What did you do today?

[mercrocker]

Was about to take the van over the Forest to a spot we know that the townies don't. Sounded like a bloody Fordson Major.....Closer inspection (which is not easy when you have move bedding, mattress, carpet, plywood liner and a submarine hatch to get to it) reveals a complete lack of manifold studs on left hand rear port. HTF did that happen? Looking at the right hand rear it seems at some point the studs have been replaced by bolts which isn't too clever as it is all too easy to wind them in too far. So, I suppose the left hand had been as well and the fuckers must have unwound themselves out (?!) allowing the mating flange gasket to drop out. There is a one eighth inch gap there now. They can't have been left out as it hasn't sounded like this before, this is recent. Looks a right cunt to access without taking off the thermostat and that isn't happening.....I've ordered new studs, nuts and a gasket and I have trial-inserted a small bolt through both holes to check access - just hope I don't cross thread the fuckers when I come to do it.

[fried onions]

I think the black stuff on the Cowley is factory applied anti-drumming. It's the same inside my Nuffield factory products, inside the doors and boot wheel arches.

[59Impala]

I have fearfully neglected my poor little Anglia for quite a while, think the last time it was out on the road terrorising other motorists with its mighty 39bhp was August 2018, that was also the last time it visited a petrol station. Last June/July I started it, moved it out of the garage and let it run for a while then put it back in. Fast forward to this year of misery and I decided that I should have another peek at it, thus put a fresh gallon of Esso Supreme in the tank (no ethanol you see), turned it over by hand, checked levels etc etc. Inserted key, normal noisy Ford starter motor noise and as soon as fuel got to the carb it gave a polite cough. Pulled choke out a bit and it purred into life. So backed it out, put air in the tyres and let it run, all systems go. Drove it up and down the drive and was happy. Might venture out onto the highway when the heat dies down a bit. Here it is with its menacing garage companion.

IMG_0015.JPG (610.2 KiB) Viewed 3507 times

And happily sitting on the drive, admittedly about five years ago.

IMG_0898.JPG (642.02 KiB) Viewed 3507 times

[Nibblet]

Ohh ahh that's sweet.
Arent the tyres a bit flattened? Or do you shift it about from time to time?

[59Impala]

Cheers, it'll be 61 in October. Big plus is that it has never been restored so that is Dagenham's finest paint effort complete with some runs. First owner kept it for 30 years. No I am very bad at moving it about but the tyres are fine albeit pretty old so could do with being replaced next year, They had only lost a couple of pounds too. Radials seem to be much better than crossplies when it comes to leaving a car sitting about, never have any problems with either car.

[mercrocker]

I think the black stuff on the Cowley is factory applied anti-drumming. It's the same inside my Nuffield factory products, inside the doors and boot wheel arches.

Could well be, it isn't present in the Minor but has probably been restored out of it over the years. There is certainly a sticky, tarry substance throughout the sills - the welder bitched about it for days. The original owner worked at the same place as my grandfather and he used to daub everything in it too including the bottoms of his watering cans!

[Guest]

I have been looking at hot cars. Sadly not performance cars, but two of mine that have been unhappy in the heat. I have found that the electric fan is kicking in on the Vanden Plas so that's one good thing. I tried to look up behind the dashboard and crippled myself (knee and hip gone wrong) That can wait for another day then.

So onto the Mx5. My ham fisted, car destroying mate was using it yesterday and said steam came out from under the bonnet when he was stuck in a queue of stationary traffic. (My immediate question was, what did the temp gauge say, did you whack the heater on full?).
Apparently temp gauge was normal, but he called into local garage who told him the head gasket had gone.

He put water in and brought it back to me. There is a lot of water staining by the expansion bottle, no oil in the water, no water in the oil, no white smoke from the exhaust and it sounds no worse than usual.

I have topped the water up and fitted a new pressure cap on the radiator. It has had a quick spin and hasn't lost water, I have run it up on the drive for 20 minutes it reached nirmal temp and stayed there. No sign of water coming out,. Heater is working fine. I then switched it off and watched and listened, no sign of water coming out. I'm hoping that was all it was, but, will have to keep a close check on it. I need to clean all the water stains up to see if they come back. I really hope it is just that and not thermostat, water pump, radiator, clogged up cooling system, I'm pretty sure it is not the head gasket (yet)

The radiator doesn't look that wonderful but no stains on it. If it does carry on holding water then I will need to drain it and get some antifreeze in there pretty quick as I have no idea how much it's diluted.

[PhilA]

Perhaps the cap vented, blew a bit of crap against the cap seal and prevented it from holding pressure, so it boiled over despite the needle being in the normal range?

[mercrocker]

I have fearfully neglected my poor little Anglia for quite a while, think the last time it was out on the road terrorising other motorists with its mighty 39bhp was August 2018, that was also the last time it visited a petrol station. Last June/July I started it, moved it out of the garage and let it run for a while then put it back in. Fast forward to this year of misery and I decided that I should have another peek at it, thus put a fresh gallon of Esso Supreme in the tank (no ethanol you see), turned it over by hand, checked levels etc etc. Inserted key, normal noisy Ford starter motor noise and as soon as fuel got to the carb it gave a polite cough. Pulled choke out a bit and it purred into life. So backed it out, put air in the tyres and let it run, all systems go. Drove it up and down the drive and was happy. Might venture out onto the highway when the heat dies down a bit. Here it is with its menacing garage companion.

IMG_0015.JPG
And happily sitting on the drive, admittedly about five years ago.
IMG_0898.JPG

Lovely pair of cars.....best of my birth year!

[xtriple]

I was in a steaming bad mood when I came home (bloody vets!) so I did some washing (my shorts that the fat useless dog had bounded across - shattering my bollox in the process- mainly) and then waited for the temperature to drop down to merely 'effin' hot' and then washed the car. Then, as I was still grumbling like a 1984 Escort gearbox, I polished the damn thing as well.

It does look good all clean etc but every time I do it, I find another scratch or mark for me to obsess over. I hate being me sometimes.