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Update. Yesterday was the fourth time in three months.
Despair.
Regards, Mick
Very frustrating for you,
Somebody did mention on here that these sorts of car are really a third car, with no wet weather gear you need a garage to store them and have to check the forecast before you go anywhere.
The car looks nicely done so I hope you do eventually find a decent buyer.
Sorry to hear this Mick, from what you said on Saturday it seemed like a sure deal, have to agree with other posts you need to get a deposit from them. The way its been going you would have been quids in by now
Yet another 'buyer' dropped out yesterday, but at least this one had the courtesy to tell me. I'm somewhat relieved as he wanted to paint it dark green and put RAF roundels on it. Sacrilege, in his words!
I'll let the advert die and maybe try again in the spring with a full MOT. Third time lucky? Who knows.
I may take her up to Bromyard for tomorrow morning's meeting. The forecast is good although my heated vest might well be needed.
I'll be going over to Bromyard in the morning, see you there. BTW, its the out of town Leggs café, not the one in the town used during the Speed Festival !
Over the last week my battery died (it had lasted over five years, no complaints) so yesterday I bought and fitted a new one. I took her out for a spin to ensure that all was well and decided (between imaginings that I was Ron Flockhart or Ivor Bueb on the Mulsanne Straight in '57) that I'd be an idiot to sell such a great car. The Lotus will have to go instead.
Last year I took my daughter's boyfriend out in it over the same route: he filmed it hand held with this shaky and wind noisy result.
In anticipation of a crisp dry sunny new year's day, I this morning booked a place at the Classic Motor Hub for the A352. Let's hope that the weather gods smile!
For anyone down South, I can highly recommend the Brooklands New Years day meeting. Very well attended and of course you get to look around the quirky museum and planes. If you take a classic or similar you get to park on the original section of banking.
In anticipation of a crisp dry sunny new year's day, I this morning booked a place at the Classic Motor Hub for the A352. Let's hope that the weather gods smile!
Regards, Mick
I am also booked in for this one Mick, see you there
Today's sortie in the A352 was simply a lunchtime spin in the glorious weather. I took my usual route over Painswick Beacon, round the town (where random pedestrians waved and clapped , and back. I stopped for a photo' call in the lay by at the top with fabulous views over the Severn; the Malvern Hills; the Forest of Dean; and (just, in the slight haze) Wales. The car performed faultlessly, even managing to spin her wheels in second on the damp surface back in Gloucester.
Two weeks ago, when covering over the beast after its regular warm up run on a rare sunny day, I noticed a thin streak of oil on the ground where I'd reversed onto my parking place on my daughter's front (we live next door to each other). A quick inspection revealed the leak was from my adaptor sump plug where the sender for my capillary oil temperature gauge is fitted. The builder working on my daughter's house had a skip blocking access to the concrete area, so I've had to wait until its removal to start work.
My lovely Polish neighbour on the other side went back through force of circumstance but kindly left me some useful kit including his home made wooden ramps, which don't skid along the ground like metal ones. Excellent!
With the great access these provide I was able to remove both the sender bulb and adaptor plug, and drain the oil. Whilst I was at it, I also removed the oil filter and ordered a new one. Examination of the plug and sender didn't give a clue as to which was faulty, but the mere three litres of drained oil told that I was very lucky to have spotted the leak in time!
Further progress will await delivery of the new filter. I'll initially fit the regular sump plug as first trial and error step in finding the guilty component.
Firstly, thanks for all the advice. When I removed the adaptor plug and sender the PTFE tape I'd used was very stringy which I'm supposing was due to the heat - on a hot day the oil temp. gauge shows 60-70°C. I think the leak was due partly to this and partly the thinning of the oil which was due a mileage change. Anyway, I made sure everything was super clean and reassembled with PTFE.
Yesterday was the first opportunity I've had to go for a blast and on return, with water at 75°C and oil 60°C, the plug area was dry .
Its MOT is due on the 29th so next job is the annual handbrake fettling. I remove the drums, emery the swept surfaces, adjust the shoes, and make sure that the cables etc. are greased. Even with this attention immediately before the test it barely scrapes through. I think I'll advertise it again at Easter (Ebay classified) and hope that it's third time lucky. If it sells I'll be down to three cars from five this time last year. I think I have 'Car Owner Virus'...
There's a paddock of sorts on the site where cars can be offered for sale, usually at grossly inflated prices. The only kit car there this year was a Marina based Teal, nicely done but £30k? What a joker!
Yesterday's sortie in the A352 was to the Classics Day at The Cotswold Wildlife Park at Burford. If memory serves, this is the first motoring event I've attended this year. I've been attending this event since the first one in '91 when the organiser hoped to get 100 Specials - he 'only' got 99. One of my favourites from the 90s was the visually uninspiring but historically important Austin Seven based Lotus Mk2, the earliest survivor of ACBC's creations.
It's about 40 miles from home but the destination lends itself to a very scenic cross country route. The A352 behaved itself impeccably although I noticed that my oil temperature gauge has packed up, investigation required. On arrival I was directed to the not so special parking area away from the retro gems, amongst which some cheeky monkey had parked an inappropriate Q reg. Nova. Naughty, and not worth a picture.
I'd seen nearly everything on display in previous years with the exception of this glorious racing Tornado Talisman in not quite Ecurie Ecosse blue.
Its pristine engine bay sported a pre-crossflow Ford mill on twin sidedraughts, proper eye candy.
Back in March, I had just given the A352 the once over for its MOT when, on the 25th, came the announcement of the six month moratorium. As quarantining (I loath the Yankspeak 'L' word) had begun nine days earlier, like the good citizen that I am, I decided to not press ahead.
Fast forward to yesterday when I logged on to the DVLA site with my V11Z to hand to 'tax' the beast. WTF? I can't do it unless I declare it to be MOT exempt? A little investigation revealed that the moratorium wasn't effective until 30 March, my due date being the 29th. Silly me, learning four and a bit months late that I'd passed up on my 15 day infection spreading window. Why have one date when you can have three?
Anyway, armed with the knowledge that I needed a test, (and that I'd been here there and everywhere without one) I got on the blower to my ever helpful test station who said "Bring it down now (0845), leave it, and we'll do it today". Brilliant, except that the forecast showed a high percentage chance of heavy showers PM. I took my reading glasses and (recommendation alert) China Mieville's award winning 'Kraken' with me, explained my weather concerns to the boss, parked on the verge opposite in the blazing heat and read for about an hour when said boss took pity and told me to come back at 1230 prompt. On punctual return a new (to me, and very complimentary) tester did the honours straight away and I'm now legal.
. Excuse wobbly photo', my hands were frozen from this morning's early drive.
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