So, the story is, that my dad bought himself a DRK 3-wheeler Morgan-esque thing back in 2006 for his 60th. He lives in Athens, the car was bought in Preston. My brother and I drove it out to Greece to make sure it got there on time.
The DRK was actually a proper production car, in that enough of it was factory-built to class as a production car by the laws as they were then, even though you fitted your own engine and drivetrain.
Anyway, various ailments ensured my dad made the decision to give up driving about 4 years ago, and the car sat sadly in the underground garage of their apartment block until last April when he shipped it back for Ben and I to share and get some fun out of. Ben stuck some brake fluid and a new battery in it, and took it for an MOT, which it surprised us all by passing. It was used very sporadically all year, and nothing was really done to it - not even an oil change, due to babies arriving, lack of time and spare money and so on. I'd been contemplating bringing it down here for a while, but never got round to it.
With the impending demise of the C5, and finding out how much the engineering work to get the head skimmed and ensure it is right will cost, well, bugger that, I'm not doing it. So, I need transport for just a few days a week. I went and got the DRK - met Ben at Stafford Services at 11:30pm on Friday night and drove it the 170 miles home. Didn't help that the M42 was shut between 4 and 3 Southbound, which added 15 miles through the country to our journey, but we arrived home safe, not too cold, at about 3am on Saturday.
Since then I changed the 8 year old oil... fiddled with the carb to sort the idle out, and used it daily. I've done more miles in the last 3 days in it than it's done in 7 years.
Problems - the indicators have packed up. Can't find the flasher unit either! So, a new one is being collected tomorrow and we'll just re-wire a new indicator circuit in and balls to the old one. The wiring is utter tosh.
What has this got to do with French cars, I hear you say..
Well, it's a Renault 4 underneath - engine, box , suspension...
up on the ramps having an oil change..
in Henley on Sunday, with a very peturbed American as a passenger, who now really does think the English totally loopy..
I'm going to use it as a daily for a while. I've got full thermal bike gear to wear, a really good set of Alpinestar lightweight, lined biker gloves, and a full-face helmet to use. It's much better with that gear on.
More, if you are interested, later...
