Waste of money?

In the last year, lots of people have suggested to me that I had wasted my money on the Beast. Well, to all of you doubters, it's a very useful way to dry groundsheets and caravan awnings.

The great tune up - my cock!

Hello all. No recent updates as it's fannied again. It's still the Rover part, nothing wrong with the Triumph bits at the moment. The engine has decided to play silly buggers again. Gary (rebuilding a TR7v8) popped over a couple of weekends ago to have a look at the positions of the water hoses on the engine. As he was there, and because he knows a bit about cars, I convinced him to have a "quick" look. 3 hours later, feck all difference - except that the new Facet fuel pump is in. When I say in, it's bodged in the engine bay with lots of jubilee clips and hose pipes rather than on the rear bulkhead where it belongs. I may just add a photo at some stage - if I can be arsed. Until then, here's the pump ...

Next stage then ... to finish off the under sealing. I did the passenger side. It looks quite good actually! Now with the car turned around (thanks to Gary and Simon!), I can get to the other side. As for the engine ... feck knows what to do. I don't think it will be on the road this summer. In fact, I have a nasty feeling that it will live in the garage for a decade before I sell it to Ed for the price of a curry. Cock!

Fiat Panda v Triumph TR8

Went into the garage over the weekend to put the seats in and fanny about with the chewed electrics. I thought I would just give it a test first, and listen to the burbling and popping for inspiration. Bastard!

If I hadn't just spent lots of dough on a Pajero, I would be making use of Coco's scrappage thing and doing this...

The great starting debacle pt 10

Never mind all of that sensible Frank stuff below! We have a breakthrough! last night, Ben (Who's Who) popped around to finish off his work. he was convinced that he had the answer. Last time he paid a visit, he had set a Top Dead Centre thing up which was incorrect apparently, as the piston is already at the top when at TDC and thus wouldn't ignite the mixture - or something like that. So, we removed the plugs (I am getting good at this bit!), he gapped them and I replaced them, except #1.

He then set the TDC thing which is somewhere at the front next to the fan, to 6 degrees. I really need to find out what all of this means! Whilst I turned the crank via the big nut on the alternator, he played with #1's hole. Following that, he shone a light somewhere around the distributor. It was at this point, and not for the first time, that he tried to explain what he was doing - it was something to do with checking the earth on the coil I think. I felt rather like a spotty GCSE kid asking a nuclear physician to quickly run through how to make a fission bomb.

Once all that was done, the cap and leads went back on. The Beast was a little desperate, and I could see the strain on Ben's face, but it eventually went. It was a fantastic - but not a very pretty noise. We are backfiring and popping even more so than before. But who cares ... the Beast lives! "The great starting debacle" is over. Raise a glass for the new series: "The great tune up".

Thought of the day

The current dilema .... sell or keep the V70?

Somebody not called Frank just said the following:

"You know what I think , you should no way have that TR. You are not (and never will be) in a position to look after it. Its a cash cow that just isn't worth the effort. Sorry for being frank. I think the V70 is a great car but if you are determined to get the TR working then you need money and the Volvo is the best way to get it quickly. As for the Mitsi didn't I say it would drink fuel and you ignored me! If it were me I would bin the TR, keep the Volvo and use this as a primary car, then leave the Mitsi for towing the plastic house you have!"

That is of course the correct action and something to very seriously ponder.

This week's Update

A regular reader has asked where this week's update is, so here goes ...

It's still in the garage and it's still fucked.

The great starting debacle pt 9

Cock. I think the Beast is dead. Thursday last, my old school mate Ben came round to try is hand at beast repair. Ben is a mechanic. Ben has been a mechanic for 20 years. Ben has got a big van with lots of big tools in it.

He tried the following: set the distributor via me turning the back wheel; tested electric currents in various wires; took out spark plus and sniffed them; tested sparks; sprayed fuel directly into the plug holes; sprayed fuel directly into the carbs; undid fuel pipes to check that fuel was being pumped; checked sparks; removed the rocker covers.

Cock. He was there for 2½ hours. He left with my SD1 manual, confused and a little miffed ... his professional pride dented by the Beast! I think it is terminal. Don't think that selling the V70 would be a good idea!