Holden up the traffic - a roadtrip

part 2 - the car

Well, that's why we are here, right? It started, ran fine, all the fluids and levels were ok. Hadn't been driven for some time, and the stat has been removed, but it all looked ok. Even had a full tank of LPG on board.

Tried the seat out for size... it's comfy but largely made of gaffa tape. Controls are the usual early 70's ergonomic nightmare but i'm used to cortinas so it took no figuring out really. Everything seemed ok, money and documents changed hands, and we are ready to set off north (at about 5pm)

BUT

what will part 3 bring? Is the AA truck and part open bonnet an omen of some sort? Stay tuned......

c'mon SOC - and there'd better be a celebratory burnout shot

- kfw
ps - ow the frick do you roll a tank?@?@?@

Stretched tank tracks and chopped springs I bet. Thats how the Squaddies like them.

Part 3 - the journey home...

So I bet you are all wondering what this big old gas fired aussie donk drives like then

Well, it's interesting. Bit like a granada automatic that ate all the pies, but with it's own quirks.
Things like the windscreen wipers. Small, single speed, and australian. You put them on because it's been raining all day and they go "whup, whup" across the screen, slowly. Leave the switch on, and they sort of look at you like "what? you want more? It's still bloody raining? jeezzz. Poms." and give another half arsed sweep of half the screen. It's about as quick as a modern set to slowest intermittant setting, and as effective as having a passenger try to wipe for you with a hankerchief.

Next, I noticed the speedo. Coming up to a roundabout on the way to worksop to join the A1 I glanced at it and thought "hell. I'm doing 40. This thing is quicker than it feels". No, wrong. the speedo reads in KPH and you are holding up tractors, lol.... speed up! 20 miles at a comfortable 100kph (60ish) towards the A1, all seems well. Temp gauge wakes up and reads normal for a bit, no heat from the heater yet though. I suspect it was calling me a softy pommy w*nker and laughing while my feet went numb and the screen fogged up.

Then trouble. Coming up to blyth services at the A1 junction I noticed that the temperature gague was now pointing to the H (like off the scale....) so I pulled in followed by PS. Red hot, rock hard hoses. My mind went straight back to the removed stat (and the spare rad in the boot) and I started to worry. A lot.

Half an hour later, it has coolled enough to remove the cap, no loss of coolant or change in colour, no water in the oil. Water can be seen to circulate when you rev the engine. Heater is still cold despite engine being hot.... The gauge says...

Now, the seller did mention that the dash is out of a different car, and I'm prepared to entertain the possibility that the sender doen't match properly and the temp gauge is therefore lying to me, and that the heater is australian. Car seems to run fine, so we set off again at reduced speed in case there really is an overheating problem and decide to stop and check again later.

It gets dark... the lights are at least as workshy as the wipers. The heater stubbornly refuses to heat and I start to freeze while watching the temp rise past the red as I get overtaken by lorries. The car also wanders, so you need to keep concentrating to go in a straight line. What feels like days later, I stopped at wetherby services so the car could cool and I could warm up. PS bought me a coffee, which was nice.

But it's getting late, and we need to get back. Original plan was to deliver the car to PS's place in north shields then get a lift back home, we decided it would be better if I took the car to my place near durham, and investigated the overheating tomorrow. Gas still showing 3/4 full, 70 odd miles to go.

"Yeah, it cruised at 70 all the way back...." I couldn't help feeling that the car is really undergeared.. it's in top by 40 mph and 60 uses 3500rpm of a 5500 limit. I even counted the changes to make sure it wasn't stuck in second. Notice the temp... No reading for cabin temp, but take my word for it it was cold!
By the time we turned off at Durham services, I couldn't feel my legs anymore, and the gas was reading empty (red light) so we stopped for some emergency petrol (tank reading empty... tbh, I don't even know if it will run on petrol!) and set of up into the hills. Did I mention that the lights are rubbish, and the handling interesting? I'm not dead though.

last pic for tonight, here it is outside TWO of the houses in our street ;D

track failed causing it to veer off the road, hit the grass verge and roll according to the BBC

Stories like this are what make this site what it is. Thanks scary & panda , great read, and even the photos cheered me up reminding me how grey 'home' is

Many thanks go to SOC, couldnt have done it without you mate

Special mention goes out to the panda, as its not in the best of health but still keeps on chugging along.

Had a good day out, only real problems were the overheating, the dark roads, and the torrential rain ;D

Expect to see a Readers Rides soon

In the cold light of day..... I wonder if it's going to start?

This thread has so many legends in it! SOC is an absolute legend for volunteering so much help, PandaSelecta is a legend for buying it, and the thread is legendary for containing both heroic acts in an epic writeup.

Please sir, can we have some more?! ;D ;D