What makes you grin? Antidote to grumpy thread

[dollywobbler]

Arranging the insurance for my new steed is making me smile. I collect it on Sunday.

[willswitchengage]

WINNAH! Don't forget your camera.

 

Viewing was like a mini AS meet:

 

P1030946 by willswitchengage, on Flickr

[Cavcraft]

Noice! That Mini looks a bit tasty as well, what's the script with that?

[Lacquer Peel]

What do you think of the Justy?

My favourite feature of the carb ones is the rising sun air filter lid.

[willswitchengage]

The Mini belongs to the blonde chap, he's the old lady's gardener (her now passed away husband owned the Soob) and put it on ebay for her.

 

Arranged to pick this up tomorrow. Insured, MOTd, still on SORN. As the lady is moving out that house (hence garage and car clearouts) I'm going to hae to cycle to there, pick up the V5, write my name on it, cycle to the nearest PO (they live in the middle of nowehere) with the V5, my insurance and latest MOT and get a disc... a lot of hassle, plus tomorrow's meant to be really hot. I assume that's the way to tax a sorned car in person, guessing if I just fill out the "new keeper" bit at the bottom the PO people will recognise I'm the new owner and make it all rosy? Otherwise I'm pretty bolloxed.

 

edit and yes it is a carb, just noticed the lid too, epic!

[fiatdaft]

Tr7 sold to the first viewer.

[willswitchengage]

Brilliant, thanks. Saves me 50p or however much a second class stamp costs these days.

[eddyramrod]

I went to a book-launch today, by invitation, and found my name among the acknowledgements at the back! Give me a few minutes and there'll be a whole thread, it's definitely a book for Shiters.

[wuvvum]

That Justy does look nice. I loved mine - superb little cars, and the three-pot sounds GR9 when given some beans. Only drawbacks are they are a little undergeared for motorway driving and the steering wheel needs a lot of twirling, but other than that they're a lot of fun. They are brilliant in OMGSNOKAOS as well, amusingly oversteery when in 4WD.

 

Being a 3-door I hope that one has the daft multi-colour-pinstriped upholstery?

[Guest]

Finally did a night shot of the 460's interior

 

[scruff]

This made me grin a lot.

 

http://www.stuff.co.nz/motoring/7497092/Kiwi-Mini-breaks-speed-record

 

(Very tweaked) A series powah!

 

http://www.facebook.com/ProjectSixtyFour

[eddyramrod]

I hope this works, it's Sam Glover firing up his Chaika! Sounds exactly like Christine!

[Albert Ross]

Found some Weetabix on Cross Street.

 

 

I see your Weetabix and raise you a banana skin.

 

[michiel]

I hope this works, it's Sam Glover firing up his Chaika! Sounds exactly like Christine!

 

That is very much an 'I want to eat you' sound. Nice natural reverb too.

[Spiny Norman]

I don't often use my sat-nav, but since I was heading into the roundabout-fest that is Cumbernauld this afternoon I thought I'd take it so I could find the little street I was wanting to get to. I'm a tight cunt and I never bothered to buy an updated map for it, so it was most amusing to watch the cursor scroll through what it thought were fields because it didn't know there was a new bit of motorway there, saying "turn right....turn right....turn right" until it worked out where it was again.

 

Bloody glad I took it, seven roundabouts to get where I wanted to be....

[Pete-M]

 

Mate of mine unexpectedly rocked up in this today. I had to have a go. It's as awful as I remember, but has a fair bit of nostalgic charm to it. Pure shite.

[RedSparrow]

I thought you were gonna say the Datsun was great fun, it looks like it should be.

 

Work was a bit slow today so spent a few hours wondering if I'd do that Jessica Ennis.

I eventually decided that yes I would. Was a bit of a dilemma for a bit though. Muscles and all that.

[Pete-M]

It was fun, I'll give it that. Brought back a lot of memories. I passed my test in the next generation Cherry after this, a D plate 1.5 SGX Spirit, no less.

 

I took it for a couple of mile spin and yes, it was quite good fun. A good example of why the Japanese wiped the floor with Allegros and stuff.

 

I'm in no real hurry to try it again. Maybe in a couple of years I'll do the same run round the block in it, or borrow it to nip to the shops, so it's great that Dave owns it.

 

It's not the kind of car I'd ever want to own, but I'm glad it exists. It's not on my ever-expanding 'bucket list', but I've told the owner he'd be welcome to bring it to a meet. It does make me grin knowing I don't own it. If you get my meaning.

 

Jessica Ennis? Yeah. If I could catch her.

[Spiny Norman]

Work was a bit slow today so spent a few hours wondering if I'd do that Jessica Ennis.

I eventually decided that yes I would. Was a bit of a dilemma for a bit though. Muscles and all that.

 

I definitely would if I could catch her.....

[Angrydicky]

I dunno. I probably would, but girls with six-pacs? Ugh.

[TimothyClaypole]

The tv and radio news constantly saying "Pussy Riot", but childish but it makes me laugh.

[willswitchengage]

Roight. Picked up the Justy today after lots of farting around cycling to and from the PO and library (West Berkshire council are excellent in this regard) to pick up insurance certificates and tax discs getting VERY hot and sweaty in the process. Discovered it doesn't have PAS and like Wuvvum says it's about 78 turns from lock to lock, and 4th and 5th gear are practically the same ratio so it'll be revving its nuts off on the motorway. Never driven a PAS-less car before, feedback in the wheel is "interesting" but somewhat fun, and I'm training at the minute so an extra arm workout can only do good

 

Not much else to report - it was only a ten mile drive home. It's very slow but as with all crap cars the engine sound is fantastic. The timing belt (oh noes!!!11) was changed five years and 11k ago, should I start worrying? I don't know. Also, is the green coloured coolant still available in shops (Halfords)? The recommended oil is quite obscure too - 15W50. Despite having rocker and distributor gaskets in the past few thousand miles, oil is still finding a leak somewhere - although it was full when I picked it up so must clearly be not too bad/only when running.

 

The service history folder that I also received is incredible - 22 years of receipts, a servicing "diary" (very handy) and hundreds of assorted 90s motoring memorabilia including an amusing letter the late owner sent to Which? magazine saying their negative review of the car was a load of tosh. Comes with an OEM service manual too which is massive but rubbish, the HOW 2 DO A TIMING BELT page is very economical on information and one instruction is simply "install belt". Still, might hazard a go one weekend. What could go wrong? Hopefully the current one should last a while longer for when apathy ultimately takes precedent.

 

Oh, the BX went too today to a club member. Turned up in the baking heat this afternoon with a spare strut etc and thought fuck it, drove two miles down the road and called the AA. Sorted

[155V6]

My Xantia,I'm sure it makes me a better & calmer driver.The air-con blows cold too,which is nice .Mind you,if I had one of those fuelly things on my profile,I'd probably have to get rid of it

[cms206]

My mate has bought a gold Montego Mayfair which four of us have spent a portion of the evening driving around Falkirk in.

 

Best night ever.

[RedSparrow]

Living the dream cms! It's saturday night so pull up outside a nightclub later. Gold Montego will guarantee lady action, in my mind anyway.

[vulgalour]

Especially if you all wear a different colour pastel linen suit and play Duran Duran exceptionally loudly from the stereo.

[Negative Creep]

At the RRG campsite now, eating a BBQ and nice and chilled out

[Des]

Last weekend Trigger posted a pic of a rather nice Pye gramophone, I'd just scored an old radio but it did somewhat pale, although it is a quite tidy little bush.

 

Today I scored this big German bastard.

 

Late 1950s with loads of buttons and knobs, 4 speakers, an FM band and a graphic equaliser.

 

Wanted sound indeed, there's a din socket on the back as well, I had no idea FM was used back then, or that there were equalisers, tweeters, there's a FM aerial built into the back with the funny wide pink ribbon cable like those on current stereos, and a wierd green valve / cathode ray tube hybrid looking thing doing the sort of job an led vu (or whatever they are) meter does now with LEDs. I'm wondering if I might find a blasted ipod dock on the thing next.

[trigger]

That is lovely!, I didn't know there was FM back even either, That must be worth a few quid.

[vulgalour]

Wunschklang... that's a satisfying word. Google translate tells me it's German for 'desired sound', but I think the German has a better ring to it than the English in this instance. I shall have to get a snap up of my ridiculous Dynatron now you guys have started posting pictures of your awesome brown klangmaschinen.