The road to the gathering....

[ruffgeezer]

I'd resigned myself again to missing the gathering this year, bit because a certain Mr Damaged keeps waving it under my nose on Facebook, I looked into it again...

Thanks to the efforts of MysteryMachine, a pair of tickets have been secured which leaves but a few problems...

1. My gathering transport isn't currently taxed.
2. I haven't used it for nearly 8 months...
3. I am 100 miles from the car and will be until Friday afternoon.
4. It is 156 miles from base to the gathering.
5. It's French.

With this level of preparation, what could possibly go wrong? Is anyone else as ill prepared as me? Please post below so I know I'm not the only one!

My gathering transport;

[ben711200]

Trailer tent picked up from storage, car legal and lowered, food ordered, beer made in industrial quantities.. All systems go!

[Davenger]

I'm 300 miles from the gathering, and don't have a working clutch, lol

[smellyferret]

ruffgeezer you need:

www.screwfix.com/p/cable-ties-black-295-x-4-5mm-pack-of-100/86121
www.screwfix.com/p/wd-40-aerosol-lubricant-600ml/21697
www.screwfix.com/p/gorilla-tape-48mm-x-11m/87114 (maybe x5? )

and a nice piece of hickory:
www.screwfix.com/p/forge-steel-hickory-handle-club-hammer-2-5lb/89925

That should get you safely to the gathering

I intend to cook enough chilli for 20+ people on Friday night, not sure how yet, but I have Thursday to sort that!

[nomad]

Aug 14, 2013 21:11:42 GMT ruffgeezer said:

Is anyone else as ill prepared as me? Please post below so I know I'm not the only one!

You are not alone

1a. A clastrophobic gremlin has taken up residence inside the engine of my ever-faithful ride and is determined to get all the oil out so he has more space I fixed an oil weep on the rockerbox last week - then the front sump gasket blew - bodged that (yesterday) with bath sealer and it's fine but the rear sump gasket then blew BIG - (bodged today on a mates ramp and it's holding so far).
1b. All frontend mechanicals have been stripped and rebuilt since xmas (recon struts, as-new disks, new ball joints & bushes & calipers & brakelines, anti-rollbar links, you get the idea?), has been running better than ever - but in past 2 weeks have had problems with the new calipers, loose wheel bearings, collapsed anti-roll links, rattles/squeaks/vibes...
1c. Car has always been 100% reliable in the 4 years I've had it - apart from the 4 times the ignition & electrics have died in the past 2 weeks
Oh yeah, the exhaust fractured today but we got it welded before it dropped all the way off

2. I sold my backup semi-retro (French & super reliable ) ride earlier this week so I'm now commiteed to using something that needs an oil top-up before I've used a tank of petrol

3. Have been asking to hitch a lift to the Gathering as a backup but on the way I need a 50 mile detour to collect my ticket (ask me when you see me - why make things easy )

4. Just go a phone call (an hour ago ) to say I've got a bed sorted in Birmingham for Thursday nite so I can roll down *very* gently during the day and just have a short hop to the site on Friday* (*Plans may change - a lot - before I get to the Gathering)

5. Have been looking for Retro-friendly recovery but not got anything in place yet

Aug 14, 2013 21:11:42 GMT ruffgeezer said:

With this level of preparation, what could possibly go wrong?

Can we compare notes sometime next week?


Away now as I still need to find my camping stuff so I can load up tomorrow once I've emptied all the junk out of the boot

[kevfromwales]

I was intending to take the truck - lack of an mot has put paid to that one, despite ordering many bits and bobs for the most obscure welder in history I still have holes in important places

so it's back on with the plan of bringing the sunny - so tomorrow I'll be driving to shrewsbury to collect a bumper for it, then I have to finish chopping the springs, build and fit the wheels (the back wheel adaptors are in leeds btw), and do all the other little (major) bits that needs doing

then there's the fact that mrs kfw, whilst being very taken with the truck, point blank refuses to go to her first gathering in any 'bosozoku curse word'

and the fact that I've just had to strip the front end down twice, in the dark and rain, to sort the driveshaft that fell out of the CV

I love old cars I do....

- kfw

ps - be great to see you there nomad!

[mikeymk]

The bottom end is seized. I have not yet aquired a new one.

[The Doctor]

well, the back up car (mine) broke down tuesday, and we're working like mad on my mates Bluebird 910 Turbo to fit a swirlpot, so it can still drive when the tank is under half full instead of bogging down every corner/hill/gearchange. Yesterday it was 00.30 when we quit and went home, today he has to finish it, swap some tires, refit interior and fingers crossed it'll be done and working, because in 12 hours we're leaving! ;D

[craig1010cc]

I'm only planning to come along for the sunday, but sold my Audi on Monday so currently only have a mini in many parts, so tomorrow I pickup the Merc from damaged towers were it has sat for nearly a year since the MOT ran out, 130 mile drive to the MOT test (place bets now on how many ANPR camera's I set off ) and see if I'm lucky or not

[PandaSelecta]

Well i had hoped to have the panda sorted for the mot, but on Tuesday the battery died 10 minutes before the mot test, and the tester can't test it until next week, so i put the polo in instead, that has passed, so i now have to ask myself...

Do i take the polo to the Gathering even though the car is unknown to me, and the most it has driven in it's life is to the shops and back. Do i really trust it to get me 600+ miles over 3 days

Or do i take the boring modern (2005) Vauxhall Combo van that will be comfortable enough, but devoid of all feeling.

[daveywoo34]

Aug 15, 2013 15:53:57 GMT PandaSelecta said:

Well I had hoped to have the panda sorted for the mot, but on Tuesday the battery died 10 minutes before the mot test, and the tester can't test it until next week, so I put the polo in instead, that has passed, so I now have to ask myself...

Do I take the polo to the Gathering even though the car is unknown to me, and the most it has driven in it's life is to the shops and back. Do I really trust it to get me 600+ miles over 3 days

Or do I take the boring modern (2005) Vauxhall Combo van that will be comfortable enough, but devoid of all feeling.

take the van then you can buy stuff 

[stevecrx]

Take the polo and see it as an adventure into the unknown...


Currently standing in a tyre place having my tyres resealed so I don't arrive at the gathering with flat rubber bands. This is the third set of mg rims I've had to do this to.

Easy compared to some of the above though.

[retroandproud]

Current state of play: Alfa 155- Exhaust terminally ill, replacement unavailable 'til Monday.
Alfa 145 Cloverleaf- Sat in mates yard, needs welding for MOT.
Mk1 Escort Estate- Roof cut off, waiting for me to weld on replacement(Which I have) and then start rebuild.........
MGF- Sold to Dad for him and 70 year old Mother to razz around looking silly.
Volvo 142S- Unstarted project
Currently trying to buy a roadworthy car for the Gathering, on the grounds that I REFUSE to turn up in one of the 5 modern dailys I currently own..

You are most definitely not alone..... I will be there on Sunday, even if I have to patch up the 155's exhaust with baked bean cans....!!!

[MrSpeedy]

I don't like to tempt fate, but MOT'd the Vitesse today - straight through with no actual advisories

Also fitted new (as in not bald) rear tyres.

Oil and filter change on Saturday with a quick check over and all should be well

[surprisingskoda]

One of my rear ARB polybushes was sitting slightly askew, so I took the bracket off and straightened it up. After that I had to take a breather.

Now the only thing I have to brave is 20.6 mpg. Setting off soon.

[ruffgeezer]

Aug 15, 2013 16:01:26 GMT daveywoo34 said:

Aug 15, 2013 15:53:57 GMT PandaSelecta said:

Well I had hoped to have the panda sorted for the mot, but on Tuesday the battery died 10 minutes before the mot test, and the tester can't test it until next week, so I put the polo in instead, that has passed, so I now have to ask myself...

Do I take the polo to the Gathering even though the car is unknown to me, and the most it has driven in it's life is to the shops and back. Do I really trust it to get me 600+ miles over 3 days

Or do I take the boring modern (2005) Vauxhall Combo van that will be comfortable enough, but devoid of all feeling.

take the van then you can buy stuff 

That is a plausible plan B here too, I have the untaxed hulk that is my dispatch, its got a new cambelt and clutch but I've only done 15 miles in that since I did it... Oh and the battery on it is borked too.

[LowStandards]

My new turbo arrived at 7:50

fitted by 8:30

fuelling issue by 8:45

feck...

[MrSpeedy]

You still have time yet

[Johnny A]

I ran into a snag putting my engine back together which I can't remedy in the time I have left, so I am taking a boring 20XE Calibra instead.

However I do have the most awesome camping chair which I made using a Carlton GSi front seat and pistons/rods as the legs/feet... so that's my contribution lol

[nomad]

Aug 14, 2013 21:11:42 GMT ruffgeezer said:

With this level of preparation, what could possibly go wrong?

I'm not there yet, but on my "gentle" run down yesterday I managed to get :
2 flat tyres (very soon after handing back the electric footpump that's been kicking around in my car for months)
find the M1 closed while they dragged the remains of a car off the center resrvation and onto the recovery vehicle on the hard shoulder
Hadn't even got up to speed after that and a couple of smart folk decided to improve on what they'd just see - don't know how they managed it but they got tangled in the slow lane - one coasted onto the hard shoulder while his mate when accross all 3 lanes (backwards!) to plant his car on the center barrier.
Then got to Birmingam center to find it's shut ( signs say it's for roadworks but my guess would be due lack of interest )
And found the oil light always comes on a tickover with a hot engine - which isn't reassuring

See y'all there (hopefully!)