:: Diary - March 2023 ::

:: Friday, 3 March, 2023 ::

Time to get the TVR ready for another summer - its 20th summer in my ownership! First I need to bring it back from the farm to the house. No, wait - first I need to tax it! I'm not making that mistake again - I discovered in October that I had been driving around with no tax since April...

So... Porsche out of the garage and along to the farm. TVR out of barn, Porsche in. Bring TVR home and make list of things to do... including "use Steven's polisher to give the car a wee buff-up".

On the way back from the farm, though, I catch up to a pink Fiat 500 trundling along a wee road into the next town. This road joins the main road on a not-very-steep steep hill to a set of traffic light. Fiat trundles up to the lights, obviously begging for them to change before she has to stop. They don't and she does.

Amber - green! The Fiats arse bobs up then down as it stalls spectacularly. Then again. And again. Lights go red.

After watching the word go by in both directions along the main road, our light goes green again. I'm willing her to focus "more clutch, slightly more... too much!" This time she manages to kangaroo forward by 2 car lengths before stalling just on the edge of the main road. Then another big stall... By this time drivers behind are honking and coming past to turn right on the other side of the road. I'm going left and I can't get around her.

We watch the main road go by for another couple of minutes and then this time she ony stalls once and manages to kangaroo through before the signals go red again...

They're out there folks...

:: Sunday, 5 March, 2023 ::

It's TVR Car Club day! Jim's car isn't taxed yet and Dave isn't going, so we decide to go in Jim's car.

There are a few TVRs out today, although my attention is grabbed more by this...

I like these - Jaguar F-Types. This one is a super-duper supercharged model that has a gazillion horsepower. I have a seat in it and it feels nice!

Someone has also brought this - an AMG55 Biturbo. It's also very nice, although the owner isn't too pleased when I say that it's a good vinyl wrap as you can't see the edges. He's quick to point out that it's the paint colour... I knew that! So then I add that I like the colour, so my fridge is wrapped in the same colour... That send him over the edge.

We also start to plan our summer "Tour of Scotland" so that's a weekend to look forward to!

:: Saturday, 11 March, 2023 ::

A nice therapeutic day polishing a wee sports car...

Yesterday I cleaned up the interior, especially the centre console, which was manky at the elbow-resting point. I also cleaned the dash and the door cards, and hoovered out the carpets.

The next step was to wash it, to make sure there's no grit that can be polished in to make nice swirls in the paint (are you listening Direct Line insurance?) - erm, I've just realised that the episode of Stevie Wonder and Ray Charles the car polishers, and Louis Braille the Quality Control Manager, was over 10 years ago... gosh doesn't time fly?

Anyway... the first step today is to use a mild compound with a "firm " pad on the polisher, to polish out all those wee minor scuffs and scratches that you get. This is the laborious bit of the process, and some bits need 2 or 3, or even more, goes before scratches are removed, or at least, less obvious.

This takes me a fair number of hours today, but considering that there's no polish on the car yet, the results are already amazing!

Here's the boot lid with the garage wall in the background - it's hard to tell where the reflection ends!

I'm very happy with this so far. A few tricky bits to do by hand and then it'll be on to applying polish tomorrow!

:: Monday, 13 March, 2023 ::

The westher is cold and rubbish. What better excuse to stay at home and play in the garage?

Yesterday I finished compounding the car, and started polishing - got about 1/2 way round the car before I ran out of motivation (and the dinner was ready).

Today I finished polishing, and then waxed th whole car - applied with a fine pad and then buffed off with a cloth. Then I buffed over the whole car with a microfibre mop in the orbital polisher.

It didn't half come up nice!

Only problem now is that the reflections show how much stuff is in my garage!

Well, space is at a premium!

It has come up really well, considering that this is all the original paint - the body tub and doors haven't been resprayed in the time that I've had the car!

Although I can't say the same about the bonnet after the Saab incident all those years ago...

That'll do!

:: Thursday, 16 March, 2023 ::

Have you ever been walking up the road minding your own business, and you meet someone who used to be married to your wife / husband / partner? You know that's all in the past, yet you can't help wondering what it would have been like to know him / her when he/she was a lot younger? And despite your current wonderful relationship, you feel just a tiny pang of jealousy?

Well, that happened to me today. Or something like it. I got an email from a bloke who says he recognises my car and that he owned it from 1995 to 1997, and used it as his daily driver to commute through the New Forest. He did around 18,000 miles in it and sent me a photo with its original number plate on and all.

His only modification was the wood gear lever knob - a present from his brother. I changed it for a metal one years ago, but put the wood one back in, maybe 2 years ago. I've only just (last week) changed it again because the wood effect had worn off - but it is a better feel so might still go back!

He seems like a nice bloke, but it was a long time ago and she's mine now.

Reminds me of that old Aston Martin advert...

I'm too old for those kinds of thoughts though, so anyway...

With the car all polished up, I've faffed about for the last few days polishing its tricky bits like door shuts, etc, then cleaned all the plastic and rubber trims, then the wheels, and then today, I gave the engine bay a wee wipe then cleaned the soft top rear section and the roof panels using an Autoglym soft top kit.

No photos though because I think you've had enough visual excitement for one day.

:: Saturday, 25 March, 2023 ::

I've had a hectic month, so apologies that it has taken ages to prepare the diary pages for our trip to the Blackpool Thunder meeting at Chatsworth House... but here it is at last!

After a fortnight of half-decent weather, the gods of pissing rain have noticed that 4 wee sports cars will be travelling the length of the country today, so have obviously summoned up all of their powers to make sure that we get soaked... but we know that their powers are weak compared with the gods of old, when I took the Cerbera on my last trip to Chatsworth in 2012 when it absolutely bucketed down the whole way there, the whole day that we were there, and then all the way home...

Those were the days when we used to get up at 4 am, batter down the road (stopping ony for a gut-busting breakfast), arrive by 10am, hang around all day, and then batter home (stopping ony for a gut-busting dinner) for around midnight. We're far too old and soft for that kind of endurance test now though, so it's now a 3-day cruise starting today.

At least the rain is consistent!

So - we've arranged to meet up for leaving at around 9am. Because I'm keen, I get there first and park up in time to watch Jim arriving in his wedge.

It looks absolutely amazing...

We're soon joined by Eric and then John (and Joyce) and then a special guest appearance by Dave who isn't coming with us, but has popped over to wave us all off.

So off we go, round the Edinburgh City Bypass and on to the A1 towards Dunbar. In the rain. The car's really fairly comfy with the roof on and the heater turned up a bit. The wipers are shit though - good job I Rain-X'd the windscreen yesterday - the rain just flies off so I only have to flick the wipers on 3 times in 90 miles, when we're going slow at roundabouts and junctions.

Naturally, our first stop is Purdy Lodge where they sell, em, gut-busting breakfasts. Uncharacteristically, I opt for one that isn't the biggest on the menu.

Then we're back on the road for the next leg - on down the A1 (in the rain) and through the Tyne Tunnel (where its dry) and down the A19 (in the rain) to Wetherby, where we meet up with Adrian and a cake each. Well, you have to be sociable don't you?

So now we are 5, and it's my turn to lead us to our final destination for today, our hotel in Chesterfield. In the rain.

This is the most eventful leg of the journey... at the busiest roundabout in Chesterfield, I'm suddenly aware that Jim has stopped in the distance behind me, so I stop on the exit so that I can go back to see what happened. s I get out, I see Jim and the others approaching in the mirror, so I jump back in the car and wave them past till I can get started... except it doesn't. It turns over but no startee... the others all stop while I figure out that I can't hear the fuel pump starting up - but that might be because of the noise of passing traffic. I get Adrian to turn the key while I listen, and it sounds a bit half-hearted - so I belt it with a big spanner and it buzzes into life. Car starts, and we're off again!

Except... in all that excitement, we've gone the wrong way. I turn around but some of the others miss it, so we end up scattered around the countryside for 5 minutes until we regroup...

Then we're on our way again to the hotel, where it's dry!

Everybody heads off to check in, while I go to the restaurant to book a table for dinner. When I arrive at check-in, everybody is still waiting while the man at the front of the queue asks more questions than Bamber Gascoigne after too many E-numbers, and is in danger of receiving a starter (handle) for ten to the back of he head... Eventually he moves on, and our party gets started.

Now, we've stayed in loads of Premier Inns over the years. They're not exactly 5-star, but you always know what you're getting. This time, either the booking system is incredibly slow, or there's what IT people call a PICNIC (Problem In Chair Not In Computer). Either way, we''re all standing around for feckin' ages...

The rest of my group all book in without asking any questions or taking any more time than they have to, so that keeps the wait down to around 20 minutes after Bamber has pissed off. However, another couple have arrived before me, but after the rest of my group, and I need to wait for them... So it turns out that he has booked the room for him, but made a last-minute decision to bring his wife or mother or girlfriend (who in some parts of the country can all be the same person, apparently). Whoever she is, adding another name to the booking is harder than the Times crossword, and appears to involve many many many keystrokes and nearly as many backspace / deletions. However, it eventually gets sorted out.

Ah but no but - she wants breakfast, so that needs another keyboard marathon while the chickens are programmed to lay more eggs etc. Then they both want dinner and there's a lengthy explanation of how "Meal Deals" work, a concept so difficult to grasp that I'm tempted to pay for their dinner myself, just so that there's a reasonable prospect that I might reach my room before it's time for mine.

At last, I'm at the desk... more keystrokes, a signature, the same explanation that I've already listened to 5 times, and finally I can get into the inner sanctum...

I dump my bag, and check that the room has all the necessary amenities - bed, bog and biscuits - then almost immediately head back downstairs to have a look at this fuel pump. Jim is already out rewiring his front indicator and also trying to figure out why his rear lights go on and off at random when he brakes.

I jack up the car and take off the wheel, and then take off the fuel pump connectors. They're a bit corroded, but not too bad - but I clean them up and try switching on and off - all seems to be ok... Wheel back on and then the car cap that goes over the roof and windows, just to keep the rain out overnight, and then finally back indoors for a wee rest before dinner.

Dinner is simple - we all have meal deals so the basic bill is paid - all we have to do is pay for any individual extras like steak or an extra drink etc. Simple - or it should be. When we get the bill, though, the table descends into total confusion over who has to pay what. All I know is that I don't have to pay anything, so all I have to do is listen. The confusion is made worse because nobody knows what any of the extra costs are, because we no longer have a menu to check. Eventually, somebody asks for a breakdown of the bill, and it turns out that it's wrong - they have charged us for "extras" that should have been "included". With a revised bill in hand, and the assistance of a calculator and a degree in accounting, they soon have the costs properly apportioned.

By this time, I'm getting hungry again, so after a visit to the vending machine, it's off to bed!

:: Sunday, 26 March, 2023 ::

Well, seeing as it has been raining for most of the night, we have agreed that we won't clean the cars before we set off tomorrow - maybe if it's dry once we're there though.

So it's up for breakfast, where we eat like we have just emerged from a 40-day famine... then it's time to go! The show is only about 10 minutes from here, so there's no rush... leave at 9.30... easy peasy...

9.30 comes and goes, but everybody seems to be pre-occupied with blethering. Adrian is completing his normal pre-flight check list that rivals only NASA in its level of detail, if not its pace. There's also a guy who has turned up for a chat (he's on the far right of the photo from last night, above) who ends up sitting beside me on the wall at 9.45 while I wait for someone to realise that we REALLY should be going...

Eventually, the penny drops, Adrian has the correct shoes on and everything, so it's time to go!

We arrive and get parked up, and not long after that, the rain stops and the sun comes out!

Lots of Chimaeras...

Nice house in the background!

TVRs of every vintage - albeit not so many of the older ones.

I like this Tuscan racer - based on the S Series (broadly!) but with a mighty big engine and a specially moulded seat to hold your baws steady.

Here's another S that was at the famous "Newark 2008" meeting featuring tents blowing end-over-end up the middle of the field, and pretty decent official polo shirts (that I am wearing today!)

I've given my own car a bit of a wipe down (mainly to pass the time between arriving and the first visit to the cake shop) and it's looking not too shabby!

The greeny-blue Tuscan two down from mine there, has an alarm, which is a wee bit over-sensitive on the passenger side, so it has been going off at regular intervals throughout the day. Funny the first time, slightly less amusing after the third or fourth time, but by mid-afternoon it really starts to get on your tits...

I end up speaking to lots of owners, and the main topic of discussion seems to be "how is water getting into my car and soaking the carpets?". This results in various demonstrations of wiper spindles, pedal box mounting bolts, wiring grommets, clutch and brake cylinder mountings, heater intakes, windscreen seals - basically it could be everywhere that one part is joined to another part...

My TVR S pal Mike is here, and we start talking about power steering - he fitted a Citroen system to his, not long before I did mine. Jim wanders over and talks about how heavy his Wedge is to park, so we go and have a look at other cars with the bonnet up, to see where a system might fit...

The difference is, that some Wedges had power steering fitted from the factory. No need for an electric pump either - lots of V8 rovers had power steering with belt-driven pumps that fit straight on to the cylinder head...

So far, so easy... the difficult bit, though, is the rack - the original power steering rack in wedges came from the Mk3 Ford Cortina, and they are now apparently very rare. I don't know if you can modify another rack to fit. Needs more research...

Fortunately, it's getting near time to go home, and we set off back to the hotel, and park up.

Next door to the hotel, there's a car-themed cafe called "Ignition" which has one of these parked in the middle of it. The owner is mad keen on Italian cars though, like Alfas and Lancias, and this is a wee bit out of place for him, so he's selling it. Not to me though, I have plenty cars already! I think.

Then it's back to our hotel for preparations for dinner, which is a lot eassier than last night - they decide not to charge for any extras to make up for last night's cock-up.

We are a happy, but badly-focussed band, as you can see...

:: Monday, 27 March, 2023 ::

Today is the drive home. I go out early to take the car cap off, fold it up and put it away. Then as I shut the drivers door to go in for breakfast, the door mirror glass falls off... Fortunately it doesn't break!

My own pre-flight repairs therefore involve re-attaching the mirror to the adjusting frame with a couple of cable ties. Forgot to take a photo, but that should hold it in place until we get home!

then come the usual pre-flight checks by others, and we're off!

At least its dry... Our first stop is for fuel for the first leg of our journey. We stop in the first fuel station we see (because we don't know where the next one is) for a "splash and dash" to avoid having to pay exorbitant prices at motorway services. I get that, but I'm not going to use a gallon of fuel looking for somewhere cheaper, that's too far off our route.

Our first stop is SD Autotec at Wetherby, where Jim is dropping off his car for some attention. After a bit of a look around and a blether, we head on up the road, armed with Jim's patter and a packet of pandrops.

After a few miles, I spot a BP fuel station at the side of the road with reasonable prices, so we all pull in there - all except John who didn't see us turning off.

Onward to services somewhere near Morpeth, where we have a quick stop, and then home.

Yet another brilliant TVR weekend. I'm 2 weeks short of owning this wee car for 20 years, and I still love it!

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