... and the scores are In !

Well it was a dull end to the month so I thought we'd try to make it exciting.

AM a MK7 ride to baby sit Monty in Stutton.

PM the MK2 to the allotment (started eventually both times).

Trying to 'fix' the old lawnmower we have up there. I got it going but it's knackered really.

Then PM SAAB in the dull evening drizzle - I took one strimmer back - and bought a new one. Oh how domestic it was.

So to the Scores...

In Third place was the Imp with 67 miles.

In Second place it's the E-Type in 111.

So in First place by a lot is the MK2 Golf with a cool 193 miles. Even with its starting problem - bolstered by the run yesterday I suspect.

Even the two misbehaving cars (Caterham and Ferrari) did over 50 though.

So there we are - over 1000 miles if the include the SAAB - for what ? We went nowhere.

SAAB to Rassy and Evening Sun

Shake down sail today. So SAAB loaded with life raft and down we went in the cold blustery sunshine.

So a great day out - hit force 6 at times but sunshine all the way.

Glad to say it stayed out when we had got back so I had a cold and blustery run in the Imp as the sun set to round off the day.

On balance the boat was more blustery - but a close thing.

That's not an Alpine

MK2 out and loaded up - seemed to start well but I noticed it needed water - but we were off to the Sunbeam Alpine run starting at Wickham Market in the morning. 

A good turn out for such a dreary day - but it looks like we brought the wrong car again. 

The roads were flooded in two places - the MK2 got though but not the Alpines.

But the car did not look too wet by the end in Thorpeness.

More Bus Stop antics

Only 500 yards in the SAAB - bus stop painting and back.

Before the rain came in the evening.

Finally SAAB out late to check the allotment taps (not done), drop off toy cars in Stutton and an envelope in Harkstead.

The toy cars were probably on message !

Golf to Rassy

Morning run in the MK7 to the boat to put the sails on. Always a learning experience.

We got there in the end. 

Then PM Harkstead run for tea and back to the boat to rig the ropes we had forgotten. On the way we rescued a dog we found in the road.

We got there in the end (again). But we need a shakedown sail. Funny think is that we did it exactly the same day last year.

Brrrrr

Cold and dreary day - more hail - so no car action - other than loading the SAAB boot for Saturday and the Village Jobs.

Taking a Tiger's Temperature

Dreary day with hail on and off as well as cold rain.

PM things looked up (not weather wise though) with a SAAB trip up to Glevering and then a run to the trimmers to help deliver parts. The car is under all this.

The work is progressing slowly - and with only 18 days to go until the trip to Shuttleworth too. I drove the Ford Kuga back - so that's another odd car this month.

When we got back the Tiger was started (ok third go) and we took the temperature.

Here is the V8 squeezed in which might help it warm up. The temperature gauge seems to be reading about 10 degrees centigrade too high - but it stabilised about 70 degrees c - which is mid way on the range so seems ok.

Small Steps

Checked on the Alpine first thing. It would be better to get this car back - rather than buy another one ... really ... it would. Anyway here it is.

Still in 'paint prep' but very white - and we might have colour on it in the next few weeks.

Later SAAB to Ransoms for utility shopping. It always reminds me of living in Washington DC - walking across the large retail parks from one shop to another.

It was as bleak as it looks.

Finally SAAB to the allotment for a quick job in the drizzle. 

Back to SAAB

Just a working SAAB - off to the allotment with plumbing gear.

Train it Day !

Drive it Day Today ...

So we drove to the train stain in a Modern 😒

and came back on this.

I did spot a Maybach on in the City - Why on a Sunday morning ?

HR7 number plate too !

MERCEDES-BENZ S580 Marbach 1ST CLASS MHEV 4M A - Hybrid Electric (Clean). Is what the DVLA site said. Surprisingly only about £100k.

Once home I made it out too - even if it was only to the bottle bank.

So Drive it Day and we're only doing jobs...

Bus Stop Life

SAAB all of 500 yards up the road in the morning and parked up with tools for the job on board.

I think there were six of us working on it and it came up fine.

Not that I've ever used it. See how quickly it gets graffiti'ed.

PM just passenger in MK7.

Steam makes a comeback

Baby sitting for Monty am and got the new train out. The steam actually works too.

I'm not sure who was more excites us or him ?

Then pm the first job was trying to fix this bike with a broken tyre.

I then thought I'd get the E-type out and run around the block. 

Although it seems to have shrunk a bit. It also had an annoying rattle from the passenger window - so I put some more felt in the channel and we'll see if it helps next time we're out.

Then I packed the SAAB with painting equipment for tomorrow. 

Finally quick run up to Harkstead to try for evening pictures of the river. Too cold to hang around though. On my return in the dark I noticed I'd not spotted that Monty had left the lights on in the Golf - Dho !

A Tiger out of its Cage

AM Golf MK2 up to Glevering to get the Tiger out at last - but first I had to help with garage metalwork. Good news was that the Golf started first time.

Then after the work was complete (several hours later) a run to a pub - again in the Golf and again it started first time both times.

Then eventually it was Tiger time. Some 'plus gas' down the carb and it quickly sprang into life.

A short run down the drive and back (well that's almost a mile) - and it sounded great. The American V8 might have something to do with that. Then a bit of fettling at the workshop and I 'drove' it back.

The seating position is different (and not in a good way), the gears are floppy, the steering is very stiff and probably a bit seized, as is one brake disk, oh and the exhaust hanger is broken. But we're getting it there. 

First impressions then - I'll keep the Alpine.

Home time and the Golf started yet again and flew home in the fading sunshine. A Nice Day.

Popping but Clean

Started the day with the dirty Ferrari. Warming it up ready for the clean it deserves. A few pops and bangs on the way out of the garage too. Lots of cleaning and detailing in the cold shade. But it looked great after all the attention.

I did not realise how dirty it was.

No pops and bangs on the way back into the garage - perhaps it appreciated the clean.

Then pm SAAB for a Harkstead run.

As to the Riley I spotted yesterday - it's gone already. So the Caterham gets another chance to stay on the fleet. I did not really want it to go anyway.

Hoping for the rain

SAAB out for jobs first thing - pottering to the allotment.

I'd just expected to do one job but I thought I'd do more until the rain came. By the time I'd done an hour of digging I was hoping for the rain !

Then evening run in the SAAB to pick stuff up from Stutton.

That's about it other than seeing this for sale - a 1934 Riley 14/6 Lincock ...

Winter's Back

Not a day for classics as the rain and hail came down on and off.

Even the SAAB looked nonplussed.

I checked the garage floor for the small screw again: nope. While there I also looked at the Imp dip stick with a torch with greater success - there is lots of oil on it.

Just the Load Lugger

AM SAAB back to the allotment again.

Bits and bobs in the boot. 

Then pm it was into Ipswich to the showground 'Shop Small' event and back via the river for another 'Vintage' retail opportunity (we declined at both) - then home for more work.

Too knackered by 7 pm to take out a classic in the dying light though - shame as the weather is reverting to seasonal norms - whatever they are now the climate is in freefall.

ION: Over night Iran launched quite an arsenal at Israel (110 ballistic missiles, 36 cruise missiles and 185 drones) although all seem to have been shot down though by various countries. Things are hotting up in the Ukraine war too with dry weather allowing Russian gains. South Sudan  is another forgotten war we're being reminded about. Finally lets not forget the Gazza which is a continuing humanitarian disaster. Better get digging for victory if you ask me.

The Load Lugger and the Least Appropriate

Started the day taking the SAAB to the builders merchant for pipe, gravel boards and re-bar. Just fitted in.

Then PM the spluttering Seven out to B&Q for grass seed etc. It was dwarfed.

It goes very well on power, but still spluttering a bit on pottering.

Then finally MK2 to the allotment for work.

It started first time going there but 'failed to proceed' when coming back. I really must sort that out.

Finally I thought I'd have a tinker with the Imp mirror to try to stop it rattling. Ah I managed to undo all the micro-screws but could not separate the two halves. So I put it back together - only for one liny screw to jump out and onto the floor. 10 mins later and even with the car out of the garage I could not find it so put in a close substitute. Dho.

Two Zeros and a Doppelganger

Morning run out in the SAAB - Harkstead to the Heath - and of course back.

Then riding around in the MK2 - allotment and then down to the boat to put the cockpit cover on - very warm - and windy.

Looked good and made us want to go sailing - although we still need the sails on and the wind won't drop. Did I mention the wind ?

PM after a few more jobs I decided to get the E-type out. Down on the gravel it looked purposeful.

Opened it up on the run - and saw (Two Zeros + 1 at the front) on the speedo. 

Later I was reading Classic and Sports car and spotted an advert for fuel injection for a 4.2. Hang on I think that's me !

Indeed it was - from the 2017 photoshoot. Well I never.

Everything but the SAAB

AM I serviced both bikes and then took mine for a run.

Then early afternoon I had a choice.

The Imp won out but nice to have that choice. It still sounds like the exhaust is blowing but I can't see where. Sounded a but more noisy too but that was probably me. I did notice the plug holes are clean though after over 60 miles - which is a first. It must be the new gaskets.

Then Aston to the recycling - well the planet is on fire - so every little helps. Not sure the Audi driver appreciated being upstaged though.

Back home it was still sunny so I decided to risk the Ferrari - cold. I'll not do it again.

Pop and bang a little on the start up - then running lumpy. The a bigger set of backfire's on the early part of the lap. It finally settled down to 7.5 again. It will just have to wait in the garage for a while. It still deserves a clean though.

On the way back I thought about having Seven cars and at least one will be misbehaving. Well I now have two with problems, one not 100% (the Caterham) and one in restoration. Imp, E-type and Aston are fine though. I hope.

Just more SAAB trips

A bit of a dreary day - cold and rain splatters pm.

So SAAB (and MK7) out for a family trip to Flatford - I left the SAAB in the street to save parking charges though.

Looked very suburban sitting there when I got back.

Then into Ipswich to get glasses fixed. Then after lunch Harkstead for a job and then Stutton for birthday cake. 

All very suburban too.