Month to madness
Discussion
On my way home from work yesterday it was perfectly normal and uneventful. I reached the A47 dual carriageway and got up to the speed limit. A short time later a pillock in a generic pratmobile overtook in a cloud of black smoke. A moment after that a graphite grey BMW also overtook.
I didn't think anything of it at the time but about a mile later the BMW and pratmobile were in a layby. The BMW was an unmarked traffic car and the passenger was stood at the entrance waving for me to join them.
I stopped, got out and asked if there was anything wrong.
"Do you realise that street racing is a serious criminal offense?"
No "good morning sir, thank you for stopping" and from the body language he was not in the best of moods. Probably close to the end of shift and not wanting to deal with the situation.
"Yes officer. It's also bloody stupid".
Got a smile for that.
"The gent' we have stopped there suggests the reason he was speeding was because he was racing you".
"Oh. Did you see us "racing"? If you would like the memory card from my camera it will show you I had got up to the speed limit and he passed me. Not being rude but if I were racing that pile I would ten miles further up the road".
Got a chuckle for that.
"Ahhhh, it's okay. Can I take your details just in case we do need a clip from your camera as well as the one in our car?"
Gave the officer my details and left them to it.
So I decided to re-yellow or de-Abarth my Bravo yesterday afternoon. Thanks to living Jeremy Kyle Street sleep wasn't an option.
Finished by four so all I had to do was shower and get ready for work.
On the way in my Bravo felt a bit odd. I put it down to the return of the Bangle Grinder wheels but after a few miles I knew it was more than that.
Stopped for petrol and noticed two of my valve caps were missing.
Between my leaving my Bravo just after four and heading out to work around twenty to six my tyres had been let down from 32PSI to 19 and 18PSI.
Jeremy
Kyle Street!!! 
I didn't think anything of it at the time but about a mile later the BMW and pratmobile were in a layby. The BMW was an unmarked traffic car and the passenger was stood at the entrance waving for me to join them.
I stopped, got out and asked if there was anything wrong.
"Do you realise that street racing is a serious criminal offense?"
No "good morning sir, thank you for stopping" and from the body language he was not in the best of moods. Probably close to the end of shift and not wanting to deal with the situation.
"Yes officer. It's also bloody stupid".
Got a smile for that.
"The gent' we have stopped there suggests the reason he was speeding was because he was racing you".
"Oh. Did you see us "racing"? If you would like the memory card from my camera it will show you I had got up to the speed limit and he passed me. Not being rude but if I were racing that pile I would ten miles further up the road".
Got a chuckle for that.
"Ahhhh, it's okay. Can I take your details just in case we do need a clip from your camera as well as the one in our car?"
Gave the officer my details and left them to it.
So I decided to re-yellow or de-Abarth my Bravo yesterday afternoon. Thanks to living Jeremy Kyle Street sleep wasn't an option.
Finished by four so all I had to do was shower and get ready for work.
On the way in my Bravo felt a bit odd. I put it down to the return of the Bangle Grinder wheels but after a few miles I knew it was more than that.
Stopped for petrol and noticed two of my valve caps were missing.
Between my leaving my Bravo just after four and heading out to work around twenty to six my tyres had been let down from 32PSI to 19 and 18PSI.
Jeremy
Kyle Street!!! 
Well the Bangle Grinder wheels are sold via the forum and will be ready for delivery Sunday.
But...
It will be the last ride in the Bravo for me. She's sold and I'll be dropping her off and collecting a new just as yellow Fiat on the way home.
It is no exaggeration when I say my Bravo has been one of the best all round cars I have ever owned. From a boot full of stuff to a race track she has done everything and more than I could have possibly expected for such a bargain buy.
Sure I had to replace a few things to keep her on the road and had to do a few things to make her keep up with more focused stuff on the track but she got me home and back to work the next day while those focused cars were loaded on to trailers and needed repairs.
A brilliant car and that is what I am passing on to someone else.
As for what's coming next? Be on the look out for Guff III
I have some unfinished business to attend to. Wooooooo-ha-ha-ha-haaaaaaa!
But...
It will be the last ride in the Bravo for me. She's sold and I'll be dropping her off and collecting a new just as yellow Fiat on the way home.
It is no exaggeration when I say my Bravo has been one of the best all round cars I have ever owned. From a boot full of stuff to a race track she has done everything and more than I could have possibly expected for such a bargain buy.
Sure I had to replace a few things to keep her on the road and had to do a few things to make her keep up with more focused stuff on the track but she got me home and back to work the next day while those focused cars were loaded on to trailers and needed repairs.
A brilliant car and that is what I am passing on to someone else.
As for what's coming next? Be on the look out for Guff III
I have some unfinished business to attend to. Wooooooo-ha-ha-ha-haaaaaaa!
It wasn't the "last ride" at all.
In fact I've done over a thousand miles since then. The Bravo doing daily driver duties as well as a few eBay runs.
I believe this has been the best all round car I have ever owned.
But is it as good off road as my Panda 4x4 was?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1a3EBcQ6IUU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RLXmsGEJ7Qo
The puddles weren't as deep but the filter location acted as a snorkel and the coil pack in a watertight casing also helped.
In fact I've done over a thousand miles since then. The Bravo doing daily driver duties as well as a few eBay runs.
I believe this has been the best all round car I have ever owned.
But is it as good off road as my Panda 4x4 was?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1a3EBcQ6IUU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RLXmsGEJ7Qo
The puddles weren't as deep but the filter location acted as a snorkel and the coil pack in a watertight casing also helped.
In other news to save my Bravo from another track day I bought this...
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
...stancy pants MX5
With the Bravo supposedly sold I now has this...
...to take on Summer daily driver duties.
If the sale goes south completely I may use the Seicento as planned and spend some time and effort making the Bravo handle better, weigh less and go a bit quicker as the next track day is September 22nd and I'll need something quick.
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
...stancy pants MX5
With the Bravo supposedly sold I now has this...
...to take on Summer daily driver duties.
If the sale goes south completely I may use the Seicento as planned and spend some time and effort making the Bravo handle better, weigh less and go a bit quicker as the next track day is September 22nd and I'll need something quick.
The full length sunroof makes cleaning the upholstery a doddle.
Dried out in no time at all. :-)
Back to the Bravo and the noisy rear brakes wasn't due to the shoes being worn out.
Just one. This is because whoever fitted these shoes either didn't notice or didn't check to see the at the slave cylinder had seized solid on one side.
Of course the shoes aren't the right ones so I couldn't even replace the one that was gone.
I guess I'll have another look at my Punto GT rear beam at the weekend.
Dried out in no time at all. :-)
Back to the Bravo and the noisy rear brakes wasn't due to the shoes being worn out.
Just one. This is because whoever fitted these shoes either didn't notice or didn't check to see the at the slave cylinder had seized solid on one side.
Of course the shoes aren't the right ones so I couldn't even replace the one that was gone.
I guess I'll have another look at my Punto GT rear beam at the weekend.
Well today has been eventful.
I have finally stripped the brakes from the Punto GT rear subframe in my shed.
Mess and faff to get those bloody things off.
Base plates are cleaned and painted...
...hangers are cleaned and sliders greased...
...ready for VHT paint when I refurbish the calipers.
Hang on a minute.
One caliper has a mousetrap spring to return the handbrake and the other has a coil spring.
Whenever this car was on the road it had an original GT3 caliper one side and an Uno Turbo, GT1 or GT2 caliper the other.
That has ballsed up any ideas I had of either converting the Bravo to rear discs or using them on my next project.
I have finally stripped the brakes from the Punto GT rear subframe in my shed.
Mess and faff to get those bloody things off.
Base plates are cleaned and painted...
...hangers are cleaned and sliders greased...
...ready for VHT paint when I refurbish the calipers.
Hang on a minute.
One caliper has a mousetrap spring to return the handbrake and the other has a coil spring.
Whenever this car was on the road it had an original GT3 caliper one side and an Uno Turbo, GT1 or GT2 caliper the other.
That has ballsed up any ideas I had of either converting the Bravo to rear discs or using them on my next project.
New shoes, cylinders and copper lines. The car now has fully functioning brakes for the first time since I have owned the old girl.
What a difference. The rear brakes come on marginally sooner than the front so the when the calipers close the weight has transferred to the the front wheels.
Brilliant idea but odd feeling for the first fifty or so miles.
I can also brake a little later on the country lanes so I may take my Bravo to the track day in September.
What a difference. The rear brakes come on marginally sooner than the front so the when the calipers close the weight has transferred to the the front wheels.
Brilliant idea but odd feeling for the first fifty or so miles.
I can also brake a little later on the country lanes so I may take my Bravo to the track day in September.
Fans of the "Knob" thread will know last week I encountered this chap...
...driving on the wrong side of the road as I went round a blind bend.
To avoid a head on collision I hit the grass verge.
I inspected the car for obvious damage and thankfully there is none to the suspension, steering or other places I could check by eye.
Yesterday I had new tyres fitted and the wheel that hit the verge...
...is buckled slightly. Not enough to need refurbishing but more than enough weights to balance for it to call the other wheels "Bra".
...driving on the wrong side of the road as I went round a blind bend.
To avoid a head on collision I hit the grass verge.
I inspected the car for obvious damage and thankfully there is none to the suspension, steering or other places I could check by eye.
Yesterday I had new tyres fitted and the wheel that hit the verge...
...is buckled slightly. Not enough to need refurbishing but more than enough weights to balance for it to call the other wheels "Bra".
My now cat' back exhaust sounded like it was leaking so I took it off today...
...I should take due consideration when I lower the car later.
The mystery "clunk" when I put the car in reverse is solved.
All those cakes I made when I had insomnia came in handy. Forget the Bake Off this is how to apply icing (exhaust putty at least).
All sealed, nut and bolts torqued and I could still hear what sounded like a leak somewhere in the middle. I inspected all the welds for carbon while the system was off so I know it couldn't be that.
This...
...heat shield was touching the pipe so it fell off.
That's a clean exhaust sound, quieter inside and a few grams weight saving.
...I should take due consideration when I lower the car later.
The mystery "clunk" when I put the car in reverse is solved.
All those cakes I made when I had insomnia came in handy. Forget the Bake Off this is how to apply icing (exhaust putty at least).
All sealed, nut and bolts torqued and I could still hear what sounded like a leak somewhere in the middle. I inspected all the welds for carbon while the system was off so I know it couldn't be that.
This...
...heat shield was touching the pipe so it fell off.
That's a clean exhaust sound, quieter inside and a few grams weight saving.
A week to the next track day at Blyton Park and I have been taking my machete and chainsaw to work.
Actually I mentioned that I stopped to clear the road the other morning and was called a liar so here's a dash cam' photo from half way when I shut my tailgate and set off the parking sensor.
Back on topic I have found a set of lowering springs local to me but they will not reply to eBay messages about collection. They and the others online won't be delivered on time.
Actually I mentioned that I stopped to clear the road the other morning and was called a liar so here's a dash cam' photo from half way when I shut my tailgate and set off the parking sensor.
Back on topic I have found a set of lowering springs local to me but they will not reply to eBay messages about collection. They and the others online won't be delivered on time.
I'm yet to turn to the dark side seriously. I had a Fiorino 1.7 Diesel but that was like driving a cement mixer. I did think of doing a JTD transplant or MkII Punto 1.9 TD transplant but I sold it and bought a 1.7TD Punto and dressed it up with spare Punto GT parts I had left over.
I may be getting my 2.0 16V (Fiat Coupe) turbo powered Punto back. So I could put that engine in my Bravo or make it a grey abs bumper and 55 badged sleeper.
I maintain my HLX has been the best all round car I have ever owned and for the initial price of £230 and train ticket probably the biggest bargain as well.
I may be getting my 2.0 16V (Fiat Coupe) turbo powered Punto back. So I could put that engine in my Bravo or make it a grey abs bumper and 55 badged sleeper.
I maintain my HLX has been the best all round car I have ever owned and for the initial price of £230 and train ticket probably the biggest bargain as well.
Instead of buying a "universal" lip splitter/spoiler for my Bravo I spotted a bit of trim on the floor in my local scrap yard.
£2.00 later and I have some trimming, drilling and tiger sealing to make it fit.
Also according to these guys...
https://www.timeanddate.com/weather/uk/lincoln
...the weather is looking wet in the morning so I'll be replacing my slightly pink rear fog light bulb with a super bright red LED one.
£2.00 later and I have some trimming, drilling and tiger sealing to make it fit.
Also according to these guys...
https://www.timeanddate.com/weather/uk/lincoln
...the weather is looking wet in the morning so I'll be replacing my slightly pink rear fog light bulb with a super bright red LED one.
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