Dave's shonkers - continuing electroshite

[UltraWomble]

Would you bin off the indicators then on the final build?
Assuming that you do eventually want working front and rear lights.
Butt yeah. Horn and rear reflextirmabob.
Make sure there are no switches for the lights too.

Sent from my CLT-L09 using Tapatalk

[Dave_Q]

No I will put all the lights on to ride it on the road, it's just that it's looking like £150 worth of bits (£50 loom, £50 indicators, 20ish headlight, £10 reg/rec £20 battery) and I still can't ride it on the road for about 8 weeks after getting it tested as I'll be waiting for DVLA to do their bit.

So the plan is to MOT it on the bare minimum and then keep an eye out for cheaper second hand bits (not that I've seen any so far) or at least spread the cost.

[Dave_Q]

Turns out, yes you can pass an MOT with 4 wires.

[Fabergé Greggs]

Great work! Is it because it's 50cc that you don't need indicators etc? Speaking of which, is it still the 50 engine that you're running? 

[Dave_Q]

So it actually qualifies for no indicators on a few points:
Pre 1986
Under 50cc
No position lamp fitted at time of test

Any one of those 3 you don't need indicators.

Its a 50 crank with a 102 Polini kit. Didn't tell MOT man this so an not to confuse things. Plus you can't really tell without either stripping it down or riding it and seeing if it can achieve 40.

[Dave_Q]

5 weeks now and nothing from the Doovla on the Vespa, it says 4-6 weeks so will ring next week. 

I did also put my van through an MOT, needed a lower arm and droplinks AGAIN but nobody really wants to hear about that. 

Anyway incoming today:

It's a Honda Chaly monkey bike type thing. I actually bought this weeks ago and eternal gent Cavcraft has been stashing it in his fabled garages for me. 

No plate or lights, looks like maybe it was destined for life as a field bike. I was able to get the frame number before buying and determined through the excellent https://www.facebook.com/vin2reg.co.uk/ that it was indeed UK reg on an X plate. I already have the V5 and a number plate. 

Tried to fire it up on Cavcraft's forecourt, it did go but just died if you applied any throttle at all. Got it home and cleaned out the carb which was tasty, although not the worst I've seen:

And it's running like a champ now. Interestingly it's lost it's original engine which would have been a 70cc semi-auto a la C70, and it's got a 50cc full auto. Seems to go through the gears OK and I achieved possibly as much as 20mph brumming up my road. 

A Lifan 110 or 125 may be in it's future tho because fat and hills. 

In the meantime I am wondering whether to bother with trying to source some lights or just borrowing the temp horn and reflector from the Vespa and whanging it in for an MOT as is. 

It's a March 1982 reg so it'll be the last MOT it ever goes for. 

[hairnet]

still waiting for the docs for the postie and went digging on the shite as i was told normally 10 days two weeks

due to covid i was told 5-6 weeks by someone importing a car

digging on the site and it gives dates 'you sent the details'

mine was mid july and from their date theyre saying 6-10 weeks

which means end of september

you might be in for a wait also sadly

edit also you cant ring them as theres no cnut there also no emails answers cos see first part of sentence

which is insane cos the rest or the country has gone back to normal

as ive said previously FUCK GOVT AGENCIES

[Dave_Q]

Yeah I'm not mega hopeful and have also heard of long delays.

Which happens first, Chaly MOT or Vespa V5?

Place bets now

[hairnet]

chaly mot - not exactly complicated

 

[Dave_Q]

@hairnet

[Dave_Q]

Also:

[Dave_Q]

Bit boring as I'm not going very far and surely eny fule kno what it is, but anyway, collection time:



Seems I'm the only one apart from the conductor who can read all the signs and hear all the announcements about face masks.

[Dave_Q]

Station number 2.
Today's journey brought to you in association with the Victorians - cracking bunch of lads who weren't shy about digging tunnels through shit

[Dave_Q]

Arrived on the official WRONG SIDE of a Pennine, our cultural differences are stark and based around the names of bread products, the persistent drizzle is homely tho

[Dave_Q]

A wild GHOSTY appeared



Dave used ROFFLE TICKET

It's super effective!

[Supernaut]

1 hour ago, Dave_Q said:

Seems I'm the only one apart from the conductor who can read all the signs and hear all the announcements about face masks.

Standard.

Should have seen the fucking state of the trains I got back on Friday. Not only were 99% of people not wearing masks, about 99% of those people were drinking! Tinnies everywhere. Regardless of the signs and announcements saying NO ALCOHOL.

FFS.

[Dave_Q]

Stalybridge Tesco petrol station is the height of retro 2020 charm complete with such throwbacks as actual fuel, and zero queue.



Maximus reckoned it'd probably get me home, have chucked in a tenner which has got me close to half a tank.

Initial thoughts:
Small car is small
Backwards stalks are backwards
Clutch taking some getting used to, first non diesel for some time
Bluetooth stereo is the height of nearly installed decadence



Destination: Yorkshire
Soundtrack: Peter Crouch podcast

[UltraWomble]

On 9/9/2021 at 8:07 PM, Dave_Q said:

 

I did also put my van through an MOT, needed a lower arm and droplinks AGAIN but nobody really wants to hear about that. 

Your van has the same underpinnings as our old C8 and that was the same - drop links and NS lower arm almost every year.

Must be a Citroen thing

[Agila]

2 hours ago, Dave_Q said:

Destination: Yorkshire
Soundtrack: Peter Crouch podcast

Both top choices.

[Dave_Q]

26 minutes ago, UltraWomble said:

Your van has the same underpinnings as our old C8 and that was the same - drop links and NS lower arm almost every year.

Must be a Citroen thing

The lower arm is a first but the drop links are every year. TBF I reckon the arm has been on it's way out for ages but only just failed an MOT as the balljoint went, even though the bushes have probably been dodgy since I had it as it's always felt a bit vague to drive, even for a van. 

 

Anyway home now, it pretty much fits on the drive:

Featuring bonus collection-ception.

[Dave_Q]

2 hours ago, Supernaut said:

Standard.

Should have seen the fucking state of the trains I got back on Friday. Not only were 99% of people not wearing masks, about 99% of those people were drinking! Tinnies everywhere. Regardless of the signs and announcements saying NO ALCOHOL.

FFS.

Need an ANGERY react for this

[Matty]

7 hours ago, Dave_Q said:

Destination: Yorkshire
Soundtrack: Peter Crouch podcast

1 outta 2 ain't bad

[hairnet]

hudd - bit like todmorden - they cant make up their mind

 

[Dave_Q]

2 hours ago, hairnet said:

hudd - bit like todmorden - they cant make up their mind

 

Huddersfield is definitely in Yorkshire (I am now in Brighouse actually) and Todmorden is not a case of them making up their mind, I think that neither Yorkshire or Lancashire actually want it

[Spurious]

14 hours ago, Dave_Q said:

Arrived on the official WRONG SIDE of a Pennine, our cultural differences are stark and based around the names of bread products, the persistent drizzle is homely tho

Oh god Scalybridge. Hope you didn't stay too long lest you catch something. 

[Spurious]

I've always wanted a Ignis sport. Or maybe just a spin in one. The seats just bolt into the Jimny so I'm looking out for one to nick them out of. 

[Pieman]

15 hours ago, Dave_Q said:

Seems I'm the only one apart from the conductor who can read all the signs and hear all the announcements about face masks.

Same as when I took a train to Birmingham last Friday (first time I'd been on a train since 2019) - it reminded me further of why I hate the vast majority of humans.

Nice little Suzuki though.

[Ghosty]

2 hours ago, Spurious said:

Oh god Scalybridge. Hope you didn't stay too long lest you catch something. 

Oi! 

[Dave_Q]

On 29/09/2021 at 22:32, Spurious said:

I've always wanted a Ignis sport. Or maybe just a spin in one. The seats just bolt into the Jimny so I'm looking out for one to nick them out of. 

You're welcome to come have a go but you must promise not to steal the seats. 

So I've had it a week, what do I think?

I like it. Look at it man, like a baby rally car:

Cosmetically we are quite challenged. 

Broken mirrors:

Scrapeage:

Something at this end has been sprayed with a shotgun:

One wheel is looking a little bent:

However to drive it is great. I think the word is balance - the power, size, weight and handling all just seem to be well matched and you can really use all the power thats there.

I'm sure it would have it's arse handed to it by an modern 1.6tdi off the lights but they would probably have to brake for corners.

Bit noisy on the motorway as it's short geared, 70mph is about 3400rpm. 

Also surprisingly practical, this is 4 x alloy wheels and a weeks shopping (with the seats folded down)

So plans were not to spend much money and maybe try some track days. 

The standard wheels are a bit narrow at I think 5" and they could do with a refurb. So I have purchased some 15x6s off an MX5 for £40 and a set of Federal 595 semi-slick part worns for £20 (!).

Other issues, it needs a rear gearbox mount and I'm not entirely happy with the clutch, don't think it slips but the biting point seems variable and the feel isn't too good. 

Parts supply seems to be quite patchy, almost all parts are specific to the Sport version and starting to get rare/expensive. 

I have plans to engineer* the gearbox mount using a suitable* polyurethane substance to fill in the gaps.

Clutchwise, ECP have an Exedy clutch kit they claim is the right one for £25 so I'm collecting that today. Hoping to get away with just changing the cable first but also struggling to find that for a reasonable price. 

OEM cables are £54 on ebay and my local factor quoted me £100, with a straight face an'all. 

My wife asked if I'm painting it yellow as that has happened to my last 2 Vespas. Not yet but maybe one day....

[Dave_Q]

My wife has just been out in it for the first time, her review contained less words:

Quote

It smells of scally, and it's held together with gaffa tape