Project Dollywobbler's Invacar - Ongoing

[dollywobbler]

It has been an amazing weekend. I now feel entirely broken, but managed to make it to my AirBNB. Stopped for tea and cake and confused the locals first...

[LightBulbFun]

3 minutes ago, wuvvum said:

TMI m8.

you know im surprised someone didn't go there sooner LOL

the autosolo picture reminds me of the scene from the Mummy 2 where they appropriate a bus, and they are about to crash when someone shouts "TURN TURN TURN!" IIRC

[Skizzer]

27 minutes ago, dollywobbler said:

It has been an amazing weekend. I now feel entirely broken, but managed to make it to my AirBNB. Stopped for tea and cake and confused the locals first...

Are you and the horse lady racing for pinks?

 

This is legendary work. 

[GrumpiusMaximus]

Dan, I've just noticed your new user status.

'Toilet Blue' is something I've been saying for years and until now, only Lady Grumpius' Dad understood what I was on about...

[mrbenn]

What an adventure! Fantastic pics!

Going where no Invacar has ever gone before ?

[busmansholiday]

Love the "unOfficial Pace Car" on it. Will you be replacing that AMG Merc at Silverstone this year?  

Wonder how fast Lewis Hamilton could go around in TWC rather than his modern Merc.

[Noel Tidybeard]

9 hours ago, LightBulbFun said:

im enjoying these pictures far more then anyone should be enjoying them

cant wait for the video footage to land

we just need Zel to do the same with TPA, so we can compare how the 12 inch and 10 inch wheel/tyre setups affect things under stress conditions

you know for scientific* reasons  

(also in this case I really do wonder how the adjustable gas spax shock absorbers are adjusted between the 2)

*nah shits n giggles would be OK aswell

[Zelandeth]

Oh don't worry - if DW and TWC wind up over here again once TPA is fully sorted and there's an open day at the strip at Santa Pod, I'll definitely be game for putting them both up the strip for giggles.

[dollywobbler]

Not sure I'd want to waste my money. A set of traffic lights would do!

Anyway, just got back in. Just over 200 miles today, and it did it on one fill! That tells you how much better the drivebelt system is working. Sadly, I seem to have lost a hubcap along the way...

This morning.

 

Gloucestercestershire.

Home!

[LightBulbFun]

glad to see you got home safely  (id say one piece, but somewhere theres probably dash cam footage of TWC flinging a hub cap at some modern car she didn't like  )

and am happy to see the new pulleys and belt are continuing to work well

time for a properly well earned cup of tea now?

[Zelandeth]

I'll get a replacement hub cap on the way.  I've still got a few 12" ones floating around I think.

[Skizzer]

On 5/19/2019 at 5:57 PM, plasticvandan said:

All this back patting,people forget that thousands drove these day in,day out for years.

Not round autotests they didn’t.  

And not for hundreds of miles on modern dual carriageways very often, either. 

[brownnova]

Glad you’re home safe DW! Looks like you’ve had an epic trip! 

[dollywobbler]

Oh wow. So you think I'm just doing this to promote myself? You seriously underestimate my own desire to self-harm by undertaking such adventures. I enjoy the story telling, but I bloody enjoy the exhausting adventures too.

I do have some problems to report. Diff is noisy (turns out water and ancient oil is a bad combo), engine now seems to have many an oil leak (drips a bit after a long 55mph cruise), master cylinder is leaking (got worse after the Autosolo efforts, or maybe it was the sheer number of emergency stops in London!). But, I don't have to drive anywhere in the Invacar tomorrow, so that's all good. Shoulders are a bit sore, but a day spent in the Invacar is still about eleventy-twelve times more comfortable than a day in the Mazda...

[LightBulbFun]

2 minutes ago, plasticvandan said:

They didn't have the use of their legs either,nor a public image to promote..

so these 2 are? 

 

 

[LightBulbFun]

3 minutes ago, plasticvandan said:

Oh dear the rivet counters are back. Yes,well aware of those,even then likely to have been specked for an amputee,being an automatic. Steering wheel is off a Reliant Rebel.

Back? I never left

I will say PVD, I dont like your attitude/tone towards things at times, its often quite down putting and dismissive, and I really dont like that sort of thing

[Skizzer]

Jesus, how did even this manage to turn into playground bickering?

Fuck’s sake people, get over yourselves.

[somewhatfoolish]

27 minutes ago, dollywobbler said:

I do have some problems to report. Diff is noisy (turns out water and ancient oil is a bad combo), engine now seems to have many an oil leak (drips a bit after a long 55mph cruise), master cylinder is leaking (got worse after the Autosolo efforts, or maybe it was the sheer number of emergency stops in London!). But, I don't have to drive anywhere in the Invacar tomorrow, so that's all good. Shoulders are a bit sore, but a day spent in the Invacar is still about eleventy-twelve times more comfortable than a day in the Mazda...

Not surprising at all, you've returned an engine to service after slumbering for 2 decades and the gaskets aren't quite as resilient as they ought to be and aren't coping with the thermal cycles.

[dollywobbler]

Just now, somewhatfoolish said:

Not surprising at all, you've returned an engine to service after slumbering for 2 decades and the gaskets aren't quite as resilient as they ought to be and aren't coping with the thermal cycles.

Also, I suspect a darned good hammering thins the oil out nicely too... Now I have FINALLY got the thing running properly, I think the long term aim may well be for some engine TLC and a good go over the suspension. The ride was getting pretty bouncy, so I suspect those Spax dampers aren't doing much damping anymore.

[egg]

12 minutes ago, plasticvandan said:

I'll go burn my invalid car archives then,and stop replying.problem solved.

You could do that mate. Or you could share it with us all, get lots of likes, generate content for the forum and generally further the interest in this obscure area of motoring history.

Your shout.

[dollywobbler]

Well, hasn't this turned out jolly.  I had a really nice time until I started talking about it here.

[chaseracer]

FUXAKE.  This place, sometimes.

[LightBulbFun]

33 minutes ago, dollywobbler said:

Also, I suspect a darned good hammering thins the oil out nicely too... Now I have FINALLY got the thing running properly, I think the long term aim may well be for some engine TLC and a good go over the suspension. The ride was getting pretty bouncy, so I suspect those Spax dampers aren't doing much damping anymore.

since from what I understand the Model 70 uses some pretty damn fancy shock absorbers commonly found in performance vehicles n the such like

imagine walking into a store ordering a pair and being asked "so what sort of fast car are you fixing sir"

"Oh these? there for my Invacar"

imagine the look on his face

one thing im not 100% sure on, is does the front suspension setup also have the same shock absorber as the rear or does it use something else?

 

heres the diff page from the Model 70 workshop manual PDF

 

I wonder if its worth having a look at the condition of the diff thats in TPAs original box?

[mrbenn]

18 minutes ago, chaseracer said:

FUXAKE.  Some people, sometimes.

FTFY, if I may be so bold.

[brownnova]

9 hours ago, dollywobbler said:

Well, hasn't this turned out jolly.  I had a really nice time until I started talking about it here.

Don’t let a tiny monitory of people get you down.

Keep going, you enjoy it, it’s about your enjoyment and challenge. If it happens to also interest/entertain others then all’s the better! 

[chaseracer]

9 hours ago, mrbenn said:

FTFY, if I may be so bold.

An entirely appropriate amendment, accepted with thanks by the mover of the original motion ?

[holdyerhandout]

I for one love reading about any old cars, please don't be put off!

 

[dollywobbler]

For those awaiting video footage of the antics, Part One will go live at 8pm UK time at www.youtube.com/HubNut - I'm going to try doing a Premiere, which should mean Live Chat opportunities before and during the video. I imagine it'll all go horribly wrong.

Currently tempted to go and get some fuel, so I can work out yesterday's MPG. I think it was probably quite good. 

[LightBulbFun]

12 minutes ago, dollywobbler said:

For those awaiting video footage of the antics, Part One will go live at 8pm UK time at www.youtube.com/HubNut - I'm going to try doing a Premiere, which should mean Live Chat opportunities before and during the video. I imagine it'll all go horribly wrong.

Currently tempted to go and get some fuel, so I can work out yesterday's MPG. I think it was probably quite good. 

Epic stuff! thank you for doing the first video so soon after getting back as I imagine after getting back from such a road trip all you want to do is lie in bed and drink copious amounts of tea  (I know I would!)

according to my calculations if you did 200 miles on 5 gallons (thats the capacity of the Model 70,s fuel tank) then it works out to an MPG of 40, which aint too bad I dont think

[dollywobbler]

Doing a Premiere thing. Just chat until 8pm.