:: Wednesday, June 2, 2010 ::
I am not a happy scone. Not a happy scone at all.
The Cerbera garage hasn't got the engine back together - they can't get the liners in one bank of cylinders to sit properly, so they are re-machining and reassembling. If the engine isn't finished by first thing tomorrow (which seems unlikely barring a miracle), they won't have time to refit it by Saturday, which means that it won't be ready in time for the Sporting Bears event on Sunday.
I remind them of our conversation on 12 April, when I went mental because the car hadn't been started. It had sat for 3 weeks since I gave them the go-ahead on 24 March, with them promising they were going to start - in fact at one stage, saying they HAD started - I only found out they hadn't because the service manager went on holiday and I spoke to somebody else who didn't know the previous story. I had a tantrum, thrreatened to come and collect the car on a trailer, not pay any bill at all, and suddenly they found that they could fit it in after all. There was however one statement made during the call on 12 April that sticks in my head. When I was complaining about the wasted time, he said "what's the panic? 6th of June is bags of time, we'll fix it easy".
Well boys, it's easy to say with 20/20 hindsight, but the fact is, I was right, and you were wrong. I was worried about things not going to plan, and you weren't. You still get the money, but I don't get the car in time for the one thing I wanted it for. Bet you wish now that you had one of those 3 weeks you wasted at the start, eh?
It's bad enough to be let dowm. It's worse when you can see how it could have been avoided, and said so at the time. It's even worse than that when you know you've been lied to along the way.
So no, I'm not happy.
I've been promised another progress update. We'll see...
:: Thursday, June 3, 2010 ::
Well the progress update from the Cerbera garage, didn't happen. Big suprise.
It would seem reasonable to assume, based on previous performance, that if they had good news, they would have been straight on the phone. No news is bad news.
Not a lot more to say at the moment. I just want to get the car back, but it doesn't look like it's going to be this weekend.
:: Friday, June 4, 2010 ::
No progress report from the Cerbera garage today either, so it looks like my plans to collect it tomorrow are up in the air. So I decide that I'll be taking the S to the Sporting Bears show on Sunday. I am also going down on Saturday to help set up the tent and the rest of the stand.
That means I'll have to give the car a clean: it still has the insect collection I assembled on my way back from S-Club 2 weeks ago. I clean down the body with extreme detailer, and then clean the wheels. I also clean up the engine bay and give the interior a wipe over. It looks pretty presentable.
Eventually I get tired of waiting so I phone the garage, who say that they have got over the problem they had with assembling the liners, and have almost finished building the engine. It should be finished by the middle of next week. Too late for the show, but at least it'll be sorted.
:: Sunday, June 6, 2010 ::
Had a run down to the show yesterday to set up the tents etc. 3 tents, miles of bunting, various signs and banners takes about 3 hours.
When I get home, I decide to leave the car out, rather than put it in the garage. Although there's a forecast of some rain, it's not supposed to be too bad. As it turns out, the weather forecast is total bollocks. It pisses down. Great. The sun has been splitting the trees for weeks, and then the day before a car show, it's raining.
Sunday morning, the rain is off, but it's still overcast. Nevertheless, I take the roof off for the run down. As I join the bypass, a lovely Bentley sports car passes the slip road, and I end up following him the whole way down. It looks and sounds superb, and is fair ticking along!
The Sporting Bears have 23 cars doing Dream Rides: basically, for a donation to the sponsored charity, people get a 20-minute ride in the car of their choice, including a couple of Porsches, a couple of Ferraris, a couple of Aston Martins, a couple of TVRs, a Morgan, an AC Cobra, a Mk II Jaguae, a Nissan GTR and a Lamborghini Countach.
My first run out is booked by the young lad I took out last year. He's apparently been looking forwad to another go!
Then I take out one of the ladies representing our charity for the day (REACT) and she appears to enjoy it too, especially negotiating a quiet roundabout along the route!
I also have a wander around the show and find the man with the Bentley. He has built it himself, form a 1949 Bentley with a rotten body. It#s taken him 8 years at a cost of £12,000 or so. It's bloody lovely, but a bit too "hard core" for me - you need to be able to make bits yourself for a car like that, and I'm not into that.
The rain comes on after lunch time, so things get a little bit quieter. Then we have to dismantle and pack up all the stuff again.
A grand day out though, and for a good cause.
When I get home, I put the car in the garage, beside a dehumidifier on full blast.
:: Monday, June 7, 2010 ::
First thing in the morning I empty about 3 pints of water out of the dehumidifier. The car is dry!
Later on, I decide to have another go at tracking down a sort of hesitancy under acceleration. It's been there for ages, and I think it might be the ignition coil. I take the coil off and check it with a meter, and it seems ok. I check the supply and earth, and clean up all the connections, but everything seems ok. The other possibility is a coolant temperature sensor that sends a signal back to the ecu - if that is duff, it messes up the fuelling. I'll look for a new one I can try.
Then I check the exhaust manifold bolts and find 2 of them loosening, so I tighten them up.
:: Tuesday, June 8, 2010 ::
First news - Cerbera! The engine is finished and is going back in. I told them that I can't get down until Saturday to collect it anyway so there's no rush - as long as they don't put it off and then run out of time again if something goes wrong!
Second thing - I find a suitable Ford coolant sensor thingy for the S, on-line for a tenner. At that price, it's worth atry, so I order one.
:: Thursday, June 10, 2010 ::
I heard the Cerbera running today! Fair enough, it was only over the phone, and it could have been any Cerbera they had nearby, but they said it was mine. He said it was spooky - they had just finished the install and started it up, when I called. I said that it wasn't a coincidence, I have my spies. Don't think he believed me...
Anyway, they have to finish it (put the bonnet back on, and give it a road test and a check over) so they will phone tomorrow to confirm it's ready. They'll also confirm the size of the bill. Hope they do it while the banks are still open - I might need to rob one.
Second thing - the coolant sensor thingy arrived in the post today, so I'll have to install that.
:: Friday, June 11, 2010 ::
It's coming home, it's coming home, it's coming... my Cerbera's coming home, it's coming home...
Topical or what?
Yes indeed, after 3 months, my car is finished and ready for collection tomorrow. And at a cost less than buying a spare Wayne Rooney. To be fair, the cost is within about 2% of what I expected it would be. I'm not particularly put off by that - the total cost to me, including buying the car, is still less than I see 97 and 98 Cerbs advertised for, so it's not all lost.
So after I write this, it's off to check train times so I can get there early!
I also tried replacing the coolant sensor thingy, but I can't get the old one out because I don't have a spanner the right size (25mm). I've got 24mm, but not 25. I've got bigger sockets but they're not deep enough to fit over the length of the sensor itself, so they're no bloody use either.
:: Saturday, June 12, 2010 ::
I looked up the time of various bus and train connections so that I don't have to worry about what time to get up. As it turns out, though, I'm awoken at about 5.30 by the cat knocking something over in the kitchen.
So I'm out the door and on a bus at 6:15. That gets me into the city centre just too late to catch the first train, so I aim for the second, 25 minutes later. Change trains at Newcastle, and I'm there by 10:00, collect the car, pay the bill, prove to the bank that I really am who they think I'm not, and I'm off on the journey home by 11:00.
As well as the engine rebuild and the service, they have also fitted the stainless steel coolant pipes, a new aircon drive belt, new exhaust hangers, a new front wheel bearing, and new driveshaft boots.
As soon as I get out of the town and on to the main road, I notice right away that the engine is so much smoother, and pulls like a train (a better train than the two I came down on). I've been told to keep it below 3,500 revs for 500 miles or so, so I do try. It's not easy though because that noise and the kick-in-the-arse acceleration are very addictive!
110 miles later I'm home, and the temperature gauge has behaved perfectly.
So I go out for a run, of another 80 miles, and again, it's still fine.
I'm a happy pixie!
:: Sunday, June 13, 2010 ::
Had another wee run out in the Cerb today, and again it behaved perfectly. That's nearly 300 miles since pick-up, which is more miles than it's done before on one shot of water.
It's not only "OK" it's bleeding fantastic, even with my self imposed rev limit. It's so smooth and easy, everything feels "together", and it's a very nice place to be! When I get home, I let it cool for several hours, then remove the cap and check the water level. It's exactly where it was when I left Hexham. Brilliant!
I'm a very happy pixie!
:: Thursday, June 17, 2010 ::
Borrowed a 25 mm spanner from Dave, so tonight I swapped over the coolant sensor thingy on the S. Pretty easy - unplug electrical connector, loosen old sensor, get new one ready to reduce coolant loss when I remove the old one. Old one out, new one in, tighten up and reconnect. And it seems to be fine!
:: Friday, June 18, 2010 ::
I phone Jason at Sr8six today, because it was him who diagnosed the fault and rebuilt the Cerb engine. I met him at Chatsworth in April and he's a top bloke! I phoned to ask about running the engine in etc, but also to ask about advice Tom has been getting about his car. Since he got valve work done, it's been overheating really badly, using gallons of water, and also filling the oil filler cap with emulsified oil. Now those symptoms only point to one thing to me: headgasket. Tom's specialist doesn't think so though - he says it could be the radiator cap, and anyway, that's just the engine breathing. Aye right.
His car was collected on Saturday and had to go back on Monday because the reconditioned starter motor wasn't working. Now it appears that it's knackered the flywheel, so the car needs a new flywheel, new clutch and new gearbox bellhousing to make it compatible. Only problem is, the car had all that a few years ago so is already upgraded to use current parts...
What other pearls of wisdom? Oh yes - the loud hammering clatter from the side of the engine (so loud you can hear it in the cabin) is apparently the "clatter cams".
It all sounds a bit too much like the "Norwegian Blue" parrot sketch for my liking. I have come to the conclusion that this so-called specialist is, in fact, an arsehole.
I still feel quite guilty that mine is working though...
:: Saturday, June 19, 2010 ::
Well, I've had a busy week, the weather is fine, and there's a Cerbera in my driveway that looks as though it needs a run. How can I resist?
Another 60 miles, including half an hour stationary behind a street parade - and the cooling system again behaves perfectly. I am definitely liking this!
This car has driven me bonkers since I got it - it has been a right pain. It has been unreliable and it has cost me a fortune. While it was in for repair, I was looking at possible replacements (even, dare I say it, Porsches... shhhh!!!). But now, driving it without having to worry if it'll get me to where I am going, it's an absolutely fantastic car.
I stop at traffic lights and a lad sitting on a wall looks up from his mobile phone. "Is that a TVR?"
"Yes"
"What model??"
"Cerbera"
"Nice. What horsepower has that got then?"
"About 360"
"Is it fast?"
"Naaah..."
I don't think he believed me... The lights changed, he gave me a wave, and off I went. Great!
I've noticed one tiny problem - the handbrake button is jamming in, so the handbrake won't stay on. Cerb handbrakes are fragile at the best of times, but having it "ping" off (or not engage at all) is a bit dodgy. So I remove the handle and the gaiter, then the button from the end (it just unscrews, but be careful to hold it against spring pressure or it'll take off into next door's garden).
I remove the warning switch and then prise the two sides of the lever apart a little bit to help the pawl move freely - then a wee squirt with WD40 and then some spray grease, and it's as free as... well something that's not jammed any more. I put it all back together and check it still works.
:: Thursday, June 24, 2010 ::
Thought I might pop up to the local race track for a track night. Just to spectate, mind - I'm not quite ready for blasting round a track. Don't think I ever will be, to be honest.
So I set off in the Cerb for the drive up. The car sounds great, but there's a slight "rasp" to the exhaust that I hadn't heard before. A wee bit worrying... I also think that the suspension is a wee bit soft, now that I'm driving while looking out of the window instead of at the temperature gauge. I think I'll turn the shocks up a couple of notches.
The track night is great - a wide range of stuff from go-faster hatches to kit cars to classics to racers. Several lotuseseses, a TVR Chimaera, an Evo that couldn't be described as "fast", it would be more accurate to describe it as "Jesus H Christ Almighty look at that bastard shift". Except you wouldn't be able to say all that, because before you'd finished, it would have completed another lap and drowned out your voice as it flew past.
All very nice, and the evening is completed by a portion of chips and a look at one of those Alfa 8C Competizione things, which are very beautiful, although personally I would prefer the coupe to the convertible. Remember that for your Christmas shopping planning.
Set off for home, and after a few miles, the exhaust rasp has gone. It has been replaced by a full-on bellow. A stop and quick check reveals that the rear section of the left hand exhaust has broken off just in front of the diff, so there is no silencer at all on that side.
When I get home, I have a closer look. The joint has broken off the end of the pipe, so it needs a new bit welded on, and re-clamped. I arrange with my son's mate, who makes exhausts for rice rockets, to take the car in on Wednesday.
No overheating though!
:: Wednesday, June 30, 2010 ::
Took the car in to get the exhaust fixed. He's done a great job. First he removed the back box and centre pipe, and got the broken off bit of pipe out of the joint. Then cut off the end of the pipe and weld a new bit on. This isn't a sleeved weld - it's a butt weld, stainless steel new bit onto an ordinary steel pipe, and it's perfect - the best hand-weld I've ever seen.
He points out that the centre exhaust sections (mild steel) are both pretty rotten, and won't last long. He says he'll make me up 2 new bits when he has more time, but not today. That will give me a whole stainless system from the manifolds back.
Meantime, I'm happy with the repair, it doesn't look perfect but it's fine. The drive home is a bit less restrained (and a bit quieter) than the drive there!
| [last month] | [home] | [next month] |