Diary of a Country Lad - VW V6 4Motion & Citroen C4

[Whatty]

mwstewart said:

What are you buying from Andy?

I'm not sure. If you'd asked yesterday I would have told you. Andy asked me to call back today to confirm his thoughts but he seems to have forgotten to come to work today

I'm laughing tonight. Tomorrow ????

[Whatty]

hidetheelephants said:

Volvo Sugga, which vaguely resemble Dodge command cars? My hardware geek credentials need a polish, I failed to recognise the slew/traverse ring which is clearly visible in both pictures and a distinctive feature of the 25pdr.

Not sure if you're still tuned in Mr hidethelephants?
Missed your last post for some reason.

Volvo Sugga is correct.
Remind me not to play Military Top Trumps with you.....



And on the topic of old green things.

If anyone could help me help someone value a flood damaged 2002 Morgan 4/4 Zetec with 100k on the clock do get in touch.

Cheers, Whatty

PS. You won't see this Mr. R of Little E.
I am trying, as we discussed, to ensure the Loss Adj. doesn't spoil your Christmas.

PPS. And on the subject of Christmas

Ding dong - Ms Whatty's shop's open.
Support your local online retailer.

http://blog.gwydionsgarden.com/

Free delivery in South & West Norfolk c/o yrs trly.

[mwstewart]

Whatty said:

I'm not sure. If you'd asked yesterday I would have told you. Andy asked me to call back today to confirm his thoughts but he seems to have forgotten to come to work today

I'm laughing tonight. Tomorrow ????

I have a rear ARB you may be interested in. If you get chance measure the diameter of your rear ARB and let me know.

[Whatty]

mwstewart said:

I have a rear ARB you may be interested in. If you get chance measure the diameter of your rear ARB and let me know.

That's very kind Mark. I'll let you know the dia. of me ARB.

Once I get hold of Andy (who is still out)

[B'stard Child]

I do believe I am almost up to date now......

Thanks for writing

[Whatty]

B'stard Child said:

I do believe I am almost up to date now......

Thanks for writing

Well you are ....nearly.....

[B'stard Child]

Hmmm - so this starlet - old one ie RWD and fitted with a YB?

[Whatty]

B'stard Child said:

Hmmm - so this starlet - old one ie RWD and fitted with a YB?

Supposedly.

I'm not sure I should take the OEM Dolly Parton route.
Or I could get something with a Jordan-esque implant.
Suppose I could get something really old a la' Jayne Mansfield.

At the moment it is all of no matter, no shed to house it in.
I'd forgotten how sloooow the UK house buying process can be.

As has been usual, 2014 fades out with me just waiting on others.
Patience not my strong suit. Norfolk pace of life a bit slow in comparison to NY Metro.

So plenty of time for a trip down memory lane while musing and mixing automotive mammary metaphors.

Whatty Jr's Great great grandfather.
Robert A. (My namesake on Ma Whatty's side)



Wheelwright & cartwright.
An early professional PHer.
With a shed.

Check out those rims.



And when he wasn't knocking those bad boy buggies out.
He was sensibly diversifying into construction management.

Go team!



Cheery bunch aren't they?
George, middle row, 3rd from right.

Well I guess assembling one of these will leave you looking a bit glum.
'Good day at the office dear?'



Not sure I need such a big shed for my projects.

Trouble ahead?
Ms. Whatty now complaining about her current digs.
Not the 'little place in the UK countryside' she was thinking of.



Can't understand it.
She enjoyed watching My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding back in the States.

TGIF.

Cheers, Whatty

Edited by Whatty on Friday 5th December 10:42

[Sirf]

Read a few posts ago you suggested calling it quits on this thread. Glad you didn't. I need your posts to cheer up my lunch breaks in rainy London.

[mwstewart]

Keep it up Whatty.

[Whatty]

Sirf said:

Read a few posts ago you suggested calling it quits on this thread. Glad you didn't. I need your posts to cheer up my lunch breaks in rainy London.

mwstewart said:

Keep it up Whatty.

Oh please....

This is just a way to distract me from worrying about Master Whatty's gender identity issue.

First it was Dolly's.

I mean FFS.
Pink wellies? Really?



And I now see Scottie Whatty needs grooming again.
Great.

With sincere apologies for the lack of car content.
Whatty.

[sprouting]

Don't worry, the wheelbarrow mans it up a bit.

[Whatty]

sprouting said:

Don't worry, the wheelbarrow mans it up a bit.

Thanks Mr. Sprouting.
I take comfort in the fact the wellies were just on loan.

Meanwhile I can finally work some real car content into the thread.

Busy weekend.

Quick trip yesterday. Out to see my first small steps on the property ladder.
1996 saw me acquire this small pile of clay lump bricks.
Enter through front door inset into red brick wall.



I wouldn't say it was small but anyone over 6' couldn't pee standing up.
In 2001 I extended it. Well I bought next door with a view to knocking through.



Which of course never happened....
Sold both, buggered off a la the Real Whatty.
He went East in '33, I went West in '99 & again in '03.

Anyway, back on my borrowed driveway.
The Mongrel FoMo is showing the first stages of the pox.



And hard track and country lane miles have resulted in brake squeal.
Could do with a wash as well.



And Ms. Whatty has a dold in her dose.
Ditto Master Whatty.

Excellent news all round.
Too cold to owt about anything.
Apart from wipe noses.
Yuk.

Time to retire to sofa & old dvd collection.
Aah. Le Mans.
Excellent period and staged footage.
st continuity.



(Image c/o Solar Productions 1971)

Thin script for Mr. McQueen.
Normally I nod off just before the scene when it starts raining.

Bored bored bored.
Shuffle through laptop archive.

Hey, an original Whatty film production!
Almost as mind numbing as 'Le Mans' but much much shorter.



(Image c/o Pigs Breakfast Productions 2009)


Never released as the title keeps changing.

'25 Seconds of American Morris Motoring.'
'Gone in 25 seconds'
'Here comes Krusty the Klown'

Starring a then not very svelte 'Whatty' & the '69 Morris.



I'm not sure the road movie adaptation of my first chapter really works.
It does have a refueling scene but the ending like the headgasket needed changing.

Rough cut.
http://youtu.be/KEuwmoxwEI4
Copyright: RacingGreen.Media 2014

I bet the critics will hate me.
The crowds stay away in droves.

Cheers
Whatty.

Edited by Whatty on Sunday 7th December 23:03

[C7 JFW]

Whatty said:

Hi Mark

Moody chap wasn't alone, quite a few folk left looking a bit forlorn. Some for good mechanical reasons, others simply didn't respect the conditions and paid the price.

The old gal is, for what was paid, remarkable. Saturday proved you don't need to spend a bundle for a good time.

She can certainly be improved on in the chassis department and I've been speaking with Andy at the House of VAG. Thanks for the steer in that direction.

Unlike your's the miles on Mongrel probably don't make sense for a full on project.

Another trusted adviser suggests that while the V6 is robust cam chain stretch might wipe my smug grin off.

For now I'm very content to keep racking up amusing miles in comparative anonymity. Silver Mk IV's seem to be everywhere.



Cheers, Whatty

I can attest to the apparent surprise of the 4Motion - such a brilliant car. I did tyres at the weekend and it's transformed the car - it finds grip in places I simply expect it to run out and it's done in such an incredibly calm manner.

I might have to investigate the cam chain issue.

[Whatty]

C7 JFW said:

I might have to investigate the cam chain issue.

I'm not losing any sleep over that point Mr C7.

You listen to one bloke, you get one opinion.
Too much information can take all the fun out of a car.

Taking the FoMo off the road on December 31st for some work.
Too nice as a daily B-road burner to let it deteriorate.


What tyres did you get?

[C7 JFW]

You make fair comment actually - I think I'd simply plan to swap the chain if I get the the point where the engine comes out & the lot gets tidied up/cleaned and so on.

These cars are absolutely superb for day to day, leaving the toys for finer days & climates.

I got a set of Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric's.

[Whatty]

C7 JFW said:

You
These cars are absolutely superb for day to day, leaving the toys for finer days & climates.

I got a set of Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric's.

RE: Goodyears - What size? Standard 205/55/R16s on mine.

Don't talk about toys....
I'm actively shopping for my next Spring season party.
John Lewis currently has a sale on electrical appliances

[ecotec]

Hi whatty, just thought I pass thanks for your various threads - great reads all of them, interesting to see the progress of the golf and that so much fun from so little cash. Once I get some more driveway I might well follow suit,

Anyhow seasons greetings from a fellow norfolk dweller,

[Whatty]

ecotec said:

Hi whatty, just thought I pass thanks for your various threads - great reads all of them, interesting to see the progress of the golf and that so much fun from so little cash. Once I get some more driveway I might well follow suit,

Anyhow seasons greetings from a fellow norfolk dweller,

Hi Mr.ecotec

Thanks for your kind neighbourly words.
The Golf is indeed 'value'. In fact it might be up for grabs in the not too distant future.
Meanwhile........

Thursday December 18th
South Norfolk.
Early morning.



So with the festive season nearly upon us, a potential new star for our 'new' (but still not quite our's) old shed I'm off in search of a Wise Man for advice.
Because where words like 'car', 'track' and 'quick' are concerned I know enough to know I don't know enough.

So before any money changes hands in the New Year I'd like a second opinion on potential upgrades to what might be my third car.

CURRENT candidate. Its lightweight.




Don't ask, it’s a surprise. Or it might change shape. Or colour.
It's non road going. Which reminds me.



Ms. Whatty's Citroen C4 with 1600cc and slushomatic 4 speed is not going to pull a trailer.
So there might be something up for sale rather sooner than I expected. Probably not the C4, it's just too good a daily to part with currently.

Enough mental garage shuffling. Must do some work while waiting for the arrival of the Wise Man.

Sheds to buy, things to do. New ventures in the UK to launch.
Working in the fresh air, love it.



Working while surrounded by old cars? Yes please.
Old Quattro's? Pleasssse.......

Must resist. But look - its all so wonderfully '80's.
What are those teeny rims? Ronals?
But its really the arches wot get me. Everytime.



Right, Wise Man now here.
Finding the right guy to work with after my 15 year stint abroad: Tricky.
Working with the right guy once found: Nice. Knows his stuff.

Builds and sells his own stuff. MX5 with V6.
Apologies for the bad picture.
It was the vibration from the six banger causing lens oscillation.



Chassis dynamics, engine, handling. Plenty of food for thought.
It's a two way street. I came bearing gifts. Tis the season.
Novelty gingerbread strippers.




No amount of time conducting Google searches, forum trawling or general fanny-ing around is going to provide me with the depth of knowledge that this guy has absorbed in a career that encompasses building a fleet of these.



Or a 'company' car such as this.
All singing and dancing Kawasaki powered Mazda.

'Mazawaki' - catchy name. Worth a ©.



Time for more tea....
PG Tips plus some sound technical ones.
A 10/10 for Customer service.



Always judge a good workman by his tool station.



And his self built office.
A Ninja track weapon might tick the boxes if my Plan 'A' comes to nought.



What else is going on?
Yo! Neun Elfers.

Sickly Supersports bodied Targa.



Clearly any future car of mine will be in safe hands.
And when not building very cool things they can get stuck into Le Citroen and my 4Motion.... if its still with me.

Time to go. I'll be back.
Hopefully dropping off something other than baked goods.

Oh look, they're firing up the.....



With thanks to Darren & The Little Car Clinic folk.
Attleborough, Norfolk.

Cheers, Whatty

PS. if you're a super star technician with stellar communication AND spanner skills, they're busy and they're hiring.

[coopedup]

Please keep the updates coming Whatty, I love your writing style and they always bring a smile to my face, which I need at the moment with bloody flu!!!
Anyway all the best to you and yours for the hols...