More VW rides

Started by being boxed in again by roadworks in the street and a huge lorry parked outside. I've lost count of the times they have dug up the road there.

Then the VW rides - Mk7 to town and in the evening Oli's new Pasat to pub - very comfortable and spacious.

Oh and we saw a boat on the Freston road that had fallen off it's trailer and smashed - quite a commotion - blue light and all but a shame.

Up and better

Tried a bit of T-Cut on the UP.

Getting better - so will do touch up when I can get the car a bit warmer. So SAAB into town to get some paint.

This time the answer would be yes

Same spot but different car. Lucy's WV UP!

Shot a few snaps for the 'for sale' advert. SAAB as tender as normal.

Is it for sale ?

Took time out to photograph the Aston - to compare 2 lenses.

Stopped at my favorite spot with the flag only to be apprehended by a chap who had stopped and wanted to know if the car was for sale. No !

A very dull day to take pictures but worked fine - especially once 'processed'.

Oh and the car needed the traction control as I hit a slippy patch and was accelerating - twitched a bit.

Showing off

Aston out to pick up two bottles of Chateau Margaux I bought almost 20 years ago. The car went well as usual and that was without the turbo nutter button. Mind you the roads were a bit salty and slippery.

But they all need washer fluid - so serviced two of the fleet when I got back.

Strike 2

Another day inside DIY work to do.

Another Nil return

Just admin and dull day.

Fill up on a utility run

SAAB to town and jobs - also topped up the tank - took over £80 to do so too. So must have been quite low.

Another Modern

Did get to the garage but only for tools.

Trip in functional Mk7 to shops.

Visited by a nice new car

Oli brought the Passat around to show it to Jana. Lots of tech.

Actually looks much better in a dark colour like this I think.

Then short SAAB jaunt.

400 odd miles

Drove the SAAB to look at a car for Oli and Lucy.

Long story, long drive but nice car.

VW Passat - the same colour as Adam's Aston too (well almost).

More Planet Saving ?

V12 to the bottle bank - well the shops anyway. I'll even hope to learn to park it better in 2019.

However ....

I tried to calculate the CO2 'saving' of the 20 bottles I recycled.

To produce a new bottle is c0.5 kg CO2 (for an average bottle).

The Aston 'cost' 4.2 kg CO2 for the 20 miles - so I saved about c5 kg CO2.

But each 'recycled' bottle saves only 0.006 kg CO2 so did I really only save 0.11 kg CO2 for all the bottles and therefore 'spend' over 4 kg CO2 doing it ?

Given I needed to go to the shops I think it's ok - but I better start walking to the bottle bank in future.

Night Run

SAAB to the Sorrel Horse for Alpine meeting. Cold and dark - as it should be in early January.

Mk7 tripping

Utility ride in Mk7 - but at least we got out.

Dragging one out

Got the Mk2 out and about - seemed to go well - better after the long run it had probably.

Tried to go round the usual block but was thwarted by the tide - the road was flooded - so parked up and went for a walk down to the river.

Saw this E-type in the distance try it and then turn round.

So I went back from whence I had come and re-traced my steps.

January's not a good month for cars

Looked back at January 2018 and some sun but mostly the fleet was left alone.

As it was today.

Head in a book

Managed to start the book about the ERA R4D as murk engulfed the garden.

Head in the garage door

Dull weather and lack of enthusiasm preventing any car action.

Although last SAAB dash to local shops for supper - that's another half mile on the clock.

Thumbed through a book

Had a look through the Aston Martin album I put together for the 100 years celebration.

Guess when ?

I did sort out some screen wash and the anti-freeze though - so the garage got a visit.

G2R for jobs

Took down the sails as prep for winter lay-up. Mk7 pressed into service.

Boat looks odd without the sails though.

Seven back

Mk7 back up the M4 M25 A12 and home again.

Retrospectively took the final mileage and found that the Mk2 was the leader of the toys at 265 (thanks to a late London run by James) and that the SAAB won overall with 596.

2019 starts off on foot

Walking in the countryside - uncovered several diggers lying around for some reason ?

Antique Shopping

Mk7 trips - Not sure this counted - but it was sitting in the Antique warehouse.

I used to have a house built by the Denis workers in Guildford too - so I was tempted.

Mk7 earns its keep

Off to LV - MCOT's new pad in Gloucestershire.

190 miles give or take a few.

Multi-run time

Firstly topped up the SAAB fuel with Oli's leftover stale fuel as James packed up the Mk2 for a run to London. I'm sure it will be ok - with the fuel I mean...

Then SAAB out for jobs with tools in the boot. Next I got the Aston out to pack away chairs in the garage and then decided it needed a run.

Finally had been warming the Alpine for several hours which started fine (although I'd forgotten the battery conditioner) so went for a short jaunt.

Silver Van

SAAB to the dump. Then Lunch.

At least the Golf got a short run out too though. Squeeeeeling.

Normal Service and a Center Spread

The Alpine got star billing in the Horn with a centre spread.

Earlier in the morning, I took the SAAB on a run for jobs - so normal service has been resumed.

Not even jobs today

Quiet day inside. Got colder anyway !

Early morning dash

Quick SAAB job first thing then settled down for Christmas.

Packed in 5

SAAB carrying everyone around for lunch.

Then popped off to look at Xmas lights.

Virtual travel

Spent most of the day on Mini-Me van tours as the rain came down.

Tools etc. to be carried

Aston out into the air just to get the chairs down from the garage loft.

SAAB to Harkstead for jobs in the early afternoon - then down to the marina for a bit of moon photography.

Came out quite well I thought.

Alpine gets Christmas Present

Suspension parts arrived from Andreas in Germany - look well made. Need to buy the suspension units next - so not sure when I'll get them fitted. March ?

Than washed the Mk2. It came up well but is starting to look like it needs more polish (and paint) in places.

SAAB in the evening though for a trip to town.

Earning it's keep again

While the weather is poor (and so am I) the classics are not getting much of a look in.

SAAB again to town - again what we wanted was not in - traffic was light though and I did see a nice Aston leaving the car park.

Then SAAB back into town to get hair cut.

100 Yard Dash

Just a dash to the shops for lunch.

Karts again

SAAB to the shops again - still not finished though.

Then to the annual Karting with the SAAB boys in the evening.

New karts but usual result - Jana top of the women and I did not make the play offs.

Normal Noise again ?

SAAB to shops for jobs.

Dull run - but noticed there seemed to be no (less) noise now from the exhaust.

Has a listen under the bonnet and it might be a cracked exhaust manifold - I'm sure that happened on the old SAAB too ?

Little Convoy

Went for a walk in London and spotted these two in Muswell Hill.

Then drove SAAB home as night fell. As we started her up t sounded like the exhaust was blowing ?

Don't bother driving in London

SAAB packed and down to London for the weekend.

Then took I Florence out for a driving to experience the motorway - had to face queues to even get there. M25 traffic was bad and the weather was worse but we persevered.

Pumped Up

Golf tyre had a nail in it. So quick visit to the depot and it was fixed. £20. Not bad. They liked the car too.

Then cleaned out the SAAB and popped to town shopping.

Still deflating

Checked Mk2 before taking it to mum's. Yes still going down and the other tyres were a bit off too - mind you I'd not checked those last time.

Steering squealed like a hamster in a vice too.

Then SAAB night outing to Alpine/Tiger meeting. That's still full of dead Christmas tree bits too which need cleaning out.

More shopping jaunts

SAAB again- also noticed it needs hoovering out again - dead Christmas tree debris.

SAAB again

Went and bought a large Christmas tree from the farm to replace the one we had bought last week that seemed to just die.

Then Jana got a replacement tree so we have two !

You can cram in a lot

SAAB swallowed the furniture again and I took it to the charity shop.

Also spotted a very old Bristol (40x or 50x) and a familiar Seven in the pub car park.

SAAB Xmas jobs

Off to pick up a tree for mum and then pottered around taking (not that good) pictures of the river.

Small jobs

Cleaned the liner for the SAAB boot. Letting the sun dry it off.

Then Ferrari set up for winter - pumped up the tyres and put it back into the bubble. No sign of the alarm keypad but the lights worked fine.

Then a quick Mk7 jaunt to the boat to look at the instruments - factory re-set seems to fix it ! Wish we'd done that in the summer.

Then to the shops in the dull afternoon as the light faded.

Lazy but dry

SAAB all of 500 yards to the Dr. It was really hammering down with rain.

Then off to town to get the prescription - but no one had it. So back to the Dr. to get an alternative.

Energised I took the Aston out in the evening and eventually found a stockist.

300 yds

Got a lift all of 300 yards in the Mk7 on the way to the shops. Not even sure why, but that was it again.

It's just like a car

More bloody PC problems - seem to be sorted ...

Admin Frenzy

Well - PC fixing all day and missed the sunshine to the the Ferrari lights.

Mk2 reflated

Tire seemed ok this morning so took the Mk2 down to the shops.

Still squeaks badly on the steering rack - I'll get it fixed in the New Year

'A-Game' again

Aston out for a morning run- despite the rain and muddy roads.

Then tried the Mk2, only to find it had a flat rear tyre.

So SAAB instead again. Pumped it up tonight so we'll see if it goes down overnight.

SAAB back in action

Well a short jaunt to the next village late at night.