Late Night Epic Quest - Collection, Fred? I've done a buy, can you spare me some volts Mistah?

[CaptainBoom]

My apologies for the thread title, didn’t want to BAIT you into a CLICK.

I guess most of the nation are sitting down watching Call The Midwife or some other pap on the tellybox. I’m off to get a car. I’m an insomniac, and often works nights and days. The seller also works nights and has a four on four off shift pattern. We figured the next time our shift patterns align will be sometime in 2026. So tonight it is. I also need the car for a work trip on Tuesday. 
But first,

Turdification count: 0
Traditional hearty breakfast… Check

trudge to local station in the pissing rain… Check

Fingers cold and numb… Check

Train ticket… Check

Welcome to St Mary Cray, where life begins at 40, degrees to the horizontal.

 

[Matty]

More (obvs in your own time)

[PrinceRupert]

You picked a lovely night for it.  Good luck.

[CaptainBoom]

Train… Quack quack oops!

I did know there were rail maintenance works, honest. Now just hoping the bus driver remembers where this shitty little backwater is.

To be fair I’m only going about five miles, so I could trudge it. The age old dilemma The Kinks sang about, should I stay or should I go?

[wesacosa]

I once had to spend a thrilling two hours in Swanley when I missed the turn off for Bluewater after the Dartford crossing and the traffic was stood still in the other direction.

[CaptainBoom]

TFFT!

it says Rail replacement. I think it’s a bit new for bus aficionados on here.

and I have the entire double decker to myself! A quick chat with the driver and a couple of Twix bars and he’s going to drop me off near the blokes address, rather than walk from the station.

We’ve just jumped three sets of lights too. I think he wants to go home

[keith777]

Shit, have got to stay up late to see the outcome !

[Agila]

17 minutes ago, Matty said:

More

Absolutely, listen to this man👆

18 minutes ago, Matty said:

obvs in your own time

Immediately. Do NOT listen to this man👆🤣

[templeoffire]

Good afternoon from Dover brave sir! I await with baited breath… hurry up though yeah? 

[CaptainBoom]

Sorry, longer trudge in the rain than I imagined.  Bus driver helped where he could, but still had a mile and a half walk, couldn't type and walk in case I stepped in a puddle...

55 minutes ago, wesacosa said:

I once had to spend a thrilling two hours in Swanley when I missed the turn off for Bluewater after the Dartford crossing and the traffic was stood still in the other direction.

Indeed!  Swanley is the jewel of 'Kent, That Isn't Quite Kent, But London Doesn't Want It, So We're Stuck With It'.  A bit like Calais, France doesn't seem to want it.

Phun Phacts about Swanley:

1) It has an abandoned railway station, you can't see it in the dark and pissing rain, so no further info on that.

2) It is the home of Swantex, a company that makes thos irritating paper drinking straws instead of those fine* ones that are made of plastic, it did also have a Tipp-Ex a-like factory once, so the town has a history of covering up mistakes...

3) (and this might have something to do with my arrival time of 10:30 on a Sunday night) the town stinks of piss.  It's the sort of place where a man who ISN'T voiding his bladder on the street would make headline news in the local rag.  PerterC had an issue lately where his Kia Exceed blower stank of stale piss, he could move here and never notice if it was his car or not.

Some photo highlights to follow when the phone has dried out

 

[wuvvum]

1 hour ago, CaptainBoom said:

Turdification count: 0

 

🤨

[CaptainBoom]

Not going back this way then (those were Police cars)

Scream if you wanna go faster!  Was this last year's poster of they are getting ready well in advance for this year?

But not enough to plan ahead though, yeah?  In saying that, it could be Sally Wan, or indeed a swan.  I'm an open minded chap, what goes on between a person and a swan is up to them but The Queen might be upset.

Behold my chariot of choice*.  I now am a motorist again after three weeks of getting the kids to school on a bus, I can use this.

Motoring's equivalent of scrambled aggs on toast, with no ketchup, because it's just plain.

Interior of the finest stained beige velour-ish material (didn't come out in the dark). So plus points for some beige.

No pez shot as it had 1/2 a tank of heavy oil, so that'll do me for many weeks.

Chugga-chugga-chugga rumble.

Ah.

TBF seller did say it needs an alternator.  He put some volts into the battery for me, so I could (nervously) get it home.  I haven't driven in a few weeks, so the light traffic allowed me to float back home without hold up.

I feel a bit of a fraud, I'm sorry that the car or journey isn't very exciting, there are some great tales on here of amazing journeys to collect astounding vehicles.

(lame Hawkwind plug...)

Not much chod to be found either.  Swanley is full of primly kept gardens and cars on tick.  It's got aspirations, despite the piss smell.

Only one *interesting vehicle found.

[templeoffire]

Oooo a Clio, 57 plate, someone’s doing alright! 
 

Is it a 1.5 diesel? I love a French diesel! 

[CaptainBoom]

6 minutes ago, templeoffire said:

Oooo a Clio, 57 plate, someone’s doing alright! 
 

Is it a 1.5 diesel? I love a French diesel! 

it is indeed a 1.5Dci, or dCI (i'm not sure how it's stylised) I'm looking forward to it.  I like it so far, I've only gone six miles in it, but it actually accelerates up a hill, so it already is faster than the bus I've been catching four times a day. 

It probably doesn't count as Autoshite. (yet!) but it was dirt cheap with problems.  There is a ball joint on the lower arm that is hanging on by a thread, the alternator doesn't.  But I think, I can resolve these over the next few weekends/nights/days (they all merge into one nowadays).

I've owned a Mk1 Phase 2 Clio, which I really enjoyed for it's no-frills fun.  I've also had use of the Cylinders' Mk2 Auto which was very wafty for such a small car. I'm hoping this will work out too.

 

[templeoffire]

6 minutes ago, CaptainBoom said:

it is indeed a 1.5Dci, or dCI (i'm not sure how it's stylised) I'm looking forward to it.  I like it so far, I've only gone six miles in it, but it actually accelerates up a hill, so it already is faster than the bus I've been catching four times a day. 

It probably doesn't count as Autoshite. (yet!) but it was dirt cheap with problems.  There is a ball joint on the lower arm that is hanging on by a thread, the alternator doesn't.  But I think, I can resolve these over the next few weekends/nights/days (they all merge into one nowadays).

I've owned a Mk1 Phase 2 Clio, which I really enjoyed for it's no-frills fun.  I've also had use of the Cylinders' Mk2 Auto which was very wafty for such a small car. I'm hoping this will work out too.

 

She’ll be alright, mot history looks like a winner to me! 

[CaptainBoom]

20 minutes ago, templeoffire said:

She’ll be alright, mot history looks like a winner to me! 

That's what attracted me to it, the sub-£700 market has been slim pickings.  (Apart from on here).  Travelling long distances to collect a car with a job that takes up a lot of hours and two kids which take even more hours wasn't practical, so it had to be local. 

If I can eke six months to a year out of it and my kids don't destroy the interior, I'll be a happy chappy.  The biggies (clutch and timing belt) have been done, so I can just get it over the lower arm (needs some of the subframe to be removed) and the alternator (needs most of the front of the car to be removed) it'll be the badger's nadgers.