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Memoirs from the Hard Shoulder: bASeman's Spot of the Year award.


BorniteIdentity

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6 hours ago, Dick Longbridge said:

Great to see the excellent news here and on Twunter. I'm sure your nan would be tickled that you brought her car back home, and have taken guardianship of it. 

One thing- where's the bonnet grille trim gone? Looks like it was fitted in the early photos. It is a weight saving exercise? ?

Haha. 

It was only 20% attached due to corrosion. By the time we had the bonnet up a few times it stuck out and was, even by my standards, dangerous. Sensing a sense of humour failure by the MOT tester, it was sacrificed. 

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11 hours ago, trigger said:

I'm so happy to read this and equally so disappointed that I couldn't make this year's event due to a family holy communion and being a bit bitter about last year event and it's disorganisation. My mistake, lesson learnt!

There’s been a lot of negativity around the event; some that I can understand but most not. Last year was exceptional - the weather, the space on the prom, morons jumping on who hadn’t registered. It was much more chilled this year - although I’ll likely mix it up and do something else next year. 

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Got a further 2 hours on the Mini today. It reminded me of why I love my other cars so much. On the Toyota, the oil filter is right at the top front of the engine bay. There’s space around it for your hands and it’s all very easy. On the carb’d 190s, you can actually undo the sump plug from through the engine bay because no tray. On a Mini, the oil filter is kissing the subframe and you have to remove the front grille to get the bastard off. 

Plus, you always get the odd wanker who spends 10 minutes with a strap and a ratchet spinning it the wrong way. Ah. ?

The sump plug is welded on. I am fresh out of fire at mine, so took out the oil via the top and and Pela pump. Not ideal because of the swarf from gearbox on the plug - but it’s better than a punch in the face. 

As expected, it was black gravy. I feel awful for subjecting the car to 200 quick miles with this in there - but there was literally no time. 

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One front wheel is not spinning freely. Originally I suspected drive shaft but it also rubs whilst being spun by hand. Hopefully brakes. 

Taking it to a MicroMeet™️ at my local pub on a Wednesday, FotU in July and looking for something in June and August. 

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I've been rather slow on the uptake here. Gosh! Some resurrection!

Also totally forgot that the Felixstowe run was this weekend. How annoying. In fact, I did my best to re-felt my shed roof in time to trundle over for a gawp, but it was four o'clock by the time I was done. Still, I'm glad I didn't head up the A14 because I would have been 24 hours late.

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11 hours ago, RoadworkUK said:

I've been rather slow on the uptake here. Gosh! Some resurrection!

Also totally forgot that the Felixstowe run was this weekend. How annoying. In fact, I did my best to re-felt my shed roof in time to trundle over for a gawp, but it was four o'clock by the time I was done. Still, I'm glad I didn't head up the A14 because I would have been 24 hours late.

I have been going on and off for about 25 years now, but still it catches me out - I always think of it as being Whitsun and not Mayday Bonk Holiday.

It was a really good day.  The weather kept some of the wavers along the route away which was a shame, but quieter numbers on the prom actually made it more enjoyable.  Don't get me wrong, it was still busy - but you could actually walk!  Last year it was 3 steps and stop... regardless of whether you wanted to or not!

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Sierra now evicted and Mini under lock and key, with a further two cars in front. I also might start going to bed under two of the wheels for added protection. 

The Sierra being visible day in, day out will also encourage me to complete the engine work. I MAY sub this out to someone, so if you know of anyone around Cambridge who will rebuild my head smartly at a sensible price then please let me know. 

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I also need to get this fucking garage door fixed or replaced!

Someone took this moody, dramatic photo of the Mini the other day. I will ping him a tenner for the raw file because he, like me, earns a living from ‘not a proper job’. Us luvvies have to stick together (!)

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I love her. Faults and all.

 

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Alf offered to drive over and take a look at this issue with the OSF wheel.  When I had it jacked up it wasn't spinning freely under throttle whereas the NSF was.  Initially I suspected a drive shaft issue, but with the engine off the wheel also didn't spin particularly freely.  It got stuck back in the garage because there's a lot going on with LIFE, but I got 30 minutes yesterday afternoon to take a look.  This time, with the wheel in the air, it would spin fine but there was a woosh woosh woosh noise with every rotation.  Also the wheel seemed to be shimmying a bit from side to side.

 

Image result for peep show the bad thing

 

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It would appear that 3 of the nuts had worked themselves loose; 2 finger loose and 1 pretty much off.  I think this was a genuine (schoolboy) oversight on my part.  Tightened up and the car now drives fine - no noises at all.  I took it on a 20 mile test drive (taking my son to swimming) and it was flawless.  This wheel was a bit warm to the touch; the brake is still rubbing a little but they will all need adjusting in another 100 miles or so.

Image result for peep show the bad thing

I'm going to attempt a bit of a clean up on the car over the weekend.  The roof polished up well, so let's see what happens with the rest of it.  As with the Sierra the idea is to polish it ALL - then let it settle all at the same rate.

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Did a bit of tarting up on the Mini this weekend. Nothing crackers, but just things that will genuinely help the future viability of the car. 

The inside of the wheel arches was deeply unattractive. £10 of paint and it’s looking much, much better. I’d be happy to do this once a year - but hopefully it’ll last a bit longer. I will give it a second coat in the next couple of days and paint the rest of the shock absorber in black. 

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Frustratingly, whilst the roof of the car came up brilliantly with the machine - the bonnet isn’t going to play ball. I’ve tried g3 compound, my usual polish and a lot of elbow grease - a small amount of progress has been made by the windscreen but further down it’s been very disappointing. Ultimately it doesn’t matter as both wings and the bonnet are for the heap, but I was hoping to smarten things up for summer. 

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Have decided to withdraw the Mercedes from sale.  I had a guy on the telephone yesterday ready to pay the deposit and come fetch it on a trailer but, in the end, my wife talked me out of it (!).  It was a very fair offer but, seeing as I'm now going straight into a new job with no change in income, the need to exit the "Old Merc Market" has now rescinded.  

I now see it as a savings account.  I can't get to it immediately but can if absolutely necessary, and it's increasing in value.  Oh - and I get to smoke about in it and enjoy it too.

REPRIEVED.

Further titivating of the Mini to follow (the accelerator cable and return spring need replacing, more paint to the inner arches to be applied) and then it's the Sierra's time to shine. (not literally, obvs)

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On 5/20/2019 at 12:13 PM, wuvvum said:

Good news on the job front - I'd obviously missed that development.

 

On 5/20/2019 at 10:32 PM, SiC said:

Congrats on the new job. Still jockeying discs?

 

32 minutes ago, Split_Pin said:

Good news on the job man, bet that's a weight off your mind. 

I'm now being made redundant from my job but I'll just Sorn all my cars as I'm hoping one of my applications will be successful.

Bless you gentlemen. Thanks for your kind words. (Although I've not touched a disc in about 18 years now!)  Largely the same job, although a bit more customer facing (so I'll have to stop wearing shorts and t-shirt to work!)  It also sacks off the commute of 100 miles a day because I'll mostly be WFH, with the odd trip of about 10 miles.  I'm nervous as I've worked for the same company (pretty much) for 10.5 years now, but it's also exciting to start something new.  It also means I can use my shonky cars a bit more as I'm travelling shorter distances.

Good luck with your job search, Split.  I've been given lots of advice over the past 4 months; most of it glib and trite.  However, one remark did stick with me.   I know it's a bit "motivational", but it did resonate. 

What if you genuinely believed everything was working out exactly as it’s supposed to? How would that affect how you felt, right now?

Good luck man x

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Delighted to be reunited with this (assumed lost) photo of my Capri taken in 2007. God I loved this old thing. Absolutely hopeless in every single way, but charming with it. (Probs a metaphor for me tbh)

I was going to scan it, but I don't want it to look too - err - good.  I'm gonna stick it up in my studio at home.

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I've also managed to find some photos of my Rover Metro which are the only pictures that exist of it.  I'll get them up for completeness soon.

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  • 4 weeks later...
On 5/22/2019 at 8:30 AM, BorniteIdentity said:

 

 

Bless you gentlemen. Thanks for your kind words. (Although I've not touched a disc in about 18 years now!)  Largely the same job, although a bit more customer facing (so I'll have to stop wearing shorts and t-shirt to work!)  It also sacks off the commute of 100 miles a day because I'll mostly be WFH, with the odd trip of about 10 miles.  I'm nervous as I've worked for the same company (pretty much) for 10.5 years now, but it's also exciting to start something new.  It also means I can use my shonky cars a bit more as I'm travelling shorter distances.

Good luck with your job search, Split.  I've been given lots of advice over the past 4 months; most of it glib and trite.  However, one remark did stick with me.   I know it's a bit "motivational", but it did resonate. 

What if you genuinely believed everything was working out exactly as it’s supposed to? How would that affect how you felt, right now?

Good luck man x

Excellent news about your new job Bornite. 

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