The Ghost in the Machine

I thought I'd add a beam to the carport to hang the lights on, so I went to move the Alpine. When I approached the garage the radio went on. Odd I thought was it was locked. It turned out it was the Golf. Not sure how or how long ?

Anyway I moved the car out and got to work.

Both grey now I thought.

PM we took the MK7 to Stutton for the GTs then onto Harkshead for a cash drop. Home again I thought I'd put petrol in the E-type - so out came the 10 litres of E5 and I poured in in. 

It's very dusty again - and deserves more love. It ran well though and a chap on a Harley in the petrol station was made-up seeing it (he used to have a Series 2). That done it was ...

Another Harkstead run - this time to fix a door.

Home again and I'd had enough so packed the Alpine away and called it a day.

More Alpine Love

I started to think what the Alpine needed and was making a mental list when ... I spotted how dirty the cover was. So I started by cleaning the car cover. I thought it was a bit dusty but WOW.

It was filthy. Even after two buckets of black water I could have done it again but I stopped there and whet back to the primary job - pottering with the Alpine.

First I stuck the window channel on (again).

While that was setting I cleaned the plugs. Number 1 and 2 were fine but 3 and 4 were a bit sooty.

The water was fine - even after the Norfolk run - and so was the oil. I also tried to stick down the dashboard top so we'll see how I get on with that.

I gave it a 'wet dust' after that, started it (first time) and left it for this evening.

PM I helped Nigel fit the tiny bulb in the gear selector panel. I'd guessed right and it came out easily once we undid the hidden screw.

The only issue was when I dropped a screw for the ash tray and it ran off inside somewhere to hide - but it is very well padded in there so it should not rattle.

I then went back to the Alpine and put small washers under each of the tonneau pegs to try to stop them coming loose again.

Next I looked for the rattle from the Talbot. The large wing nuts were both Secure but the face of the heater was rattling away like a good 'en, so I put some double sided tape on that to secure it.

Then there was just enough time for a run in the Ferrari - so off we went.

The car seemed to be going even better tonight.

So then the Alpine off to the RGEA meeting. I've got to sort out the rattles - one from the door I think and the other the handbrake mechanism. 

I was late and there were already a Tiger, Alpine, John's 30/98 and this Superb Rapier rally car there.

Looking at it later it had the weber carbs (DCOE 42's) set far further from the engine - helping it give no fuel trouble.

The run back was good too. The car liked the cooler air and we buzzed along in the dark about 60 most of the way - although I did jump over a big bump on the concrete section of the bypass which made me need to control the car.

Finally Nigel sent a picture of the gear selector - now lit up.

Very pleasing.

Red Lights all the Way ?

A slow day. After all the miles of the last few days I decided to catch up. I'm not sure on what but that's what I did. Well on and off which included going through the Prescott pics and post a few. There were some good ones amongst the batch.

Later evening I though the Riley deserved a run. 

I noticed the brake lights were on again. I tapped he pedal and they went off.

The car still feels slower - or a bit rougher - although the temperature was fine and the oil pressure stayed around the 40 psi - even though it was still a warm 75 degrees.

Back in the garage the brake lights were on again - another tap and they went out. I wonder if that happens while I'm driving too ?

So is it the switch or are the brakes really on ?

Guessing Right

I did the obligatory check first thing - almost no water used - but I topped it up anyway. I looked at the 30/98 again, it really was packed to the gunwales - or even over them.

I made the two swings - at the top and the bottom of the car park this time - so we were off just after 9:00. We filled up with petrol immediately, just over 42 litres but I did brim the tank.

Then we headed for the Fosse Way, which was a good road and not completely beset with roundabouts. TAS enjoyed cruising at around 50 mph for an hour until we picked up the M6 and almost immediately the A14.

As expected, it was very busy with lories and more traffic than Saturday but we bustled along. I did get cut up a couple of times and had to judge the on/off ramps carefully but I was feeling confident, so we pushed on past Kettering and onto the new services at Cambridge just a smidge over 100 miles in the one jump.

The services were also very busy and Jana had to hold up the traffic for me to get out as we left, but generally the Talbot had approving comments and looks.

From Cambridge services to home we were on home ground so I mixed it with the faster Lorries and picked up the pace to 65 or even 70 mph for short stretches.

Again one thing that concerned me was the 'knocking' at about 55-60 accelerating under load which sounded like tappets or valves - I'll have a look at what it might be - that went away about 60+ mph and did not seem to reappear.

We guessed right and came into the village the long way so got past the road closed section and into our drive (over the drawbridge) with no issues. 

We were home by 2:00 pm - so five hours this run. It was a 'cool' 82 degrees by then so it's been a hot day for the car. Mind you it's been a hot drive for us too.

So that was 180 miles done today and just shy of 400 over he weekend. Everything seemed fine ... ish.

The final check when everything had cooled down showed very little water used - a splash - and no discernable oil.

Not even the Oldest There

Having checked it last night I decided to top up the radiator. It took just less than half a pint of water - which I thought was fine. I looked again and thought just how badly I had parked last night.

I checked the oil too which was higher than yesterday when we set off - but then we were on a slope. I then finished off by cleaning the windscreen - badly. The route out of the car park was tight and I needed a three point turn on the slope to make it. That was hard but off we went, only to find the road we were going to take was closed.

So it was the long run again - only to find that the road has just been resurfaced - but we had no choice really by then. Now I know Suffolk is considered flat but we went up several 300 meter hills - and down again. On the up up up stages the temperature also went up predictably, but interestingly on the 'down' slopes the temperature went down too - sometimes a lot.

Eventually we picked up the route and as two more vintage cars fell in behind us we thought we'd be fine. In fact there was no queue - nor ticked office - so we sailed in and parked at the back of the Talbots.

The day was long and hot. Punctuated by a few Talbots on the hill that conspired to go out of their way to appear when I had my camera inaccessible - trying to avoid me photographing them.

We chatted to Harry of Lavinia fame at lunch time but generally the club felt less approachable. Odd.

Eventually even I had had enough and I discovered we were almost the last to leave after waiting for John Polson's final run in his single seater which I basically missed shooting properly so this is an earlier shot.

Anyway, we set off home - only to be defeated by the bloody satnav. Turning round and retracing our steps saw us back at Blockley eventually (we took an hour to do 25 miles) and as Jana guided us in and up the slope, I squeezed in on the lower level between two badly parked cars - was that Karma ?

Sitting in the restaurant however another vintage car (towing a small trailer) shot up the track to the car park - followed by his wife on foot. He did not look happy. It turned out to be a well used 1923 30/98 - the opposite end of the spectrum to John's.

It was dirty, battered and packed with gear. It looked great though. I made my introduction after supper and he had said he has had the car for 20+ years and I suspected had grown up with vintage cars.

Doing the Hill Climb Ourselves ?

I fired up the Talbot first thing, it started first press of the button - using the choke and a couple of dabs on the throttle. Easy when you do it correctly. Then I filled the boot with 2 cases, a smaller bottle of antifreeze mix, jump pack and pump, tools, cleaning kit and finally the crook lock.

I finally finished packing and around 9:45 and we set off - we battling with the first set of roadworks - well the ones outside the house.

The traffic was light as it was Saturday and we made good time so I decided to pass Cambridge services and stop for very expensive petrol at the site on the A428 - only discover the new road is bypassing it - although it's still accessible at the moment.

So after an expensive 37 litres - and a chat to a chap with a VW van who liked the car and another with a Caterham SV who was not interested - we set off again about 11:15. I noticed the water temperature had dropped significantly even in the 10 mins we were at the station.

The next leg is the worse with the colossal engineering and roadworks at the Black Cat interchange (which we passed fine) and the 250 roundabouts through Milton Keynes. I'm not sure who needed the rest more after those - me or the car - but by the time we made the lunch stop at the farm shop just over an hour later I was happy for an hour off.

The next leg was slow but not that hard going on the car - if you ignore the constant 20 mph limits through the villages - until near the end when the steep hills really kicked in. I did notice the oil light come on a few times when we were stopped in traffic and very hot again so I'll monitor that.

Arriving in Blockley at last it was as a picture postcard Cotswold stone village as you would see anywhere. Also blessed with the narrowest streets TAS has seen in a long while.

Finally we spotted the hotel. The entrance was as narrow as expected and very hard to get the turning circle to get lined up for it - specially as it was very steep too.

So steep it felt like I'd done the hill climb by the time I reached the top - but we made it.

I parked badly three times and then gave up. I was more knackered than the car but after 169 miles we were there. Checking the car over later we used the new tool kit to help a cyclist undo his valve so that is already earning its keep.

Going for a walk around the village and in to the church we spotted that Blockley had been the setting for the 'Father Brown' TV series. No me neither but I did think I recognised the Sunbeam Talbot in it.

Finally as I was checking the car again a Massive Mercedes Tank arrived and had to park next to us. It was a hire car he said, excusing himself and then nervously backed into what little space I had left for him while I watched.