Project Tickman's stuff.

[Supernaut]

But seriously.

WOW. That is hot.

[320touring]

Excellent work @Tickman

 

Hope you enjoy it!

[Jim Bell]

That looks like an absolute panty dropper.

I've certainly pulled mine down. 

[somewhatfoolish]

1 hour ago, Tickman said:

So what have I actually bought.

With the amazing support from my better half I've spent a, to me, very large sum of money on something that I'd never even sat in before. 

I saw @Saabnut advertise the Rover P5b and sent him a message saying I was very interested but needed to talk to the other half. I then sent my other half a message saying I wanted to have a serious chat about a car for sale, I got this reply

This made me feel a bit sick as we all know what that could mean. Luckily it was followed up with

Phew. Crisis averted.

I messaged Nick and arranged to go and have a look last week. We arrived, had a chat and a quick look around the car. I was told to take it for a run and see what I thought about it. Off we went leaving Nick behind. 

After the test drive I said I was 95% certain I'd be taking it but wanted to give myself time to chicken out.

I did an insurance quote which came in at £107. I had another chat with the other half and then asked Nick for his bank details.

We were away for a few days so arranged to collect it today.

It will need some bits doing to it and hopefully a reasonable amount of use.

Now I just need to get the Polo through an MOT as I've spent all the replacement car fund and a good chunk more on this.

 

[Saabnut]

Lots of mixed emotions here. Pleased it has gone to a good home, sad to see it go. Probably the best and most reliable car I have owned, it was always the fall back car to go to Le Mans if the planned car had problems after the first time it was planned. In all she did the trip 3 times, hopefully she will do it again one day.

Huge thanks to @Tickman for a super easy transaction and promising to look after her.

I hope you get as much fun with her as I did. I think at 16 years this was the longest I have kept a car on the road. Off she goes

[Tickman]

It looks quite big from some angles

I've parked it out front so I can look out the window at it but it isn't very tall

Not much difference in height between it and the Insight, it certainly seems bigger.

[somewhatfoolish]

You should be able to sit in it with a bunnet oan as it's a saloon and not a coupe.

[mat_the_cat]

I'm probably biased, but that is my second favourite car powered by a Rover V8. Well bought!

[hairnet]

Saw the pez shot and it nearly coulda been a jaaaaag

Thank fuck it wasn't 

Top stuff

They are lovely not sure i could daily something older than i am tho

[Tickman]

Fails that I thought would be fails confirmed with no extra surprises which I'm happy about.

Now to get it sorted!

[Tickman]

Started pulling stuff off by hand

After a good go with the grinder

Stuff removed 

Piece made up

Stuck in

Sill end to do and some tidying. Very much a functional not cosmetic job so far.

Obviously more to do but gas to be bought first.

[loserone]

It's amazing the motivation a V8 will muster, well done 

[Tickman]

Sill end in.

Red oxide and some under body sealer in the hidden bits.

Front of the sill more of the same.

One bit in

Then another a couple more to finish my patchwork quilt 

Bottom of the wing is fucked so that got chopped off and a bit of MR2 added

Some screws needed to hold them in place another day.

 

[Tickman]

The other side is much the same.

Future joys there.

[Tickman]

Both bottom arms changed.

I've not tightened one of the bolts as it is still in the air with no weight on it.

Two wheels in the car and tyres booked for tomorrow morning.

[Sigmund Fraud]

Brilliant work, and I don't think I could have ever convinced myself to do all this work just to keep a bloody 9N on the road !

I would therefore like to nominate @Tickman for a HERO OF AUTOSHITE medal, in recognition of his gallantry and service to frankly awful, aging VAG tat.

[juular]

11 minutes ago, Tickman said:

Both bottom arms changed.

I've not tightened one of the bolts as it is still in the air with no weight on it.

Two wheels in the car and tyres booked for tomorrow morning.

Tremendous work.

[Tickman]

1 hour ago, Sigmund Fraud said:

Brilliant work, and I don't think I could have ever convinced myself to do all this work just to keep a bloody 9N on the road!

Purely selfish reasons. It will have cost a good chunk less than £300 for the parts, tyres and MOT fee. The car is perfectly adequate and reasonably economic, 50mpg easily on a run, but most importantly I've spent all the money on the P5b 😂

Realistically I couldn't get anything else for less than the investment so it makes perfect sense...

[Tickman]

Work carried on yesterday, chop out

Roughly shaped

Weld

The rear was the same with a closing piece for the sill end just like the other side.

Some under body protection was sprayed at out of site bits and the wing was also patched.

The leftovers 

The result 

That should do.

 

[Tickman]

So I got this into the workshop for a look over

Lined up perfectly 

Bit longer than anything else I've had in then

A good look over shows it is in decent enough shape. Few things to address as expected. A couple of spots of metal work.

Service all the usual stuff. Little bit damp here as informed 

This so I know what to order 

Battery clamp of some description, cables ties already present

Some wiring to trace and see what goes where

Some to reroute and improve (never going to happen)

That's about it. List of stuff started anyway.

[Tickman]

On 13/09/2024 at 18:14, Tickman said:

 

As can be seen here the position of the lift dominates the workshop and the Rover couldn't be put up to full height because of the mezzanine but being over the boot.

To deal with this I've been tidying* the place in preparation of moving the lift. I've now shifted it about. Meter over and a meter closer to the door. This means I can actually get the Rover alongside the lift and get another car on the lift. I couldn't do this before.

Current state of play

I can get down either side of the Rover and can easily work down the side of the Clio on the lift.

Currently trying to get a house move in before Christmas so everything is on hold while that gets sorted.

There may be fleet movement depending on finances and usage.

[Tickman]

It been a while since the last update. Things have just been being used.

We have helpfully bought a new to us house. This means that money is currently earmarked for stuff other than fun.

The new place needs bits or work, it was professionally done 15 years ago and we are finding that professional is slightly worse than adequate DIY.

My better half has also got a new part time job that will involve a bit of travel locally so time for a fleet review.

@95 quid Peugeot put up a wanted advert for a gen 1 Insight and I responded. Some pictures and a description were sent and once the first dibs that was in place was declined it was confirmed that he wanted it.

Today was the day that the car I thought I wouldn't sell left. The money will go towards something for the Mrs to drive and any leftovers will end up in B&Q/ Toolstation and other such places.

So what is left for daily use?

The Polo is in use and the Clio will be my daily until the Mrs new daily is sorted.

Once that is in place then the Clio will be for sale and I'll take the Polo until it gets to the point of scrap.

Last picture of the Insight when it was mine this morning 

 

[Tickman]

Collection time.

Dog walk

Walk from the house to here, the Polo is outside the house in the picture.

Get on one of these

Need for nourishment 

Walk to here, Dundee train station 

Train to Haymarket 

Trains were rather busy.

Great scenery 

Changed again in Preston, no pictures as I'd given up the will to live at that point.

Got to my destination and out of the station and down the hill was this. Not my picture!

This is my quality photography 

Have a decent chat and head off to my parents for a catch up and a night's kip.

Headed home this morning, decent numbers.

Excellent car, better than described and always a pleasure to deal with someone trustworthy.

Thanks again @NorthernMonkey until next time!

[Tickman]

My youngest has been using the Aygo since the 107 went to live on a farm and it has done its job well. She needs a decent reliable car and the Aygo has started to give some areas of concern.

Some of the tyres leak out enough air for it to be a problem and it developed an exhaust rattle which sounded like the heat shield.

Due to her living quite a few miles away a better car was discussed and savings were started. I have been keeping an eye out for the past 8 months for something suitable. I spotted something suitable when I was down collecting the Skoda from @NorthernMonkey  I took some pictures at the time and was told that would fit the bill nicely. 

I had some stuff that meant I couldn't collect for a few weeks so it was going to get MOT, service and timing belt stuff done.

Plans were made, the car was sorted and trains were booked. Then my body threw a spanner in the works and decided it didn't want to behave so the collection couldn't happen.

Stuff was sorted out and after the delays this arrived at my daughter's place of work.

It is a 59 plate Clio that is rather nice. Low mileage and all sorted for the next year.

I can't thank @NorthernMonkey enough for being accommodating with the change of plan and all the extra work that was done for no extra money!

So now she is sorted with the Clio that leaves the Aygo back on fleet. It was needing an MOT in a couple of weeks so I booked it in to get a list of requirements.

Advisories for tyres and that was it.

It will get a service, the tyres and the underneath treated to hope it lasts a bit longer.

It is good enough to be kept on fleet as it costs so little to run.

That's all the actual car related stuff I've been up to.

[Tickman]

The Aygo got a set of new tyres and is being used.

This got advertised to the general public a few weeks ago and was sold in a couple of hours to a young lad who needed transport for work.

This got advertised last Friday and I had quite a few responses and all were from people who could write a sentence! It sold to the first person to reply, he is in England somewhere so a good few pictures and a few videos were sent.

It was collected tonight, the trailer looked a bit* homebrew and the ramps were dreadful.

Nice numberplate!

This currently leaves these on the drive

Back to the DIY tomorrow.

[Tickman]

The Aygo was advertised for sale on Friday, think I had 12 different responses and some were even worth reading.

I had a mathematical genius who asked what mileage the car was actually on due to the clocks change, the numbers were in the advert, so I gave him the difference again and got the 'so over 100,000 miles then' Einstein has been reincarnated for sure.

Anyway I said fair well to this

Which leaves me with these two as the daily drivers 

Special thanks go to the seller of the new addition for being a star and having it full of power so I could get home with no issues and the long term loan of a specific cable to charge at home until I sort myself out with a charging situation.

Thanks @davehedgehog31

[Tickman]

Not done a lot on cars in a while mainly because busy on the house but also because becoming and adult and buying cars that aren't end of life!

First up was the Zoe.

Then today the Skoda Rapid.

Can't argue with these results.

Thanks go to @davehedgehog31 for the Zoe and @NorthernMonkey for the Skoda. Both doing the job perfectly.

[Tickman]

This arrived nearly 12 months ago from @NorthernMonkey for my youngest.

As can be seen it was its day to visit the man. All went well so off for it to have a service.

Bit of a faff getting to the pollen filter but straightforward, just remove all that.

To be rewarded by this.

One track rod end changed too and good enough for another year.

[NorthernMonkey]

4 minutes ago, Tickman said:

This arrived nearly 12 months ago from @NorthernMonkey for my youngest.

As can be seen it was its day to visit the man. All went well so off for it to have a service.

Bit of a faff getting to the pollen filter but straightforward, just remove all that.

To be rewarded by this.

One track rod end changed too and good enough for another year.

Been well maintained in the past, I see… 😳😂

In my defence, the previous keeper wasn’t one for wasting money unnecessarily when it came to his motoring expenditure…I usually managed to persuade him to have an oil service when the test was due each year but any other suggestions were met with much sucking of teeth… 🤨

[Tickman]

Still drives really nicely, has a couple more marks on it from living a hard life in Leith but doing great for her. 

She is still well impressed and I can't disagree.