1984 Lotus Excel
Discussion
Nothing can fill a Fabboceptor sized hole except the Fabboceptor, but I don't know where it has gone. My neighbour wants 30K for his Mark III, and it is a very good one, but I ain't got a spare 30K.
I have hankered after an XJS, but the good ones are now too spenner, and also I would like a six instead of a twelve, and they are v hard to find.
Morris Ital, naaaaar (though I once almost bought a blue boggo Marina in honour of my late and very beloved uncle, who had several of those back in the day). Montego Countryman? Er...., no.
I have hankered after an XJS, but the good ones are now too spenner, and also I would like a six instead of a twelve, and they are v hard to find.
Morris Ital, naaaaar (though I once almost bought a blue boggo Marina in honour of my late and very beloved uncle, who had several of those back in the day). Montego Countryman? Er...., no.
I was VERY disappointed that it took the Lotus well over a week to misbehave. Standards are slipping! The two electric fans have stopped turning. I noticed this before the car boiled (I was in heavy traffic on the Westway), and stashed the car in an underground NCP just by Marylebone. One 10 Amp fuse had blown, and I didn't have a spare, so there ensued a comedy cab ride all over NW London looking for a garage or motor factors that sells fuses. No petrol stations do nowadays, it seems. Eventually I got one from a Audi dealership, plus some jokes about crap old cars. The fuse popped as soon as I put it in and tried the fan (which has a manual override switch). Fan Fail light on dash came on. I tried a 30 Amp just to see where the tripping point might be, but still no fan (or radio -seems to be on the same fuse), although that fuse has remained intact.
As the traffic was very heavy I decided not to risk driving fanless to the M40 and left the car overnight. Now pondering either driving it home at 3AM in cool and quiet, or getting the AA to come over and have a shuftie. Will do the latter probably, but am stuck at work at present.
As the traffic was very heavy I decided not to risk driving fanless to the M40 and left the car overnight. Now pondering either driving it home at 3AM in cool and quiet, or getting the AA to come over and have a shuftie. Will do the latter probably, but am stuck at work at present.
Many AA and RAC men love old cars, and some of them served their apprentice time in the 70s and 80s working on such cars when they were new. Some of the patrols just want to put you on a truck, but if you get the right guy he will make a big effort to fix the car, and be happy that it is not a computer with wheels.
Plan now PLANNED.
I will be up mega early tomorrow, and will take the car in the cool and quiet of the morning, stopping on the way if need be, and going via Regent's Park to the two Johns in Highbury, who are mega diamond geezers and looked after my cars when I lived in that London. Old school mechanics in a big shed full of tat. Their only failing is that they forget to charge for their work.
I will be up mega early tomorrow, and will take the car in the cool and quiet of the morning, stopping on the way if need be, and going via Regent's Park to the two Johns in Highbury, who are mega diamond geezers and looked after my cars when I lived in that London. Old school mechanics in a big shed full of tat. Their only failing is that they forget to charge for their work.
Snubs said:
Great car BV. I've often wondered with these, is there any particular functional purpose behind the unusual rear end design, such as a cavernous boot? Was the design first and foremost aesthetics or functional?
Chapman's design spec. reputedly included the ability to carry 4 adults and 2 sets of golf clubs. This was achieved very successfully.marshalla said:
Snubs said:
Great car BV. I've often wondered with these, is there any particular functional purpose behind the unusual rear end design, such as a cavernous boot? Was the design first and foremost aesthetics or functional?
Chapman's design spec. reputedly included the ability to carry 4 adults and 2 sets of golf clubs. This was achieved very successfully.
A plague on golf and its sticks! A good walk spoiled, as Mr Twain said. The boot is useful for transporting dead hookers, but only small ones. Getting into the rear seats requires a bit of technique, but then you sit quite comfortably with your knees up, so long as you are not very tall. The people in the front can move the seat forward a bit, and then you can go four up in reasonable comfort, but I say again: not if you're very tall. It's the sort of car that sort of wraps itself around you a when you sit in it, which is handy if you are planning to wrap it around a tree, as is the done thing. Looping back to mistresses, that reminds me of a sad story of a friend who was pulled dead from the wreckage of his Esprit Turbo. The woman in the passenger seat was only slightly injured. The problem was that she was not his wife.
Breadvan72 said:
Plan now PLANNED.
I will be up mega early tomorrow, and will take the car in the cool and quiet of the morning, stopping on the way if need be, and going via Regent's Park to the two Johns in Highbury, who are mega diamond geezers and looked after my cars when I lived in that London. Old school mechanics in a big shed full of tat. Their only failing is that they forget to charge for their work.
Value for money in that London? Calling you out over this one.I will be up mega early tomorrow, and will take the car in the cool and quiet of the morning, stopping on the way if need be, and going via Regent's Park to the two Johns in Highbury, who are mega diamond geezers and looked after my cars when I lived in that London. Old school mechanics in a big shed full of tat. Their only failing is that they forget to charge for their work.
Years ago I had a Triumph Vitesse. It was looked after by a Greek dude in a shed in Hackney. He would practically do a nut and bolt rebuild, then when you asked him how much, he'd shrug and say "I dunno, call it fifty quid*". The two Johns have to be chased to send you a bill, and when they eventually do, it is always less than you thought it would be. They love to chat about old heaps, own a couple themselves, and make good tea. Mechs like this are to be cherished.
* or, as we now say, 800 billion New-Drachmas.
* or, as we now say, 800 billion New-Drachmas.
I loved the Fabboceptor to bits, and miss it a lot, but hey ho.
Back in the world of plastic fantastics with dodgy electrics, in the cool of the early morning I drove the car gently from Marylebone, via Regent's Park and Camden Town, to Islington, where the spectacularly ace two Johns took it in for a look. The car didn't overheat on the way, although it was getting quite hot by the time I reached the garage. One fan has seized. This almost melted the wiring and also blew out the override switch. One fan is now working, another is to be ordered. Car staying in London for the weekend so that the Johns can look at it some more next week, attending to some other niggles that need doing anyway, and fit the fan when it arrives.
Back in the world of plastic fantastics with dodgy electrics, in the cool of the early morning I drove the car gently from Marylebone, via Regent's Park and Camden Town, to Islington, where the spectacularly ace two Johns took it in for a look. The car didn't overheat on the way, although it was getting quite hot by the time I reached the garage. One fan has seized. This almost melted the wiring and also blew out the override switch. One fan is now working, another is to be ordered. Car staying in London for the weekend so that the Johns can look at it some more next week, attending to some other niggles that need doing anyway, and fit the fan when it arrives.
I know what you mean about cherishing these mechanic bods, I would never let anybody else touch my car other than my local mobile who is quite simply brilliant and will give me free advice over the phone all day, even if it does him out of a job. As for my local tyre fitters you would have to be mental (or a woman ) to go anywhere else, no wonder there is a mighty queue every morning.
Love the car BTW
) to go anywhere else, no wonder there is a mighty queue every morning.Love the car BTW
That is bloody lovely G, hope it's serving you well.
Shuddering at the pics of the carwash - if you ever fancy a trip down to the sunny South Coast I'll gladly let you play with my plastic bathtub toy whilst giving yours a proper bit of love and attention... Should help prevent swirly sandblasted paint from the Eastern European washers of doom!
Shuddering at the pics of the carwash - if you ever fancy a trip down to the sunny South Coast I'll gladly let you play with my plastic bathtub toy whilst giving yours a proper bit of love and attention... Should help prevent swirly sandblasted paint from the Eastern European washers of doom!
I like my local Romanians, and they are careful dudes, although not as good as at a place a bit further away run by an Austrian guy who is very meticulous. I feel sorry for the younger blokes, who are lonely, get a lot of xenophobia from mouth breathers in Aylesbury, and live on 10P a week while sending the other 35p back to the family. I bung them a decent tip.
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