September 2024.

 

I missed the September Observed Sunday this month because I was still on holiday in Corfu. I am sure I was not missed but my turn to run the shop will be the next Observed Sunday. I was still having fun winding up the grandkids and splashing about in the sea. On one expedition to the beach which was down a steep narrow road only wide enough for one car, two if they are Panda sized there was an unfortunate impasse with another car that meant Gita hit a protruding rock doing damage to part of the right sill. Sounded horrible but we had been insured against such events when taking charge of the car it was covered.

 

There are some really nice sandy beaches in the north of the island. We vacated the holiday home at 10:00 AM for the drive to Corfu Town with a few hours to get to the airport for a 4 PM check-in. The last chance for the shop-a-hollicks to use up the remaining Euros and get some lunch before our flight home. Gita took the car back to the hire place on her own as it was a bit of a distance away for my injured knee to cope with. Isaac, Ivy’s partner took the other Panda back at the same time. The damage was a problem. We were not covered???? 200 Euros in cash was demanded. There was nothing in the paperwork that showed we had any insurance. Just an agreement we were hiring the car. Gita phoned me in desperation. I said pay it. The damage was more than 200 Euros worth. Put it down as part of the holiday. Between Gita and Isaac they found the cash and holiday calm was restored. Buying more stuff in Duty Free was a good salve before getting on the plane. Budget flights don’t serve food anymore even for three hour flights. We munched what we had brought with us from the house to keep us going. Got two taxi’s from Heathrow to get us home. The journey was painless with no major delays to complete a memorable holiday with the grandkids.

There was just enough time to repack and head for Bristol to assist my brother Adrian in getting his 2CV to the workshop for its MOT. This was a trip out to a village near Michinhampton in Gloucestershire. I drove his 2CV and Gita with Adrian lead in the C3 as I could not remember the route. Post Covid memory loss. I had been to the workshop many times in 2019 for work on the van at Country Classics. On the return journey Gita hit a curb going through roadworks. We were going to park up in Nailsworth for a coffee but when we stopped I noticed the front left was deflating. I had seen a tyre place at the beginning of the town and went directly there. I left the car there and then we all went for a coffee at a restaurant with a Fiat 500 on the roof. Returning to the tyre place there was no repair to be had. A split in the side wall made it a new tyre job. All well and good we carried on to Adrian’s’ home in Chipping Sodbury. We were staying a few days partly for the MOT but also supporting Adrian post op while he could not drive. During that time we walked into Sodbury and the local Jazz Club meeting in the Beaufort Arms pub. It was a very enjoyable evening with a particular song about retail therapy in Aldi and Lidl. I also keep buying tools and other sorts of stuff.

Amalfi Restaurtent, Nailsworth

Back home on the Friday to get the Kawasaki ready for its MOT on the Monday. Another visit to Jack Lilleys now West London Triumph. I had an enjoyable MOT wait talking to Peter about motorcycles, life and joining Wey Valley. Another successful MOT. Much of that week was spent cleaning up the garden, A hospital appointment and on the Friday I picked up the much improved Buell from Snobbs. I was pleased to have it back. I used it the next week to go to the new scheduled LE club meeting on the third Tuesday of the month. It was not running right. I thought it was water in the fuel. It got me there and back but I would have to investigate. I did a test ride a few days later and ran out of fuel about a mile from home. It only did 16 miles on reserve and normally it is good for at least 30. My mobile was dying. I could receive calls but not make any. I accosted a passing person and begged to use his phone. Fortunately for me he agreed. Gita came to the rescue. It will be another visit to Snobbs to sort this problem.

I went to Mount Vernon hospital for a swallow test but that had been rescheduled because the machine was being serviced so I have to go again. There is roadworks on the way to Greenford and that is a major traffic problem that affects the A312. I have to go across it up or down it to go anywhere. On the appointment day every road going north to the A40 was filled with traffic that was moving in fits and starts. I did allot of filtering.

We had not seen our son Amit since his trip to India and Gita chose the Thursday of rain and storms to go to Erith near Bexley. A trip around the M25 usually takes about 90 minutes in light traffic. This one took five hours. The weather had caused a number of fatal accidents on the M25 and M26 and a broken down lorry. The motorway closures gave the biggest headache in that the M26/25 was still closed for our return journey that meant an A and B road route to Caterham to get back on the M25 that was open. Things are getting difficult, travel wise, around London. It has not been a good month with cars and bikes for us.

August 2024

                                                           August 2024

 

I write this on holiday in Corfu. The sun is beating down and too hot to be outside at ten thirty in the morning. Corfu is 5 degrees hotter than expected. I am staying with the family in an AirBnB on the north of the island near Astrakeri. A splendid family home with swimming pool included and enough dappled shade from ancient trees creating a very pleasant place to sit and while away the heat of the day. I have been tracking the weather in Hayes quietly smug for the cool days and needed rain that will keep the pots and hanging baskets alive until we return home. We spent a couple days in Corfu town before heading off to Paxos and stayed at the delightful Bathas hotel then headed off to Antipaxos for a day trip by water taxi where I slipped on a concrete causeway between jetty and beach and quite badly hurt my right knee. 

<Paxos                                                                        Antipaxos>                                                   

When   back in Corfu we rented cars to get to Astrakeri. Two little Fiat Pandas just right for these narrow country roads. I dream of whizzing along them on two wheels, a 125 would be adequate, cruising, enjoying the sun, scenery and wind in my hair. I wonder if we could do a club excursion to explore the island? The holiday season starts at the beginning of May and ends in October. May or October would be the better months not being too hot. This brings me round to Observed Sunday at the beginning of the month. There was a reasonable turn out for holiday time. I was on the Kawasaki again as the Buell is still being sorted.

It is nice to have the El Cid back home then drove it to Bristol to see my brother Adrian to show off the all the new hood and fittings and on the car theme news of progress with the van. Developments and manufactured drive shaft from Louis Barbour sent to Ric Pembro who then posted them to me. Ric had to post the parts as timings with holiday and his commitments meant he was unable to deliver them so posting was the only option and I received them in a couple of days. I get so many parcels from that delivery service I am getting to know the delivery lady from Evri quite well.

 I have an 18 kg propane cylinder given to me in an exchange for a 5kg cylinder when the supplier had nothing else. It was so big and heavy it was fine for a static barbeque but too awkward for a mobile gas blow torch. It lasted for years. So long the supplier no longer supplied and FloGas had become computerised and had no record of me. From that experience I have now become a registered customer of FloGas and have an 18kg cylinder on my account. I have now returned an empty cylinder and was provided with some valuable information. The lightweight composite cylinder that I have with a clipfit regulator also contains propane and is available from Home Base has changed my way of thinking about gas cylinders. No longer will I require different fittings for each appliance just change them all to clipfit. This is the modified one for 6mm pipe.

It was the cost of filling the 18kg cylinder about £50 or buying a new 5kg and filling that about £80 or converting everything about £25. It was an easy decision to make.Having fun with the Pandas unfortunately I was unable to drive as I was unable to apply enough pressure to the brake pedal to stop. Gita did all the driving around the north part of the island. I must admit I found  balancing on pebble and shingle beaches challenging but necessary to get in the warm sea which was good therapy for my damaged knee. Such luxury to go to a sandy beach at Agios Stephanos. 

At the Eclipse restaurant overlooking the beach we had an excellent meal but our journey there on our own was exiting.

 Missing a turning at an early stage of phone navigation the resultant route correction turned out to be quite an adventure. A left turn sent us down a deteriorating road where the potholed tarmac disappeared leaving a stoney track. Narrowing to a degree that we were scraping bushes on each side twisting and turning up through olive groves. The track became rutted with rain water gullies. Stones were hitting the underside of the car. Only just enough ground clearance We were climbing still until faced with a wall of lose stones to finally climb off this track onto some tar. Loads of throttle. Front wheels spinning. Stones thrown everywhere as the Panda slowly climbed the wall. This shortcut took about twenty minutes, also sent the pulse racing. We later declined course corrections and preferred to turn back. It was a shame I did not take a video of this, it would have been good. Only a few days left of the holiday but more adventures still to be had but that is for September.

A New Hood for my Chariot

 

A New Hood for my Chariot

 

I remember the film which featured Charlton Heston as El Cid and his untimely death at the end of the movie driving his chariot towards the Moors in an epic scene. Fortunately my El Cid has not died yet and has been given a face lift with a new soft top. It has undergone a transformation with different fittings and means of attachments to make it more usable, quieter and faster than before. It was a job that had to be done. I could no longer see clearly out of any of the vinyl windows making driving difficult at night and when raining. I searched for quotes and visited a number of manufacturers. I needed a personal approach, just replacing like for like was not the solution I was looking for. I wanted things differently. There was a year of searching and at  the 2CV National in 2022 I was introduced to “Coops” who was working on a tonneau cover and would be able to do it after he had finished another job. Success a major step forward and the beginning of a good friendship. About a year passed before it finally got going with delays in having work to be done on the industrial sewing machine, ill heath that plagued us both through 2023, but in 2024 things got moving. I had already ordered the acrylic canvas and clear vinyl plus turn buttons, thread, velcro and press studs and were delivered with the car. Autumn and winter were very wet in 2023 and I was pleased the El Cid was warm and dry in Coops garage.

During 2024 there planned visits to progress the project. Coops had made a start with the cab section with a general shape fitting the luff tape and velcro to attach the rear section. The main central section needed most work and zips and windows had to be somehow sewn in. With the help on “Point North” supplier of nearly all materials I was introduced to Sailrite a You tube site specialising in marine covers and sails showing every technique needed. We poured over videos until finding the most suitable. The most used one Installing a zipper 102  hhtps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVpsV8RlY3Y closely followed by installing a fully dressed curved zipper  https //www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVdMQer1vaUhttps and how to install a window. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aF7i-iAgzZc.  Following the instructions of using 6 mm double sided tape proved the most valuable being able to hold the composite parts together for sewing with no pining. In the process we decided upon using binding tape provide the basic support for every installation. Care at every stage with measuring, marking out and checking before cutting. Coops had a nifty tool that would attach “U” shaped staples over the material to make a hem for stitching. Cutting the acrylic canvas was easy to do with scissors or knife and for an outside edge a hot knife was best sealing the cut and stopped fraying.

On the rear part the first stage was locating the fabric by attaching the 50mm wide velcro at the join with the cab section and marking everything out from that point followed by windows and zips. When each side had been done turn buttons were fitted as another location point. Once the sides had all the sewing completed it was time to work on the back. As it turned out it had to be fabricated in sections. To get it right a template was needed to stretch the canvas and clear vinyl to remove all the wrinkles. Coops had a supply of 10mm plywood, ideal for this purpose. To make a taught hood securing tubes were stitched in on the roof and tops of the sides making a very unflappable structure completed with press studs and eyelets for the bungee straps and clear straps to tie up the windows along the sides and at the rear.

The cab section needed securing tubes and weather flaps and press studs to complete the hood in time for Registers Day in May but not the sidescreens for the door. The weather over that weekend tested the weatherproof capabilities and there were no leaks. A bonus for the construction method. I was well pleased with that. Coops had done a meticulous job in ensuring all threads were tied off and flame sealed but the next stage would be just as challenging.

 I had made the sidescreen frames copying the original construction, fitting them closely as I could to the opening. It is a three dimensional frame a shape that conflicts with sewing on a machine. Construction on the inside was again sectional sewing in panels to hold a portion of the frame before moving on to the next one until the whole frame was covered both sides with a window and zip. New hinges were fitted and securing straps on the back edge to hold the screen in place. All of which held together very well with no flapping even at speed, testament to the workmanship of Coops to achieve exactly what I wanted.

July 2024

 

July 2024

 

No real big jobs over the last month or so but things to do with little things. There was the LE Club meeting on the first Tuesday  soon to be moved to the third Tuesday from September onwards. An entertaining evening followed by Observed Sunday on the first Sunday of the month. I went on the Kawasaki as the Buell was still blowing on the rear cylinder header pipe. A warm day with showers that I managed to miss on my travels.

The Buell finally got to Snobbs when there was a break in their busy schedule.  When firing up the header pipe leak had gone. Probably because I had tweaked the front clamping bolt on the silencer a few times over the past week to maintain the tension on my home made strap. The trip to Snobbs on Hangar lane roundabout was a hot one. Stuck in traffic for the HS2 works the heat coming off the down pipes did a scorching job on my Kevlar jeans cooking my legs. I have yet to comment on this until now. I think it is a complete waste of money. If it conveyed freight to help solve our perceived pollution problem I could understand the investment by why do we need a not very high speed and expensive passenger service? It will not even provide a full service. Public transport in the UK is far too expensive compared to anywhere in Europe and ours is still subsidised. I have to question the rationale for any of this other than money and jobs for the boys. None of which I voted for and how did this get underway? Was it there was a big problem with a pandemic and was kept out of the public domain until nothing could stop it? More will come to light along with the massive fraud committed by MP’s and PPE. I’m pleased we have had an election so recompense can begin.

A couple of things helped fill my days. I was getting out the wooden garden furniture when I discovered some damage from storage. One of the slats in the chair back had some water damage that had made the wood soft. An easy fix by removing the soft wood and replacing it with some hard stuff. A little bit of mahogany I had laying around and some outdoor PVA to stick it back together. No screws used and a coat of external varnish completed the job. I have bought some metal framed chairs that are easier to stack and store so I need to find a good home for six chairs and a large octagonal table. Any takers?

While it was quiet Gita was hard at work completing a crazy shapes 600 piece puzzle. Problem was there were only 599 pieces, To make it complete I embarked into creating what might said to be a masterpiece. First of all was to make a template on paper then one from card. I had no thick card but four layers of tissue box was about right glued together. From the pattern I used a pointed punch to perforate the card along the outline which was easy enough to break through with a fine pointed knife. A little bit of trimming to get a better shape against the template, hand painted with watercolours and a quick spray over with clear varnish it was ready to fit. Unfortunately Gita had returned the puzzle to its component parts before I had finished. We have do the puzzle again to see if it fits.

Transform a Rainbow into a Drag Bike

 

Transform a Rainbow into a Drag Bike

or Bipin’s new Bike

 

At three years old it may seem extreme promoting the two wheeled experience but you have to start somewhere. I inherited a Rainbow bike from granddaughter hat needed some TLC but essential still in very good condition. Too good to need a paint job. The challenge was to remove all the rainbow stickers and add some yellow. Finding a suitable yellow was not as easy as you might think even finding one in a car accessory shop is difficult. There are not that many yellow cars. I did find one but it was not a robust paint and did not cover well it left an edge when masking was removed and lifted the paint requiring some delicate touching up.

Removing the old transfers did not take long after researching on the internet heat combined with a soft scraper should work. I tried this with a hair on maximum heat and used my thumb nail as the scraper. Other than my fingers getting a bit hot I managed to peel off the old transfers. The rainbow bike had no more rainbows.

Cleaning up the chrome was more difficult. The weather had attacked it and in only a few months there rust spots visible but my friend Solvo Autosol did a good job rescuing parts from being discarded. My thoughts of what to do with the pink wheels and saddle. Could I leave them as they are? They were still clean and tidy but did not fit the emerging look of the bike. At Gita’s suggestion could you not paint the wheels? Yellow was out of the question but matt black might work if it was hard enough. I guess the original pink was a powder coat because there was no wear on the braking surface or the brake blocks. I don’t think the brakes were ever used. I gave the pink a light rub down with1200 wet and dry,  masked the spokes and some of the rim and gave Matt Black a go. The masking of the rim was not successful and left allot of overspray on the side of the rim. I tried wet and dry to rub it off and it would not go. The Matt Black was more than tough enough to resist the pressure from the brake blocks. I could paint the whole rim. Which I did after masking the spokes on a different way and the tyres.

The seat was the next problem was what to do with the seat? Pink is not a good colour, but what to use to change it? I was limited with choices as few paints really stick to vinyl eventually they flake off with wear. Matt Black again to hide the pink and it seems to have worked. It stayed on this flexible medium for how long I don’t know.

It is looking more of a mean machine with black seat and wheels but it looks like there needs something more and the horn requires fitting. The horn had a broken bracket from being knocked when facing forward so I refitted it across the handlebar out of harms’ way with a combination of glass fibre and aluminium to get the position right.

I wanted to fit a number plate with a racing number on it but I was warned off aluminium for the risk of a sharp edge and rigidity. Where could I find a suitable size piece plastic? How about a chocolate tub. About the right size, no sharp edges, rigid enough to have a shape but will give when needed. This time it was a Celebrations lid cut to shape with holes drilled to take bag ties for fitting and painted in lurid yellow adorned with the racing number of 48. Black with embellishments of gold and white. Not quite finished yet adding yellow valve caps and go faster flame transfers as the finishing touches we are ready to race.

The Rotary Club of Chipping Sodbury Classic Run 2024

 

The Rotary Club of Chipping Sodbury

Classic Run 2024

The Election has just passed and I am pleased to be catching up with MotoGP from last weekend. I was in Chipping Sodbury for the Rotary Club annual charity car run around Gloucestershire. I had changed the clutch on the Burton and did a test run only a few days before everything seemed OK other than the new clutch needed adjusting. All set for the weekend in good weather.  Arriving on Friday afternoon at Adrian’s home it was a pleasant walk to the pub and a few beers before fish and chips and an early night. Saturday was fit the run number, fill up with fuel, lunch out and another early night.

Sunday was an early start having to be in the High Street before 09:00am to line up for the start. Obligatory bacon roll and tea before the start. While waiting there was much discussion about cars. We were among the last to depart. 

Spot the mistake?

I was driving and Gita was navigating and her first time using the trip metre. I had spent much of Saturday evening converting miles to kilometres and the distance between each checkpoint. Necessary when you don’t have  a trip mileometer. All was going well until the half way stop for a tea and cake. We were about to leave when trying to start the Burton there was this ominous clunk instead of a starter motor spinning the engine into life. Adrian and my other brother, Barry were on hand to give assistance along with the couple who had followed us around all morning. A little push start got us going again. The battery had failed. We continued taking the quickest route back to Chipping Sodbury Rugby Club and a waiting ploughman’s. Another push start on grass got back to Adrian’s home. An eventful run with Gita doing an excellent job at navigating displaying well hidden talents.

 In the late afternoon it was a trip to the pub again to try to catch the performance of the “Wurzels”. Standing room only so we retreated to the lounge, next to the tele. We did not see much of  the band but we were treated to an agonising display of football by England being so poor that we left before the match ended in search of  something  to eat. We all ended up at Nandos in Yate. We were quite early. By the time we were leaving the football match had ended. England had won 2-1. This re-affirmed my view that when I watch England play they lose. To remove that jinx I do not watch them. Saving the disappointment and despair.

Monday was a busy start trying to find a local supplier for a battery that would fit the Burton. It turns out that it is a popular battery on modern cars. By 09:00am I was fitting a new battery while Gita  and Adrian were off at Farm Shop getting our supply of eggs. When they returned it was time to load the Burton for our journey home. A detour into Morrison’s in Yate to collect fresh fish and meat before heading home along the M4 and miles of roadwork’s.

June 2024

 

June 24

 

The beginning of this month has been quite busy with trips to work with Coops, hospital appointments, a clutch change on the Burton and one of the Wey Valley Bike birthday celebrations and the usual first of the month Observed Sunday.  First of all was Motor Bike day at Cobham on the Saturday with ride outs from Yamaha and BMW plus other electric models.

I was inside on the club shop to support the day. There was a bonus to the day in that other suppliers were present and I bought a Chainmate to assist lubricating the Kawasaki chain. It greatly helps in getting the grease into the chain and not everywhere else. 

On the Sunday I used the Buell to see if my home made silencer strap held together. It did but there was no high speed riding to really test it. This was a biking weekend and feeling fit enough I launched in to the Burton the following week and it took me that long.

 Like a 2CV you need to take the bonnet and wings off then take the engine out to separate the gearbox and gain access to the clutch. There is a lot of work to do that job. With new thrust race and diaphragm clutch reassembly took just as long. I am not as agile or as fast so the job absorbed six very long days. I could not entertain paying someone to do that job especially when some of the trim needed to be removed from the foot well to gain access to a captive nut that was no longer captive half way down the wing and a broken throttle cable. I put the captive nuts in place specifically to aid removal of the wings for work on the engine. Not necessary for a service A as the plugs can be accessed through ports in the inner wing and oil filter buy removing the sump plate. Doing all the is not a one man job and I have to mention my able assistant Ashish who helped me with the muscle power to make the job possible.

After many aches and pains from crawling or more like diving head first into the foot well I had a few days off before blasting down to see Coops in Whitchurch on the Kawasaki. I should have ordered the stuff before the visit, running out of thread and fabric. The hood has been completed for Registers Day, but not the sidescreens and these are proving to be much more complicated to do on an industrial sewing machine. So far one has been almost completed and the results are amazing with a zip in the screen for access to be able to pick up car park tickets or motorway toll tickets without having to work around the almost one metre wide side screen.