Practically Classics Forum

Well, yesterday to be exact..... Drove, towed too, 130 or so miles with my 'jammer' (caravan) for a weekend in The Vendee
Worringly had a sort of hot clutchy smell whilst stopping at the toll booths though

Paul240480 wrote:Worringly had a sort of hot clutchy smell whilst stopping at the toll booths though

I often smell this at a toll booth, its usually me perspiring at the thought of handing over money

My Shitbox Rally Fiat 131 passed inspection today for historic registration. I celebrated by fitting a CD player to it so we will have some tunes on the journey. It should have numberplates sometime next week.

Well today I have been lead loading on the beetle.

After 2 hours playing "find the clonk" I got bored and went to my local land rover specialist (about half a mile away) for him to have a look. 5 minutes and he found one failing lower tie rod bush. (having a ramp makes life so much easier!) He has ordered a set of blue polly bushes as what i thought was a full set in my garage is only about half a kit. He's going to use his press to take out the old bushes all round for me so i can bung the new ones in during the week. I thought changing just the failed / failing bushes was fairly pointless as they are all the same age so may as well get them all done at once.
Once this lot is done i think I will have to bite the bullet and start on the bodywork.

Drove the Midget for a bit and carried on sorting out its bodywork but the quick oil change on the Saab proved to be the awkward faff, I think the sump plug has either never been out (dealer service history suspect they've drawn it out the top) or it was done up by the same rock ape that put the oil filter on (more likely I suppose) . On such a well engineered car why is the sump plug only 13mm and made of fudge? After much mucking about a 12mm socket hammered on, worried with an impact driver and eventually removed with a 20" bar got it off. The oil filter needed at least a whole turn with the chain wrench before I could turn it by hand. Takes 20 minutes to change the oil in the Midget. Nice day to be out though.

Freshening up the front end

Not cars today...vintage synth trouble instead. My ancient Korg has been playing up of late, and become somewhat erratic and strange, with all manner of weird key assignments going on. In the middle of the pic is the prime suspect- that is a 3v Sanyo CR2032 cell that retains programme and parameter memory, and as I bought the synth when it was only 3 years old and I have never changed the battery so that makes it the original from 1985! These are only supposed to last about 5 years or so As these little sods are soldered in I'm finally going to need to do the DW8000 mod of fitting a more sensible CR2032 battery holder from maplin to make it a bit easier next time..................and I'm already missing shaking the walls with those faaaaattttttt 80's bass sounds and weird digi-analoguery.

Just look at the corrosion around the cell- it's amazing it's lasted so long!!

Bolted the new plates on the Fiat, swapped the Italian alternator for a common-as-muck Ford Falcon Bosch one. Took it for a decent drive and nothing broke except the glove box lid.

1 down, 1 to go.