Project Dollywobbler's Invacar - Ongoing

[dollywobbler]

This is it then. The final mod for the trip. Naturally, it's a shitty bodge.

 

Also had to top up the brake fluid again, so I'll be needing various fluids on this trip. She's far from perfect...

[Christine]

Viagra pill to hold up the handlebars...  

 

 Crikey , I've not even mot'd the Fiesta yet , or driven it  for 6 years  ...and i'm  driving it  miles and miles on Saturday to Stowe... better get it tested 

[Noel Tidybeard]

what route would one be taking just in case anybody wants to wave and cheer you on point and laugh at the welsh brummie person doing an insane journey in the most unsuitable car :mrgreen:

[SiC]

Have you got a power feed connected up ready for the camera & phone?

[Noel Tidybeard]

Have you got a power feed connected up ready for the camera & phone?

 

beardcam FTW

[dollywobbler]

Have you got a power feed connected up ready for the camera & phone?

 

That hasn't happened, yet. 

 

what route would one be taking just in case anybody wants to wave and cheer you on point and laugh at the welsh brummie person doing an insane journey in the most unsuitable car :mrgreen:

 

I don't have much of an idea yet. Probably Droitwich and then I haven't got a clue. 

[Scruffy Bodger]

If you're going via catsinthewelders have fun with that bit of a tump that he lives on. Saying that, in the early nineties an Invacar was a regular site on that road to Ludlow, you'll give some of the locals a real deja vu moment!

[dollywobbler]

If you're going via catsinthewelders have fun with that bit of a tump that he lives on. Saying that, in the early nineties an Invacar was a regular site on that road to Ludlow, you'll give some of the locals a real deja vu moment!

We're travelling separately, so think I'll avoid that.

[mat_the_cat]

Have you got a power feed connected up ready for the camera & phone?

The only Invacar with a USB port?

[Sloth in a bowl]

If you want to split the journey in two then I can offer shelter, food, tea and bodging space.

 

Cats is welcome as well.

[hairnet]

Insane

 

Carver looks fit

[dollywobbler]

If you want to split the journey in two then I can offer shelter, food, tea and bodging space.

 

Cats is welcome as well.

Thanks but I'm having an Invacar meet with Zel. Cats heading up on the morning of the show.

[Tadhg Tiogar]

I never thought I'd see a long-distance Invacar. Surely that will be worth a special award* at FoTU?

[outlaw118]

I've just reminded Blind Trev of the event, and that you'll be bringing TWC.

 

He's a trained Samaritans counsellor, so if required.... (you'll have to look for him for obvious reasons....)

[Noel Tidybeard]

If you want to split the journey in two then I can offer shelter, food, tea and bodging space.

 

Cats is welcome as well.

 

cats are welcome

[barefoot]

Good luck with this today.

[chaseracer]

Maister Flower and I will look out for you on the road.  Chodspeed, mon brave...

[dollywobbler]

Friday was only two days ago, but it started with this essential modification.

 

With dash cam and phone both charging, I was worried the Dynastart would eat up all the engine power. The run up the Shitefest Cymru Test Hill confirmed that power was going to be a problem. I reckon that might have been more to do with carrying spare oil, tools, many T-shirts and various other detritus for a weekend away, but even so.

 

Eventually, we laboured up a hill.

 

England was achieved.

 

I reached Stratford upon Avon in about 3.5hrs, which isn't an awful lot more than it took to get home from Stratford Upon Avon the night before. Jeez I've done some miles this week...

 

Then I reached The Cotswolds. It were right pretty.

 

Eventually, Milton Keynes was achived, and TWC was reuinited with TPA, the spares car. Looking rather different!

 

I was staying with Zelandeth. His spare bedroom decor game is strong.

 

Then it was off to the Festival of the Unexceptional, where I met many nice people. Later in the day, we got the fleet together, seeing as Cats had driven over in the Mighty Dacia.

 

Then it was off to the Field of Dreams, where TWC met other fine friends.

 

Just like old time. ie a few weeks ago.

 

Other people had a go.

https://twitter.com/HubNutVids/status/1018406680072216576

 

This morning, Day Two at the FoD. Even more fine friends.

 

By this stage, I was a bit worried. The drivetrain was making truly horrible noises, sounding like the mother of all fanbelt squeals. It's the main drivebelt, and it's slipping, which is not helpful. Likely just because the belt is ancient. At times, it feels like it has corners. So, I cut short the FoD fun and headed home. Some hours later, I reached Chipping Norton. Hills were becoming a MAJOR issue. 

 

The slightest rise had the speed disappearing very quickly, and Boughton On The Hill was travelled through very noisily at just 20mph. This wasn't fun anymore. But then we came down Fish Hill at 65mph, and that was more fun to be fair. If rather scary. The wind was starting to gust. 

 

I saw a sign for Lawnmower Racing in Herefordshire, so had a brief diversion from the A44. Guess who I found!

 

This wasn't very surprising, as Cats had said he was going Lawnmower Racing. He could be in here somewhere.

 

I pushed on, reached Wales and then got held up by a vintage Morris. Remarkably, some Twitter people captured my dilemma.

 

The Morris was very slow, mostly 30mph even on the flat. There were no overtaking spots, so I settled back. I knew a big hill was coming, so thought it'd be fine to just slipstream it up. As the hill began to bite, he waved me and the car behind past. Ha! No chance! I let the modern go. There was no way TWC was overtaking anything at this point.

 

Down the other side, gravity was my friend and I went screaming past. But, I knew there was one more big hill to climb, and there wouldn't be a Morris to slipstream (not sure that actually works at 20mph mind). I called Mrs DW and she headed out in the Nippa to meet me, and so take all the heavy stuff that TWC didn't want to carry anymore.

 

Here we are at the bottom of the hill, waiting.

 

I got fed up with waiting, and had a go at the big hill anyway. Typically, we passed the Nippa as we slogged up at 20mph. We just about made it to the top, but then the Nippa caught up, and we did the transfer anyway. That made a difference! It was very nearly sprightly up the remaining gradients. In fact, Mrs DW said she was struggling to keep up. She also said there was a horrible burning smell, like a burnt belt. Not very surprising...

 

However, we made it! After more than 380 miles in three days, in a car which, back in November, was still sitting the same field it had resided in for the best part of 14 years. A car definitely not conceived with long distance in mind. A car which can have its course adversely affected by a farting sparrow.

 

I'm pretty chuffed. My arms ache, my ears are ringing and my throttle hand may never recover, but we did it!

 

Gawd knows what I do next with this car. Another long trip certainly isn't appealing...

 

Glad so many other people got to enjoy TWC in the FoD though. She clocked up over four miles just in the field!

[timolloyd]

Epic!

[SiC]

Being a Japanese car magazine editor you should be a right pro at drifting. As this has a solid rear axle I hope to expect some drifting videos were done at the FoD.

[dollywobbler]

Being a Japanese car magazine editor you should be a right pro at drifting. As this has a solid rear axle I hope to expect some drifting videos were done at the FoD.

 

It doesn't have a solid rear axle...

 

Did I mention the pain? Pretty sure I wouldn't be able to put on a jumper that was slightly too tight at the moment. Even a loose one would be a struggle.

[RayMK]

Being a Japanese car magazine editor you should be a right pro at drifting. As this has a solid rear axle I hope to expect some drifting videos were done at the FoD.

 

The Invacar has independant rear suspension - unless you were referring to something else.  It was galloping unperturbed around the FOD, unlike my Reliant which has got a live/rigid back axle.

 

Ha. You beat me to it because I had to look up how to spell 'unperturbed'

[SiC]

I must have remembered incorrectly.

 

That pain is good. It means you are working muscles that haven't been worked that hard before. Instead of going to the gym, just drive an Invacar around the country.

 

What about doing John O' Groats to Lands End? Admittedly you might need to rig a throttle stay up.

[Coprolalia]

This is excellent, even more so for the diversion into lawnmower racing!

[Ben_O]

Just INCREDIBLE!

 

Well done

[Christine]

Well played.   I had to have Gigglepin take over driving duty of the Fiesta at the end of the  M40 , I was falling asleep at the wheel   I did feel a bit guilty, him taking over,  and then having to go straight onto the M25   in a strange car .

[dollywobbler]

One final shot of the Support Nippa arriving.

 

The Support Nippa was last deployed in February, on the way to the MOT, when TWC kept spluttering to a halt all the time.

[Mrs6C]

Gawd knows what I do next with this car. Another long trip certainly isn't appealing...

 

Marvellous!

 

How about a 'Thundersley Rolls!' travelogue book and calendar, photographing and writing up the anecdotes of TWC meeting with all kinds of people in iconic places across the geographic extent of your choosing, like 'Round Ireland With A Fridge' meets 'The Red Couch, a Portrait of America'?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Round_Ireland_with_a_Fridge

http://www.kevinclarke.com/portraits/red-couch/

[dollywobbler]

Marvellous!

 

How about a 'Thundersley Rolls!' travelogue book and calendar, photographing and writing up the anecdotes of TWC meeting with all kinds of people in iconic places across the geographic extent of your choosing, like 'Round Ireland With A Fridge' meets 'The Red Couch, a Portrait of America'?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Round_Ireland_with_a_Fridge

http://www.kevinclarke.com/portraits/red-couch/

 

At the moment, I can't face driving to the local shops!

[dollywobbler]

Perhaps a conversion to traditional controls?

 

Not a chance. She is what she is. I've also been told that if anything, a steering wheel makes them even more difficult to control!