is shit and the wiring needed some tinkering for the starting circuitry. Carb bleeding was less successful, got some feeling back into the pedal but no movement to the clutch. Going to attempt to Eezibleed it next I think. Then it can trundle down to the MOT station, and go down to my mate's farm with a to-do list so I don't have to rent it's bloody garage 200 miles from my flat...

[vulgalour]

y..yay? I'm a teensy bit confused by the first bit where it sounds and looks like you went on a slow-motion banger race through a field or something.

[captain_70s]

y..yay? I'm a teensy bit confused by the first bit where it sounds and looks like you went on a slow-motion banger race through a field or something.

About a month or so ago I was camping next to the house of my mate with all the Renaults, with a fire and drinks, we were listening to music on a CD player/radio and ran out of CDs at about midnight. I have an FM transmitter in the car for my iPod as the Civic has it's stock radio and no aux input but the transmitter wasn't quite in range of the radio at the fire. So I decided in my Miller's and vodka fuelled wisdom to drive the Civic down to the fire so it'd be in range. As can probably be seen the yard is kind of always full of an assortment of cars and on the 100ft drive I managed to reverse into the grey Focus, clip a partially stripped Transit van and scuff a Skoda Fabia estate... Probably. We could only actually match the damage twixt the Civic and the Focus and the other two vehicles were so battered it's hard to say if I actually bumped them or not...

 

I suppose the moral of the story is don't drive drunk? Even if you're in a field... On the flipside the Civic proved to be quite good at traversing the embankment without getting stuck, even managed to drive it back out through the mist of my worst ever hangover.

[dollywobbler]

Reminds me of being at a 2CV camp many years ago. Exactly the same issue, no music at the camp fire. A friend pipes up that he'll provide entertainment. He jumps into his Lancia Thema Turbo, goes tearing across the field and slams into an unseen ditch. Cue much rev limiter and tyre smoke until his drunk brain suggests giving up. Yes, he did provide entertainment.

[captain_70s]

Right, the Doloshite desperately needs to be evacuated out of it's garage before winter traps it for another 3 months. I'm booking a long weekend off work and am going to go up north and sort this out, the plans are as follows:

 

1 - Have the car MOT'd local to it's garage, it passes or fails and I have it fixed up, I drive it back to Glasgow. This would require my mate to be able to tinker with the car in my absence. He has the keys to the garage and car but is having a rough time with his health, family deaths and all sorts of other miserable stuff.

 

2 - If we can't have the car MOT'd we get it drivable either before or during my long weekend, I have it booked in for an MOT in Glasgow and I will drive it the 200 miles to the test centre. This plan doesn't technically break any laws (probably) but I'll likely hit ANPR at Perth and any copper who dislikes the fact I'm driving 200 miles to an MOT is going to really fuck my day/week/life...

 

3 - I attempt to go north and get the car drivable BEFORE my long weekend, in that state my mate would be able to trundle it to a local MOT station and see if it needs anything unexpected without having to toil on the car alone. The problem with this plan is that every trip north/south is 8 hours of driving and costs £60-80 in petrol, money/time I can't really spare.

 

4 - I have the car trailered south. This most likely going to cost over £200 and would leave me with a still un-drivable car sat at the side of the road outside my flat. I've bunged the details into Shiply to see what they can quote. It has to be said this option also lacks a certain amount of adventure.

 

For reference for the car to be drivable it needs the clutch system bled (probably with an Eezibleed) and the fuel tank hose reattached to the pump rather than my fuel can arrangement. It's not been driven for 2 years, before that it was my daily driver doing 200+ miles a week, it still rolls and runs but has no clutch. Between my garage (Cullen, Moray) and my home (Anniesland, Glasgow), is my parent's house (Strathdon). Then planned route is via their place and then through the Cairngorms then hopping on to the A9 at Perth and then the motorway for the final leg of the trip. Mostly as the goal is slow and steady and while the Doloshite doesn't much like hills it very much doesn't like venturing above 50mph. This is, of course, assuming it doesn't just die altogether on any bit of the trip.

 

Any input, reasonable alternative ideas, etc are welcome. 

[Tickman]

 

 

2 - If we can't have the car MOT'd we get it drivable either before or during my long weekend, I have it booked in for an MOT in Glasgow and I will drive it the 200 miles to the test centre. This plan doesn't technically break any laws (probably) but I'll likely hit ANPR at Perth and any copper who dislikes the fact I'm driving 200 miles to an MOT is going to really fuck my day/week/life...

 

It is not only technically legal but actually legal.

I see no* issues with this and if you get stuck on the way down there are a few of us on the route!

[BorniteIdentity]

It is not only technically legal but actually legal.

I see no* issues with this and if you get stuck on the way down there are a few of us on the route!

 

It's always worth remembering, it is not the police's job or remit to interpret the law - only to enforce it.  Their personal opinion is as irrelevant as the day of the week.

[hpi_matrix]

Back in 2010 I emailed the DVLA asking if there was a set distance, this is the response I got:

 

Thank you for your email received on 16/5/10. Your email reference number is 353153.

 

There are no restrictions relating to the length of such a journey or type of roads that the vehicle can be driven on.

 

The only precondition is that the MOT test must be booked in advance and that the vehicle is driven straight there, to the testing garage, and back to your home address.

 

I hope that this information has clarified matters for you.

[Dave_Q]

I really wouldn't bother getting it tested up there, I would get it drivable then go straight to a test near where you are now.

 

The only addition I would suggest to this plan is to make a good map of known shiters along the way in case of problems.

[320touring]

I really wouldn't bother getting it tested up there, I would get it drivable then go straight to a test near where you are now.

 

The only addition I would suggest to this plan is to make a good map of known shiters along the way in case of problems.

I can help anywhere from Glasgow city centre to Stirling area 

[captain_70s]

While the act is legal I'm sure a copper who thinks I'm taking the piss (given that I kind of am) will be able to find something on a 40 year old car that will earn it "un-roadworthy" status. Also, I may have to stop for petrol/to add more oil, while reasonable that may be construed as not heading straight to the MOT garage. Also, do you have to do the trip on the same day as the test is booked? I generally drop my cars off the day before, and given the length of the journey (most likely a Saturday) it'd be hard to get down in good enough time for a same day MOT.

 

Quotes for trailering are all coming back at around £300, rules that out really as £300 would easily see the thing MOT'd...

 

I'm also trying to get my girlfriend to tag along as then she can meet my parents while I'm up there, two birds ones stone! My mate will be driving me up in his Nissan CashCow and tailing me back so I'll have help and emergency transport + all my tools and usual spares.

[SiC]

How much is it to have it parked in the garage till May 2018? I.e. until MOT exemption kicks in.

 

Just thinking if its less than the cost of transporting+MOT'ing, etc and if you're in no real rush to get it back.

[derskine]

I'd just go for it man and not worry. Nisfan of this parish drove a Datsun Stanza from Whitby to Fife on a booked test.

[SiC]

Also, what about putting black and white/silver plates on it? Most ANPR systems struggle to read them properly if you're worried about that. If its tax-exempt (i.e. historic tax class), its eligible for them.

[Eddie Honda]

 but I'll likely hit ANPR at Perth and any copper who dislikes the fact I'm driving 200 miles to an MOT is going to really fuck my day/week/life...

 

 

I still wouldn't shit it.

 

66 miles on the way to a pre-booked MOT in this with purplebargeken's handy tapework (I think that includes the manors of Essex Police, Hertfordshire Constabulary, Metropolitan Police and Thames Valley Police) :

 

2014-07-27_17-58-57_223 by macplaxton, on Flickr

 

No one stopped me and I did have a pass later that day, otherwise I would have just driven the next 269 miles to port and fucked off out of it anyway.

[Tickman]

This was driven a greater distance than you will have to a pre booked MOT which was carried out the following day.

 

 

Then it did several hundred more miles home to Dundee.

 

Don't take the piss and have the car as prepared as possible then go for it.

 

Speak to the MOT place and tell them the plan to they know if they get a phonecall what it is about and they can confirm the plan.

[captain_70s]

The car should be ready to pass aside for possibly the emissions and the soft rear shocks.

 

Garage cost to May would be £420...

[Tickman]

The car should be ready to pass aside for possibly the emissions and the soft rear shocks.

 

Garage cost to May would be £420...

Emissions should be a visable check only and as long as the shocks are not leaking you should be good.

[purplebargeken]

I still have a sense of pride in that tape job mate. I was really getting into the swing of it by the end.

 

Is there any chance of a shot of two things on your little Dolly? It would help immensely with my Toledo.

 

A piccie of the front headlights from a couple of different angles. Also a piccie of the fuse box and wire layout please.

 

Huge thanks when you get the chance.

 

Thanks Cap'n.

 

Ken

[captain_70s]

 

My highly detailed planning document (written on the envelope moaning about me not paying my TV license) is getting worrying large... I'd forgotten my new battery, and big jerry can had met an unfortunate end when my mate's mate drove his 4x4 (which was being used to store things) into a river during the floods and didn't come out the other side... Not exactly the greatest loss in the situation so I can't really moan about it.

 

My (Halfords) trolley jack also died a death by simply lowering cars when it wasn't supposed to... I've replaced that with the SGS 3-ton jobby as an investment which is currently being delivered to my parent's place along with a Lucas 015 battery and a 12v tyre pump, 10L of 20w50 also arrived at my door today along with a visibleed to get the clutch sorted, I need to get a spare master cylinder just in case then one I re-sealed isn't working. A trip to Halfrauds on the way North will yield various fluids, a jerry can, exhaust putty and fibreglass and Hammerite for short term bodywork bodging. When you factor in delivery costs I may as well buy from them...

I was going to take out breakdown cover but the policies all say the car has to be MOT'd and taxed. Thinking it might be worth it to not take it out and simply have the best part of £100 spare to have it shifted by a local garage in the worst case scenario rather than pay for recovery and not be able to use it... 

 

Sadly as a 1977 car I think it still has to meet it's original emissions requirements for the MOT until next year when it'd become Tax/MOT exempt (usually get away with it by leaning the mixture right off). Other than that I'm not terribly worried about it not passing unless they poke huge holes in the sills which is always a risk on the old Doloshite due to their rotting from the inside out.

 

Fuck it. I've gone too far to not go ahead with the plan now. Another winter sat in a damp garage and I'll be back to square one again...

 

Oh, I also bought a floppy tripod type thing for my camera, so I might vlog the whole ordeal for your pleasure, Dollywobbler style.

[Skut]

Drove through Perth to get to pre-booked MOT at Burnbrae on A85. Not a sniff of interest from any law enforcement despite bright yellow vehicle and not entirely functional headlights.

[purplebargeken]

Cap'n,pretty sure it's visual check only on a pre-80's car but am happy to be corrected.

[Eddie Honda]

Pre 75 I think Ken

[BeEP]

Yep, 1st August 1975 is cut-off for visual emissions check only.  My Allegro was registered September 75...

[Tickman]

When is the move so we can be on amber alert?

[captain_70s]

Heading north on Friday morning, car tinkering occurring on Friday and Saturday, the trip down will be Saturday or Sunday depending on progress with the aim being as early as possibly on Saturday. Car is booked in for it's MOT on Monday 13th.

 

I'll keep here updated due to the magics of smartphones and mobile internet!