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

[daviemck2006]

There was a limited edition Proton which had big wheels and a body kit and looked quite nice which I nearly bought for the wife's runabout while I was away at sea. But she wanted the Clio so that's what she got.

[CitroJim]

I like what's in your updated signature Davie

[Hell Razor5543]

But I think he needs to update his Avatar list.

[CitroJim]

But I think he needs to update his Avatar list.

Yes, it's from a while ago now I reckon Davie looks a little different now...

I'll be updating mine soon with a new one...

[Hell Razor5543]

Oh, I don't have any problems with the photos (yours or his), but the list under his photo is out of date.

[CitroJim]

Oh, I don't have any problems with the photos (yours or his), but the list under his photo is out of date.

Ahh, sorry I see what you mean now James I'm particularly thick and stupid today... My mental energy has almost ran out for the day and with it any reasonable cognition

[daviemck2006]

Now should be fixed

[Hell Razor5543]

Yes, that is much more up to date!

[Zelandeth]

That bodykitted and alloy shod version of the Proton Saga/MPi was the Lynx if my memory serves. Lada did a similar thing to the Samara with a special edition called the Juno - which I still have some promotional goodies from in a box somewhere if I can ever find it.

I made the mistake of leaving the house today. More specifically I made the mistake of leaving the house by car and before looking at the news and discovering that the M1 was closed - as such my "half hour" trip out to get fish food turned into nearly two hours sat in the car park that the A5 and surrounding roads had turned into as a result.

More I'm thinking about an old Proton the more I think it would be a good fun addition to the fleet - not least because it's very much a different take on producing the same sort of car as the Riva, with only a few years between them. I always find contrasts like that interesting. Lada were very much aiming to build a car...it had to have four wheels and an engine, but that was about it. Whereas it's quite obvious that Proton were really trying to build a car that they could be proud of...and while it might have been a bit dated compared to the competition, I reckon they did a pretty good job - especially when you look at how small a portfolio the company had to it's name at the time.

I have driven the original Mitsubishi version (sorry, can't remember what variant), the G plate 1.5GL Aeroback I had, and a later L reg 1.3 MPi (in SGL trim I think, and a lovely metallic bottle green colour), and can honestly say that the Proton seemed the better car. Especially the pre facelift (1993 I think) cars. The hatchback (or Aeroback as they called it - complete with a fantastically retro looking badge on the bootlid) is definitely my preferred version, the saloon just looks awkward to me somehow, whereas the hatch just works. Shame they didn't make an estate.

[CitroJim]

I made the mistake of leaving the house today. More specifically I made the mistake of leaving the house by car and before looking at the news and discovering that the M1 was closed - as such my "half hour" trip out to get fish food turned into nearly two hours sat in the car park that the A5 and surrounding roads had turned into as a result.

Poor you Zel

I thought something was up when I cycled over the M1 overbridge at Tathall End on my way home from work at lunchtime. To see the M1 empty northbound and static southbound was almost surreal and the silence was deafening!

The B526 from Gayhurst to Newport was biblically busy and Newport itself was gridlocked. I was thankful I was on my bike or it would have taken me a long time to have got home...

I than went to CMK to meet my girls by bike and rode overt the M1 again to see it totally empty just south of the Services... Never seen it like that before...

Thankfully it was not a bomb under the Little Linford bridge but allegedly it was a highly corrosive substance of some sort in a black bin bag...

[Zelandeth]

It's always the way isn't it - you spot the queue mere yards after the last chance you have to turn off the road...

I can report however that the Lada's heater is officially fixed. First day I've needed it, but the correct response to "how hot is the air out of those vents?" Is now being achieved again. The response being "Ouch that's ****** hot!"

All it needed was the heater matrix flushing out apparently. Admittedly given what came out I'm not surprised it wasn't hot originally.

[CitroJim]

Good news on the heater Zel

[Zelandeth]

That's now the fourth incorrect (but different!) clutch slave cylinder I've had for the Estelle.

Patience is wearing thin with that now. Really would like to throw a year's ticket on it before selling given the price difference that will make, but if I can't get the blasted clutch sorted soon I'm likely to just flog it as it is - likely at a £1500 loss. Funds from selling it will go straight back into getting work done on the Lada.

Probably lucky I'm not still in Aberdeen or I'd have launched the thing into the harbour by now I think...

[CitroJim]

I'm staggered there's such a range of clutch slaves Zel... Is it not possible to adapt one of the incorrect ones?

Or have the existing one rebuilt?

[Zelandeth]

That's the ridiculous thing...there wasn't! The same cylinder was used across the whole range, 1977-1991. I've no idea what the others were for...the most recent one was at least for the right car...shame it was a master cylinder not the slave.

No way I could really use any that arrived as the bore and stroke were way off and the fixings were in totally the wrong places.

I may well just have to pull the existing one off and see if it's serviceable (where do I get the bits from?). Just annoying to have to faff about with a £10 part.

In other news, I'd been convinced that I was missing one of the return springs on the clutch pedal in the Lada (there are two), as you always had to pull the pedal up the last inch or so with your toe...just something you got used to doing, and it didn't affect the operation at all.

Turned out the springs were all present and correct and in fact the grease on the assembly had just turned to glue. Cleaned it up and now the pedal returns to the stop on its own and is a good deal lighter. The squeak has also gone, though that will most likely return after a week or two as "they just do that" apparently.