Zel's Motoring Adventures...Volvo, Renault, Rover, Trabant, Invacar & A Sinclair C5 - Updated 13/11.

[LightBulbFun]

Oh very cool stuff! I will admit it was bugging me that, that corner was squarer then the other one

so im happy to see work being done to improve it and I look forward to seeing how it comes out

(Probably not much use without a mould in terms of making up a new corner peace, but I have seen solid evidence of Model 70 Blue prints 1064 of them apparently, in a box, apparently enough to pretty much build a Model 70 from scratch, sadly I dont think they are actually archived/electronically archived anywhere, oh how I would love to go through them all and archive it all ) 

[Zelandeth]

Hey, look what turned up in the post today - finally!

Only ordered it on the third of May.  From a seller claiming to be UK based all over the page.  Yeah...shame the warehouse everything ships from is in China.  Still... it's here and essentially cost me nothing.

Swapped the push rod over from the original one on the Invacar then got it bolted up.

Honestly was a ten minute job.  Have got the brakes bled through and now have a couple of inches of travel in total on the brakes - rather than a few inches before anything happens.  Haven't had a chance to do a road test yet though, but initial impressions are positive.

Also went and gave my foam based front corner a first pass. 

Yeah...I really should have done this to start with.  Obviously I'll be getting out a straight edge so I can get the swadge line that runs along the bottom of the wing straight.

This was literally two minutes of work with the grinder to just shift the excess material.  Reckon I should be able to get this pretty close to looking right using this method.

 

[LightBulbFun]

very cool stuff, happy to see the MC looks to have resolved the travel issue

if nothing else it should finally shut up all the "OMG your going to DIE!" comments LOL

at the rate your going with the corner, im half expecting you to have made an entire Model 70 Body for KPL out of expanding foam by next week 

looking forward to the finished result  

[Zelandeth]

Been out for a very quick test and can confirm the brakes feel massively improved. Think there's still some scope for adjustment as I think she's pulling to the left very slightly when you really stamp on the anchors.  Not noticeable under normal braking though.

Definitely far, far better.  The bite point actually being in the same point every time you apply the brakes really does help inspire a bit more confidence.

Checked over everything after the trip, noted it looked like one union was weeping a tiny bit so nipped it up.  Fluid level hadn't visibly dropped at all.

 

[Zelandeth]

Couple of photos of the paintwork from before she was put back into the garage.  Figured it would be worth seeing what the paint on the door looked like in actual daylight.

The shaping of the front is definitely closer to the right shape now.

Annoyingly there was a bit of a void in the front surface right where the bumper is, so I'll need to fill that again, no huge issue though.

 

[Zelandeth]

Had hoped to get a couple of things done this afternoon in preparation for a show over in Stoney Stratford tomorrow.  However I wound up not getting five minutes of spare time today...so she'll just have to deal with turning up with mismatched wheels and one corner still being unfinished and in primer...

 

Assuming nothing dire happens en route, should be parked up in the Market Square area according to my booking...so if you're there feel free to come and say hi.

[quicksilver]

It was fantastic to see TP in the flesh this morning and attracting masses of attention. She's come a long way in such a short time and cosmetically I reckon TP actually looks better than TWC now, not bad for what was once nothing more than a spares car. That Xantia seat sure is comfortable.

Of course I dressed appropriately for our meeting...

 

[dollywobbler]

Excellent. I also had an encounter with a Model 70 today, but didn't dress so well...

 

The chap was rather dismayed to discover that this wasn't the only road legal one. Then he thought it was just TWC and his (actually Coventry Transport Museum's). "Actually, I think you'll find..."

[quicksilver]

Good to see TJN getting some love. Is it just the weird lighting in that building or is TJN a much darker blue than TWC and TP?

I guess TP (well the bits Zel painted anyway) is this colour. Don't know what it's called though.

1978 Ford Cortina 2.0 GL by Adam Floyd, on Flickr

[LightBulbFun]

29 minutes ago, dollywobbler said:

Excellent. I also had an encounter with a Model 70 today, but didn't dress so well...

 

The chap was rather dismayed to discover that this wasn't the only road legal one. Then he thought it was just TWC and his (actually Coventry Transport Museum's). "Actually, I think you'll find..."

Please tell me you directed him to my thread  (I hope he knows the history behind TJN352R, I posted it on their twitter, but I know multiple people could be behind the account)

 

20 minutes ago, quicksilver said:

Good to see TJN getting some love. Is it just the weird lighting in that building or is TJN a much darker blue than TWC and TP?

I guess TP (well the bits Zel painted anyway) is this colour. Don't know what it's called though.

1978 Ford Cortina 2.0 GL by Adam Floyd, on Flickr

indeed at some point TJN was painted the wrong shade of blue

I have emailed the museum the correct paint info for an Invacar

so maybe in time it will be painted the right shade of blue again

[GrumpyCat]

Toilet blue.

[Zelandeth]

The colour I've been using is a modern Ford colour.  Only recall seeing it on the Ka so far, but I'm sure it's more widely used.  It's readily available in Halfords though, which is less than a mile from my house...so convenience gets points.

 

Had a nice run out to the Stony Stratford Classic Car Show today.  TPA both behaved impeccably to and from the show which is always nice to see.  The strange way that three wheelers sort of undulate over some road surfaces really does take some getting used to.  It's not uncomfortable in any way, is just utterly unlike anything any four wheeler motor will do.

Well not much for it I reckon other than to dump a load of photos from today on you.  Straight from my phone, aside from a bit of cropping in a few cases no real editing done.

Still love these old Mercs.

 

Then paused for breakfast.

Back to the cars...

For once I actually remembered to take a few photos of my own car at a show.  Failing to do that is something of a tradition for me.

Just figured I would up parked with the panel I spent a good few hours just painting wound up hidden from view!

Lovely looking Imp.  Though the worried expressions and poking at greasy residue in the coolant header tank seemed to suggest it may have been playing up en route.

Still gorgeous though.

I always used to walk straight past Bonds like these... they're really starting to catch my eye these days though.

Really enjoyed seeing a 106 showing up here.

WHY do more cars not have bonnets which open this side?!?

I'm definitely developing a Nova obsession lately... definitely have my eye on an absolutely gorgeous blue Antibes on another forum if it were to come up for sale.  Not sure what it is about them, but they just seem to be somehow happy cars.

Ferraris of this era need to be photographed... it's just a rule.

Despite the silver on black plate...if I were to ever have any interest in a 911, it has to be one from this sort of era.

Much, much, much want...

In a word: Gorgeous.

Irked I didn't notice there was a more modern Cavalier next to this one...if I'd noticed it I would have got a snap of them together.

Played a game seeing how many bits I recognised from the van on this.

Ah...The Marcos Mantis...a wheeled version of a bad acid trip.  One of very few things to out-mental a TVR.

I really need to spend some proper time behind the wheel of a 205.  Driven plenty of time in Fiestas, Metros, Fiat Pandas, Uno's and Tipos, Novas etc...but have only driven a couple of 205s very briefly.  Only thing which sticks in my mind was the dash with the warning lights in the strip above it seeming really cool.

Yay for BX niceness!

Only 81K on the clock, not even run in!

Mmm Bentley...I can smell the leather from here.

Cappuccino!

Man I miss my one.  M157YBK I still miss you.  Even if the fuel lines were holding the driver's seat when I decided I was out of my depth.

Lovely MR2.  The interior is absolutely as blue as the exterior.

Some epic clearcoat peel here...but still an absolutely comfy way to waft around.

Holy Hell...a *not* modified Civic!

This Austin Six sounded and smelled just as lovely as it looks.

Yay Metro!

Neon green Lambo...nice.

Yes please...Was astonished when I looked a while back and found how reasonably these are for what they are.

This sounded epic.

Then the rain arrived halfway home.  Glad to report that the driver's door on the Invacar is now mostly weather proof.  Windscreen not so much though...so a bunch of rain still found its way in.

However the new paint has resulted in this happening!

Beading water on an Invacar...a first?

Also reckon we're getting there with regards to getting the engine cleaned out now.  Here's how the oil looked when we got home today.

Previously this usually turned dark pretty much as soon as it found its way into the engine...so there's definitely far less gunk in there now than there was. 

Hopefully will have a reasonably quiet week ahead, so hopefully can get some car stuff done this week.  If nothing else I want to get the foam corner rebuild finished.

[LightBulbFun]

looks like you had a very nice day out  

I love the burger resting on the handle bars there, does your car have a built in hamburger holder?

(also how many of the AC cobra owners looked down as they walked passed the AC Model 70?  )

[Zelandeth]

I definitely need to put together and FAQ sheet to display.  I lost count of how many times I had to give a potted history of the invalid carriage from memory today.

 

Only real complaint about this show?  That virtually every car there whether tended by the owner or not had the windows closed so it was impossible to get a proper photo of the interior.

TPA seems to be quite a hit with the kids too, quite a few parents wound up getting photos of their little ones sitting in the driver's seat grinning like idiots.  Know I would have done at their age.

Next show for me is next Sunday when I'll be at the Luton Festival of Transport.  That will be with the van though, so quite a different proposition!

[LightBulbFun]

10 minutes ago, Zelandeth said:

I definitely need to put together and FAQ sheet to display.  I lost count of how many times I had to give a potted history of the invalid carriage from memory today.

 

Only real complaint about this show?  That virtually every car there whether tended by the owner or not had the windows closed so it was impossible to get a proper photo of the interior.

TPA seems to be quite a hit with the kids too, quite a few parents wound up getting photos of their little ones sitting in the driver's seat grinning like idiots.  Know I would have done at their age.

Next show for me is next Sunday when I'll be at the Luton Festival of Transport.  That will be with the van though, so quite a different proposition!

surprised after the 5th person or so you didn't say "one moment" and then kidnap me to do all the talking for you or something

im not surprised it was a hit with the kids, they very much do stand out from the crowd  

[quicksilver]

You definitely need an info sheet as there are so many myths and misconceptions around invalid carriages/tricycles and I overheard a few people quoting incorrect 'facts'. Not surprised the kids were fascinated as nobody under 16 could have ever seen one of these in service.

When I get home I can do you a photo of the Cavaliers together. Or even better, the previous day at Yardley Gobion that same Mk1 was flanked by both a Mk2 and a Mk3.

The owner of that 106 said he got it from the auctions 3 years ago for 60 quid and it's still going strong. Cheap motoring at its best.

[quicksilver]

Here are the Cavaliers

Cavaliers again by Adam Floyd, on Flickr

 

And less than 24 hours earlier, TER 758S was rubbing shoulders with some different red ones at Yardley Gobion.

Vauxhall Cavaliers by Adam Floyd, on Flickr

 

N59 PNH was at Stony too and I see from DW's latest video that E30 FTL went to Coventry MotoFest.

[SiC]

On 6/3/2019 at 12:24 AM, Zelandeth said:

I definitely need to put together and FAQ sheet to display.  I lost count of how many times I had to give a potted history of the invalid carriage from memory today.

A job for LBF?

[catsinthewelder]

He wants a sheet not a book

[Zelandeth]

Was out and about today so only had five minutes for car stuff.  Also feeling quite frazzled following the nonsense with the phone last night.

One occasional gremlin I've found in the van is a rattle and whistle from the nearside lower corner of the windscreen.  No idea what could be causing th...oh...yeah, that would do it.

Looking closer, the trim strip which connects that trim to the coachbuilt body is also sitting about an inch off the body.

That won't have helped the whistling either.

I had tried to stick the bottom of the rubber windscreen pillar trim down before with sticky pads, however it obviously hasn't worked.  The windscreen trims are very important to the look of the T1 van, so it's important they're properly fitted and not all wibbly-wobbly.

No sticky pads this time.  Cleaned up the area beneath it and stuck the trim down with a liberal dose of Sikaflex...it ain't coming off again.

Also refitted the trim above the door...this is a bit ugly just now, but I've got a cleaner which seems to shift the residue left by this pretty effectively so I'll tidy it up shortly.  Was going fine until I got some on one of my hands which I'd not noticed, so wound up with fingerprints all over the shop.  This strip is also now firmly screwed to the cab now...it had pulled all but one of the screws out to their holes before.

The leading edge is now flush with the rubber trim so hopefully won't whistle any more.

Having a closer look at the offside one and it too was coming away at the base, albeit not as badly...so it got the same treatment.

I need to do the same to the trim strip above the door on this side as well, though I'll need to move the van and do that tomorrow as there's currently a hedge in the way.

Be curious to see if it's made a noticeable difference to the wind noise - which isn't actually had for a van to be honest anyhow.

Question to the greater all-knowing hive mind that is Autoshite...most of the panel joints have a putty like substance under them.  Well, save for those which have been refitted with bathroom sealant anyway.  I don't have much of this in stock, and it definitely seems to have a maximum lifespan on the vehicle.  Quite a few of these strips need to come off so I can renew it, that's generally how water finds its way into coachbuilt vans.  Is there any reasons I shouldn't use (obviously white to reduce the potential for making so much mess) Sikaflex/Tigerseal instead?  Yes it's a bit more expensive, but in my experience it's very, very good at what it does and doesn't really "wear out" when exposed to the elements.  Sure it could make getting panels apart trickier...but realistically doing everything I can with modern sealants to keep water (and therefore rot) out should make sure I don't need to do that!

So...do I use the "correct" joint mastic or do I go with my instinct and use Sikaflex.  Or is that overkill?  I usually like overkill, especially where weather proofing is concerned.

 

I really need to get a good video of the exhaust note on this thing...It is utterly ridiculous and makes me grin like a five year old.  Well driving the van (heck...even sitting in it) makes me grin like a five year old too...but now it goes BrrrrrraaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAM every time my foot goes anywhere beyond 10% throttle.

I'm mature and sensible me...No, really!

Oh...you know me better than that do you...okay fine then!

[LightBulbFun]

I was having an awful case of deja view when reading the start of the thread before you mentioned you had repaired that section before 

hopefully this time it stays stuck down!

your really making me wish I had some income so I could pay for some insurance and get a chance to drive the beast*

[Zelandeth]

Just now, LightBulbFun said:

I was having an awful case of deja view when reading the start of the thread before you mentioned you had repaired that section before 

hopefully this time it stays stuck down!

your really making me wish I had some income so I could get pay for some insurance and get a chance to drive the beast*

Yeah, it was a five minute job with some tape or a double sided sticky pad last time round.  Hadn't thought it through really - those trims are actually under quite a bit of force when driving due to their aerodynamic function (primary reason for their being there is to keep rain out of the cab windows at speed I think.

It looked like insurance would be £30 or so when I last had a look for you.  Don't worry, while I couldn't do it all the time I'm more than happy to put my hand in my pocket to help get you a shot at least once.  We'll make sure that happens when you're up here next. 

Remember that one of the rules I live by is that it's nice to be nice.  So don't think for a second that I'll be having you pay for the insurance first time round.  You have far more need of that dosh than I do.  Which reminds me, I've not forgotten about your PM about that paperwork.  I will try to get a look at that over the weekend.

[LightBulbFun]

13 minutes ago, Zelandeth said:

Yeah, it was a five minute job with some tape or a double sided sticky pad last time round.  Hadn't thought it through really - those trims are actually under quite a bit of force when driving due to their aerodynamic function (primary reason for their being there is to keep rain out of the cab windows at speed I think.

It looked like insurance would be £30 or so when I last had a look for you.  Don't worry, while I couldn't do it all the time I'm more than happy to put my hand in my pocket to help get you a shot at least once.  We'll make sure that happens when you're up here next. 

Remember that one of the rules I live by is that it's nice to be nice.  So don't think for a second that I'll be having you pay for the insurance first time round.  You have far more need of that dosh than I do.  Which reminds me, I've not forgotten about your PM about that paperwork.  I will try to get a look at that over the weekend.

oh I appreciate that very much and look forward to next time even more now!  (even if your gearbox probably does not now! *nervous laugh* )

(yeah about £30 is what I had seen as well from one of those learner day insure websites that was recommended here a good while back on someone else's thread)

thats good to know on the paper work , I was going to send a gentle reminder PM, but I figured given recent events, that it would not be the best idea to do so!

[Keymaster]

When I did the metal strips on mine I used mastic tape to set in place with a bead of sika 512 or tigerseal to finish the edges where the rubber trims had shrunk or degraded. I found the tigerseal easier to work with and less prone to weathering/gaps opening up when the van flexed/expanded/contracted. So if I had to do a job like that again it would be tigerseal all the way. What a horrible job though, the cleaning and prepping is a long and arduous task

[Zelandeth]

So today I went outside planning to do something in the garden...instead got sidetracked fiddling with the van.

It became apparent that water had been getting in overnight, once again through the hole left by one of the high level tail lights.  So basically lost patience with the sticking plasters I'd been using...time to sort it properly.  No idea why they were removed in the first place, but step one was to put them back in place and properly seal them to the back of the van.

Oh...then remembered I hadn't finished refitting the trim strip over the cab on the offside so went back and did that.  Doesn't look any different really aside from having a new infill strip visible.

One at the front will be next...that has a rubber seal strip under it which is unevenly sticking out in a few places.  That will involve removing (and replacing) about a million screws though, so requires more patience than I could summon today.  Will tidy up the face of the van though.

With the lights in place, time to get wiring.  No excuse for wiring these clusters untidily, there's a cable guide and everything.

Routing the wiring was tedious but not in any way difficult.  Worked first time.

These suckers are really bright actually, thanks to the position the brake and indicators are pretty much focused at any following drivers...so no excuse to say they couldn't see me!  Brake lights I may well upgrade with the brightest LED lamps I can find at some point.

Currently it's running standard 21W lamps in the indicators and brake lights, with 10W ones for the running lights.

Half an hour or so later...

There's not actually a brightness difference across the sides, it's just an effect of the viewing angle and the optics in the lenses.

Here's just the running lights on.  The wire dangling under the back has since been tidied up.

I have decided to just fit a little bit of conduit in the bathroom to conceal the wiring from view in there for now...I can't face dismantling the wall right now.

Half pondering fitting a small shelf level with the change between the flat and angled section of the wall too, which could hide the conduit too...dunno.  That's something to come back to.

Anyhow...we now have a completely functional lighting system - including all the add on bits AutoTrail put on.  This pleases my OCD, which always twitched every time I saw the marks left by the formerly missing tail lights.

Have decided after speaking to a few people that Sikaflex will be the the route for seal-strip sealing.  Yes, it will make any future disassembly an absolute pain in the tail - but the main reason to ever take stuff to bits is because of failed mastic joints...water ingress should be far, far less likely to be an issue with that sort of materials.  It's good enough for holding windscreens in after all...

Currently undecided if I'm going to the show down in Luton tomorrow.  I'd really like to go, and it would be interesting to see how good a conversation starter the van it.  On the other hand, I'm definitely coming down with something and feel rotten...so not sure at the moment.

Edited June 8, 2019 by Zelandeth
Correcting autocorrect

[Zelandeth]

Today (well technically yesterday now) we made a run down to the Luton Festival of Transport.

Here's a selection of photos from throughout the day.

That's taken forever to upload...so will be leaving it there I think!

[Zelandeth]

Missed a few...

[Zelandeth]

Friend of mine has been having a pretty major clear out due to failing health.  They're looking to downsize soon, so are shifting a lot of stuff.  I'd originally been planning to pick up a couple of Xantia bits - however things then snowballed somewhat...

Not visible here is also this little thing.  I'd sworn not to pick up any more TVs, but knew the moment I saw this that it was destined for my collection of archaic tech.

This however was found in a dark corner as well, and apparently hasn't seen the light of day for a couple of decades.

Not as versatile as my Konica as it doesn't give you complete control over the exposure time, but it's a good third lighter and a fair bit smaller so it's more user friendly.

The difference in size is quite obvious when the cameras are next to each other.

The weight difference is astonishing...the Olympus feels like...well...a camera.  The Konica is like a sodding brick.

Something I've been after for a while now is a flash with an exposure control.  This one is also capable of setting fire to the paint on the ceiling from the far side of the room.

I was entirely too happy to discover that the makers of this unit have come up with an ingenious method of illuminating the exposure compensation dial using the light from the flash ready neon. 

This looks exceptionally cool I think.

Yes it is actually as bright as it looks too.

Looking forward to getting the first roll of film through it.  Have a roll of Velvia 400 in the drawer...

No idea what's in the PCs yet, but there's a compressor in there, a few air tools, a good Imperial socket set, a set of impact sockets, a load of LHM, and a bunch of assorted fluids etc.

 

[LightBulbFun]

ohh very nice haul  (although sorry to hear of your friends health decline)

I especially look forward to seeing how that TV turns out especially if it uses a multitude of thermionic devices

oh and the PCs of course too  if the stickers on the front are still accurate as to whats inside, then I would expect first generation Core 2 Duo 6xxx series, so Mid 2006-2007ish, dells from that period are pretty robust and good machines, so they should hopefully fire up with minimal issues

(and yeah that light up dial is pretty cool looking I think so too  )

[Daviemck2006]

Is that from our mutual friend and ex xantia owner Zel? I do see he is having a big clear out.

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