Zel's Fleet Blog - BX, Jag XJ-S, Sinclair C5, Mercedes 208D & 230TE, AC Model 70.

[Zelandeth]

Oh Zel, I was in your situation once - three cars and none serviceable. I had to borrow my daughter's car for an essential trip and on that trip I decided to buy a modern and have at least one car serviceable at all times. Hence the purchase of a brand-new C1...

Since then, I've stuck to that and still do with my van currently occupying that spot.

No way could I part with either TPA or the Trabby. Keep both and scratch that MGB itch - whatever it takes

I could never part with either of my two AXs. Like yours, both just about irreplaceable now and they're FUN

Thing is, I DO have a dependable modern on fleet. The catch is that it's shared with the rest of the family so I can't just go and nick it for near enough a week when others are going to need it.

If this was a bit more local I'd be less torn. However avoiding the motorway means it's near enough two hours of driving - and it's all wiggling through busy, congested towns so is quite a slog. It's going to be warm this weekend as well. Which is one other reason that I'm not really inclined to use TPA in the summer. That cabin is honestly a downright miserable place to be on a hot day. The only ventilation you have is a pair of sliding windows which generate a huge amount of buffeting without seeming to actually get any fresh air into the cabin. There is no fresh air ventilation system. The Trabant at least has proper wind down windows and the facility to provide fresh air through the ventilation system. It's only provided by ram air, but does honestly make a huge difference. The engine cover behind the seat gets really rather toasty on a longer drive too which helps turn the tiny cabin into even more of an oven.

I really do just need to make a point of using the car more over the next couple of months, see if I can restore my enthusiasm a bit. I'm just finding that the Trabant ticks so many of the same boxes but is just a lot more competent at being An Car and not making your life flash between your eyes when a lorry goes past the opposite direction or you turn into a roundabout fractionally too quickly.

Whilst I can definitely see the desire to get an MG, I'd factor in the issue that - whilst we appear to be getting the odd extremely pleasant summer spell these days - there very quickly comes a point where a convertible car without air-con in very hot weather and your head getting hotter than the tarmac actually becomes a bit of a drawback. Sitting in traffic with the outside temperature at 30 degrees is sub-optimal. However...... blatting around the lanes on a lovely summer's day with a favourable temperature outside is somewhat pleasurable and should not be postponed

I have owned a convertible before at least - and got my head well and truly sunburned driving from Aberdeen to Inverness with the roof down to show for it.

I really miss this little thing.





If it wasn't actively raining (or snowing!) the top would usually be down. Despite living in Aberdeenshire back then. The Cappuccino did get points for having a really good heater too though which definitely helped.

Honestly if I was going on a trip where getting baked was really a big issue these days I'd most likely just take the Volvo with it's arctic blast air conditioning.

Day to day errands locally don't usually involve too much sitting around stuck in traffic (despite the best efforts of our local authority and their total and utter inability to coordinate road works).

[CitroJim]

Now there's the car to get again Zel! Sod the old agricultural MGB when you can have a Cappuccino It's one car that's been in my dream garage for a very long time...

I must confess I'm no old MG fan at all. I've driven both a B and a Midget and found them both deeply unpleasant - a bit like when I rode a big Harley Davidson... A road drill would have been more comfortable and less vibratory

If I was in the market for an open topper then I'd be looking at a MK1 MX-5... I had the pleasure of one for a year. Bloody awesome little cars.

Yes, agreed Bobins about the heat of the sun on one's head on a very hot day... But against that, bring on >30 degrees C days It's when I just start to feel warm and comfortable without being dressed up like an Eskimo...

[bobins]

Yes, agreed Bobins about the heat of the sun on one's head on a very hot day... But against that, bring on >30 degrees C days It's when I just start to feel warm and comfortable without being dressed up like an Eskimo...

Conversely - anything above about 21C and I start to lose functionality

[Zelandeth]

Problem with Cappuccinos now is that good ones are so expensive, and a bad one can turn in to a major, major money pit very quickly. That and as is pretty standard for Japanese domestic market cars, even the rust on them can rust for fun. Apparently parts supply is getting a bit flakey on them these days as well. They only imported 1100 of them officially, so anything beyond the most basic of bits tend to have to ship from Japan which is both eye wateringly expensive and slow.

If one popped up at the right price locally and I stumbled across it I'd definitely take a look, but it's one I've basically given up actively looking for.

Great fun little cars though. Nothing I've owned (even the Activa) could change direction like that thing, it really was like steering by telepathy. Don't hang around either. Nobody ever really came to a conclusion what power the UK cars output from the factory, but the Japanese ones were specifically detuned to meet the necessary specs for the Kei Car regs. Mine was running a custom engine map and produced somewhere around 80bhp - which in something that tiny that weighs about as much as en empty crisp packet feels like a lot more. Especially given the way the thing would rev to the moon.

The engineering of the roof never got old either. Such a clever setup.

I get what you mean about a Harley, Jim. The best Harley is actually made by Yamaha. It looks like one, it sounds like one, but it actually has proper engine mounts, is better balanced and has decent suspension and brakes. So is a properly comfy cruiser like it should be. An uncle has one and I'm irked I can't find a photo of it right now. I definitely haven't had a sneaky shot of it on a private road. It's everything that a Harley looks like it should be.

I just think the MGB suits me well. I find the driving position comfortable (which is never a given with my back), ride well enough and while not going to win any prizes for dynamics, handle as well as any mass market car from the 60s did. At least you do actually have to drive them, and makes all the right noises (one more reason in favour of the roadster). What suits me though isn't necessarily suit everyone though - cars are like that! If we all liked the same things the world would be a terribly dreary place.

My take on that sort of thing is that if it makes you happy, then it's the right choice for you.

I'm with Bobins on temperatures... though being from Aberdeen is probably something to do with that!

I did learn though with the Cappuccino that an essential piece of equipment to live in the car was a snugly fitting hat. Not least to keep the sun out of your eyes - the visors don't do much when there's no roof.

[mickthemaverick]

I thought I'd chuck in my two penneth!! Agree with bobins on temperature in general. I'm happy living in the 15 - 24 range. Don't mind colder, just means more protection, but hotter I find a real pain.

As to your comparison oh the handling of the Cappucino v Activa, ever driven a Lotus 7 ?

[Zelandeth]

I thought I'd chuck in my two penneth!! Agree with bobins on temperature in general. I'm happy living in the 15 - 24 range. Don't mind colder, just means more protection, but hotter I find a real pain.

As to your comparison oh the handling of the Cappucino v Activa, ever driven a Lotus 7 ?

Not with a Lotus badge on anyway - but Caterham, yes. Steering and overall balance feels very similar. Not all that surprising when you look at how similar the layout is. You're sitting near enough on the back axle in both cars, they're not that far apart in weight terms. Not sure about the 7, but Suzuki went to great lengths to ensure that the weight distribution in the Cappuccino (with the driver in) is near as possible 50/50 front to rear. I'm sure on the limit the 7 would run rings round the Cappuccino (especially with sticky tyres on), but within the realms of what you can reasonably use on the public road they're not as far apart as you'd think. One is just far more rowdy!

The 7 is a much more focused car and isn't something I'd really have wanted to jump in and drive from Aberdeen to Perth and back on a grotty day. Cappuccino no bother. With the roof up it was astonishingly civilised if I'm totally honest. Only black mark really was that the exhaust noise did get in your head a bit after a couple of hours. Was totally weather proof as well, which in Aberdeen was a definite bonus in the winter.

My biggest problem with the MX-5 is having owned a Cappuccino if I'm honest as it really is all the best bits of one but distilled down without all the extra weight.

[mickthemaverick]

I appreciate your thoughts Zel but you do need to get the chance to drive an original Lotus 7 as even it runs rings around the later Caterhams and Westfields. The other car that I would put alongside the Cappucino would be the original Honda CRX which I owned and it ticked most of the boxes except outright speed!

[Zelandeth]

I appreciate your thoughts Zel but you do need to get the chance to drive an original Lotus 7 as even it runs rings around the later Caterhams and Westfields. The other car that I would put alongside the Cappucino would be the original Honda CRX which I owned and it ticked most of the boxes except outright speed!

I certainly wouldn't say no if I was offered a shot of one for comparison purposes!

The one I drove was pretty early in the Caterham 7 days as I understand it. Can't remember exactly what was under the bonnet but pretty sure it was a Ford power plant. Main things I remember about that side was an absurdly aggressive induction noise and that it spit flames out of the exhaust on the overrun if you were driving it hard. Which I definitely wasn't...Fine, I was about 19 I think and had far less sense of self preservation back then...

I doubt I'll have a chance to compare it to an actual Lotus one unless circumstances vastly change though!

[Zelandeth]

Turns out those choc blocks weren't even tight...so likely were doing very little.

However our fault persisted - there was a fault in the splice between the two wires in the factory spade connector. So that then also got snipped out. I didn't bother recreating it as they go to a twin terminal on the ignition switch so I just have them each their own spade there.

I then *also* noted that the Ignition switched live coming out of the switch looked like this.



The only thing that had actually been crimped was about a strand and a half - to the insulation on the connector. So that also got snipped and replaced.

This is what went in the bin.



I would rather have used crimp terminals to recreate the original splice but there was no way to get the tool in without pulling the dash out or dismantling the loom, so we went with the self soldering heat shrink splices. It'll be a thousand times better than what was in there before and a few milliohms of difference really isn't going to make any difference at the power levels we're talking about here.

I could still make the voltmeter and dash lights flicker by touching the key though. Nothing else really for it, so grabbed the tin of (annoyingly expensive!) Ambersil contact cleaner and lubricant and doused the ignition switch through the key slot. There's no other easy access to it.

Immediate massive difference! There are actually clear, solid detents now that it clicks into. Flickering has been reduced I'd say 75%. Not perfect but I don't think this type of switch ever will be absolutely 100% consistent. If I wanted that I'd use a relay so that was carrying the load rather than the ignition switch itself. ... Thinking about it, I DO have a couple of spare solid state relays left from the pinball table...Hmm.

Bit later in the evening I did a bit of poking around on the Trabant. The only real thing I'd noticed was that the nearside rear hub nut was a touch loose. I think it has been for a while as I didn't want to over tighten it originally in case it was a taper bearing (it isn't). Whereas the correct procedure is to do it up fluffing tight and then lock it. Which is what I did - albeit somewhat awkwardly as I *still* don't have a socket big enough for the hub nut.

Then took it out for a spirited test drive for about half an hour. Definitely didn't notice the very distinct noise/vibration from last time we were out. It honestly sounded like I had a wheel with loose nuts or similar, it was quite obvious.

Guessing that there was just enough slop there that combined with the buckle in the wheel (which I wasn't aware of being a recent issue though given the state of the roads around here you never know) was allowing things to shimmy a bit. Slack taken up and normality has resumed. Doesn't seem that anything is getting excessively warm - there's a whole 2C temperature difference between the two.



Drum on this side was 34C, other side was the warmer one and that's the side that's had a new wheel bearing fitted. This side hasn't been touched.

Hopefully that'll be the end of this one for a while. I do want to get these wheels changed to match the front though - that will get rid of the one with the big wobble in it.

[CitroJim]

Mine was running a custom engine map and produced somewhere around 80bhp - which in something that tiny that weighs about as much as en empty crisp packet feels like a lot more. Especially given the way the thing would rev to the moon.

Wow Now that's got fun written all over it and I guess has a very similar vibe to all the bits I love about driving an AX. Every drive is a smile-fest and sheer fun What I think all cars should be. Always, if there's a choice between the AX and my van, the AX wins every time; the van is only used when there is no alternative...

The the costs and spares situation certainly puts a dampener on the prospect of owning a Cappuccino these days. That's one thing that'll never be a problem with an MGB and is a definite plus. I'm staggered at just how everything is just about readily available and not silly expensive. Like the proper Mini and Soggy Moggy. I'm getting the feeling your Rover falls into much the same category too...

My take on that sort of thing is that if it makes you happy, then it's the right choice for you.

Absolutely spot-on And not only in one's choice of cars either!

I'm with Bobins on temperatures... though being from Aberdeen is probably something to do with that!

I think with me I've just never re-acclimatised back to the cold and damp of the UK after living in very hot climes...

One thing I do know is that my skin is not ideally suited to such weather A lot of sun cream will be used over the next few days!

[CitroJim]

And just seen the good work on TPA and the Trabant Zel Excellent!

The wiring was quite a shocker - if you'll excuse the pun I've never tried those self-soldering heat-shrinks... I must as they seem an ideal solution...

Yep, Ambersil products are expensive but worth it!

[Zelandeth]

And just seen the good work on TPA and the Trabant Zel Excellent!

The wiring was quite a shocker - if you'll excuse the pun I've never tried those self-soldering heat-shrinks... I must as they seem an ideal solution...

Yep, Ambersil products are expensive but worth it!

I don't know what it seems to be about British cars which just seems to attract appalling wiring repairs, but they just seem to go hand in hand.

The self soldering shrink connectors are definitely useful. I'm not a huge fan of them where they are visible as they look quite messy - but they are really good for areas where moisture ingress could be an issue as there's adhesive inside the shrink wrap which squishes out and fills any remaining voids as well. Obviously not needing to get a clunky crimp tool in or where you're dealing with very fine wires which can be tricky to crimp to (or connecting flex to cable) are all advantages. You're more than welcome to a handful of different sizes next time I see you - I got a variety pack of about a thousand of them as it was far cheaper than way and I doubt I'll ever use them all! Where I can I usually then try to slip a conventional bit of heat shrink of a suitable colour over that to tidy it up visually, though that's really not needed other than to satisfy my OCD.

Forgot to post an update confirming that in the 60 or so miles here the unpleasant noise didn't reappear on the Trabant, so I'm going to say that it was indeed that hub nut not being tight enough that was the issue.

We had our little car enthusiast meetup this afternoon, and despite it being the second year in a row the Trabant was there it was again massively popular. Had a pretty much continual stream of people either asking questions, relaying stories from either friends or relations from that side of Europe or just taking photos of it through the afternoon. Again, virtually all of the attention being positive. Had two people asking for any ideas of where to buy one, and one person even actually trying to buy it. I had expected it to be less popular this year given it was here last year as well. Ended up giving someone an impromptu passenger experience around the hotel site while we were heading back to our respective parking spots afterwards, and I've not seen anyone grin like that in a long while.

This is an update without any photos as this phone is being an utter pain and for some reason is now not letting me access any of them saved internally until after I power cycle it. At which point it duplicates them. After already doing that about ten times today I've run out of patience with tidying up duplicate files so that'll have to wait. Will probably get a bit of time tomorrow afternoon when I can sit down at the laptop which is far less annoying. So you're going to have to wait for those...not that you don't already know what a small car show looks like.

[CitroJim]

Good to hear the Trabant is behaving itself Zel

And do enjoy the event

[Zelandeth]

I didn't actually take many photos yesterday - as I was mostly either speaking to people about the Trabant or hiding under the trees in the shade from the deadly laser of the sun. Despite applying sunscreen I still managed to get somewhat burned.

Usual absolutely random selection of cars present.



I thoroughly approved of this obnoxiously, eye searingly bright green Stag.



Honestly I think it was brighter in person. I approve. No idea if it was a factory colour in period - but having seen the range you had to pick from in the 70s it wouldn't surprise me if it was

Steady stream of people looking at the Trabant, through the afternoon.



Still find it interesting to see how such a simple little car can cause such fascination across so many ages, backgrounds and nationalities.

This was also present along with a number of R/C vehicles...I suddenly felt very old!



1993 if you were wondering when that appeared on BBC 2.

I did however manage to spend a somewhat absurd amount of money in the Dealer's room. Though finally getting around to picking up some things I've been procrastinating over for literally ten years.

[CitroJim]

Wow! Loving the green Stag and old BBC2 device Zel

Suncream: Look on Amazon for some Factor 100 Banana Boat sport. It works beautifully on me. Out all day in the gorgeous sun yesterday and not a hint of any burn; I still look very white!!!