All tucked up

Alpine sitting for two nights under the cover - leaked a bit but basically OK.

 

 

A bit of SAAB pottering sufficed.

Run to Camp Site

Alpine ready for 60+ miles run to past Cambridge. Weather ok - rain on the way.

Squeezed the old car cover in the boot.

Aero had a bit more squeezed in - no room for me in fact.

Now that shines

Fitted the new mirrors to the Alpine (only had then since last November).

Tried to polish the bodywork but the paint is so tiard it won't take a shine. Not sure anything but s full rebuild will do. 

Bumper to bumper

Finally got round to painting the inside of the new Alpibe bumper- I might even get round to fitting it this year. 

And today's load is ...

Mainly old sofa. 

Plus tools etc. 

Hail stops any other car venturing out. 

Rolling around

AERO workhouse back to the dump. 

Then shuffling around in the rain. 

DID WO

Drive it day washed out. Rain and hail most of the day. 

So swapped for basic motoring again. 

Final dash in E-type as sky cleared just for the odd appreciative classic glances. 

Nothing else of note on the roads. 

As one offspring pointed out - it always rains on this day. So true. 

Oh and rattle is back. 

Rinse and repeat

Aero - utility jobs - then wood on roof rack. 

Not much driving fun

SAAB to shops and Mk7 utility run. 

Dreary drizzle most of the late pm. 

Looked at the e-type rear pockets - best 1960's card - but decided it was too hard to attack in the chillie garage. 

Just another utility run

Shops first thing then a dull cold late afternoon - not nice-car friendly. 

Cautious optimism

Caterham and Alpine runs plus Aero before lunchtime. 

Decided to look at e-type late afternoon to find this:

Loose bolts and nuts in the boot. 

Now replaced and noise almost gone. In reality there was something rattling as well but virtually stopped. 

And 'graunching' was hopefully the Dynamo rubbing as the fan belt had been tightened. 

Early dash

Caterham run early on - only on 3 cylinders to start with. 

Cleaned plugs in the sunshine first two are the sooty ones. Was showing 42426 miles - not sure when I did it last - in the Autumn last year I think. 

Aero for jobs later on then finished off with the E-type in the dying sun. 

Smokes a bit from one exhaust on start up but also had a 'graunching' sound on full right lock under load - and the rattle has got worse or at least more persistent 

Two new tires

Aero had a flint in the tyre wrecking it. Both fronts were low so they got replaced. 

As the workhorse will be crossing UK and Northern Europe soon it's a good investment. 

Mind you the rims are in poor condition - perhaps I'll have to save up. 

Weather turned cold so no classics - Aston run to the shops. Forgot how wide it looks from the rear. 

Final visit to the garage in the evening and the cars looked great - need some more sun and excuses to drive them. 

Aston pottering

Off to shops in Aston after a jaunt to the boat in the Mk7. 

Looking good in the sunshine. 

Feeling a little deflated

AERO developed a flat tyre. 

Probably in protest to all the work. 

Multi-car policy

Caterham first thing in the sunshine. 

Then E-type shopping to get it out of the garage so I could spray the Alpine sill. Not a concourse job but at least it is red again. 

Then afternoon run in the Caterham again - this time with no doors. 

Alpine Patched

Collected the car - patched up again.

Was on three cylinders when I collected it though - well sooted plugs.

Also fitted the second chrome window channel - need to re-align the door next.

Aero though first thing for job run - more mud.

Muddy Roads

Aero getting very dirty going backwards and forwards over my new favorite road.

Did see the other mad Caterham chap again though - must find out where he lives.

Patch me up

Alpine in for welding first thing in the morning sunshine. With shock absorber. 

Aero pressed into service for jobs.  God it needs a clean. 

Two bags of soil won't help. 

Cars for all events ?

Early morning run in the Caterham with tools to take down the fence. 

Needed the SAAB though to pull the post out - winch attached to tow bar did the trick. 

Then run in E-type to the marina. Plus long run home to blow away some cobwebs. 

Still rattles at low speed. 

Another day earning it's keep

AERO on another booze run. After pottering around for jobs.

Dodging more showers

Aero first thing.  

Then Seven to the boat - used to lug the sails. 

 

Capped for the showers. 

Then another Mk7 utility run. 

Just more SAAB action

Using Aero as a workhorse - more tools and run to the dump. 

Not glamorous but needed. 

Bits and bobs

Aero to dump and Mk7 to shops. Stormy unpredictable day do no classic action. 

Leaver arm arrived for Alpine though. 

But managed a run in the V12 at the end of the day.  

Poor little Alpine

Failed MOT on bad rust underneath and a shock absorber leaking. 

Should be sorted by early next week. 

Leaf springs look shot too. 

It's got to be summer now

Aston back on summer rims. 

Plus 200 miles in the Golf. 

Making the most of the sun

Supercar meet at the Ipswich waterfront car park to start the day. All modern's except the 308. Lots of expensive cars owned by quite young chaps too.

Then Aero back to work lugging stuff - followed by a run to the boat in the Apline - the Aero was stuffed with beds for the run to.

Then washed the Aero and the Mk7 - inspired by Oli washing his A3.

Finally a drive in the E-type to confirm the chrome strip has stuck - usual rattle - but it has and the car is going very well. 

A sticky problem

Early Aero run to collect more bricks - work horse doing well.

Then a small repair. The lower chrome strip on the E-type as been loose for a couple of years. So I decided to stick it back on - after the tape I used was not working.

How to apply pressure on the parts - a wood clamp through the window and then leaning my magnetic bits for welding on it.

It also seemed to have worked.

Then a blast in the Caterham - in the sun to the river in town.



Then another Aero run to use it's large boot.

Finally as the mist came down the Aston was released - it did no miles last month which was disappointing - on the good side it still surprises with the urge - and that's vs the lightweight.

Another burst of sun

Aero first thing on errands - then later on finished by lugging a load of bricks. It's now over taken the Golf Mk7 by nearly 2500 miles - it's going to take a few months of summer to make that gap up - esp with Germany and France on the agenda.

So I put a few miles on the E-type and 308 in the late evening sun as balance.

They do look good in the evening light. The main (first world) problem being I can't see either car when I am in it...