Rain stops trials

Left the Alpine alone as the storm swept in.

Well it runs - sort of

Spent the morning getting the fuel tank back into the alpine. Trick is to get the rear of the car really high off the ground so you can maneuver it.

String worked well again to keep it up once it was in position.

Then blew air back down the fuel line, again worked and spurted fuel all over the creeper.

Finally assembled everything and made another large rubber grommet our of one for a landrover but cut down and stuck together.

Car started first time (after heating it up and drawing fuel though) but did nor run particularly well at slow speed again. Topped up with new fuel and we'll test it between showers.

So it took just over two hours to get everything back again, not that bad really.

Final utility runs in SAAB to close the day.

More of the wet stuff

Ride in Mk7 and looking at the drizzle.

Spent the afternoon taking pictures of antique model VW's though.

Dull Rain

So dull I walked to the post box instead of taking a car.

Waiting for the rain to stop and then I'll re-fit the Alpine fuel tank.

Transporting Glass

Picked up Alpine tank first thing in the SAAB - then packed all the glass from the greenhouse into the boot and gingerly drove the 3 miles home.

Then Golf Mk2 again to town in the evening.

Still dirtier than it looks - and it needs oil as the warning buzzer sounded on the way home.

Life begins at 20

Went shopping and to the bottle bank - so I took the Supercar.

Aston passed the 20,000 mark today.

Then swapped tot he SAAB as what I wanted to but might not have fitted in the boot.

Then RGEA meeting in the Golf Mk2 - which is very dusty.

Rev counter working again.

Glass Houses

Golf Mk2 to Harkstead first thing to work on the greenhouse.

Needed more tools so swapped for the SAAB and brought most of it home.

Sewing Time

Repaired the tonneau cover on the Alpine where it had split, then made the missing cover for the soft top that should have been in the boot.

Then SAAB workhorse run with tools,

Followed by a late evening run for Petrol for the Caterham as well, weather slowly closing back in after the 75 degrees we've had lately.

Dry on Drive it Day

In fact warm and sunny all day.

Ferrari to Pakenham Mill for a small car show - looked odd sitting in a row of veteran cars. Two old Vauxhalls looked nice but the best was a smaller Lagonda.

Good run there and back though - Ferrari going very well.

Then trip out in the Daimler Conquest with Nigel, followed by a 'returning the favour' trip in the E-type. Both different and both great in different ways.

The Aston to the garage for petrol - slow fill and the flap was 'sticky'.

Pipes have 2 ends

Caterham to B&Q for garden stuff - as another test and it arrived making a worse noise - wondered if I would get back.

Looked fine in the car park but was making a bad rattling noise on the way there and worse on the way back - so I took it easy and hoped I'd get over the bridge before something major fell off.

I got home and went back to working on the garden - eventually I had a spare 10 mins left to look at the car.

I had found a large cir-clip for the lower part of the exhaust and fitted it - fine. I then noticed that the pipe was still moving - at the other end.

Bonnet off and looking at the bolts on the exhaust manifold one was almost off and the other very loose. Dho - I had not spotted that twice.

Tightened them up and took the car around the block without a rattle - or not the one that was worrying me. Seemed to run cooler too - which must be a co-incidence.

So I hope it's fixed.

Any colour if you want

...Grey.

A row of dark grey Aston's at Grange when I drove down for the Service and tyre swap.

Nice drive back in the sunshine despite the traffic - was it ok ?

"Well it's an Aston Martin Vantage with a V12 engine - so what do you think it's going to be like ?

... it is Fantastic, its Wonderful, Wonderful, Wonderful" - and it's mine thanks Jeremy Clarkson.

Bugs Life

G2R first thing then a day sailing.

Then E-type to the Rootes evening meeting in the late warm sunshine - at least it is British.

Arrived to find a Bugatti (Type 37 - Grand Prix 1496cc from 1927) being tinkered with by one of the chaps (John). 

Seemed to be OK when we left though.

Great drive back in the gloom with the dials alight.

Post Script - Research on the Bugatti that's over £0.5m worth of car there due to the history and illustrious owners/drivers

Further research says it is a Type 37 a development of the Type 35.

Lucky Bastard

So when I'm feeling a but down, I take my lovely E-type to the marina to work on the boat.

Can't be all that bad then. This time lugging the outboard, which fitted well.

Then later the Caterham with tools to mum's to dismantle the green house and test the fix - which did not work.

Final evening run to get petrol (for that outboard again) in the Golf - after 10 mins the rev counter packed up - again.

Oh and the squeak from the power steering is getting worse I think...

Three and a bit

Tank off to S&W first thing - they are going to have to send it away as they could not clear the pipe either.

Then Ferrari out into the sun round the block and shopping.

The the same with the E-type to get gunk for the Caterham exhaust.

Final task was to try to glue the pipe closed - we'll wee if it rattles again tomorrow when it has hardened.

Tape on for good measure.

Tank Out

Spent the morning taking the tank out of the Alpine.

I took the pipe off and virtually no fuel came out.

I tried to clear the pipe and eventually it flowed but it took about three hours to drain the fuel out of the tank for two and a half gallons.

Tank suspension technique worked well again though, but it seemed harder to get out - then I realised as the car was not so high it it had less clearance.

Tried clearing the pipe but it just seemed to get worse - off to the experts tomorrow.

Death Rattle ?

Alpine meeting so we took the  ...  Seven.

So up early and after packing away yesterday's load I cleaned the Caterham with detailing fluid. It was a bit cold so hardly dried.

Anyway off we went and about 5 mins away from home it got quite misty, uncomfortable, blustery and something started to rattle madly. Sounded like we might be very low on oil, a water pump bearing, or a loose belt or a - whatever will go wrong. Funny thing is last years 'knocking' has gone away ?

So after twenty minutes I stopped and checked the oil. It was OK - a bit splashed around the head but fine and high in the dip stick. Engine sounded fine too.

Off we went again and completed the 50 miles to the pub. Car felt fine - if a bit rattly - and that almost ruined it for me.

We went through a few big puddles and a ford then on the back roads just 100 yards from the pub another small puddle across the road. I hit it at about 40... It was a bit deeper than I had imagined and water shot up, over the car and over the windscreen, into the cockpit and soaked us. We arrived dripping with water ...

Run back was less of a problem - the rattle was still there but it seemed ok. Not such an issue.

Back home I had to clean the car again inside and out. It looked like camo. Before and after.

Then I also noticed that the exhaust was loose and rattling on one of the 4-2-1 pipes - I hope it's that. So I thought I'd end the day and swapped the cars around and Alpine out and ready for work.

Then decided to go out again in the SAAB to drop off some wood.

Then home.

I suspect that I'm getting too old for this shit v2.

London Lugger

SAAB off early to Brixton loaded with James' stuff.

Unpack then realised the wooden kitchen work surface off cut would not fit in the car - with everything else - so roof rack (packed that morning) - came into play.

As we walk to lunch we passed a US spec S2 E-type and a TR6.

INSERT PICTure HERE

Then we packed the car and ran to the dump - so much was there to get rid off. Then re-packed the car with work top on the roof. There was an odd noise above 20 mph - stopped twice to see what the noise was but could not stop it.

So we stopped again on the A2 on the red-route, unpacked the boot and got the rope - the noise was just the blanket flapping and hitting the roof of the car.

Home and unpacked again.

I'm getting too old for this shit.

Black Mark

Spent the morning cleaning the Alpine for the meeting on Sunday. It cleaned up well, now the weather has warmed up the paint looks better as the imperfections fade back.

Then I took it for a quick drive and ... the car started to loose power and jerk - the same symptoms I got when the fuel line was blocked. So I can't drive it again. I'l have to take the tank out and try to clean it out somehow. Gutted.

Then as consolation took the Aston to do the recycling and the E-type around the block - both moved to get the Alpine hard-top back in the garage loft.

So not back to square one, but I knew it needed sorting and ignored it. Luckily it happened near to home.

Alpine Scene

My Alpine started on the back cover of the Alpine Horn mag this month.

The fact that it was my model was funny though.

Dreary day so run to town in SAAB.

Topless at last

Sunbeam Alpine collected and only a small bill awaited me.

Drove it back fine and it even seems to be getting nicer to drive as the weather warms up.

Decided to get the hardtop off and sort out the car. I even put the soft top up - it was a bit stiff. Not sure when I used it last - or when I had the car topless. Appears that the hard top went on 20th October 2016.

Then drove around for a few jobs with the roof down. Cold but great again - and a nicer sound than I remember from the exhaust.

Not for long

Sun out late afternoon - so took Caterham around the block.

Filled up with petrol and got a 'like' at the station.

Needs a clean and the picture tells us the Alpine is not yet back either...

Wet tools

Forgot the tools were in the SAAB boot and the lid was left open all night. I must get out more.

Rain and SAAB again

Just popped out with tools in the boot.

SAAB Load lugger

Harksted auction - so loaded up with the crap we'd bought.

SAAB did well again.

Home and then after the sun came out ran the Ferrari around the block. Nice.

Clean Swede

Spent the morning (and some of the afternoon) cleaning the SAAB.

Made a good job of it - but it has a few knocks and dents. The wheels really do need a refurb too.

Then bit the bullet and fitted the shark ariel cover.

It needs a bit on the bottom - but then it's better than the tape.

Now it really is Spring

Car morning. Ferrari out of the bubble after 2 hours on the fan heater - and the Caterham in it for photos. Ferrari looked good on the drive.

The Caterham around the block in the sun shine. Then the Ferrari - nice to blow the cobwebs out of the exhausts on the fast back roads.

The tucked then back into the garage.

PM run to the boat in the SAAB - twice as we'd lost some ropes.

Fleet a-foot

Started the day with the Alpine to the garage for what could be its last MOT. Seemed to be better at 30 mph but still not perfect.

We'll see how it gets on - on both counts.

Then drove SAAB back from the boat after looking at the bowsprit fitting.

Then took a slightly dirty Aston to the shops to get lunch.

Afternoon was dismantling the bubble - so E-type out. It took me about an hour to pack away. Photographed the Caterham in there for the piece I am writing. E-type half a mile to run it up and then back into the garage.

The Caterham into the other garage as there is a space with the Alpine away.

Then SAAB again to town.

Alpine almost out

Started the Alpine and let it warm up on the drive. Then put t away again. Good sign it started ok.

Ready for the pre-MOT tomorrow.

The passenger in Mk7.

More floods

Rain most of the night and now two manholes seem to be bursting on the back roads. Aero through the puddles.

Triple A drive

SAAB to collect mum through the flooded roads. Could not work out of the mains had burst or if the flood water was just pushing up the manhole cover.

Got back to find the drive jammed with cars.

Audi x 2 and Adams Aston. That DB9 does grow on you.

James used the Golf though which is good. Only costs about £200 a trip...