CitroJim's AX, C3 Picasso, Cycling and Running Tales

[xantia_v6]

The old one was due for replacement I think

I don't know what you are complaining about... It only leaked from the top half

[CitroJim]

I don't know what you are complaining about... It only leaked from the top half

The replacement is a good 'un but it didn't half take some cleaning. It seemed like there was a garden in there, so much soil-like stuff came out I half expected a tomato plant to be growing in it...

Thanks ever so much for the very quick work of getting me a replacement Mike, really appreciated. And to be honest, on the trip over to see you yesterday it barely lost any coolant at all so it was hardly pressing but you know me... I can be ever so fussy in some ways

Have a lovely time in France

[Citroenmad]

Nice work, it is often the little/simple jobs which make the most difference. Im looking forward to seeing your new old V6 Jim, it looks a cracker.

[xantia_v6]

Have a lovely time in France

My "new" V6 made it down with no drama, a couple of minor niggles to sort out, but the main thing is that it is considerably quieter at 135km/h than your new "old" V6. Otherwise, I would not have noticed that I had changed car.

The last 300km or so was at 135km/h temperatures in the mid 30s, and the water and oil temperature gauges sat steadily at 90 and 110 respectively.

[CitroJim]

Excellent stuff Mike, delighted the journey went well

In a well-used high-mileage car it will be an aggregation of a little wear in a lot of components adding up to make quite a big whole. Good job I'm a little deaf I guess

On that subject, dad, for reasons of WWII and a cannon, is profoundly deaf and it's only with the advent of high-tech modern hearing aids he has any real hearing at all. That never stopped him being able to detect odd noises in cars though. I can remember as a kid many instances where small noises in his car would drive him (and the local garage) to distraction. I particularly recall a diff whine in a nearly new Austin A40 Farina which he nagged on and on about until the garage swapped the diff just to satisfy him. When asked what would happen to the noisy diff the garage said it would be held in stock and fitted to another car in due course as nobody else could hear the whine dad complained of...

The same thing happened a good few years later with a near-new R5. Dad had the gearbox replaced on that one to the exasperation of the garage. I couldn't hear it and by then I knew a bit about cars myself... Still, that early R5 (in 1976) started off my love of French cars...

I still wonder how he could, being so deaf, hear mechanical noises nobody else could...

[myglaren]

Reminiscent of Evelyn Glennie whom I'm informed was at the olympics opening ceremony.
I saw her years ago and was extremely impressed with her virtuosity and even more so when I learned that she was profoundly deaf.
She 'hears' vibrations in various limbs that enable her to perform so well.

[PavlosV6]

Coolant header tank replaced...

The old one was due for replacement I think



It's remarkable just how little coolant it was loosing but just enough to niggle me with a (very) small puddle on the drive after a run...

You know what I'm like about anything that leaks, even a little...

That's it. New old V6 is now basically sorted

Just odd little jobs now...

I know the feeling - well done to all involved.

[CitroJim]

Well, what a day Chris's XM is up and running, Rattiva_Mike's wind problem has been found and all is well in the world.

PavlosV6, his SWMBO and I went to MK Theatre last night to see the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain perform a gig...

Now, almost certainly your first reaction will be 'huh? WTF?' Mine was...

Forget George Formby...

They are bloody sensational and well worth going to the end of the earth to see live...

Just a taster of just what they can make a humble Ukulele do...



Look further on Youtube and you can fine lots of clips of them.

Have a look at their version of Nirvana's Teen Spirit, David Bowie's Life on Mars and possibly their top one, Kate Bush's Wuthering heights

I enjoyed it immensely, as did, I think, the entire audience...

[addo]

Oil! Don't knock George Formby. He was a product of his era, and a good entertainer.

[Xaccers]

Oil! Don't knock George Formby. He was a product of his era, and a good entertainer.

He's very naughty.
Makes me blush

[CitroJim]

Oil! Don't knock George Formby. He was a product of his era, and a good entertainer.

I wasn't knocking him Adam. I agree, he's rudely brilliant but what I meant was that if you thought the Ukulele Orchestra was a George Formby tribute band then you'd be very wrong

Xac, yes, he must have been a right shocker in his day...

[Xaccers]

Oil! Don't knock George Formby. He was a product of his era, and a good entertainer.

I wasn't knocking him Adam. I agree, he's rudely brilliant but what I meant was that if you thought the Ukulele Orchestra was a George Formby tribute band then you'd be very wrong

Xac, yes, he must have been a right shocker in his day...

Loved by old ladies everywhere though, especially for songs like this one!

[addo]

My father refers to his GF griller as a George Formby.

Music hall entertainment was a way of letting off steam without overly disturbing the social fabric. It's one of two Anglocentric traditions gone by the wayside, the other being true dandies. (If you want to know why I rate some of these lads, read an obituary of Bunny Roger.)

[CitroJim]

Went to Somerset to see dad yesterday. Ran down in New Old V6 and she did the job a perfect treat. On the return leg I called in to see Rattiva_Mike and enjoyed a very welcome cuppa Thanks Mike, you were a lifesaver

Chris570 and Liam (Hydro-Cobra) called round to make up some suspension bushes for Liam's Citroen-Suspended AC Cobra project on my lathe.

After suitable instruction (Always know where your chuck-key is Chris!) I let Chris do the work. It's a very rare honour to let anyone near my lathe and I must say, despite no previous experience Chris did magnificently...

Here he is, toiling over a hot lathe:



This was the fruits of he and Liam's work after being pressed into the eyes of the modified hydraulic cylinders:



Look closely and you'll see the bushes are properly made with stainless steel inserts...

As an encore, Chris knocked up a ram bush for his Activa

[red_dwarfers]

You can almost make out the beads of sweat on Chris' brow

That bush looks very well engineered!