Pistonpoppers MotorJournal.

[duncanmartin]

I've not been here in a while, and I was so pleased to see your thread update.
I've been poking through your blog, and if you don't mind, I'd like to make a suggestion - can you put a tag on each post with the car name/reg in it? Hopefully Blogger will then allow the reader to follow the tags and see all the articles about one vehicle in one place.
I love your old bike stuff, so I'll check out Klunkerz now. One thing I wanted to ask about your Twenty is what the headset is like? My Twenty has the original headset, which has a bearing at the bottom, but a bushing at the top - this makes the steering really non-linear and makes it almost impossible to ride no handed (and means every corner is like a 50p piece)! There are ways of fixing this, though they tend to involve different forks or some form of frame butchery, so maybe you don't want to do that. There is a Twenty group on Facebook that might be a useful place to post if you are looking to move it on...
Of to read the rest of Klunkerz now.

[pistonpopper]

Glad you're enjoying it duncanmartin I'll look into the tagging thing. I'm not very good at that sort of stuff, but if I can find a way to do it, then I will. I do know that if you type the registration number into a search engine it usually brings them all up, but thats even more faff.

As for the Raleigh Twenty. I've had a few, and like you say, the steering does always feel a bit notchy, i've never looked too far into it to be honest, I just figured thats how they were, and put it down to the carachter of the bike.

Anyway, before I head out dressed like Burt Reynolds, here's tonights episode...



Episode 95. Pontiac Trans Am GOX 144V (Part 8).

22 piccys I think!

[varelse]

Hit it with the height stick!

[pistonpopper]

I think it's probably high enough.

[surprisingskoda]

Niiice. It desperately needed that spoiler.

[Deleted]

Very nice work and result!!

Now go order some centrecaps for those wheels!!!😝😝👍👍

[Nath]

Good work again Mr P. Spoiler finishes it off, and again agree with you on the bonnet scoop, don't want to mess your work on the chicken (although it JUST misses that doesn't it?)

[pologaz]

Enjoyed reading this over the past week or so, you’ve had some great cars and I feel like it’s something I couldve done at some point. I’ve certainly had ‘busy’ car turnover periods in my time, but nothing like this! I tip my hat to you and yours

I also have a question! Your beloved Carlton

It became a 3 door! and what happened to the 3 door Opel Rekord? Did the two become one?

Apologies if I missed this in the pages of this thread! I hope you get around to doing it soon. I’ve a soft spot for ‘80s estates myself. My mum & dads next door neighbour had a carlton estate same as yours except I think it was yellow.

[pistonpopper]

Glad you're enjoying it pologaz So the Carlton 3-door wagon, basically the Opel Rekord turned out to also be pretty rusty, but coming from Germany it was rusty on the opposite side to the Carlton. My initial plan was to restore them both, but upon discovering that they were both in similar conditions I decided to restore one, and use the other one for parts. The decision was made to stick with the Carlton simply because it was right hand drive. So the Rekord got broken. I had been having trouble locating some decent rear wings, and doors for the Carlton, and the Rekords were good. So my friend Aunt Fanny (Mark) who was an excellent paint and bodywork man very very carefully unstitched the spot welds of the Rekord, and took it apart. Then Did the same with the Carlton replacing the rusty panels with the better, non rusty panels, like for like (almost). This was all done carefully one side at a time after the car had been braced up. Now, there were photos taken by Mark of the whole thing at the time, and I would love to have written about it all, but as I'm sure you're aware as you've been reading along that Mark got killed last October, and I have no idea where his Camera is, I've checked his workshop, and it's not there, but should it turn up, then I will bring you the pictures.

[Deleted]

I don't want-can't "like" your latest post of course,PP,i read about your friend Mark some time ago. But i hope you find the pictures,and i hope you think about the guy with lots of good memories which make you chuckle when nobody sees. You know what i mean PP.

[pistonpopper]

Yep, he was a good guy 10 months on I still think about him. At some point I guess someone is going to have to go and clear his workshop, so perhaps his camera will turn up then. Without it, there is kind of a hole in the story, which may be quite apt, as theres a hole in my life too. I do have a good chuckle when I think about some of the stuff we did, and when I get around to writing about my little HotRod, that will also bring back a lot of good memories as he did a lot of work on that for me, and made a very good job of it too.

[Deleted]

Beautiful picture. Looking forward to the story on that pickup (doesn't matter when that's gonna be). 👍

[pistonpopper]

Just 8 pictures today...



Episode 97. Mitsubishi Celeste. PEL 837W. (Part 3).

[pologaz]

Hate those little jobs that take all day. I wanted to adjust the valve clearances on the polo a few weeks ago and when undoing the rocker cover bolts one of them sheared off. I still haven’t sorted it as the bloody thing is a high tensile bolt and I simply cannot drill it out. The rocker cover is currently sealed with a healthy dose of hylomar until I get a spare week and a some man enough drill bits

I feel your pain :@

[s1105117]

its always one bolt that gets you!!! i find old-fashioned hardware stores will have any and every bolt tho :-)

[davidpallister]

would it be a good idea to clean off all the rust form the pulleys before finally fitting the new belt, otherwise it will rub this one down to 6mm wide in a similar time

[westbay]

Aug 20, 2018 18:28:27 GMT davidpallister said:

would it be a good idea to clean off all the rust form the pulleys before finally fitting the new belt, otherwise it will rub this one down to 6mm wide in a similar time

That wasn't screeching 'twas the new belt screaming

[duncanmartin]

I'm surprised you didn't have to cut a slot in the bolt and use a screwdriver. I guess that's the last resort after all gripping techniques have failed!

[pistonpopper]

Aug 19, 2018 21:52:11 GMT s1105117 said:

its always one bolt that gets you!!! i find old-fashioned hardware stores will have any and every bolt tho :-)

A bit of skip diving at the tip provided me with a bolt from an old steel bunk bed!

Aug 20, 2018 18:28:27 GMT davidpallister said:

would it be a good idea to clean off all the rust form the pulleys before finally fitting the new belt, otherwise it will rub this one down to 6mm wide in a similar time

Good thinking that man, I've taken a small wire brush to them all and gave them a good going over. Hopefully this belt will last a little longer!

Aug 21, 2018 18:53:21 GMT duncanmartin said:

I'm surprised you didn't have to cut a slot in the bolt and use a screwdriver. I guess that's the last resort after all gripping techniques have failed!

I probably would have, had I not left my hacksaw at work. I didn't fancy another trip out to get another tool! I've got such a massive variety of gripping tools from my pipe fitting days, one of them usually does the job, even if it's a struggle!

Here's todays words of wisdom... (or otherwise!)



Episode 98. Daewoo Korando. W412 VLU. (Part 5).

It's pic heavy... 16 I think!

[acidburn]

Good thread, it has taken me a while to read from start to finish.