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4 minutes ago, richardmorris said:

I’m going up Friday morning unless work lets up and I can get away Thursday. The Thames tortoises camp will be me and a green Mahari ( el CID copy). We have a flag and Citroen bunting. And much, much, alcohol,

Also heading down Friday morning. Might be some other Cheshire Dragons I’m not sure. But we’ll find a nice spot and pitch up I’m sure! See you there! 

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i have spent a good part of yesterday pulling the house apart looking for the keys of the black mini, and a good part of today putting he house back straight looking for said keys.

came to the conclusion that they are not in the house at all.

even called the hotel we were in last weekend to see if we had left them their, despite been pretty sure that i didn't have them there,

the one thing i was sure of was that Kerry had the keys last, thus making it her fault that they were not where they are supposed to be.

Kerry vehemently denied this, of course.....

well the keys have turned up, much to my relief. and where were they? in the pocket of Kerry's motorbike jacket.......

thanks alot.

and the orange mini's mot? a fail. brake balance across the back wheels. so a seized wheel cylinder me thinks, cos it when through the hand brake test ok. and them Wankin' budget death rings we got last year are already very, very worn. the set of continentals which they replaced lasted 10 years and 30,000 miles. these have managed a tenth of that, i think. but Sportspack Coopers use what is now an odd size, so its Wankin' tires or Yoko Ono ones. which cost twice as much, but if they last 3 times as long them i'm winning. i'll be trying the Yoko Ono tires next.

and i've got sick of tasting diesel fumes in the Rover and got the blowing exhaust replaced. it was blowing from all over, though mainly the flexi-pipe and the back muffler which had gone like porus on top, so it was blowing soot into the back of the back bumper. even the guy at the tire place said he'd not seen an exhaust do that!

sadly the one on the car had only managed 18 years and 180,000 miles, which is a poor show!  why are modern things all amge from cheese??

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31 minutes ago, richardmorris said:

I’m going up Friday morning unless work lets up and I can get away Thursday. The Thames tortoises camp will be me and a green Mahari ( el CID copy). We have a flag and Citroen bunting. And much, much, alcohol,

Might see you on the Saturday if the CX wiring has been sorted out for now (Monsieur Dubois thinks Tuesday will be enough for him to get his parallel wiring in). I've got a friend of mine to help share the driving; this will be her first time piloting a CX.

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1 hour ago, sims00 said:

So I'm currently enjoying the 3 series touring I nabbed off here. Treated it to some new centre caps for the alloys, new wing indicators as they were yellow, new wipers and bonnet badge, along with fresh number plates. The windscreen cowling is awful; broken up and split TADTS. I've ordered a genuine from BMW via eBay for not a great deal, so once that arrives the car will look a lot fresher. I've also ordered some Gtechniq C4 trim restorer, and will give the rest bumper trim and mirror/door handles a go, and it will look a treat then. The car really has been totally cared for so these little touches I think will set it apart.

Will pop a few pictures up in the coming days when they're sorted.

So it'll be for sale next week then?

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Well my collection mission was a success, although I got there later than I'd hoped as the bus got stuck in traffic.  Seller was a lovely chap and was nearly in tears as I drove off - sadly he lived in the upcoming ULEZ zone so it wasn't practical for him to keep it.  I even managed not to get lost, unless you count missing my exit on a roundabout and having to go round again.  I did however manage to drive down a road which was closed, and had to reverse all the way back up again.  And I still hate driving in London.

Loads of interesting stuff on the roads today - possibly the most Autoshite spots on the way down were Fiats Uno and 126 and NATO green Merc T2 on the A11 and a Lada Niva on the M11, but there were lots of Triumphs (including a slightly scruffy Spitfire towing a trailer tent) and various hot rods and old Yanks, plus a tidy Minor and an early '30s Alvis.  On the way back I overtook an immaculate cream Bedford J-type and a bright orange Y-suffix Merc T1 camper, a battered early Mk2 Astra in metallic bronze went past in the other direction, and approaching the Norwich southern bypass I passed four youngish lads in a lowered Honda Shuttle.  Beat Drive It Day into a cocked hat.

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Friday was sump swap day for the disAstra as it was marking its territory a little too much. Just as well I wasn't just intending to do just an oil change as the pan was so rotten that when i tried to undo the sump plug the pan just ripped open like a wet envelope. While there is not much to love about a 15 year old base spec diesel Astra the price of parts is fantastic. Sump, gasket goo, oil filter and a gallon of oil all came to less than £60 which was most welcome.

sump.jpg

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I doubt there's a happier person in the UK than me right now. I've just bought back my old AX which is comfortably the best car I've ever owned.

IMG_7225.thumb.JPG.00153a6d811f24c21ec47164e4c27f4f.JPG

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Many many thanks have to go to Sickboy of this parish for taking care of it and for waiting for me to be able to cobble enough money together to pay for it.

If anyone wants me for the next few hours I'll be hooning along every B road in the south west.

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The maserati went all italian on me this morning, put ignition on and absolutely nothing happened. Opened bonnet was just about to start moving relays and it came to life, went for a run to gfs grandads to sort his battery out, sorted that, ignition came on but it wouldn't start, checked basics, fuel pump was priming and eventually it started, drove home OK, I'll check all the earth first job, then go from there 

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13 minutes ago, lanciamatt said:

The maserati went all italian on me this morning, put ignition on and absolutely nothing happened. Opened bonnet was just about to start moving relays and it came to life, went for a run to gfs grandads to sort his battery out, sorted that, ignition came on but it wouldn't start, checked basics, fuel pump was priming and eventually it started, drove home OK, I'll check all the earth first job, then go from there 

I want to get my 425 Biturbo back on the road and don't think there is much wrong with it, the question is it to cruel to take it to my favorite garage for service and MOT when they already have my Lancia Gamma and had to take the cylinder heads off it!

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1 hour ago, Bucketeer said:

I doubt there's a happier person in the UK than me right now. I've just bought back my old AX which is comfortably the best car I've ever owned.

IMG_7225.thumb.JPG.00153a6d811f24c21ec47164e4c27f4f.JPG

IMG_7226.thumb.JPG.3f32487b0ee6293fbc14bebc46d26680.JPG

Many many thanks have to go to Sickboy of this parish for taking care of it and for waiting for me to be able to cobble enough money together to pay for it.

If anyone wants me for the next few hours I'll be hooning along every B road in the south west.

Best AX I've owned! Great to see it again. 

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1 hour ago, mrdelmonti said:

So does that mean the 205 will soon be returning north?

Yup. Maybe with the cherry bomb, maybe without.

 

1 hour ago, richardmorris said:

A GT?

It's a Forte 1.1i, definitely the best non-GT AX. You get the body kit (to hide rust from the MOT tester), better suspension, 5 gears, electric windows, and a huge grin.

I love this car more than it's healthy or appropriate to love a car.

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14 minutes ago, Bucketeer said:

Yup. Maybe with the cherry bomb, maybe without.

 

It's a Forte 1.1i, definitely the best non-GT AX. You get the body kit (to hide rust from the MOT tester), better suspension, 5 gears, electric windows, and a huge grin.

I love this car more than it's healthy or appropriate to love a car.

Being a tall guy with presumably larger than average feet, how do you find the pedal layout? I was more cramped than in the fiat where I have to have special driving shoes.

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45 minutes ago, richardmorris said:

Being a tall guy with presumably larger than average feet, how do you find the pedal layout? I was more cramped than in the fiat where I have to have special driving shoes.

When I bought it the first time round it was my first AX, and it did take a few days to get used to the pedals. After that though there were no issues. My feet automatically shift one pedal to the left of where they would be in other cars and I've driven them with my size 14 work boots on without mashing all three pedals at once.

My swede does get close to the roof lining and the seat headrest is pretty much between my shoulder blades but I've never had a problem fitting my 6'5" sack of mush in AXs, or any other of the procession of little French hatchbacks I've had since. In fact, as a dull aside, the only car I have not been able to fit and get comfortable in was a Lamborghini Diablo which went through the auctions I used to work at. The roof was so low that my neck and head would have needed to be at a perpendicular angle to the rest of my body.

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Just a little tidy up in the garage before lunch....................

Started to tidy up the mess I'd left in the garage after changing the Astra sump the other day. Wipe black oily mess of can of WD40 before putting it back on the shelf. Wipe, wipe, fumble drop! As the can left my hand and headed for terra firma it struck the slightest of glancing blows on the car ramp that was still sitting in the middle of the floor. Said Chinese sweatshop made ramp is naturally covered in many, many sharp unfinished edges. The ensuing geyser of WD40  erupting from the puncture wound in the nearly full jumbo size trade size can was so violent and rapid I just stood there and watched it laughing. Floor, toolboxes, motorbikes and me all drenched in the stuff. 

Two hours, half a gallon of screwfix degreaser, a box of rags and several buckets of hot soapy water later, the inside of the garage has never been so clean and I could see the funny side of things! Silver linings and all that it's made me have a good tidy up which has actually improved my shite fettling mojo somewhat.

I'm just REALLY grateful it wasn't a can of paint!

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6 hours ago, Bucketeer said:

I doubt there's a happier person in the UK than me right now. I've just bought back my old AX which is comfortably the best car I've ever owned.

IMG_7225.thumb.JPG.00153a6d811f24c21ec47164e4c27f4f.JPG

IMG_7226.thumb.JPG.3f32487b0ee6293fbc14bebc46d26680.JPG

Many many thanks have to go to Sickboy of this parish for taking care of it and for waiting for me to be able to cobble enough money together to pay for it.

If anyone wants me for the next few hours I'll be hooning along every B road in the south west.

 

Just glad to have had the honor of its ownership, Alex.  Its been a real hoot to own and drive, but nonetheless I know you'll appreciate it even more than me. Keep us updated!!

I can attest to Mr Bucketeer here being like a kid at Christmas when he came to collect the Forte this morning.

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3 hours ago, Bucketeer said:

When I bought it the first time round it was my first AX, and it did take a few days to get used to the pedals. After that though there were no issues. My feet automatically shift one pedal to the left of where they would be in other cars and I've driven them with my size 14 work boots on without mashing all three pedals at once.

My swede does get close to the roof lining and the seat headrest is pretty much between my shoulder blades but I've never had a problem fitting my 6'5" sack of mush in AXs, or any other of the procession of little French hatchbacks I've had since. In fact, as a dull aside, the only car I have not been able to fit and get comfortable in was a Lamborghini Diablo which went through the auctions I used to work at. The roof was so low that my neck and head would have needed to be at a perpendicular angle to the rest of my body.

Only on Autoshite. "The Lamborghini Diablo is too uncomfortable. Far happier in a Citroen AX."

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4 hours ago, Amishtat said:

A few from a local show today (Chappel Railway Museum) .....

 

IMG_20190526_135835.jpg

Built in 1924 to an ex-Great Eastern Railway "L77" design, this one was the very last to be built at Stratford Works. It came out as LNER class N7 no.999E, later renumbered 7999, and then given a new boiler with a round-topped firebox, classified N7/4. Subsequently renumbered 9621 and after nationalisation, BR 69621. Withdrawn from service in 1962, it was bought direct from BR and is the sole survivor.

Somewhere in the shed is a box of bits that I have to build this engine, but life keeps on getting in the way.

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6 hours ago, Six-cylinder said:

I want to get my 425 Biturbo back on the road and don't think there is much wrong with it, the question is it to cruel to take it to my favorite garage for service and MOT when they already have my Lancia Gamma and had to take the cylinder heads off it!

I watched live and let die last night.

i expect your garage has a little voodoo doll of you full of pins :-)

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1 hour ago, Tadhg Tiogar said:

Built in 1924 to an ex-Great Eastern Railway "L77" design, this one was the very last to be built at Stratford Works. It came out as LNER class N7 no.999E, later renumbered 7999, and then given a new boiler with a round-topped firebox, classified N7/4. Subsequently renumbered 9621 and after nationalisation, BR 69621. Withdrawn from service in 1962, it was bought direct from BR and is the sole survivor.

Somewhere in the shed is a box of bits that I have to build this engine, but life keeps on getting in the way.

I’m pretty sure ( given I last looked in the box in 1990) that I have a model in my trainset box.

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