:: Diary - July 2022 ::

:: Monday, 11 July, 2022 ::

It's all very quiet when you don't have power steering to fit...

I took the car out last Sunday for its first real run - around 90 miles two-way trip to the TVR Car Club meeting. Dave was away trophy-hunting at a national meeting in Blackpool, and Jim and Eric went with him because of his magnetic charisma. Did he win a trophy? Of course he did - no point in going otherwise!

So Billy No-Mates here went to the Car Club meeting on my own, with the inner peace that comes from driving on your own and not in a convoy, and also the seat-clenching trepidation of being on your own if the power steering blows a gasket! But it didn't - all was fine!

Also - I got a chance to sit with different people.

Then yesterday I had another wee run, just to visit relatives for a wee BBQ - car running like a sweetie! I had to re-glue a bit of trim back on though - to my hat! Also the driver door mirror keeps coming loose and flopping down - I put a wee bit of loctite on the screw threads.

Don't speak too soon, though, because we have our round-Scotland tour this weekend!


:: Sunday, 17 July, 2022 ::

It's been 3 years since our last "grand tour" and although we've had a couple of wee day runs out, we've been looking forward to getting back in the driving seat for a proper adventure! We meet up at our usual rallying point, and meet Mick, who has an S-Series in the Borders. He has been a regular email correspondent, but we've never met before. He's on his way to a Blackpool Thunder meeting near Dundee but thought he might tag along for a bit.

Adrian has come up from Yorkshire because he misses us. Understandable.

We're also joined by Eric for the first time since he bought his Chimaera.

No Hugh though, because he's still not in the best of health.

So after admiring the various rice rockets and other stuff heading for a car show nearby, we ready to go!

No hang on, not quite - Adrian need to check his oil. Then we set off on the first leg - to breakfast!

We stop at a garden centre near Kinross, where there is a very nice cafe. Don't ask me how I know...


Mick wins the prize for biggest plateful. I don't know what he asked for, but I think it was another table's order all heaped together. Unfortunately he gets a bit sidetracked looking for a photo on his phone, so doesn't get started before the rest of us are licking the last bits off our plates. He'll learn, especially if he sits closer to Dave next time.

Anyway, he decides that for some reason, he likes our company, so he'll drive along with us before heading home, instead of going to Dundee.

So then we all head off, up through Glenfarg and back on to the motorway towards Perth, then up past Scone Palace and Blairgowrie to the Glenshee Ski Centre for a wee rest and some photos. And a loo break.


Onwards! The next stop is Grantown-on-Spey, which involves crossing the Tomintoul road - the first road every year to close for snow, and the last to re-open. Since we're roasting in a heatwave in July, it'll probably be open - and it is! It's a spectacular route with good drriving and fantastic views, if you dare to take your eyes off the road!

When we come out of the cafe in Grantown-on Spey, Mick's car doesn't start. We think the starter is jammed, but we push it and rock it and it doesn't free up. WE push start it and it doesn't sound like the starter is stuck in gear. He was going to go home from here anyway, so he goes to the petrol station across the street to make sure that he can get home without stopping again (after another wee push from the pump).

For the rest of us, in on through Forres then back along the A96 through Nairn, to our hotel in Inverness. That's 200 miles today!

We all get parked up and ready for a nice relaxing evening... Except that's not how it turns out, for me at least...


My first priority when I get to my room is to phone my sister about something urgent but I'm not explaining here. At some point during that call, I realise that I don't have my car keys. After the call I search the room, but no sign of them.

Back to the car - I search everywhere but no sign of them there either. The guys haven't seen them. They haven't been handed in.

Dave, Jim and Adrian all search the car, but nope. Jim comes in and searches the room. Nope.

I'm mystified.

I'm also stranded with a car I can't drive, and it's our long drive day tomorrow.

After considering various options, including breaking the steering lock, hotwiring the car and worrying about fixing it later, I decide that I need to get my spare keys delivered here ASAP. I get them couriered to me by 10.30pm, ready for tomorrow.

The down side:it costs me an absolute mint. Stupidity doesn't come cheap.

The up side: It turns out that I know the man who delivers them, although I haveen't seen him for around 30 years!

It also means that somebody else drives 160-odd miles while I have a nice dinner with my pals! I hope that the bastards appreciate their value!


:: Monday, 18 July, 2022 ::

It's bloody roasting. The room is like a tandoori oven and my head is still buzzing about keys...

Anyway, back out to the cars first thing, roof off and then go for fuel before breakfast.

Breakfast is buffet-style, which is always a mistake for us diet-conscious TVR owners. I allow myself to indulge in a plateful that I can hardly lift.

Then it's back to the cars, and ready to go at 9am as agreed.

This is when Adrian decides that his Chimaera not only needs more oil, but a full service. Eventually though he gets in, switches off his immobiliser, enters the 25-digit authentication code, and we're off!

Adrian leads us over the Kessock Bridge and over the Black Isle past Tain, before we stop at the Dornoch Bridge to admire (and water) the scenery.


From there, we head up the east coast through Alness and Golspie to Helmsdale. This involves an interesting steep descent into a gorge around a couple of hairpins, and then the same going back up. Hello power steering!

Yeah, about that... the new rack has a slightly different turn ratio than the original, so the car has felt a wee bit strange since I changed it. But as the miles pass by, I'm getting more and more used to it, and settling back into just enjoying the drive. The rest of the car seems to be working pretty well, so all in all, it's a wonderful experience!

When we reach Helmsdale, we have a wee tour until we find a car park we like, and then find that everywhere is "open every day except Mondays". We do find a museum and cafe down by the harbour, so that'll do! Unfortunately it's only 10am and the baker hasn't arrived yet, so our selection of tasty delicacies is non-existent. So it's a wee drink, and back in the car!

Continuing up the A9 and A99, the weather changes from "hot and sunny" to "mild and overcast" and then to "misty and bloody freezing" by the time we reach John o' Groats.

We stop for the compulsory "end of the country" photograph...


or several.


Orkney is a big island, and it's only a short distance over there, but today, you can't see it.


It's also lunchtime, so we spend some time packing our necks in Britains most northerly restaurant (well there is a burger van about 10 metres further north, but it's too cold for that standing outside shit).

When we get back to the cars, we find this parked beside us. It's a VW Beetle (obviously) but with a Subaru boxer engine hanging off the back. These old Subarus have their uses (as donor cars).


From there, Adrian leads us off west, along the north coast, where Orkney does make an appearance through the mist as we go past the Queen Maw's old gaff at Castle of Mey and Dunnet Beach (which has some very impressive surfing waves crashing along it) and then through Thurso. As we leave Thurso, Adrian pulls over and announces that he's going to go back for petrol, just in case. So we wait, and pass the time by calculating whether we will need more fuel before we gat back, but we all decide no. Dave empties a gallon can into his car just in case. In fairness he did offer to share, but Jim and I are living it on the edge with the petrol gauge roulette.

I take over in the lead, and we continue west past Dounreay and Bettyhill along more fantastic driving roads, to Tongue, where we head south to head back towards Inverness. The next 40 miles is single track roads with passing places. My speed varies between around zero when I'm trying to see round bends to the next passing place, to about 50 mph when I can see the road is clear. The guys behind can take it more steadily because they can see when I stop or go when the road is safe. That's how it works!

It's not a busy road, but once again I'm reminded how many people can't use single track roads, but either barrel on regardless, or stop just past a passing place but won't reverse. Or how about the VW golf who comes hammering round a bend only to find me almost stationary in a passing place, and nearly shits himself. But we all survive and continue south when it returns to two-way roads through Lairg and back south to re-join the A9 back to Inverness.

That's 273 miles today, and again, no problems. Who says TVRs are unreliable?


:: Tuesday, 18 July, 2022 ::

It's even more bloody roasting than yesterday. Fortunately last night, I worked out how to work the fan, so at least air was circulating.

Again the first job is to get the roof off and then go for fuel before breakfast. Just when I get back, there's a wee lad with his parents ogling the cars. I give him a wee run round the car park. He has decided that he wants a TVR and not yesterday's favourite, a Tesla. Good lad.

My travelling companions make a presentation after breakfast, of a keyring that I'm unlikely to lose. It weighs a ton and I'm deeply moved by their consideration.


Before I leave the room for the last time, I put my bag etc in one corner at the door, and search everywhere else in the room over again - no keys!

Again we're setting off at 9am or after Adrian's pit stop for an oil check and top-up, whichever comes last.

We set off through Inverness and down the A83 through Drumnadrochit to Fort Augustus, which we have agreed will be our ice cream stop for this weekend.


We pass the time by watching a bit boat and 2 wee boats (forgive the nautical jargon) go up 2 locks on the Caledonian Canal.


Then we head on south, but after a couple of miles, Dave and Adrian disappear off the back. Dave has suffered the infamous "pink relay" failure again - it's a relay that works the fuel pump, and they melt and fall out, brining the car to an ignominious halt He has it sorted in less then 10 minutes though, so they soon catch up and we're on our way to Spean Bridge, turning east towards the A9 at Dalwhinnie.

Down the A9 to Ballinluig where we turn off to go west to Aberfeldy. Just as we enter the slip road, my wee car clocks up 110,000 miles - another milestone!

Aberfeldy is hot and heaving, but we find a nice pub where we have a nice wee lunch at a table indoors, since everybody seems to be desparate to lobsterise themselves by sitting outside.

Time is marching on, though, so we decide to modify our original planned route so that we get home by tea time. So Eric leads us south over the Sma' Glen, another great driving road, to Gilmerton near Crieff, where we turn west towards Perth and then back down the M90 to home!

That's another 225 miles today, or around 700 miles for the weekend.

The lessons of the trip are:

TVRs are the most fun you can have with your clothes on;
Time with friends is never time wasted;
Don't plan to cover too many miles on local roads, if you also plan to stop frequently for breakfast / elevenses / lunch / ice cream / scones / cakes etc;
Take plenty oil;
Pay attention to what you're doing - that's key.


:: Friday, 22 July, 2022 ::

Just as a postscript, I'll let you know that after I got home, I emptied out my bag and shook out every item of clothing, but still no sign of those keys... they're definitely not in the car either.

So today I popped into Timpsons to get a replacement - when I tell them it's essentially for a Ford Sierra, they identify the key blank they need, but they don't have it in stock - they'll get it in by Wednesday.

Also, you would expect any old car to have a few wee niggles after a 700-mile weekend, and so does mine! First, I found that the windscreen washers didn't work, when I tried to clean a million midgies off while I was moving. A quick investigation shows that the tank is full and the pump is pumping, so I clean out the jets with a needle and that solves the problem!

Next, the doors were creaking a bit in the hot weather, so I give the hinges a wee skoosh of spray grease and that solves that problem.

What else? No, that's it!

It's due its MOT next Wednesday, but I'm on another holiday, so I book it in for next Friday, for its 20th MOT (I hope!) with the same tester's signature!


:: Friday, 29 July, 2022 ::

I got a new spare key on Tuesday for a tenner. Well, that plus the taxi fare to send it to me...

So today, after a wee Italian tune-up (a short hoon to clear the engine), it's MOT time. The result is - PASS! Not even the usual "noisy wheel bearing".

When I get home, I pull the radio out to investigate why I couldn't find any radio stations during our run a couple of weeks ago (apart from being in the middle of nowhere). As expected, I discover that the aerial has unplugged itself at some point (probably ages ago when I had the console out for something else). All sorted now!



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