1956 Red Goddess - No socks for this birthday!

[glenanderson]

I understand.

The “mission creep” turns these good ideas into major projects of their own.

Life, and all it’s unpredictability, has a habit of producing curve balls with stupendous capacity to derail.

My momentous plans for my Austin have been scaled back to “get it driveable”. At the moment, I don’t even think it’s going to see paint. To be honest, I’m a hair’s breadth from pulling the plug on it entirely, along with some other stuff, so I do genuinely understand where you’re coming from.

Take care.

[bstardchild]

I laughed when someone asked the price and you told them - they then asked if included the Healey - decking idiots

[Frankenhealey]

The Classic Motor Show at the NEC - a maxi adventure - Part 1

Having volunteered to arrange the RR stand I got the chance to show the Goddess to the wider world.

First problem was to get it out of the flooded field after 10 days of rain. Two days earlier I'd put the car trailer back in the field after picking up the Lenham and had problems getting the Defender back out onto the road.



Went to put a couple gallons of diesel in the tank and the old sh!t vehicle gods decided I wasn't worthy



Got the big 1100Ah battery connected, crossed my fingers and she started first time. Crawled underneath and engaged 4WD and removed the anti-ungulate fence while she warmed up a bit and the air tank and vacuum tank reached working values.



Mounted up and did a 17-point turn to avoid the the quickmud pools and she just chugged out of the field on tickover. Defenders pah!





First stop was the Volcano Lair to load up the Healey



Back to the estate (I mean development, according to the neighbours) to jetwash the mud off the Goddess. This of course was very popular with the neighbours and several net curtains caught fire due to frictional hysteresis from hyper-twitching



There was going to have to be a load of cleaning at the NEC



Having annoyed them enough and left the Goddess on tickover (very loud) to build both vacuum and air pressure. Then we were off to Bourne Transport who were kindly lifting the Goddess to the NEC the next morning. Having had the broken fuel cap key nothing else was going to go wrong was it? The old sh!t vehicle gods could not be that cruel, could they?

After 8 miles I lost all power on a dual-carriageway overpass. Managed to pull over, throttle pedal was on the floor, still had tickover so head in wheelwell to check throttle shaft and the poxy clamp bolt on the actuator arm had slackened off. And I didn't have a small enough spanner on board. A sharpish call to Dangerous Breakdown Services and 20 minutes later it was fixed.



Got to Bourne Transport through the school traffic no problem.

Part 2 to follow

[Deleted]

Adventures aplenty it seems.
I hope you find the right buyer for her!

[bstardchild]

All that load carrying capacity and you don't carry a selection of universal tools?

[Deleted]

Nov 15, 2019 4:25:40 GMT bstardchild said:

All that load carrying capacity and you don't carry a selection of universal tools?

But that's the adventure - Tin Tin never carried an adjustable spanner did he

[Frankenhealey]

Nov 14, 2019 22:52:27 GMT @quickrack1 said:

Adventures aplenty it seems.
I hope you find the right buyer for her!

It’s always adventures aplenty with the Goddess. It’s what has aged me prematurely.

[Frankenhealey]

Nov 14, 2019 18:26:22 GMT bstardchild said:

I laughed when someone asked the price and you told them - they then asked if included the Healey - decking idiots

I liked the guy who stormed off saying he wouldn’t pay that for a “bloody old Bedford!”

I think it was the original price of £7.5k on the Top Trumps cards that misled them.

[norfolkshire]

Oct 16, 2019 19:20:48 GMT kevins said:

Oct 16, 2019 9:36:42 GMT norfolkshire said:

In all of the various animal herd/flock situations there is always a pecking order.  It would appear that with reagrds to your pigs they do not see human beings as being at the top of their set-up; in addition they are not at all wary of humans. Substitute the plastic bucket for a good strong galvanised version, that will stop them in their tracks.  Particularly if their heads happen to collide with said bucket.  It's a very difficult topic for the part-time stock person to grasp; the professionals do have similar situations but have remedies of their own.   A good electric fence will sort the woollies out, preferably one from the Gallagher range.  Both woollies, dogs, and two legged individuals will think twice about playing with that.  Put the battery inside the lorry, under lock and key, just extend the positive feed.  It's quite amusing to see the unsuspecting trying to enter somewhere they shouldn't when that area is suitably protected.  Best of luck.

As the godess is on rubber tyres could you not electify it?

I never suggested electrifying the actual vehicle; my suggestion was to locate the battery and also the fencer unit inside the vehicle, away from light fingered individuals.

[darrenh]

Nov 14, 2019 21:27:44 GMT Frankenhealey said:

Defenders pah

Coefficient of friction is rubber compound vs weight acting on it 😋

[glenanderson]

Nov 15, 2019 9:27:14 GMT Frankenhealey said:

Nov 14, 2019 18:26:22 GMT bstardchild said:

I laughed when someone asked the price and you told them - they then asked if included the Healey - decking idiots

I liked the guy who stormed off saying he wouldn’t pay that for a “bloody old Bedford!”

I think it was the original price of £7.5k on the Top Trumps cards that misled them.

The right buyer is out there somewhere.

[Frankenhealey]

Nov 15, 2019 13:19:24 GMT glenanderson said:

Nov 15, 2019 9:27:14 GMT Frankenhealey said:

I liked the guy who stormed off saying he wouldn’t pay that for a “bloody old Bedford!”

I think it was the original price of £7.5k on the Top Trumps cards that misled them.

The right buyer is out there somewhere.

It will be like interviewing suitors for a beloved daughter. I have some form on that. Just ask Pitstop

[bstardchild]

Nov 15, 2019 14:21:48 GMT Frankenhealey said:

Nov 15, 2019 13:19:24 GMT glenanderson said:

The right buyer is out there somewhere.

It will be like interviewing suitors for a beloved daughter. I have some form on that. Just ask Pitstop

Cleaning your shotguns when she brings a chap home is rather bad form.........

[Frankenhealey]

Nov 15, 2019 15:43:15 GMT bstardchild said:

Nov 15, 2019 14:21:48 GMT Frankenhealey said:

It will be like interviewing suitors for a beloved daughter. I have some form on that. Just ask Pitstop

Cleaning your shotguns when she brings a chap home is rather bad form.........

Nah, just a leedle deepsearch on t'internet. Young people and social media : they don't have a clue how to cover their tracks properly. Like the guy who told her he was a director of a car sales company but a little digging found him to be the valeter driving a 'borrowed' company car and using his brother's flat as his address while living with his mum. Nothing wrong with any of that but he'd built himself a false persona to impress girls which certainly said something about him. Another after knowing one of my girls for two weeks was telling his mates under an alias on Bookface that he'd be moving in to her house soon and could stop paying rent. He didn't last.

Funny story : they both went speed dating together to see if there was anyone new in the small local dating pool and there were two stand-outs from the stories they told afterwards.

One : The really honest East European guy who told both of them that he was wanted for attempted murder back in his country. Not one to see later.

Two : The nerdy guy literally with pens in the breast pocket of his shirt. After seeing one of the girls and being told she was there with her sister he asked her did she think there might be a problem. Why asked my girl and he said "If you and your sister both like me you could fight over me". She couldn't help laughing out loud

[bstardchild]

Nov 15, 2019 17:29:14 GMT Frankenhealey said:

Nov 15, 2019 15:43:15 GMT bstardchild said:

Cleaning your shotguns when she brings a chap home is rather bad form.........

Nah, just a leedle deepsearch on t'internet. Young people and social media : they don't have a clue how to cover their tracks properly. Like the guy who told her he was a director of a car sales company but a little digging found him to be the valeter driving a 'borrowed' company car and using his brother's flat as his address while living with his mum. Nothing wrong with any of that but he'd built himself a false persona to impress girls which certainly said something about him. Another after knowing one of my girls for two weeks was telling his mates under an alias on Bookface that he'd be moving in to her house soon and could stop paying rent. He didn't last.

Funny story : they both went speed dating together to see if there was anyone new in the small local dating pool and there were two stand-outs from the stories they told afterwards.

One : The really honest East European guy who told both of them that he was wanted for attempted murder back in his country. Not one to see later.

Two : The nerdy guy literally with pens in the breast pocket of his shirt. After seeing one of the girls and being told she was there with her sister he asked her did she think there might be a problem. Why asked my girl and he said "If you and your sister both like me you could fight over me". She couldn't help laughing out loud

Reading stuff like that just makes me glad I rented kids

[Frankenhealey]

Nov 15, 2019 17:56:55 GMT bstardchild said:

Reading stuff like that just makes me glad I rented kids

Both with ABD** partners now.

** Approved by Dad

[Frankenhealey]

The Classic Motor Show at the NEC - a maxi adventure - Part 2 The setup

Wednesday morning the Bourne truck leaves for car park N12 at the NEC and my mate Rob and I drive up to meet them. We left Bob the Dog with some reading material



Bourne cheated a bit and left early so we arrived to find her unloaded



N12 is nearly in Manchester if you have to walk it, which I did twice. We had to be there on Wednesday because extra large exhibits had to be in position before the build on Thursday. Rob and I tootled round the NEC to Hall 5 and we positioned the Goddess on the 'stand' (patch of floor).

Spot the floor markings



In position and not impinging on the Roll Hard and Volvo Owners Club stands



If you think the Goddess is large look at this for perspective. Someone's left a Dinky Toy on the floor.



When we got there there was another ironic 'extra large exhibit'



Went back to the rental house, dumped our stuff and hit the pub.

Next morning we returned to start the big clean



During the day the others started turning up





I had a moochette around Hall 5. Another commercial



Chitty Chitty Deuche Deuche 2CV



Part 3 coming soon

[igor]

Nov 15, 2019 15:43:15 GMT bstardchild said:

Nov 15, 2019 14:21:48 GMT Frankenhealey said:

It will be like interviewing suitors for a beloved daughter. I have some form on that. Just ask Pitstop

Cleaning your shotguns when she brings a chap home is rather bad form.........

Is it? How so?

[Frankenhealey]

The Classic Motor Show at the NEC - a maxi adventure - Part 3 The Show

So Friday morning, the first day I made everyone get up early because the show opened to the public at 10am but to the press at 9am and we were bound to be swamped with all the reveals. All I can say was they must have been pretty well disguised. Over the three very busy days I didn't get time to take many pictures but there a few other threads on the forum from dbizzle and others so this is going to be short and personal. There are stories that will no doubt come out in time but some of what happened on the Inaugural RR NEC Stand stays on the Inaugural RR NEC Stand.

Who said that the NEC was expensive? Who could not be swayed by saving 90p on two pints of weak rats p1ss in a plastic glass. The Poles on the stand across the aisle weren't swayed as they seemed to be swigging vodka cunningly disguised in litre bottles of water.



On the Roll Hard stand next door I found a 1293 Mini with a turbo engine rated to 250bhp. The Lenham needs a boost in more than one way.







Have a picture of WoodyMercW114 checking the coffee stains on samta22 's professional Top Chump cards



Also samta22 's shell kept getting additional temporary badges. I think it started out GT 4.0, then GT 4.0 V8, then GTS 4.0 V8 and finally some cruel person added Twin Turbo - Carlos Fandango



The expertise and professionalism of @grumpynorthener was evident across the stand. No one tripped on the steps.



Amongst all the fun and levity there was also time to reflect on the Sunday



My wimmin' arrived on Sunday which meant we had to be somewhat better behaved,





Their view from the cab



Here's a picture of SWMBO caught secretly topping up her glass back at the rental house



This is the fridge they left me on the Sunday night. Eight bottles of San Miguel, a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc in case I felt a little more sophisticated and milk for the morning coffee. Proper after exhibition fridge



After three long, tiring days that really dragged it was over too quickly and we broke down the stand in three hours so from this



to this



to this



Then I went back to the house to await the morning when I had arranged the lift back to Dorset.

On the return to the NEC I needed to reconnect the battery and the the sh!t old vehicle gods struck for the traditional third time as the negative battery clamp sheared as I tightened the clamp. This time I had tools and necessity being the mother of invention I give you the Frankenhealey Acme Patented Battery Clamp Assister and Mole Grips



Loading the Goddess after trying not to cook the clutch driving it up the bed.



Safely back in the very muddy field

[Deleted]

I thought that my trailer wasn't too bad until Frankenhealey posted a pic of it in this thread - its currently disguised has a tatty trailer not worth the trouble of nicking when in reality its a old yet bloody good & strong trailer that is up & together mechanically / legally but with a special & very genuine 'I'm not worth nicking' patina so that it looks like pile of curse word - Now pictured and displayed to the world and I hang my head in shame until I get round to getting it shotblasted (when the weather gets better) and a coat of shiny paint on it before the rust starts to effect the trailers structure