Not unexpected

Moved the SAAB out of the way do I could get the Aston out for a run to it's favorite place. SAAB hard to start again seems to be getting worse.

Looking a bit dirty - unlike the Audi R8 (V10) I spotted in the showroom when I went for a short walk.

It looked very nice but it would have to be an addition and not a substitute - so that's not on.

Then the SAAB decided to surprise me and failed to start. I suspected a flat battery due to the cold and only short/dark runs this winter (although I did manage 130 miles in January) but it fired up first time on the booster.

I ran it around the block to give it a good charge and I'll give it another try tomorrow as the battery is less than 5 years old...

Another 'at-home' day

I'd like to claim I am Staying Home to Protect the NHS and Save lives, but actually it's raining and shitty out there.

Ditto with a warming twist

Nice morning so I warmed up the Alpine (started after only 15 mins on the fan heater) and the Mk2.

Then Mk7 ride to deliver cake to Harkstead.

ION: EU is cutting up rough about lack of vaccines being delivered from Oxford-AstraZeneca. Late night they decided to 'close' the Irish boarder (against the Brexit agreement) to stop vaccines getting to the UK by that route - and it all kicked off.

"It's War Boys".

However by the morning they had gone back on the decision and re-opened the boarder.

Another passenger ride

Chauffeured in the Mk7 up to the Heath to help Mum again - busy roads and lots of drizzle.

Nil points

No car action - just walked past them a few times.

ION: "The tension over vaccine supplies increased after UK-based AstraZeneca warned the EU it would have to reduce planned deliveries because of production problems. Pfizer-BioNTech has also said supplies will be temporarily lower as it works to increase capacity at its Belgian factory." says the BBC.

So we don't have enough and then we have to supply the rest of the world.

Another tale of a Swedish dash

Just a run up to Harkstead to help mum with a C-19 test kit in the dark and wet.

Why they need to make it so difficult - and then the web site fails to work after asking people to identify the pictures with 'marked crosswalks' !

ION: Another bad milestone as we have passed 100k C-19 deaths.

Two out in the frost

SAAB out and about for a work run. Then back to the bottle bank and shopping in the Aston.

Well it is out at last and in the sunshine.

In its element

SAAB off for more jobs - but first we needed to clean off the light dusting snow and ice.

But as a treat it got cleaned inside in the service bay by someone else - which was an odd feeing.

Another four wheel friend

A rare Mk7 drive to meet up with Oli and EB for the permitted walk - although not sure the 2 mile drive there was allowed.

As the SAAB pressed into service full of plants and pots etc. Then the car jacks etc. came in handy to lift and move the large pots.

Pressing a rater dilapidated engineering trolley into service as back up vehicle too.

No blocks and no relief yet

Just pottering about - nowhere to go really - and feeling I should stay home.

The C-19 new (UK) variant is really driving increased infection and 'may be' slightly more deadly. The good news is that the vaccines should still work and 4m have now had their jabs. Overall there is a slight decline in lead indicators as infections have fallen slightly - it will be several weeks before deaths do though.

The South African and Brazilian variants may not be as treatable though.

Two blocks

Alpine and Mk2 started and run to warm them up.

I'd like to say I drove two blocks - but they were actually what I used to keep the alpine pedal down.

Oh for a hand throttle ...

Routine'ing in the SAAB

SAAB to Harkstead and back a couple of times as the rain started again.

ION: Joe Biden took over as 46th US president (and at time of writing had not been assonated) knocking C-19 off the top spot on the news. Goodbye Mr. Trump. 

ION2: A further 1,820 people died in the UK within 28 days of a positive test - another all-time high.

Just messing about

I did see the cars today through the gloom - but it was mainly spent snapping water drops.

ION: Another bad C-19 day with another record of deaths - 1,610. However the admissions curve is flattening.

Warming the Italian

3 hours of the fan heater and the Ferrari was ready to try.

It started first time too. I put the paper down to collect water droplets - and as you can see it did create some steam. I even noticed some coming from under the bonnet - umm ?

Later I grabbed a poor screen cam of the Imp being driven around last year at the Classic Motor Hub.

This was 10th Feb 2020. I saw it on the 13th.

Hopefully with C-19 infections falling and 4m+ vaccines already given we'll be let out in Spring to drive it for real.

Quick SAAB blast

Cold day but SAAB through the setting sun on utility run again.

I did borrow this old book from c1920 though.

Snow and then floods

Awoke to quite heavy but wet snow covering the cars and making it a STAY HOME day - as we are instructed but we had to go out.

Thawed out a bit before we took Nana to get her first Pfizer/BioNTech C-19 vaccine jab, but on the way back the rain and the melt had flooded the roads in several places. SAAB plodded on - although did smell of steam when we parked up.

 

Aston and Van

Van back with granite to finish. 

Then Aston out to recycling. Looking mean. Going well.

3 degrees, Ice warnings and a few flashes of the traction control to keep me on my toes too.

Two vans

Well, we had two vans on the drive but nothing of note. 

Rain and sheet most of the day too.

It's hard to concentrate on cars

SAAB out and about to help book the vaccine appointments for Nana.

However deaths are at another record of 1,564 and the curve is predicted to grow a little bit more before we see a decline.

Two wheel cleaning too

Had a cycle first thing and very muddy wet roads and worst muddy tracks. Bike needed a good clean afterwards.

Then utility run tot Harkstead to get the SAAB dirty again !

Cleaning and warming

So SAAB cleaned - including the dirt hat has accumulated in the gutters on the roof.

Then Golf Mk7 as well. So two clean moderns.

Then warmed the Alpine up and ran around the drive.

Well it was 7 degrees and not raining - so lets pretend it's Spring.

Essential Travel ?

SAAB to the dump full of stuff.

So was that 'essential' ?

Triumph with a Stag

SAAB full for a dump run tomorrow - plus Oli's crap.

The Mk7 lift for photos in a bleak cold landscape.

And here is the Stag Pun.

On a roll

I popped into the garage on a frosty dull day.

Moved the E-Type a bit - just rolled it a backwards and forwards.

It might be all for a while this year - with the C-19 rates (and deaths) still rocketing and the NHS in London is about to be overwhelmed. At least a third vaccine is approved.

Let's hope for a warm Spring.

No chance to drive

Dreary cold day - I did pop into one garage and say hello though whilst doing odd jobs.

Looking for the sun at the weekend.

Monthly Start-up

Thought I should start the Alpine to warm it up and keep the clutch free this winter. She started quite readily after a bit of fan heater encouragement.

Although it was puffing out vapour into the cold air.

Then PM SAAB out for the one permitted exercise of the day - Lockdown life 3.0 (or is it 4.0) ?

ION* - C-19 at record levels now in the UK with a thousand deaths yesterday - oh and this in USA ...

an armed stand-off in the US Senate.

So 2020 seems to have refused to move over - much like Trump who told his followers to stop the confirmation of Biden - leading to 4 dead and a state of emergency in Washington. 

*In Other News.

Shitty Sleet - Sturdy SAAB

Sat in the SAAB in the morning watching the rain bounce off the windscreen.

Then the sleet started on the walk through Ipswich - which was deserted and felt like East Germany.

Then a pm SAAB jaunt back to Harkstead for jobs.

1m people are now infected in the UK and rising rapidly, but Vaccinations are proceeding and will accelerate - as long as we have it.

A very shitty SAAB ... etc.

Mk7 trip to check on drains in Harkstead - bad news.

So SAAB as works van - full of plumbing gear to rod it all out. Eugh.

Then PM SAAB out again now looking very shitty too - outside the Dr.

C-19 news is shittier though. New tier 5 across England from midnight due to cases still rising and about to swamp the NHS.

Level five (red) - a "material risk of healthcare services being overwhelmed" - extremely strict social distancing.

The good news is that the Oxford vaccine inoculations started today - the bad news is that the third new South African variant might be even harder to treat.

Back in the Game

Dreary weather so I hacked Far Cry 1 to play on the new PC.

So I was driving around in this.

Bad news on C-19 as cases reached another record of 57,725 on Saturday. More lockdown restrictions on the way ? Probably - but at least they start the new vaccine tomorrow.

Shiver Shiver

OK - so the Golf Mk2 is not as warm as the SAAB or the other Golf, but we took it anyway to give it a little run to Harkstead.

It was almost dark when we started out and much darker on the way back.

ROAR

Took the miles from the cars and stared to Aston up. It roared into life - but warned me against using it.

Ice warning - ho hum. So I just let it warm up as it had not been used in December.

Then Mk7 run for another walk.

Later I spotted a reference to Henrik (the previous owner of the Imp) in a chapter of a book I was reading about his Bugatti (s).

Anyway - how did the cars do in 2020 ?

Seems like the Aston won, with the Mk2 second - but all much of a muchness.

SAAB well down on the previous year but the Mk7 was about the same.