It's only Money

So went down to test drive the Imp - in the MK2 as the SAAB is 'hors de combat''. A good run that only took and hour and a half - even with getting a bit lost. Nice view when I arrived too.

The reason for the visit was parked up in the workshop though.

The head gasket was done, as was the cleaning out of the sump etc. The interesting finding was that the manifold was leaking on both carbs so it was drawing in air. 'Had I heard a whistling sound' Matt asked ... it only struck me later that comment from the Church run about a 'supercharger'...

Anyway I did a short test drive and it's fine - although the advance retard kept moving to the retard setting and sapping all the power which was disturbing. It will be fixed before it gets collected though. [I still don't like the headlight covers.]

Big bill was waiting for me too - now paid. 

Then back in the MK2 which seemed to be running even better - until the inevitable holdup on the A12.

Miles wise guess who won in October. The SAAB at just over 1000 miles - so I guess it deserves some TLC.

They talk to each other you know

We dropped SAAB off at Abbotts for work first thing - as you can see the 'check engine' light was off.

They still had the odd looking and unloved SAAB 93/96 with body kit in there as it has been since I picked up the E-type in July.

Next when I got home was a run in the MK2 to Harkstead to change the clocks back. The car was looking decidedly dirty so it got a good clean in the afternoon.

Just as I finished the garage phoned. Not good news - the SAAB needs welding both sides at the back, a new electric module and two new tyres. That's going to be expensive. As I went back into the garage in shock I found this.

It was the SAAB badge that had fallen down from the rafters in shock too !

That's the Way to Go

Short MK7 passenger hop to Stutton for walk am before the rain swept in.

Spotted this Rolls Herse 'in progress'.

I wonder if he (Jo) does pre-orders ?

Another tale of Two Cars

Moist start to the morning with the SAAB covered in dew.

Off we went for a shopping trip.

Then PM SAAB again for a short hop for photos. Followed by the Aston for recycling and to keep it warm - and what did I find when I got there ?

Another Aston !

It did amuse me to squeeze in beside it. A Vanquish-S - V12 monster. I still prefer mine.

A Tale of Two Cars

Check up on the missing fleet this morning.

Good news is that the Riley is done, other issues have been sorted and it's running very well. Time to test drive it and arrange collection next week in the rain - hopefully only the latter in the rain.

Then asking about the Alpine I was sent this:

The farmer/landlord had blocked the road to Lee's so he can't get the cars moved to the new workshops. Seems they have fallen out.

Finally a MK7 ride to Harkstead.

ION: Other people falling out appear to be the US who have just carried out air strikes against two weapons and ammunition storage facilities in eastern Syria - while the Israelis pause their action in Gazza.

Wrong Waze

Here we are again - morning packing in the dark - in fact the streets lights were not even on.

Car needs a wash and clean inside now again. Engine light on and then off as we left for the inevitable queues at the port.

However these were not as bad as the ones at the Dartford Tunnel for no reason.

Finally we were warned that the A12 was closed - according to Waze - but it was not. So that made things easier and home we were again. We just topped 700 miles in all - a lot with the check engine light glowing too.

La Little and La Large

Dinan by twin rides again - but via the dump just for old times sake.

Spotted another Microcar - but in the small medieval streets it seemed bigger.

However scale was restored as I walked past this truck - British registration - and it's been there before, so I suspect it lives here.

Then a bottle bank run (check engine light having gone out) then back to Dinan again for supper. 

Formula Macro

Two car shuffle (with M&F's Audi) to facilitate a walk around the St Caste le Guildo peninsula.

Spotted this very large (but technically a medium SUV) Renault Arkana Hybrid - in Eye Searing Orange.

Then off shopping where I had to squeeze my tiny SAAB into the space next to the pillar. How will the car parks cope with these huge cars.

There is already talk of old car parks needing strengthening as Electric cars are so heavy. Progress.

Formula Micro

SAAB to La Hisse car park for a walk into Dinan along the Rance. It's been there before a few times.

Spotted another of these very small Ligier JS50 cars. The Ligier I think of is Formula 1 (1976 and 1996) but none of those to be seen.

Rose'y Outlook

SAAB long run off to Tregastel and coast on the Northern Brittany coast knows as the Côte de Granit Rose. About 150k there to this car park overlooking the bay.

Don't worry the bottle of water was not left there too long.

I think more than 50% of the run was in brand new tarmac too. Some worryingly quiet. The check engine light did its usual off - and on again trick. 

So with the running around a nice round 200 miles in the Autumn sunshine. 

Tricolour Transport

Heavy rain most of the day, so jobs in the house before SAAB pottering to the shops. 

Spotted this Electric Astra in the shopping mall and a Corsa too - both chunky things bit not too hideous.

Badged as Opel of course as they are on the continent. Then treated to a patriotic row of Red, white and blue in the wet car park.

Misty Morning

Off the boat with little queueing and into a misty morning.

Not a lot has changed though.

SAAB check engine light off though all day so we went shopping - as to be expected - but spotted this wine. 

It was 14% so you could probably run the car on it too. Not one we'll buy again I suspect - but a fun one nevertheless. 

You're Never Too Early

Packing before the expected rain for a run to France.

Even with just the two of us - and not tools etc. - there always seems a lot to take. Thank god for the big SAAB boot. Check engine light on again when we set off.

Dull run down using the A130 which went fine and arrived a tad early at the port, but at least we were not late.

Stopped for a security check in the sheds though. Fun and probably the highlight. 

A Storm Sweeps in

Listening to the rain rattling on the windows thinking it was good timing getting the Imp delivered yesterday.

Quick hop to the local shops in the SAAB then a passenger ride in the MK7 to Harkstead was it - before the storm Babet arrived with a Red warning for rain in the North.

ION: The world is waiting for Israel to launch it's storm on Gaza - 10 days after the attacks and as the death toll on each side rises. Another pause today as the Al-Ahli hospital in Gaza was destroyed killing over 400 people and everyone looks at each other to blame. What next ?

Gosh - That's blown it

Imp collected first thing and strapped securely to a huge trailers.

Then I followed in the SAAB (with the check engine light shining brightly) to Blue Diamond at Rochford. I only beat him by 5 mins in the end after stops and going slightly wrong. Easy run though and only took me about 90 minutes.

So we off loaded the poor car and they started work immediately - trying to get it started. Nice fat sparks but no luck - luckily I thought.

They had a nice Salmson used for racing in the workshop with they moved to get the Imp in.

Home was longer especially as it included me missing the A130 turning and then after a break going via Ipswich and the dentist. News was quick in coming though.

Basically the head gasket was blown and by the time they phoned me they had already taken the head off and cleaned the muck out of the water ways and cleaned the muck out of the radiator - so far they think we caught it before much damage was done. We'll see when it all goes back together.

Finally a MK7 ride to the shops and more spending - but not, I suspect, as much as this will cost me.

Unexpected Treat

Pottered in the garage in the bloody cold getting the Imp ready for tomorrow, but there was not really much to do. I failed to get the final cam cover gasket on as well - but then that's the one that leaks less.

So to celebrate I went of a cycle on the two wheeled member of the fleet.

Then PM video Oliver said he's been testing his new drone and we arranged for an impromptu test. I decided the E-type was clean enough, although I did detail the bonnet and clean the windows. I took some stacking test shots on the drive too.

Then I drove us down to the river and we did some short sequences. 

Even this one with me driving under the bridge. It made Suffolk look like Scotland.

Well to my mind anyway. Looking back at the pics even the iPhone one looked good.

Shuffling them around again

Moved the MK7, SAAB, Aston and Ferrari so we could get the top box back in the garage loft when Oli delivered it.

There must be a better system ?

But it did give me an excuse to take the 308 around the block - in the cold sunshine - before putting it away. It did pop and bang a bit on start up - but I think I flooded it - and it was quite cold.

Bloody Light

Early MK7 ride into town for shopping then back again - in the cold sunshine. Odd photo but it's where we did the areal shots for the 2017 Sunbeam National - always odd to go back to Trinity Park now.

Then MK2 out and about in the afternoon - Home/Stutton/Harkstead/home/Harkstead/home.

Faffed around because I forgot something.

Then PM SAAB out to save the planet - only to have this come on as we were driving.

Never had it just appear while we were gong along before.

Town and Out

SAAB to the dentist in town first thing. Street parking in the busy road.

Then popped out into town again shopping in the afternoon but ended up on the on wrong bit of the one way system. 

More rain in the afternoon to finish me off.

SAAB Shuttle Service

Just two runs to Stutton and back to facilitate the MK7 MOT and service.

Rain most of the day too - so not a lot of other car opportunities.

Here comes Autumn

Only a short SAAB jaunt to Harkstead as it threatened to rain. Still 21 degrees and early October though.

Then I found an old negative from the 1970's - a Hovercraft !

I've not got one of those in the fleet ...

It's Only Original - Twice

After a morning of Admin it was Caterham into town in the Heat. October is not usually like this. I was very hot in just a shirt and fleece.

Decided when I got back to try to fit the new temperature guide that arrived yesterday. Seemed do-able. The hardest bit was undoing the nut holding the retaining bar on. It was hidden behind here.

That done the rest of the job was fine. Here we are fitted and working after a short test drive.

The only problem was that it looked too new. So I decided to take the face off the old one and swap them around.

That's much more in keeping. So to celebrate we went around the block again.

It's getting Dark Early Now

Late run in the Ferrari, well 6:00 was not that later really. But the nights are drawing in !

Took a shot at a different angle too.

Had to come home with the lights on too. At least it shows they are still working !

Not SPF25 then ?

Riding around in the MK7 again - this time for a walk around a wood. In the warm sun. In early October.

Then MK7 again PM this time down to the marina and Harkstead. To sit in the warm sun. In early October.

Finally I was able to get the E-type out. I seem to have taken that pic before.

Leaving the village I came up behind a light blue Sunbeam Tiger - I thought the registration was SPF 25, but I guess I was mistaken as it's not on the MOT site. They stopped at the RHS so I did and we had a quick chat - they had just got the car after an extensive restoration. Indeed it looked pristine. 

PS: It turns out it was SSF 25.

Pirate or Pikey ? I prefer Womble !

G2R first thing for a sail in the October sunshine - hot too out of the wind. 

Spotted some pallets on the way home too. So my evening run was to get them in the SAAB of course.

Noticed it was getting dark too about 6:00 so evening runs will have to be quick - and the clocks go back at the end of the month too !

ION: Its all kicked off in the middle East again as Hamas launch a surprise invasion of Israel - and of course that won't end well - now they are at war for real.

High Hopes Dash, Potted

Ride in Honda something modern first thing.

Then PM decided to attack the Imp again - try to refresh the fuel as John advised. Ah not as easy as that sounds. So we went off to get some new 97 octane in the SAAB.

I found that the fuel chamber tops won't come off unless you take them off the carbs as they hit the dashpot. So you have to remove them from the main carb at the bottom, having disconnected the fuel line too both the common feed and the individual feed to the bowl (I thought).

Anyway that done I captured the old fuel and found it was quite dirty, as was the bottom of the bowl, but I would guess it's not been cleaned out for a long time. Here is the before and after with the pile of muck I got out.

So here are the three fuels. From the carb, from the lines and then fresh. In ascending order of lightness.

Then the next problem was how to get the new clean fuel in the bowls once I had reassembled them ? I had marked the top of the bowl to align that but the union to the bottom and fuel feed had a home in it that I also thought might need aligning - but it did not seem to be do'able.

My solution was to pump new fuel in - which seemed to work as it used up all the fuel in the plastic container.

So after reassembling everything the best I could I gave it a go - having disconnected the fuel pump first so it did not squirt everywhere. I'd had had the plugs out all this time to 'dry' the bores if necessary.

It turned over better and even tried to fire a couple of times - but then went back to it's sluggish sulky single try. Ho hum indeed.

Well you can't say I'm not getting to know the car more.

Then final SAAB run to the co-op for snacks to reward my efforts.