What made you happy today?

[Vanya]

Hang in there!

[johnpwalsh]

OK guys this is it, just got back home after another month overseas so time booked for some shopping, got to keep shmbo happy then into the garage, last few bits to fit which arrived while I was away. final adjustment of the gear linkages as all new bushes fitted. Connect the battery and cross my fingers that it is finally finished. it's been a nightmare this time this month away knowing only about an hours work to do, all you guys getting your cars into hibernation and me desperate to get mine out.

[mdw]

My parents are having a clear out as they might be moving soon and found my old scalextric car. I must have had the lotus affliction linger than I thought. Sadly the wing is missing but from memory it was well used.

Edited October 19, 2013 by mdw

[ChrisJ]

Saw another Lotus on the road whilst in mine today - this is the first time (excluding meet ups) that this has happened since the Esprit was recommissioned.

 

And we both waved at each other - so smiles all round.

 

Chris

[Vanya]

Called Lotusbits about their steering rack refurb and was told this involves (besides stripping and replacing worn bits) a sand blast and respray! Then they topped that by telling me they had spare lower U-joints and an intermediate shafts available!!! *bouncing off walls* no more wonky steering next season (hopefully!)

Edited October 28, 2013 by Vanya

[softlips]

I clipped a kerb with a rear wheel a month or so ago. Since then I've done a long weekend driving very fast on the Isle of Man and while the car was great it didn't feel quite as sharp as before.

Anyway, today Track Torque did my geometry and the car is FANTASTIC again!

[johnpwalsh]

Well she is all done and finished, I am even that confident that I went and got road tax for her today so that I can at least get a couple of days beore the snow starts. Unoficial run the other day and sounded great so had to go for the tax, well it can be surrendered again at the end of the month when she goes into storage but for now I have a couple of weeks before going back overseas and I am going to enjoy them.

[Iconic Ride]

Received word from my younger son (who is away at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, as a third year computer science major) that he has been offered a summer internship job (paid) at Nvidia (maker of graphics processing units, i.e. "cards") in Santa Clara, California. He has always been a fanatical gamer, and has built two gnarly "max bells and whistles" computers, incorporating high powered Nvidia products, so he is totally stoked about the opportunity to go to work at the home office.

 

And I am totally stoked about the potential help with senior year tuition costs that said employment should generate.

[mr.oogieboogie]

Finally bought one of those air deflectors for when the roof is out

[hedgerley]

Your life will be complete Peter when the roof panel bag I posted to you this morning arrives.

[mr.oogieboogie]

Thanks very much

[johnpwalsh]

Happy/Sad day, went and collected the new daily hack yesterday and the BMW went off to pastures new so here's hoping the RAV will be a safer option for the Mrs over the winter. left North East Scotland at 0400 drove to Barnsley collect the RAV and drove back home again, long run in crap weather but all went well. The bonus being the RAV can handle a big trailer with a car on the back, mmm more cars for the collection.

 

 

Edited November 3, 2013 by johnpwalsh

[comem47]

Congrats on the new RAV.  Having a refrigerator style door that opened the wrong way at the curb in the US  (blocking moving the contents out) is a major reason I didn't get one in 2007. Glad to see they finally ditched the old style door and it looks good.

[mdw]

Left a £30 garage door fob in my trousers  only to realise when I noticed its  front, back, pcb, battery and button rotating around the front of the washing machine.   Turned it off and retrieved the parts which I put in the airing cupboard to dry.  On re assembly it works!!! Result.

[Guest surferphil]

Begrudgingly I embarked on the tedious and mammoth task of doing my LTD Company books for the accountant and discovered I had already done them at the end of March!   So I wasted the day doing nothing important!   

[mayevora]

Wish I had the same problem Phil - My LTD Company year end is 31st Aug and still need to start mine

[johnpwalsh]

_{See ok who's taking bets.}

[johnpwalsh]

the look on my wife's face when I came in earing my wedding ring which we thought I had lost earlier in the week while working on the car, priceless and me one happy bunny.

[ramjet]

You've made your wedding ring into an earing?

[ramjet]

More woodwork.

 

 

 

Fiddly though.

[johnpwalsh]

Almost like rebuilding a Lotus, question has to be whats better, the car or the woodwork.

[Guest surferphil]

Desperate for a winter car I had a speculative look on Ebay and saw a Freelander for less than £1500 so I bought it blind and it drives like new! A bargain hoorah! That's a recession buster with enough left in the bank for the tax man. 

 

Happy days! 

[johnpwalsh]

Freelander is notorious for busting the centre bearing on the prop shaft, so many people cut costs and remove the shaft so the car only has two wheel drive, another common problem is the fuel cut off which is attached to the bulkhead, a small black plug with two wires in it, if it goes just unplug it, turn  the ignition on for a minute, turn off again then plug it back in and that does a reset, the obvious other fault dependant on age is the cylinder head, some people cut corners and replace the head gasket without replacing the head studs which will result in another head failure otherwise they are a good all rounder. Good luck with the car and happy motoring.

[Guest surferphil]

It got a new silicone gasket at 40k, now at 80k, is 2WD for fuel economy so the prop is still there but may go back to 4WD so hopefully the prop should be good. I have not heard of the fuel cut off problem so thanks for the tip!

 

I had 2 Freelanders before with only clutches that needed replacing, one was TD4 and I hated that engine, the other was K Series, loved the engine but the car was basic trim. This one is the best of both (Serengeti). I had an Elise or two all had head gasket replaced before they went wrong and before I bough them. Fingers crossed! 

[Guest surferphil]

Had a good day in court! The Judge forced some sense into my life so I'll be seeing little avatar man a lot more from now on!             

 

And of course I took on 2 Barristers this round and beat them at their own game! 

Edited November 11, 2013 by surferphil