Classic car daily driver?

[Lily the Pink]

Breadvan72 said:

This shed might be going to see another shed tomorrow. Allegedly. Maybe. Perhaps. I'm not saying.

I think your idea of "shed" is somewhat at variance with most people's.

[anonymous-user]

If you could see the rear wheel arches close up you might think shed.

[citizensm1th]

Breadvan72 said:

This shed might be going to see another shed tomorrow. Allegedly. Maybe. Perhaps. I'm not saying.

i like a lot, Japanese cubism at its peak

[mike9009]

Huntsman said:

There's going to be a bit of that....

I had it delivered from Cambridge to a Chum in Portsmouth, plan was to drive it to the ferry, then drive it across the Isle of Wight to my home.

The 6 miles to the ferry went fine, buoyed with success i took a photo and posted it on the Gilbern Club facebook page



As soon as I pulled off the ferry, it started to misfire...then came to a standstill, 15 mins later it stated, got me a couple of miles further, then another 15 mins rest and I made it home on 3 cylinders. Its just condensor, coil, plugs, old fuel crap. Think timing is out by a mile.

Huge clonk from the rear when switching off the overdrive! Perhaps a hub spline.

Feels a bit out of balance, Lots of lead on the rims.

Riot to drive.

Facet red top is noisy.

Completely missed the updates to this thread. When are you starting the commuting? I am usually trundling along the Forest Road between 0720 and 0740 each morning from Newport to shalfleet. Either in my Smart Roadster, BMW E92 Coupe or rarely my T25.

What are you commuting in at the moment?

Mike

[anonymous-user]

citizensm1th said:

Breadvan72 said:

This shed might be going to see another shed tomorrow. Allegedly. Maybe. Perhaps. I'm not saying.

i like a lot, Japanese cubism at its peak

Here be its thread -

https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...

[Huntsman]

I am the prophet of the Isle of Wight, I predict that Bunwagon72* is heading for a breakdown (mechanical or electrical, praps mental)

mike9009 said:

Completely missed the updates to this thread. When are you starting the commuting? I am usually trundling along the Forest Road between 0720 and 0740 each morning from Newport to shalfleet. Either in my Smart Roadster, BMW E92 Coupe or rarely my T25.

What are you commuting in at the moment?

Mike

Er... so the harsh reality is that since the Gilbern arrived at the house and was parked in garage it hasn't actually, er, moved.

I was all set for a test drive with the electronic ignition and alternator conversion, plus a pair of static lap belts now fitted, went to start it and the ignition switch disintegrated..... This is now resolved, with a new cheap Chinese crappy switch from ebay, but the man with the HIAB delivered the boat engines to home for some work over winter and now I can't get the Gilbern out....

I leave Colwell at 7am, to Stag Lane, a fast run is 19 mins, so must pass you towards the Newport end. If you see a nutter driving a dirty white Vx Combo van with roof bars, looking vacant, tapping his fingers on the wheel to the finest of classic FM that's me.

• In the 70's as a child, Mrs Halliwell in the village had a motorhome that had been used to deliver bread, know as the Bunwagon, us kids just rolled around in the back.

[mike9009]

Huntsman said:

Er... so the harsh reality is that since the Gilbern arrived at the house and was parked in garage it hasn't actually, er, moved.

I was all set for a test drive with the electronic ignition and alternator conversion, plus a pair of static lap belts now fitted, went to start it and the ignition switch disintegrated..... This is now resolved, with a new cheap Chinese crappy switch from ebay, but the man with the HIAB delivered the boat engines to home for some work over winter and now I can't get the Gilbern out....

I leave Colwell at 7am, to Stag Lane, a fast run is 19 mins, so must pass you towards the Newport end. If you see a nutter driving a dirty white Vx Combo van with roof bars, looking vacant, tapping his fingers on the wheel to the finest of classic FM that's me.

• In the 70's as a child, Mrs Halliwell in the village had a motorhome that had been used to deliver bread, know as the Bunwagon, us kids just rolled around in the back.

Too dark at the moment..... See you in Spring with the Gilbern!! Be interesting seeing it against my Smart Roadster??

[Huntsman]

mike9009 said:

Too dark at the moment..... See you in Spring with the Gilbern!! Be interesting seeing it against my Smart Roadster??

That would be an interesting comparison for the classics dwarfed by moderns thread, the Gilbern is tiny, its in the garage in front my of Silver Shadow for effect!

I bunkd off early to collect a relly for chrimbo, managed in the last hour of daylight to get the second boat engine moved out the way, so I could now give the Gilbern a drive.

[Lily the Pink]

Huntsman said:

I could now give the Gilbern a drive.

Save it until Wednesday then give yourself a treat and get out of sprout-bashing at the same time !

[anonymous-user]

Sport Utility Vehicle - tiny Toyota, quite big tree.

Merry Xmas, rust lovers!

[Huntsman]

Test drive! Only half a mile, but went ok! Might venture further tomoz.

I have sorted the previous owners modifications to the tank breather, it is now not open to the air! Less risk of a mighty explosion launching the fibreglass bootlid into space when turning on the battery charger.

Battery is on charge, I think it needs a new one really, I must check if its discharging while turned orf, To facilitate charging, the bootlid, no stay rod you see, is held open with a bungee up to the garage roof. I must remember to unhook it before driving orf, else when it finally lets go, it'll come through the back of the screen and garrote me.

[deeen]

Sounds like a failsafe system to me? The bungee will catch the bootlid when the tank breather explodes, meaning the car will be free to drive away!

[baconsarney]

I used a 4 pot BGT as my daily for about a year a few years back, best thing I did (particularly for winter use) was fit a 123 dizzy...

[kurt535]

Merc 190e 2.6 used every other day. Just keeps rolling!

[smcapstick]

My Range Rover 4.2 LSE has been called in to service for winter - ice is not very Mercedes Sprinter or motorbike friendly!

[Rollin]

The W123 Estate has been great over the winter so far. Very comfortable and reliable. I need to check/adjust valve clearances at some point, but it's running so well at present that I don't want to mess it up. It's been doing weekend trips too..

[kurt535]

Rollin said:

The W123 Estate has been great over the winter so far. Very comfortable and reliable. I need to check/adjust valve clearances at some point, but it's running so well at present that I don't want to mess it up. It's been doing weekend trips too..

have to love a bit of 123.

[Castrol for a knave]

Rollin said:

The W123 Estate has been great over the winter so far. Very comfortable and reliable. I need to check/adjust valve clearances at some point, but it's running so well at present that I don't want to mess it up. It's been doing weekend trips too..

Lovely

I have been toying about getting a classic to replace my cooking spec A4 motorway pig. do 20,000 miles a year.

The W123 was and is top of the list.

a nice SD1 Vitesse popped up but I love the design and durability of the old Merc.

[eccles]

Rollin said:

The W123 Estate has been great over the winter so far. Very comfortable and reliable. I need to check/adjust valve clearances at some point, but it's running so well at present that I don't want to mess it up. It's been doing weekend trips too..

I've been using my coupe all year round as well. It really does need a wash at the minute, the East Anglian sugar beet season puts a lot of mud on the roads!

[DonkeyApple]

Huntsman said:

Who's driving a classic car as their main car?

I'm contemplating 26 miles a day, no traffic, A and B roads, in a Mk2 Jag.

Is this stupid?

Edited by Huntsman on Monday 14th October 15:00

Only stupid if you’re stupid.

Personally, for an everyday classic that I can just use and use and won’t decide to not start one random day or boil over because it doesn’t like the weather, which are really the main risks if your car is mechanically sound, then there are two things that I would do and they transform any old car magically:

First, I’d fit a modern radiator with an efficient core and replace all the hoses. That removes half of the likely problems. The other half are then removed by fitting a modern engine management system.

Once you’ve done those two things then it just boils down to keeping on top of basic maintenance.

The two things that just used to leave people stuck by the side of the road were a radiator that didn’t radiate and fuel that didn’t fuel. Deal with those and your just left with the minor, trivial issues of wheels or doors falling off.

Put something like an MBE or Syvecs system on a Jag 3.8 and you’ll have it purring like modern BMW straight six and as reliable. It is startling how a modern management system transforms even the most ghastly boat anchor.