Snowbound SAAB

Not quite that bad - but went for a walk and not a drive today.

The snow even got under the tree - about another 3 inches last night - so a real winter for a while.

Real Snow for once

About four inches of snow fell over night and during the morning. It was over the roof bars on the SAAB.

Cleared the cars and by lunchtime it was melting. Popped out to collect the lawnmower in the SAAB.

Roads were quite clear when I whet to get two wipers for the Mk7 Golf - both had started to rip off the lower leading edge. They are only three years old.

I did find out how to park them in service mode though - so I'll try that with the Aston.

More snow on the way though.

Winter starts with a diesel dilemma

A little frozen snow fell on the car anyway.

Not that dramatic really is it. Unpacked the car though to use it and in the end did not.

The diesel is heating oil though. As I seem to be better at fixing a 'lock-out' on the central heating boiler than I am getting the Alpine to run. Bleeding the heating oil feed pipe and priming it worked well. So did attaching the loose wire - just like a car really.

One Golf and no Alpines

Took the Mk2 for a run to Norton for the Alpine lunch.

Looking fine - if a bit ratty. No Alpines braved the cold though.

Swedish Van Time

SAAB pack-up with ladders and tower to work on the boat.

What are we gong to do when the car stops for good ? Buy a van ?

A very cold day for working on the boat - and it has about 10 bonnets worth to polish - but worth it.

Flash Dash

Popped down to Colchester to drop off the camera to get the camera sensor cleaned. Took the Aston, as you do, for a utility trip.

Seemed at home in the car park.

Two wheels good

Four wheels better though - for most things.

Cleaned the bike after a few days of muddy use. It's an honorarily member for the fleet.

It was caked in mud etc. Took almost as long as a car to clean.

Then an Aston run to the shops and re-fuel. Still slow getting the 65 litres in but it seems as if I point the nozzel in the top right corner it 'foams' less.

Final night time Aero run to town - closing another chapter on Smart421.

Aero Onwards

Well to the next village and back.

Looking at car pics though if that counts, and sent a few in to Low Fling and the e-type magazine.

Small Jobs - Small distance

Milk from the co-op in the SAAB does not count as a mega journey does it ?

Just riding around again

Passenger in the Golf Mk7 as a passenger to the shops in the drizzle - very domestic.

More screen time

Spent the day building the Konstruktor camera and playing with photos of the E-type from last night.

Then Aero into town to get the film developed - the only problem was that the road had cars parked on both sides so I was inches away from each car.

Also thought the Aero needed a picture taken - did this while experimenting with my remote flash.

Lighting up again

Took advantage of the 'easy to use bubble' today and strapped it up to look at the faulty lights on the Caterham.

No loose wires, but a fuse had tripped - could have been when I kicked the switch as I got out ? Also noticed the actual light switch is a bit dodgy so that might have tripped it. Little bugger. Can you tell which one ? No you can't unless you press them back in.

Also checked the water while the bonnet (and then the nose cone) was off as it's been running a bit hotter than normal. I'm glad I did as it took nearly 2l of water.

Went for a drive in the sun and the lights were still OK so that's good for now.

Then decided it was ok to get the e-type out. Had to correct the over inflated tyres used for storage so checked what they should be. Seems I might have had them too high for a while. Reduced then and the car 'felt' better - perhaps...

Then night shooting again - I'd expected a few comments but not the army of camera phones and comments. Thank god I'm not famous too.

By the way that's me in shot by accident - trying to light the bonnet up.

Photoshoping Cars

Spent too much time playing with photos from last night. Fun though.

Then Aero for short hop to re-cycling and jobs.

Seven hours with a Seven

Spent most of the day playing with the Caterham as the sun was out and not too cold.

First I extracted it from the bubble which was its usual pain. Then went for a drive to the coast for lunch again - Felixstowe beach. Chatted to a few passers by about the car as I eat my sandwich in the blustery sunshine.

Then returned and looked at the deflated sack on the ground in preparation to putting the car away. There were two small holes in the outer lining at the front which I was able to feed a strop through and hang up. Then I spotted two more in the rear - again strop through. I needed to put up hooks and sew the ends together for a loop to use - so out came the 1960's sewing machine.

That did the trick. The final strop in the middle just passes below the whole cover. So now I can put it up/down and drive under it at last.

Felt so energised I washed the car and took it to Ipswich the marina for pictures - in the spot I like. Took a few pictures and chatted to the usual random selection of passers by, some liking the car and some more interested in the photography.

They salted the road as I stood there as it was getting cold but I drove home quite warm in all my layers.

Final elation tempered by the failure of the dipped beam as I parked up - I've solved that problem before though so hopefully I can do it again.

Stepping backwards again

Looked at the Alpine fuel pump to re-build it with the kit I got.

The vales seemed to be set in with metal lugs - so I left them alone.

Took off the new one to see if that was the same – it was. The diaphragm and seal were fine. It was full of rust in the bottom of the bowl, but not the filter. So I cleaned it out and put it back on.

The got the lug the wrong side of the arm that ‘pumps’ – again and again and again and again - so it took four goes to get it in the right place. I used a bit of string to keep the pump leaver up and over the cam as I fitted it.

Bowl filled up fine once in the right place.

Added an electric fuel pump to raise the pressure – made no difference. There is enough fuel in the carbs – they are very wet (and sooty) so what it is running it’s very rich.

Car won't start again.

Sunshine - just

Golf Mk2 to town - seemed to have the handbrake on all the time - although the last car I drove was the Aston...

Then Aero into town, traffic so bad I had to turn around and cross the bridge twice. Just a set of roadworks clogging it up.

Final night time run again in the warm SAAB.

Still looking very good

Took the Aston to the shops - well it's better than not using it.

Still like the graphite grey spokes on the Winter wheels.

Aero to the Coast

SAAB to Thorpeness for a walk on the beach.

Highlight was a nice pre-war car running around with it's roof off - unable to say what it was though.

Passenger Rides

Just carted around in the Mk7. Cold and drizzle.

Catching up with the blog

Spent much of the day just sorting out the next printed LDOTC book. It's been a long time since I looked at some of the pictures.

Will have to wait for the weather to improve before I venture out in anything though.

Out of fuel ?

Decided to look at the Alpine again...

Warmed it up for three hours and it started after a bit - so I re-did the valve timing having set No1 at 10 BTDC.

It started and ran better at high revs, but when idling it just petered out and stalled after a while - as if the fuel was running out - revving it brought it back for a while and then it died again as if the fuel had been used up. Bubbles in the fuel pump globe too.

Decided to re-build the fuel pump - so a kit is on order.

Finished of with Aero to the dump in the dying sunshine.

More Snow - Less go

Left the car alone due to the cold wet snow.

Went for a Mk7 ride instead an looked for rolling roads on the web.

No one wants it

Short run in the Aero to have a look at a S2 E-type with its engine out as it was at Abbotts, also wanted to see if they could look at the Alpine.

They were not that keen. A 50 year old Rootes 1725cc engine with twin Webers. I could see the point.

Stuck on

Looked at the Golf flat tyre and pumped it up - expecting to dash to the garage with it.

I could hear the air escaping though so thought that I'd better swap it for the space saver to be safe.

First the caps on the nuts had to be removed, then the wheel nut brace was too small to get much pressure on the nuts - so used another bar.

Nuts off and of course the bloody wheel was locked onto the hub - so I used a wooden block and club hammer on it for 10 mins going round the rim slowly until it popped off.

Then I fitted the spare space saver just to sit on while it was off being repaired.

I then refitted the wheel. 120 newton meters on the Torque Wrench. 

Screw looked familiar - off something modern ?

Finished off with an Aero run in the evening.

Minor Success

Alpine running again after a fashion with help from a man in a Morris Minor Traveler.

Got onto the road and then had to push it back home.

It starts and runs but same issue under load - this is with both distributors and rotor arms so it can't be the spark end of the chain...

Points to the valve timing and/or carbs.

Not sure where to go with it now, but at least I know I'm not completely stupid.

Then Areo pressed into carrying ladders again and jobs.

Feeling flat

Golf had flat tyre ?

Excuse to look at the E-type though...

Areo runs to made doo.

Testing times

OK - checked that the distributor was giving a spark by turning it manually with a plug attached - it was sparking quite nicely (when earthed).

I also cleaned out the fuel filter - it was clean - and checked that fuel was really getting to the carbs - it was - having disconnected the pipe it pumped out fine.

It did start and run for a few seconds and backfired a few times - but nothing else - and it would not start consistently.

So spark and fuel - what else can it be - the timing...

After all that the sun was still shining so I took the Aston out to cheer myself up.

Which it did.

Give up and get help

Refitted the distributor and coil but after an hour it still would not start.

I even put the old one back on, but no luck - nothing would get it going.

At least I found out that I can't put it back 180 degrees out as the lugs won't mesh incorrectly.