Event Festival of the Unexceptional on Saturday 14th July 2018

[Tadhg Tiogar]

...Saw a lot of Shiters' cars but not their owners, sadly. ...

We are destined to pass like ships in the night. I was a bit late arriving; think the CX was the last-but-one to be parked up, so I didn't have the display placard or the oil drip tray. I jacked the suspension up to "highest" before switching off, because oleopneumatic.

 

I saw "panhard65", but he was locked in dead earnest discussion about the AS hearse, which I have to say is magnificent. I think it's the whole stateliness of it, and the eyebrows over its headlamps.

 

The cars were fabulous - particularly that '81 Datsun Bluebird; that car was so forensically clean I could have eaten lunch and dinner off it. The owner won a prize.

 

Nodded at Dollywobbler who was being mobbed by Invalickers - at least I got to touch the chariot of blue.

I got to shake the great man's hand! He had no idea who I was; just another fan in a black T-shirt.

 

Did grab the book and Top Trumps, not bad for a fiver.

Ah sure ye have to, especially if your car's in it!

 

 

Super weather, lovely vibe around the place, decent live music. Posh gaff, very posh....

The architecture has so much classical grandeur, it's like walking into the 18th century. Jacob Rees-Mogg MP would be right at home in a pile like this. I went to a decent public school back in the day, but nowhere near as grand as Stowe; our buildings were a replica of the 1830s original which an arsonist (probably an ex-pupil) burnt down.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There's a steam locomotive named after Stowe, and that still exists today.

 

[Timewaster]

I’ve had to admit defeat on this.

 

I’m way behind schedule on the kitchen project and, thanks to the continued efforts of the supplier to relentlessly fuck me about, I can’t really afford to be out all day.

 

I’m hoping that, one day, I’ll actually be able to do things for myself like ‘have friends’ and ‘do stuff’ but it’s been 10 years since that happened. With 4 children and a horrible house, it’s likely to be the same again.

 

Lots of photos please. Hope you all have a great time.

I feel your pain. I've not made an appearance at a AS jolly since the Stondon museum trip in 2010.

 

One day....

[bramz7]

Great to see so many people. Shame the Alfa 164 threw so many hissy fits...

[Tadhg Tiogar]

.... Shame the Alfa 164 threw so many hissy fits...

 

Did it? Looked alright to me....

 

[bramz7]

Yep. Brake lights jammed on, boot lock is missing so had to get RAC bloke to help as the boot wouldn't open and I'd disconnected the battery.

Clutch hydraulic leak meaning I couldn't get it into gear on the way out...RAC guy again saved the day.

[Tadhg Tiogar]

....Clutch hydraulic leak meaning I couldn't get it into gear on the way out...

 

Some weird things happened in the CX on the way to Stowe. The gearbox, as everyone knows, has been slipping despite putting 2.5litres of Dexron III into it, so I took it onto the M1 with some trepidation and ran it anywhere between 60 and 75mph. Anyhow, coming off the M1, and onto the A5/A505/A4146, it was as if everything in the gearbox had reset and it shifted perfectly from standstill at the roundabouts up to 60mph, with no slipping at all.

 

Coming into Buckingham, and then Stowe, it started slipping again.

 

No idea what's going on in there.

[Christine]

We made it there and back , now clocked 372 miles since Wednesdays  mot  .I was parked next to that  red Diahatsu ...you must have taken that picture after we left !  Great day , I enjoyed it .

 

Did it? Looked alright to me....

 

DSCF3737.JPG

 

 

[Tadhg Tiogar]

....I was parked next to that  red Diahatsu ...you must have taken that picture after we left !  

IMG_0377.JPG

 

Ah....

 

 

[Christine]

That's me and my daughter next to it . Great how digital pics make it look good , the paint was dreadful

[Tadhg Tiogar]

...the paint was dreadful

 

Patina. 

 

Speaking of which:

 

 

 

[Christine]

Patina. 

 Yes, I had a brief chat with Ian too, glad I didn't have to drive that there ! He appeared none the worse for it tho..

[stonedagain]

Some weird things happened in the CX on the way to Stowe. The gearbox, as everyone knows, has been slipping despite putting 2.5litres of Dexron III into it, so I took it onto the M1 with some trepidation and ran it anywhere between 60 and 75mph. Anyhow, coming off the M1, and onto the A5/A505/A4146, it was as if everything in the gearbox had reset and it shifted perfectly from standstill at the roundabouts up to 60mph, with no slipping at all.

 

Coming into Buckingham, and then Stowe, it started slipping again.

 

No idea what's going on in there.

Try cleaning the filter.

[beko1987]

I took the kids over to the FoD this afternoon, and that saved me a tenner to look at some cars...

 

 

Some twat parked a Zafira in the way though

 

 

I highly recommend Autoshite Daycare, a+, would let me children run riot at again

 

 

 

[wuvvum]

I've been unable to find Wuvum here, so I will make my way across to the FoTU now

Soz chief, I'd understood the breakfast thing was off with SL and Bornite unable to make it, so I just cruised on past.  Although I did end up stopping at Cambourne Morrisons for diesel on the way back - much cheaper than anywhere on the A428 / A14.

 

Great day out, perfect weather, caught up with some shiters and completely missed others, but got to sit in the Invacar and the Dacia so my life is now complete.

 

Would have liked to have come along to the FoD afterwards, but I had friends with me and I had to go to Ipswich to see a man about a bicycle so it didn't work out.  Gutted to have missed RayMK's Reliant though.

[dollywobbler]

It has been an amazing day. Loved it all, but especially the chill-out afterwards at the Field of Dreams. Back for more in the morning!

[bramz7]

Yeah, a good day, bar the sunburn, the 164 being a crock of crud, and the various crap moderns people had somehow got in to the show. The highlight being a Z4 which parked next to us, which everyone slagged off. 

Did anyone see the woman with the Ferrari (WTF at the FOTU ffs) with the boobs literally falling out of her top? Gross. 

 

Anyway, have some of my fave sights.

 

Saw this hottie at Cherwell on the way in:

 

fullsizeoutput_16b7 by Sam Osbon, on Flickr

 

fullsizeoutput_16ba by Sam Osbon, on Flickr

 

fullsizeoutput_16bc by Sam Osbon, on Flickr

 

fullsizeoutput_16c3 by Sam Osbon, on Flickr

 

fullsizeoutput_16c5 by Sam Osbon, on Flickr

 

fullsizeoutput_16c7 by Sam Osbon, on Flickr

 

fullsizeoutput_16c8 by Sam Osbon, on Flickr

 

fullsizeoutput_16c9 by Sam Osbon, on Flickr

 

fullsizeoutput_16ca by Sam Osbon, on Flickr

 

fullsizeoutput_16cc by Sam Osbon, on Flickr

 

fullsizeoutput_16cd by Sam Osbon, on Flickr

 

fullsizeoutput_16ce by Sam Osbon, on Flickr

 

fullsizeoutput_16d1 by Sam Osbon, on Flickr

 

fullsizeoutput_16d3 by Sam Osbon, on Flickr

 

fullsizeoutput_16d5 by Sam Osbon, on Flickr

 

fullsizeoutput_16d6 by Sam Osbon, on Flickr

 

fullsizeoutput_16d7 by Sam Osbon, on Flickr

 

fullsizeoutput_16d8 by Sam Osbon, on Flickr

 

fullsizeoutput_16db by Sam Osbon, on Flickr

 

fullsizeoutput_16dd by Sam Osbon, on Flickr

 

fullsizeoutput_16de by Sam Osbon, on Flickr

 

fullsizeoutput_16e0 by Sam Osbon, on Flickr

 

fullsizeoutput_16e1 by Sam Osbon, on Flickr

 

fullsizeoutput_16e3 by Sam Osbon, on Flickr

 

fullsizeoutput_16e4 by Sam Osbon, on Flickr

 

fullsizeoutput_16e5 by Sam Osbon, on Flickr

 

fullsizeoutput_16e6 by Sam Osbon, on Flickr

 

fullsizeoutput_16e8 by Sam Osbon, on Flickr

 

fullsizeoutput_16ea by Sam Osbon, on Flickr

 

fullsizeoutput_16ee by Sam Osbon, on Flickr

 

fullsizeoutput_16f7 by Sam Osbon, on Flickr

 

fullsizeoutput_16f8 by Sam Osbon, on Flickr

 

fullsizeoutput_16fb by Sam Osbon, on Flickr

 

fullsizeoutput_16fc by Sam Osbon, on Flickr

 

fullsizeoutput_1700 by Sam Osbon, on Flickr

 

fullsizeoutput_1708 by Sam Osbon, on Flickr

 

fullsizeoutput_1713 by Sam Osbon, on Flickr

 

fullsizeoutput_1719 by Sam Osbon, on Flickr

 

fullsizeoutput_171a by Sam Osbon, on Flickr

 

fullsizeoutput_171e by Sam Osbon, on Flickr

 

fullsizeoutput_1720 by Sam Osbon, on Flickr

 

fullsizeoutput_1726 by Sam Osbon, on Flickr

 

fullsizeoutput_1727 by Sam Osbon, on Flickr

 

fullsizeoutput_172a by Sam Osbon, on Flickr

 

fullsizeoutput_1731 by Sam Osbon, on Flickr

[brownnova]

Would have loved to stop off at the FoD for a chill out....

 

But the ten year old in our group had very much had enough of cars and sunshine!

 

Next time!

[Spottedlaurel]

Looks like a great variety of stuff there, and plenty that I don't recall from attending the last two.

[capsuleboy]

Combined my visit with a collection.

Train down to that there London at 8, then out to the west to Basingstoke.

Meet at the station by the nice man selling, drove to his garage.

Jumped in and set off for Stowe. Parked in the NT next door and walked over to the ultimate field of dreams.

Saw lots of shitters cars and meet up with a few familiar faces.

Can I just say, the Seat hearse...OMG.

Then home, no drama, cars perfect, which is a first.

[hairnet]

Moar Rancho pics please

 

Sadly only saw lobster in r4 on the 422 on the way to Buckingham

 

505 hnnng

[Christine]

We saw the half a  gingernut biscuit nipples lady too..   

[Rod/b]

Yep. Brake lights jammed on, boot lock is missing so had to get RAC bloke to help as the boot wouldn't open and I'd disconnected the battery.

Clutch hydraulic leak meaning I couldn't get it into gear on the way out...RAC guy again saved the day.

Sounds earily familiar - my old 164 killed its battery and the boot lock was goosed, involved some writhing araound underneath with jump leads to get into it. Also had fucked clutch slave cylinder.

[catsinthewelder]

The night shift

 

[Tadhg Tiogar]

Moar Rancho pics please....

 

[RayMK]

Judging by the photos, there were lots of new attendees at the FotU.  A fabulously sunny day which seems to make photographs of red Volvos, Rovers and a Rancho look even more magnificent.  

 

I only attended the FOD 'after FotU' informal event and thoroughly enjoyed the company and cars who dropped by or were based there for the main event.  It was nice to meet forum members, though I'll need a few more meetings before I can remember everyone.  My thanks to Mr and Mrs 6cyl and fellow Autoshiters for the venue and the friendly atmosphere.  

 

My journey from home to FOD was only 10 miles or so but my Reliant Regal had not been driven on the road since June 2017 and previous experience of trying to get anywhere with it on hot days did not give me much confidence - it is prone to fuel vapour locking problems.  Yesterday showed that it was capable of running for 20 minutes or so with the engine cowling removed.  That's how I drove it over today, tailed by my son in his Volvo V70 in case I succumbed to the noise, heat and harsh suspension of my three wheeled oven and needed an air conditioned refuge.  The journey home was uneventful and my face is bright red from the sun.  

 

It was noticeable how Mr DW's Invacar handled the lumps and bumps of the field with ease - quite a sophisticated little three wheeler compared to the Reliant, particularly in the suspension department.  

 

Definitely one of life's better days  .

[davidfowler2000]

I arrived home at 00:15 and after a quick hose down, have gone straight to bed. That last couple of hours were torture - could hardly keep my eyes open.

 

As usual, full post with pics to follow.

[vulgalour]

Unless it was a 400, a Ferrari had no business being at the FotU.  What this show should really be called is My Dad Had One Of Those.

[Zelandeth]

Definitely one of life's better days .

Was nice to put a face to the name. If you need an extra pair of hands with anything feel free to give us a shout given you're so nearby.

 

Likewise if you want a poke around an Invacar on a cooler day to compare to the Reliant. Have to admit I'm curious to get a closer look at the Reliant. I've only really started paying them proper attention since catching the Invacar bug...

 

Not sure whether I'll be joining folks again tomorrow or not yet, nor which vehicle to bring if I do...much as I'll take any excuse to take the van out!

[Braddon81]

I can only doft my cap to Simcat of this parish who in the space of 2years has transformed his early Alpine from this...

to this...

An amazing achievement!!

[Brodders]

I got back about 30 minutes ago, but will do a detailed post with dozens of pictures tomorrow. Right now though, it is time for some sleep.