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

[Michel]

That's wonderful work Zel!

[white exec]

I have a good Canon colour laser printer here, but have never played with transparencies on it, although vast numbers of ohp transparencies went through previous b&w lasers, for training and sales purposes. Will be interesting to see how 'grainy' the transparent result is!

Nice work, Zel.

[myglaren]

You should mix those icons up a bit, make driving more interesting.
Otherwise, excellent work.

[Dormouse]

try a font called Solaris- it might be close

[Dormouse]

Identifont web site shows other similar fonts

[Zelandeth]

I have a good Canon colour laser printer here, but have never played with transparencies on it, although vast numbers of ohp transparencies went through previous b&w lasers, for training and sales purposes. Will be interesting to see how 'grainy' the transparent result is!

Nice work, Zel.

Given that it's behind a frosted panel anyway it shouldn't be too big an issue. Biggest question may be getting the registration between colours and black perfect as any gaps will really show - but I can do the colour mask and legends on separate sheets if need be.

Shouldn't be an issue really as the image quality on this printer is pretty good, but just thinking out loud really.

You should mix those icons up a bit, make driving more interesting.
Otherwise, excellent work.

There is temptation to swap them out for some more old style ones (like the lightning bolt for the ignition light), or text legends...but keeping it original makes more sense!

[Zelandeth]

Well today has been spent generating this mess.



Last couple of trees that need to come down are going to require access from the other side of the fence to remove the bulk of the weight before we can bring them down.

Have got a mechanical job out of it though, the exhaust decided to fall off the chain saw. Gaskets have had it, so possible it's been leaking for quite a while.



The marks on the back of the silencer and heat shield certainly suggest that theory is correct.





That silencer seems to have a lot more to it than I'd expect, it's really surprisingly heavy.

New gaskets and some locknuts on the studs this time so it can't unbolt itself again and we should be good to go. Doesn't look like the mating surfaces are damaged at least.

Now however I am utterly broken, and will probably be feeling that way for most of the next week!

[Gibbo2286]

I paid a tree man to take mine out, didn't hurt at all.

[Zelandeth]

I paid a tree man to take mine out, didn't hurt at all.

The £1800 (plus vat) we were quoted to take them all out hurt! Which is why we're doing as much of the work as we possibly can ourselves.

[NewcastleFalcon]

Seeing as that ^^^^^^^^ was your 4,000 th post on the forum, and a landmark allow me to dig up your post number 1 on the forum in a thread entitled "Good Evening from Milton Keynes" and the first one to respond James (Hell Razor) with his usual welcome sign Hope you dont mind

Just a quick hello out of courtesy. If any of you also frequent discussion boards surrounding the topics of vintage technology, Skodas, Saabs or Ladas, you may recognise the name.

Figured that it was about time that I introduced myself.

While most of my automotive experience has been with stuff from behind the Iron Curtain, I have long had a bit of a love affair with French cars. Probably starting back when I was about 5 when one of our neighbours had a BX (it was red, diesel and had an epilepsy inducting white and black striped interior). Then further reinforced when I spent several years at a used car dealership as a saturday job valeting the rolling stock. Xantias were one of our mainstays, and I remember basically falling in love the first time I drove one. They weren't cheap back then though! Remember trying to buy one once, it was an early one, up on miles and with a short test...but even so was nearly two grand...well outside my student budget! Still remember it though, black with a tan interior and I think it was a purple and cyan pinstripe...anyone remember the special edition? Can't count how many spheres I've changed!

Then stepped up a notch when I was lucky enough to take ownership of a Renault 25 Monaco that came in as a trade in. That still has the award of the most comfortable car I have ever been in. If I ever can, I will have another! Sadly, E100MSE had to be let go as the rear suspension arms were rotten...now I would have fixed that...but back then it was well beyond me. Still regret passing the car on...she was a lovely thing, especially in that deep bronze colour that the Monacos came in.

Since then there have also been a couple of 306s (one of which (a 97 1.6 LX Sedan) will shortly appear in the classifieds as she has fallen on hard times due to a recent 500 mile house move!) And a 2009 Pug 107 Verve which I bought new and still have and enjoy.

Currently I am looking to pass on my Saab for something a little different and more modern (and economical! 23mpg these days hurts!). I am hankering after a Xantia. Possibly a cheaper example for now, with a better one further down the road...it's quite exciting to be honest seeing a car that I clearly remember the launch of, and being new and exciting being in the "few hundred quid" hence achievable money area.

There's one on Autotrader at the moment not far from us for £395 with a year's ticket...seriously considering going for a look. It's up on the miles and has a couple of dings, but at that price seems worth a look, even if it needs a bit of work. Unless anyone here knows otherwise!

Anyhow...hello folks! Will stick up a couple of photos of my fleet tomorrow when I have access to a real computer rather than my phone.

Current fleet:

87 D Skoda Estelle 120LX.
89 G Saab 900i Automatic.
09 Peugeot 107 Verve.
97 R Peugeot 306 1.6LX Sedan.
80 V VW Transporter T25 Camper.

Edit: Forgot...my father also has a lovely white Pug 208 as his current vehicle...took me forever to nag him into looking at something French...but the moment he test drove the 208 he was sold! Being honest I would probably buy it when his lease is up if I had the cash, is a lovely little thing to drive, even if the tiny wheel takes a bit of getting used to.

REgards Neil

[Dormouse]

I see that Zel has not only had campers in his life for a long time but he has played with Ladas and Skodas too. I had a customer, Peter, that was a veterinary doctor and lecturer. He had a colleague in Czechoslovakia who I found parts for his Estelle for. Prices for him were very high there but Peter got a list from him and I found the parts new or second hand and they were posted over as "gifts".

[Zelandeth]

Really quick additional job on the instrument panel done today while I'm waiting for the transparency film to turn up.

Sanded back and repainted the speedometer pointer white.



Looks a good deal brighter back in the panel than it used to.



Another item on the "missing" list has been ticked off now too thanks to our Jim picking some hardware up for me while on his travels.



Yep, she now has a parcel shelf again. Yes it's black rather than brown/beige but being a neutral colour it's less obtrusive than something like blue would have been. I'll take the wrong colour over missing anyhow.

At least it hides all the junk in the boot now.



Small details yes. Though I still see it as important as the less things which are missing, the more likely my enthusiasm to keep pushing forward on getting the car sorted is to continue.

Has it helped take the rate the thing hurls itself open at? Nope...it still wants to smash my teeth out!

A while back I had intermittent issues with the alternator on the Jag not charging... though it has been behaving for a while and I made the mistake of mentioning that within earshot of the car the other day.

It heard me apparently and rewarded me with this on the voltmeter today.



*Sigh*

I'll need to see if I can get the brush pack out with the alternator in situ (as I *really* don't want to have to mess about with the belt tensioners again). It doesn't actually look too hard to get at by the standards I'm used to on this car.



I'm sure I'll end up swearing a lot at that pair of power steering lines a lot though...

From the symptoms I'm hoping it just needs a brush pack as I really could do without spending on a new alternator on this right now...

[Gibbo2286]

I've got these two new brush packs sitting on my shelf, if one will fit your alternator you can have it free-gratis.

[bobins]

I've just had one of the works' Mercs back from a specialist for recommissioning, service and MOT. Rather annoyingly they missed the duff alternator - I measured 25v AC across the battery terminals with the engine running. That'll be a fubar'd diode in the rectifier then

[Zelandeth]

Need to get the old one out first to find out what type it is... apparently there are no less than four options for the alternator at this age... assuming it's not been replaced at some point as there are others which fit straight in and have higher output.

No nameplate on it I can see anywhere (probably on the underside which you can't see as there's a subframe in the way) which doesn't help!