Why I’m not allowed to own “two” of anything anymore......
Discussion
B90LC... Dave what's his names isn't it? from V-Tuning? Local to me, dropped my mate there in his Cavalier to get an LET dropped in properly, or rather, I towed my mate there from the A23 when the badly plumbed in LET stopped working on his way to get it fixed...
I do miss those VBOA rally days, even if they were "all the same" every year, it changed when they lost Billing and I liked it the first year but my own club just stopped being viable so I've wound it up and now just have a forum only. And I don't even have a Vauxall now I've sold the Rascal. But that 25th Anniversary Parade was a good turnout
I do miss those VBOA rally days, even if they were "all the same" every year, it changed when they lost Billing and I liked it the first year but my own club just stopped being viable so I've wound it up and now just have a forum only. And I don't even have a Vauxall now I've sold the Rascal. But that 25th Anniversary Parade was a good turnout
B'stard Child said:
Shakermaker said:
B90LC... Dave what's his names isn't it? from V-Tuning? Local to me, dropped my mate there in his Cavalier to get an LET dropped in properly, or rather, I towed my mate there from the A23 when the badly plumbed in LET stopped working on his way to get it fixed...
Yep - B9 OLC (890 LC as displayed on "Show Plates") is David "Not Normal" on here and yes V-Tuning I think is run by his Dad?Shakermaker said:
I do miss those VBOA rally days, even if they were "all the same" every year, it changed when they lost Billing
I can't say if it changed or not when they lost Billing as I stopped going 
Shakermaker said:
I liked it the first year but my own club just stopped being viable so I've wound it up and now just have a forum only.
I have noticed that some forums are dying too - let alone clubs!!!Shakermaker said:
And I don't even have a Vauxall now I've sold the Rascal.
Sooty Van Rascal? They were good fun a mate had one - absolute hoot - and actually you could pack a fair bit in themShakermaker said:
But that 25th Anniversary Parade was a good turnout
I don't think it broke the record for the number of LC's in same place - I think the ABS had a visit to Hethel and from memory nearly 30 turned up got there, I went to it but in a "Polo" as the LC was having clutch rectification from memory hahahaha
Yes, had a Rascal, sold it a couple of months ago to mate. It won a cup at the last ever Billing-held event back in 2016. The 2017 show at Market Harborough wasn't bad at all, just different, and people like to moan. Club and forum have dried up considerably though, you're not wrong, though its good to see clubs like ABS still regularly get proper members meets going, I think the more offline approach clearly works much better for many of the old clubs, saves a lot of aggro, but requires dedicated members and organisers, which we lacked
scarily that was probably 2006 with the VX Performance Car Club as it was back then. Owned it 16 years now, mega motors.When you eventually sell the LC, will you buy something really reliable and user friendly like an Alfa Romeo? Just think of all the time you'll have to polish it, on second thoughts just get the minicab painted and enjoy the ongoing maintenance/servicing/rebuilding/tinkering and post more tails of woe/joy.
TVRs are just as frustrating as your LC has been, I had one a 400 Chimaera in blue, I loved it, but not it did cost me money (not as bad as my Land Rovers were!) It cleaned me out financially, I'm not mechanically minded. I very reluctantly sold to Fernhurst TVR after 7 years.
Thanks for sharing your experiences
Philip
Thanks for sharing your experiences
Philip
All this talk about selling... noooo don’t do it! If ever there was a perfect owner for a car. I understand if you had the paintwork done then it would grind your gears when it chips etc but by your own admission it’s never been a garage queen and just because you paint it doesn’t mean it has to become one.
I think the real question is would Mrs BC allow the LC and a TVR. Now we’re talking
Your story of the Carlton that spat its dummy out when you tried to sell it brings back memories. If I may, a story along similar lines...
My dad (an ex-mechanic) bought a Volvo 460 about 17/18 years ago... it was a cheap car at the time, and in very good condition... but a little leggy. That said, he ran it for about 18 months trouble free. Changed the oil once and that was it. It now had circa 160k miles. He put it up for sale (was now used only occasionally; the new car was on the drive) and a few days later, one Saturday morning it refused to start. Battery appeared to be flat. Meanwhile, at this very moment the phone rings, somebody interested in the car. Dad managed to put him off viewing until the next day, without raising suspicion. Now to keep the story shortish, the fault wasn’t the battery but the voltage regulator on the alternator had given up on life. After a flying visit to the scrappy a new one was sourced and later that day, fitted. Turn the key and nothing but a click; it was worse than before, not even the slightest sign of life. Cue lots of head scratching and mild panic. Then he notices a symbol on the dash. Consultation with the owners manual told us the car is immobilised. At this point the mild panic was just full blown exasperation. Dad may even have got a bit of a strop on at this point, and slammed the bonnet down... and a headlight cracked. It really was salt in the wounds stuff!
The morning after a night of crying into a few pints of Guinness... he calls the interested person and advises them the car developed a fault and so he wouldn’t be taking any viewings today. Not knowing a great deal about immobilisers... eventually the bullet was bitten and it was recovered to Volvo. A nice bill of circa £385 + a little for the treasury and the car was back in working order. Eventually sold it about a week later for £650. And the buyer had successfully chipped him for the cracked headlight.
I think the moral of the story is... part ex your car, if you do that then it doesn’t have time to stew and turn evil!
I think the real question is would Mrs BC allow the LC and a TVR. Now we’re talking
Your story of the Carlton that spat its dummy out when you tried to sell it brings back memories. If I may, a story along similar lines...
My dad (an ex-mechanic) bought a Volvo 460 about 17/18 years ago... it was a cheap car at the time, and in very good condition... but a little leggy. That said, he ran it for about 18 months trouble free. Changed the oil once and that was it. It now had circa 160k miles. He put it up for sale (was now used only occasionally; the new car was on the drive) and a few days later, one Saturday morning it refused to start. Battery appeared to be flat. Meanwhile, at this very moment the phone rings, somebody interested in the car. Dad managed to put him off viewing until the next day, without raising suspicion. Now to keep the story shortish, the fault wasn’t the battery but the voltage regulator on the alternator had given up on life. After a flying visit to the scrappy a new one was sourced and later that day, fitted. Turn the key and nothing but a click; it was worse than before, not even the slightest sign of life. Cue lots of head scratching and mild panic. Then he notices a symbol on the dash. Consultation with the owners manual told us the car is immobilised. At this point the mild panic was just full blown exasperation. Dad may even have got a bit of a strop on at this point, and slammed the bonnet down... and a headlight cracked. It really was salt in the wounds stuff!
The morning after a night of crying into a few pints of Guinness... he calls the interested person and advises them the car developed a fault and so he wouldn’t be taking any viewings today. Not knowing a great deal about immobilisers... eventually the bullet was bitten and it was recovered to Volvo. A nice bill of circa £385 + a little for the treasury and the car was back in working order. Eventually sold it about a week later for £650. And the buyer had successfully chipped him for the cracked headlight.
I think the moral of the story is... part ex your car, if you do that then it doesn’t have time to stew and turn evil!
B'stard Child said:
A pissed off Mrs BC for a few days cos I accidentally broke one of her rules is fine - she doesn't talk to me for a couple of days - she hates silence so I know she will crack fairly quickly and we are back to normal
count your lucky chickens it is that way around! When Mrs Blanco goes silent it always ends up with me caving as the silent treatment is unbearable! I think this is the single biggest barrier between me and a Lotus
B'stard Child said:
Yeah - ownership perspective is a little different - I see one everyday - when I do go to club events - I can see 10 - 20 of them.
In Le Mans this year we got stuck in traffic - local French teenagers were walking past and then walking back and taking pictures.
This surprised me as in the UK most youngsters walk past it without even a look. It really is anonymous to anyone other than a "petrolhead"
It's just a big green ex mincab with a bit of poke
From a PH EA Dyno Day (a well trusted dyno that provided numbers on std cars that were spot on rather than "Optimistic")
They all make more than 377 bhp if they are in good order
That graph explains the encounter me and a mate had with one many years ago. Mate had a 2 year old E39 M5 (which was a REALLY fast car back in 2003) and we came up on a yellow LC (why someone thought repainting one yellow was a good idea is anyones guess) on a long motorway stretch, when I told my mate, whose driving habits best can be described as pure lunacy what car the yellow one was his response was his normal one, downshift, foot to the floor and fly past as fast as possible, he did his usual trick, LC owner took the bait and followed for almost 100 km's. Couldn't shake him, no way, no how. In Le Mans this year we got stuck in traffic - local French teenagers were walking past and then walking back and taking pictures.
This surprised me as in the UK most youngsters walk past it without even a look. It really is anonymous to anyone other than a "petrolhead"
It's just a big green ex mincab
with a bit of pokeFrom a PH EA Dyno Day (a well trusted dyno that provided numbers on std cars that were spot on rather than "Optimistic")
They all make more than 377 bhp if they are in good order
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