:: Saturday, August 6, 2016 ::
Yes, I know there’s no page for July. I have barely set eyes on the car since I washed it then took it along to the farm after our trip up north in June. I have been otherwise distracted by various things, and although I have used the Porsche 2 or 3 times, the poor TVR has been sadly neglected. I’m a bad daddy. And a shit pal.
Anyway, yesterday I took the Porsche along to the farm, and brought the TVR back to the garage at the house.
Today, I give the car a clean - it’s not too bad, but the garage has an open rafter roof, and when it’s windy, it must vibrate and dump tons of wood dust downwards onto the sports car below. I have dust sheets but those were getting mankier than the car was, so I brought them home to wash, but haven’t been able to find a suitable time slot between the demands of a daughter who changes her clothes more often than Cher in a 24-hour one-woman spectacular, and also washes 3 bags of towels from her hairdresser shop every day.
Once the car is clean, I scrub the muck off the tyres from our 4x4 off-roading, and then polish the wheels. 3 words that take 3 hours or so, and they weren’t even all that bad to start with…
Clean the glass, dust the interior, check the oil and water, tyre pressures etc, and we’re ready for the car club meeting tomorrow.
Sod it, the sun is out and we’re ready for a wee run today! I go out for a 5 minute blast and return 45 minutes later. Superb!
:: Sunday, August 8, 2016 ::
There she sits baby just a’gleaming in the sun
There to greet a working man when his day is done.
I’m gonna pack some sweeties then I’m gonna pack some grub
Because today I’m gonna drive her to the TVR Club.(With apologies to B. Springsteen Esq.)
As usual, the engine runs like a wet fart when it’s cold. It takes 3 re-starts just to get out of the garage and onto the drive, then a couple of minutes before it will idle without holding the throttle open slightly. It’s a right pain in the arse when it’s cold.
By the time I’ve filled up with fuel, and driven half-way to Dave’s house, it’s all toasty-toasty and running like a sweetie. Yet again, I think “this is great, this!” You would think, after 13 years, that I would be used to it, but this wee car delights me every time I drive it (after the first couple of minutes or so!).
Jim is already waiting at Dave’s. Dave and Clair are both travelling as passengers today, so after our usual friendly introductory banter, that would leave anybody with thinner skin on the verge of suicide, we set off, Dave with me and Claire with Jim.
There are 9 or 10 TVRs there today, including a new couple in a nice red Chimaera.
Service seems uncharacteristically smart and efficient, but then Jim, Hugh and I remember that we have a new frame of reference after our trip in June. With lunch disposed of, Dave and Claire kindly present me with a trophy as compensation for whining about winning no trophies. While the thought is appreciated, I do have to point out that I have never cared about winning trophies - it’s just nice to talk about something else sometimes.
Our conversation ranges across the usual wide range of random topics, including, in my case, garage extension, or additional garage rental, to make space for potential further acquisitions…
We wander outside for the usual blether around the cars. Hugh says that he can’t get his bonnet open. I can. He’s far too gentle. I point out that his bonnet is sitting slightly squint, so he needs to lengthen one hinge slightly, and shorten the other, to pull it sideways so that the pins match up. I know this because I need to do exactly the same, but I can’t be arsed.
All too soon, it’s time to head home, with Claire as passenger this time.
:: Monday, August 22, 2016 ::
Nothing much to report on the TVR front, it’s sitting in the garage looking good, after its large excursion.
In the meantime, I had a wee trip down south at the weekend to look at a couple of cars. Yes, I know… I’m not saying yet what they were, but I’ve always fancied one of these as well… I’ve checked the width of the garage door along at the farm to make sure it fits - all is good!
I haven’t decided yet if this will be an addition to the stable, or a replacement - I’m going to get it and then see what happens.
Anyway, it turns out that one of the cars I went to see s rubbish - the photos are good, but very strategically taken, shall we say…
The second car has been for sale for ages, and has steadily reduced in price. It was on eBay last week and failed to meet its reserve - but seeing as that wasn’t much short of what it’s advertised for elsewhere, I know now exactly how much he will take for it. Unfortunately, it seems that somebody else has been watching it’s advert history too, because when I go to look for the seller’s number on Saturday, the advert has disappeared, and when I find it, it says “deposit taken”. Oh well… waited one day too long, tough titty.
Onwards and upwards!
I go to a wee car show that I see advertised locally (that’s local to where I am, not local to where I live, 300 miles away) so decide to pop along there - and meet one of the regulars on the TVR Forum - one who knows what he’s talking about! We have a wee chat, then I have a look around a number of BMWs, rice rockets and various other stuff. The interesting stuff includes an MG TD, an Austin Cambridge, an A40, a Plymouth Roadrunner, some Westfields, and a doughnut stall.
I’ve been to bigger car shows, I admit.
So - no new acquisitions. Yet.
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