HMC- Mr Chowdhury’s Mercedes

[Marm Toastsmith]

Lovely.

It's bloody hard to keep track. What remains? Is that now three (four?) Rovers and a Minor?

[HMC]

It’s here, and has no brakes.

I sort of knew the brakes were dodgy, and after a bit of a white knuckle ride in reverse in the dark up a winding lane (with a choke that’s stuck) it’s now in the garage. Basically if it Bogged down and stalled I would become a passenger. Anyway glad that’s done. It’s a bit shabby but it suits it. Priority 1 is to make the brakes work again and do the bare minimum to make it steady and reliable. 

 

[High Jetter]

49 minutes ago, HMC said:

It’s here, and has no brakes.

Factory fresh, then. Lockheed! Ahoy!

[Angrydicky]

8 hours ago, High Jetter said:

Factory fresh, then. Lockheed! Ahoy!

Girling!

Nice car and nice simple braking system.

[Soundwave]

Another purchase? There's no stopping you right now, is there?




Especially not with those brakes.  

[grogee]

On 9/18/2021 at 10:34 AM, HMC said:

Dartmoor by evening

Food caught/ shot locally 

Car by rover

 

Sir, you are in Tavistock and I claim my £5.

(I am a Bere Alstonian, 1975-1993)

[HMC]

So, the little Morris has proved to be a shrewd and decent buy….. the rover p4 not so much.

Its a bit shabby (I knew that) the brakes were “spongy” (recent new front callipers but strangely no bleeding of brakes and an empty reservoir) but also the clutch is slipping very badly (no reference to this in the conversation with the vendor despite asking how it drove etc) so it’s a bit a heap.
 

After I bled the brakes through, I ventured out for a test drive which confirmed the terminal clutch - so much so that I had to roll back on an incline and do an emergency park by the roadside as there was insufficient friction in the clutch to muster the motion to get up a very modest gradient in first.  Highly Embarrassing with other road users and pedestrians Taking in the view as a wounded hippo slithered backwards into a convenient parking space.

It’s taxed and insured, and crippled by the roadside.

Old cars and fellow enthusiasts eh?

 

[HMC]

Alas clutch replacement on a p4 (says someone who has googled it) appears to involve removing the interior and pulli g the gearbox out through the car. Beyond the HMC skill / motivation set. 

So there’s a crippled p4 and an insufficiently skilled / motivated owner with a track record of short term ownership. Either I ditch it or fix it and keep it. Selling it on for 5p once I’ve spent a fortune on it is perhaps predictable, but isn’t going to happen (he says)

[Cookiesouwest]

Or remove engine and box together out through the engine bay.

Still a major hassle, but with an engine hoist possible less effort than man handling the box out through the interior.

I know it means more dosh, but are their any local independents who could hoist it out for you (assuming you get your mojo back for this car)

[HMC]

There has been much electrickery related goings on lately.

First the minor wasn’t charging, a disconnected wire to the voltage regulator meant the tell tale charging light wasn’t illuminated on the dash. Was this coincidental or not? Anyway my limited multimeter skills showed me the Dynamo wasn’t producing anything so I replaced it; and the minor has behaved impeccably since.

A minor, behaving itself earlier.

Alas the same could not be said for the streetwise. It started not starting, but without an alternator charging light telling me anything.across the poles it was reading 12.4 v with the engine running. Not enough.  I Bought it with a recently replaced engine, and I noticed that the red wire to the alternator was loose on the terminal. Possibly overlooked when having the replacement engine dropped in? Checking again revealed 13.1v - better but not enough. I then noticed the earth strap was frayed and corroded- so I replaced it. 13.4v- still not great.

Then yesterday the charging light did come on and within 10 minutes the car had totally run out of electricity and I had to dump it. 
 

I had bought a second hand alternator anyway so I decided to bung that on- rather than simply  throwing a match on it- and I’ve now got 14.4v across the poles with the engine idling. A result? I think so- I will report back in a week or so.

 

You know it’s a banger when the engine and ancillaries all have scrapyard writing on them from different vehicles. 

[HMC]

Sit rep-

Rover streetwise is charging the battery like a champ 💪

And the Rover 80 remains a roadside ornament. Classy street furniture. But a beached whale none the less. I have ordered a clutch kit and hit up the local shite friendly garage to sort at the month end.

 

[Minimad5]

On 11/2/2021 at 10:50 AM, Saabnut said:

I have a parts 105 if you need bits

😲 Don't forget me 😅

[SiC]

Probably why the last owner shifted it on after only owning it at the start of the year as he knew it was going to need some money spending on it. 

[Saabnut]

12 hours ago, Minimad5 said:

😲 Don't forget me 😅

 

[grogee]

13 hours ago, HMC said:

Sit rep-

Rover streetwise is charging the battery like a champ 💪

And the Rover 80 remains a roadside ornament. Classy street furniture. But a beached whale none the less. I have ordered a clutch kit and hit up the local shite friendly garage to sort at the month end.

 

Out of interest, who is the shite-friendly garage in Tavi? Just so I know for next time I break down there. 

[HMC]

8 hours ago, grogee said:

Out of interest, who is the shite-friendly garage in Tavi? Just so I know for next time I break down there. 

There’s m&c white motor engineers (they own a load of old minis, lots of older stuff in their compound )

Or just over in Horrabridge ; Manor Garage (fairly pragmatic MOT person)

[lesapandre]

Good word that: pragmatic. 

[HMC]

As my current p4 is still immobile, I’ve been living vicariously though past my memories of actually driving rover p4s…

 

 

Fuck you photobucket. that was nice, a slightly shabby 100 that was solid and inspirational. Yes  I regret selling  (ended up with a Merc r107sl that was cool)but tainted with flashbacks to ex wives 

fuck you photobucket and ex wives.

This 110 promised much but was lacking in mechanical integrity and overheated on demand.

And, although not mine, this p4 spotted in London is aesthetically where I will be at   once the thing actually drives

[anonymous user]

I heart P4s. My mother's uncle had one and to me it seemed vast (I wouldn't have been very old at the time) The biggest impression being made by the suicide doors on the back.

[Split_Pin]

I'm glad to see tou have a proper 'motor engineers' place round your way, not just a bunch of wet sponges that can only change a brake pad. Be nice to see the P4 drivable. 

Speaking of Rovers, what news of the 75?

[Minimad5]

Great to see another P4 on here 😎

Must get round to finishing off the welding on mine 

[HMC]

My kids have named it Thor because of the Viking head mascot atop the bonnet. mythological characters both- a p4 that works and a Norse god.

[wuvvum]

20 hours ago, HMC said:

As my current p4 is still immobile, I’ve been living vicariously though past my memories of actually driving rover p4s…

 

 

Fuck you photobucket. that was nice, a slightly shabby 100 that was solid and inspirational. Yes  I regret selling  (ended up with a Merc r107sl that was cool)but tainted with flashbacks to ex wives 

fuck you photobucket and ex wives.

This 110 promised much but was lacking in mechanical integrity and overheated on demand.

And, although not mine, this p4 spotted in London is aesthetically where I will be at   once the thing actually drives

I like that first photo.  It's not often you see a P4 being driven enthusiastically.

[HMC]

This streetwise has, for the token sensible/ modernish fleet presence that it is, not been exactly trouble free. The charging issues are now banished but the recent mot exhaust “advisory” has now developed into full on banger droning.

The back box and middle bit (technical term) were a bit rotten so I had them replaced today. 
 

“Minor” exhaust trouble, with the streetwise (at rear)

[HMC]

I know these are not flavour of the month here, but I have done a buy. Aluminium body FTW

 

[gadgetgricey]

Really loving my A4, so imagine this would be a great steer.

[grogee]

21 minutes ago, HMC said:

I know these are not flavour of the month here, but I have done a buy. Aluminium body FTW

 

W reg for the tax dodge. Excellent work. Looks very handsome. 

[bangernomics]

What’s the dodge?

[gadgetgricey]

Pre 2001 over 1549 cc is £280.

After 2001 on emissions,  but don't know what emissions would be on this one for comparison.

[Inspiral_Mondays]

1 hour ago, HMC said:

I know these are not flavour of the month here, but I have done a buy. Aluminium body FTW

 

I think Audi reached their styling high point in the late 90s. Stylish, tasteful, timeless and no dog-eating grill. This was the time when Audi marketed themselves as the Anti-BMW. How times have changed.