Aston Shopping - Alpine Winning

Usual run (squeezed out before the showered returned).

Planet saving and shopping. While the black clouds loomed above.

Mirrored the car - both menacing.

Oh and yet again the Alpine is the most used classic car - 277 miles.

SAAB Pottering

Just a few pottering jobs in the SAAB.

Looking clean...ish though after the rain.

Another Day - Another Advert

Spotted myself (and the E-type) in an advert for the Concourse of Elegance.

Then Golf into town after charging the rear bulb - easy access. Oh and tapping the connections for the coil - and the rev counter is working again.

Then late pm Ferrari out of the garage for a run - started first time too. No 'click-clack' from the alarm.

London and back

Mk7 down to James' flat and not much work to do !

Journey surprisingly good.

Barges, Tigers ... and not going out. Much.

First thing run in the SAAB in the rain to Shotley to watch the barge race from the boot. Got wet, but not as much as sailing would have been.

Then to see OB, LB and EB for brunch.

Bumped into Don (Tiger owner) on the way who showed me a copy of the mag.

Well it's 'sort of' my photo.

Then just staying in watching the rain fall.

Not showing off

Well, quiet day with a lunchtime visit from John (and Belgium partner Andree) a fellow Alpine owner and shared interest in Scottie.

I'd prepared the cars and ... did not get time to show them off.

Then off to the beach for a BBQ in the SAAB and back late.

So that was that - at least they are clean.

More cleaning - and ECR get the Prize

SAAB to the dump - and still very hot. Although it was only showing 32 degrees today.

I decided to take it to the car wash in return as I was passing.

Then polished the Alpine - not sure it did much good though.

This is the 'top coat' I tried. Then off to ECR at Shotley.

... with a few others - the award was early so most people missed it though. Not us though.

Then we all ran away before the storm arrived.

Cleaned and put away

Out early to leather off the Golf that had been left outside all night - through the thunderstorms.

Then SAAB with trailer to pick up 20 bags of manure. Again works well.

Then Aston cleaned and looking good.

Next was the Ferrari - which started fine again... This was the before picture though.

Then SAAB up the road. Hot Hot Hot especially at almost 6:30 in the evening.

and squealing

Aston to the re-cycling as per normal.

Parking in tight formation too.

Then just as I got home there was a terrible squealing/scratching/metalic noise from the car. It sounded like I had run over something so I stopped and got out - twice. But I could not see anything.

I think it was a stone stuck between the brake disk and the back-plate. After a lot futile of investigations and a heart stopping drive of about a mile it cleared. Not sure if it had damaged the disk though...

Bouncing dial

Alpine to the allotment and around the block and noticed the speedo needle was 'bouncing' a lot more than before.

More than on the run too - oddly.

Honoured ...ish

Nice line up before we left the hotel in the morning.

Then as I arrived I was whisked away to go on the club stand as an example of the Series I

Well the be honest it appears I was the only SI.

Museum was fine - and I did like the Riley Kestral in there amongst others ...

Also bought a strange 'globe' that was too big to get into the car but the trader would not take it back. However we realised it would squeeze in behind the seats with the back panel down.

So about 285 miles later we're back. Car did well although hot - steering needs attention.

Well dodged

Black clouds and thunder as we set off in the Alpine - roof up.

But in the end we only got dumped on once and the car did not leak toooooo badly.

However it does wander more than I remember on the A14.

In the evening at the hotel I was delighted to find this pop up on FB too:

It must be Alpine time

Checked the Alpine Oil (a bit low) plugs (good slight brown dust - not sooty) tyre pressures and water (fine).

Machine polished the bonnet. Seemed better.

- and then sprayed the car port and myself.

Weather for the run to Coventry tomorrow not looking good though.

Oh well it's only 160 miles ...

The rain passed

Cleaned the dust off then E-type off first. Then Alpine work am.

As the rain was falling quite a bit and forecast bad for the weekend I put the top up and fitted the 'free' cover to see how it worked. Might help.

Then I decided to try the Ferrari as the rain was still falling. Started ok - click/clack from the alarm. Re-set the button and it started ok. Again and again.

Then as the rain eased it was time for the Woolverstone car show. A bit dull if you want to know. Lines of cars in groups of people that knew each other.

I did get a picture though in front of the school this time.

Then late night dash in the Aston to the shops - this time for a loo seat.

.. and all the time the SAAB just waited.

Well it's all the same colour - ish.

Took the masking tape etc. off the Alpine (which took of more paint !

I discovered I'd got primer line around my spray patch. I just painted it in... badly.

Put the good bumper back on too. Went on better with the mount 'straitened' to fit. So the front looks ok now - if you squint.

Paint and Rumble

Got to work painting the Alpine - 4 coats of the spray.

Turns it red at least - I wonder how it matches... and I missed a small patch too under the wing.

Then SAAB out for jobs in town and around.

Finally a run in the E-type - the noise seems worse - a rumble/bump etc. But the car goes well.

Alpine and SAAB jobs

Finished a bit more filler and then two more undercoats on the Alpine. Not perfect but ok for now.

The SAAB to Oli's - Ended up going to the dump.

And return

SAAB waiting patiently for us on our return.

Bling but nice

As seen on the way to the showers - Bradwell marina sales are obviously doing well.

If this Bentley is theirs. It looked nicer in the flesh.

SAAB to Rassy

Off Sailing - not too sure why we need all this stuff ?

All filler-no-killer

Filled the rusty patch after making a small panel and riveted/screwed it together to hold the panels together.

Then rubbed it down and put more layers of filler on it - about three times until it looked ok. Gave it a good sand down and then spray with primer to reveal the imperfections.

Earlier I had sprayed the grill - the paint had flecks of silver in it. We'll have to see if it is too bling.

Then Golf out for jobs.

Finally Caterham to the Rootes meeting - seemed to go very well in the warm evening air. 

Very expensive looking restored Tiger appeared too.

Good run back in the dying light too.

Alpine repairs start

SAAB out to buy items for the work on the Alpine.

Then to Silk St. for the surveyor.

Then back again as I'd locked someone out !

Then tackled the car. Not very nice once I had hacked out the rust on one side.

Also tackling the grill again. Let's see how I get on...

Not cured

SAAB to town and then back quickly as it was postponed, so popped out to get the pc to fix.

Then later on I tried the Ferrari. Glum face - it failed to start. Then was fine 2nd go.

During the run I stopped in a lay by and tried - started ok then failed. I did hear a quiet 'click-clack' from the alarm box though at some points. So is it the alarm ?

Will the first fix work ?

Ferrari to Grimaldi in the afternoon - he decided to add a relay and see if that helped. So quickly took out the panel. Lots of wires packed in there already.

I pottered around looking at the cars in there, a F40, Dino, 355s, a brace of Testerossas and 308s. Also tucked in there a V12 E-type and a rare Lamborghini Urraco in for a lot of work.

A giant Diablo was parked outside too.

Well after the work the car started first time, twice. So we'll see. I did not have the heart to try again once I got home. Seemed to go better on the way back too.

Then Aston to the re-cycling - just for the run.