cambelt replaced -  so that's one thing less to worry about. Sadly the sill didn't like the weight of the car being rested on it and it er failed :( I suspected it wasn't repaired properly and it's just proven it so ho hum another job required. The joys of older car ownership.

On the plus side I got the handbrake sorted or at least we established why it wasn't working even with the BBK on. Turns out the wrong handbrake cables were fitted, rev1 instead of rev2+ and the rev1 units are shorter and to get them to fit the return spring was moved and clipped on to the edge of the bracket not into it's slot. The adjuster was also at the shortest point..... you'd have thought that would have been noticed at the time of replacement... oh and the fact the handbrake cables have different colours of bands on them... sorted now lol.

Labels: 127000 miles, 127k miles, cambelt, Sbits, timing belt

  ¶ 4:18 PM 0 comments

  that'll be a new windscreen then -  a fair sized crack just under the wiper arms, which is my excuse for not noticing it before :( I'll see if it survives til nearer the MOT time as I'm oging to try and get a few drives in this year so no point in a brand new windscreen til after then.  ¶ 2:10 PM 0 comments

  so it's that time of (almost) every cars life.. .. when the cambelt / timing belt needs a bit of TLC and that time is now. 5yrs since it was last done and that means I've owned this car for nearly eleven years! That's a long time for anything to stay the same and I have to say while it's not as fresh as the first day I drove it, dammit it still makes me smile and raises the pulse whenever I want it to!

So I'm heading down to SBits in a couple of weeks for it to be done, 4yrs, 11 months and 2wks since it was last done.. at least Peter can't complain about the last person to do the belt change lol  ¶ 12:52 AM 0 comments

  went out for a wee hurl - couldn't open the drivers due to frost, managed to eventually get into the car through the passenger side. Trying to get over the centre console into the drivers seat so I could start the engine (and take it out of gear) was not the easiest nor most elegant of maneuvers lol.

Got car started and let it idle for a bit then cleaned off the ice from the windows. Drove off very carefully as the entire street was a sheet of ice..... should have given me a clue eh? Anyways, a wee run up by Strathblane and down via Drymen was completed at a very sedate pace as the although roads were mostly clear, they had about as much grip as a skid pan. 2nd gear + boost = wheel spin, repeat for 3rd and 4th and I never tried fifth lol. Anything like positive boost pressure and the rears just couldn't hold on so I gave up trying :) A nice wee drive in the sun nevertheless.

Stay safe out there folks

Labels: frost, frozen doors, ice, no grip, wheelspin

  ¶ 4:52 PM 0 comments

  sunday afternoon fun :) - a wee run out with some friends in the typical Scottish November weather. Bit of rain, bit of sunshine and some fog thrown in just for that atmospheric feeling. Bend swinging behind a 01 plate 911 I'm thinking that handles quite well.... as I drift wide and generally have a moment! So with attitude adjusted I approach the corners a bit more focused. Fabby lunch in a typical country pub / hotel and then repeat the trip home.

On the motorway run home briskly pulled away from a roundabout and did everything right, no moments no under steer no drama. Got it nice and straight and then thought yep this is the time. Queue right hoof, 3rd gear, 16odd psi and as it pulls through 50 the back end starts coming round. Funny thing is the 2 cars in front of me were having exactly the same moment! Queue much swearing and opposite lock :) Fun fun fun

Labels: borders, fog, rain

  ¶ 10:25 PM 0 comments

  MOT passed - nothing needing work, no attention needed everything ok. Tester looked at brakes and was heard to mention, yep that'll work! woo hoo! 16yo motor 126K miles and still amkes me smile. Still drinks SUL like Oliver Reed on a mission though lol

Labels: 126k miles, MOT passed

  ¶ 9:45 PM 2 comments

  a wee weekend drive away - ok so last weekend in July and a cheeky wee drive is on the cards

Friday kick off up through Glen Coe towards Fort William and it's tbars oot and on with the sun tan lotion


Somewhere north of Aviemore I find this strange character following me to Inverness - it is the Jaffa man



Due to leaving late afternoon and stopping off at Gaz's for a Chinese takeaway we were a little late in getting to Ullapool. So after getting the tents up we have a beer to celebrate a simply stunning late evening drive from Inveress to Ullapool and then legging it from the midges (no wind for once at the campsite = swarms of the barstewards)

Sunset at the campsite



Camp fire anyone - it actually didn't scare the midges off the little blighters


I cannot explain this picture though according to my phone it was 215am...


A couple of pics from the Saturday drive up by Durness and along to Tongue, tbars oot again :) A first for the club. A run with only MR2 turbos's, 3 tintops and 2 tbars (oot again and on with the sun lotion and shades)




some more bods arrive on Saturday evening but due to missed calls the tents were up in another part of the campsite however they were swiftly moved over




Another pic of the MX5, this was shot on Sunday after the pissing rain had passed and all the tents were down. Tbars oot again lol







As a complete aside, the car clocked up the 126k mile marker on the way home Sunday at Loch Lomond. Not bad going I reckon

Labels: awesome, Broomfield Campsite, did I mention awesome, ullapool

  ¶ 7:17 PM 0 comments

  car washed and polished - by me so a rubbish job but at least it's done. A wee run coming up this weekend so the Sun God is getting plenty of attention :)  ¶ 10:38 PM 0 comments