:: Diary - March 2006 ::

:: Friday, March 3, 2006 ::

Back along first thing to the garage to service the car.

I can't change the oil there because the man won't let me make a mess of his floor. Everything else is ok though.

Change the plugs, check all the fluid levels and then work my way around the rest of the checks - suspension, steering, brakes etc. No major problems - a little water required but that's it. I notice the slight leak from the top radiator hose connection and tighten it up.

I've forgotten my ramps so I can't get the car high enough to check and grease the propshaft and check the diff oil level.

I've forgotten my oil can so can't lubricate the locks, hinges etc.

Apart from those and the oil change, service completed!

Then as I am tidying up, I spot a slight stress craze in the bonnet - exactly in line with where the top radiator bolt hits it if the bonnet falls off (been there with the last bonnet!). There is a smaller star craze on the other side.

Bastard.

So I pack my stuff into the Saab and set off in the TVR to the paintshop (about 10 miles) under blue skies and sunshine.

5 minutes later the first snowflakes flutter onto the screen.

5 minutes after that I am in a white-out blizzard that would force Captain Scott indoors. Small light TVRs with wide tyres do not cut through the snow very well. Nor do they have ABS or traction controls. I manage to get to the garage despite the best efforts of a tube in a Renault van with delusions of invincibility, nearly romping into my luggage at a set of traffic signals, and then still failing to get the message and following at a distance of about 6 feet while weaving about trying to get traction.

The man at the paintshop takes one look at the star crazing and says:

"Bastard."

"Aye, I was just saying that earlier."

He puts his hands up, and volunteers to fix it. I have to take it back on 17 March (or the Saturday before). No problem, no hassle - in fact we then spend nearly an hour blethering in his office about cars and driving and stuff. A nice bloke and a true petrolhead.

Slide and slither the TVR back to my garage and put it away. The plan was to take it to the house to finish the service but the snow finished off that idea, eh?

On the way back I pop into Halfrauds and order a rocker cover gasket. Should be here tomorrow.

:: Saturday, March 4, 2006 ::

TVR Car Club meeting today - social highlight of the month (yes my life IS that sad). There is still snow lying on the ground though, so I decide that the TVR can stay at home and I'll go in the Saab. I want to finish servicing the TVR before I use it again anyway.

First step - pop into Halfrauds to collect the gasket - except it isn't the right one, it's the gasket for a 2.8 engine. They are determined that's what their computer says so it must be right. I am equally determined it's not the right one - I can tell just by looking at it (I've seen these gaskets a million times - I remember what they look like!). They offer to order the right one - I ask them how they propose to do that when their system is determined that this one IS the right one. They don't answer, so give me my money back.

The Club meeting is good - not many TVRs though, the weather has put others off as well.

Rodger has brought along his new Sagaris, which he bought on Wednesday. It's lovely, as you can see above. It sounds good as well.

:: Sunday, March 5, 2006 ::

Another few hours in the garage.

This time I start by changing the rocket cover gasket, having bought the right one from a proper motor factors. When I take the cover off, it's fairly obvious why it was leaking - there's a bit of old gasket stuck under the new one. I can't believe that I didn't spot that at the time. Scrape off old gaskets, fit new one, refit rocker cover, leak cured.

Then I try to straighten the TVR badge on the bonnet but after loosening the bolts, there is no play in the mounting holes so I can't turn the badge without drilling to elongate the mounting holes. I don't have my drill with me. Superb.

I get the car up on stands and check the chassis over. Although it's manky (largely as a result of driving in the snow the other day) it seems to be still in pretty good nick. There are a couple of areas at the rear of the front suspension mountings that need to be scraped down and repainted. Not too bad though.

I can't get the diff level plug out - I need the heavy duty allen keys and breaker bar. Do I have them with me? Guess.

That and the oil change are the only bits of the full service left to do.

The car looks tatty after the winter - the hood is grubby, the interior needs cleaned, the outside needs washed and properly polished, and the wheels (which have been refurbished twice in 3 years, at a cost of about £200 each time) are corroding again. I'm going to strip them and polish them again, as I did in early 2004 - they would have been fine if the car was under cover. If that doesn't work I'll get them painted - I'm not coughing another £200 to watch this happen again within months.

:: Saturday, March 11, 2006 ::

Despite various plans to finish the service and finish a few other things, the weather is crap so I decide to take the car straight to the paint shop.

First a healthy walk to the garage. When I get there I discover that the car has been moved from the large barn into its permanent home in the old stable. UNfortunately, in the process, the battery is flat, so I have to push it backwards out of the garage and then down the farmyard to junp start it.

That's twice the battery has been flat - the last time was when I collected it from the paintshop. I think that they must be starting it up and then not revving the engine enough to get the alternator to kick in. Maybe I need a new battery though.

:: Sunday, March 12, 2006 ::

Well I got the car to the garage just in time. Heavy snow last night so nothing is moving this morning. Both car and garage out of reach so what's a car restoring petrolhead to do?

Well I started off by planning the various jobs that need to be done to finish the service and tidy the car up.

After a few hours of boredom I find myself on ebay. Biiiiiiig mistake.

I find nice shiny chrome wheel nuts, which will go nicely with my wheels (after I have stripped and polished them, of course). Ker-ching!

Ooooh, locknuts to match! Ker-ching!

And what's this? Chrome headlamp rings for a Mini, at a bargain price and perfect to replace mine which are rusty (and one of them has a ding). Ker-ching!

A fire extinguisher eh? Just what I need - you need to snuff out fires before they get a hold - by the time the fire brigade arrive, there's not a lot worth saving on a glass fibre car. I pick a 2 kg afff foam one, on the basis that a water one is useless on a car fire, a gas one is too big and freezes your fingers off, and dry powder one makes so much mess that you'll never get the clean again. So a foam one it is, and at a bargain price. Ker-ching!

This having no TVR is going to get expensive - I need it back or I'll be bankrupt before next weekend!

:: Monday March 13, 2006 ::

Further research exposes one fairly drastic (and bleeding obvious, when you think about it without your thick as a plank head on) disadvantage of foam extinguishers.

They freeze in cold weather.

Damn. This means that I have to remember to take the extinguisher home each night and tuck it under a duvet with a mug of hot cocoa, AND remember to take it back when I use the car. No chance of me remembering both bits.

So there is a high probability of either a frozen (read burst) extinguisher, or a fire when the bloody thing is miles away in its nest. Neither of these holds particular appeal.

Wish I could cancel the order and buy a powder one now (which at least will work in any weather).

:: Tuesday March 14, 2006 ::

Huge relief. Ebay man doesn't have any extinguishers in stock, so returns my cheque.

How unlucky is that eh?

:: Saturday March 18, 2006 ::

Bought a wee dry powder fire extinguisher from Costco. Just the jobby!

:: Sunday March 19, 2006 ::

No word on getting the car back. Another day on ebay then.

This time I see nice shiny TVR badges for the rocker covers. Sold to the mug at the back.

:: Tuesday March 21, 2006 ::

The car will be ready for collection tomorrow!

I have to calculate the logistics for getting it home, when I am at work.

:: Friday March 24, 2006 ::

Collected the car from the garage this morning.

I am a sad git. I catch myself grinning like a demented cat as I leave the garage, before I am even up into second gear. I drive home and park it.

:: Saturday March 25, 2006 ::

I decide to complete the service I started weeks ago. First an oil change, which is fairly straightforward. Well it is until I go to warm the engine up to mix the flushing oil, and the radiator fan doesn't cut in when it should, leading to mass explosion of water and steam... It turns out to be the electrical connector behind the radiator, which is a bit intermittent, so I give it a clean, refill with water and all's well.

Then clean and oil the air filter and the crankcase breather cap, check the tyre pressures and that's it!

I notice that my superfandabby rocker covers are starting to rust, because the lacquer is flaking off with the engine heat. I decide that I am going to repaint the original ones and replace them.

:: Sunday March 26, 2006 ::

Plans for various stuff to do, all put on hold because it's bucketing rain.

So instead I take the car back along to the garage, and park it in the shed. I leave it with the roof off (although the car does seem to be fairly dry inside!) and mentally note all the additional wee jobs that I still have to do. It looks all cosy in its own wee garage!

I'm not doing any of these jobs today though - by the time I have walked home it's too late to go back to do anything.