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

[Zelandeth]

Looks like I might have found where that water that's sitting on the valley cover on the Rover's engine has been coming from.



Tiny little drip sitting on the bottom of the thermostat housing after sitting overnight. The hose clip it turned out wasn't all that tight, so I'm hoping that it's just a case of new hoses having compressed a bit since they were fitted and that it will now seal properly. I'll keep an eye on it. I'd like that to be the solution as it's by far the easiest to get to of all the possible locations for it to be coming from.

I've lost track of how many applications have been made now, but the leather is definitely improving compared to the cardboard like texture it had when the car arrived here.





Would be good to get some dye on it at some point to bring back out the original colour. If the above was already too much orange for you, look away now.



Definitely not an interior colour choice for everyone this. However I'm rather partial to bright colours in cars so suits me just fine.

I mean subtlety isn't really what this car is about is it?

[Zelandeth]

P6 has been out and about again today. For the first time I took it out for an errand run, albeit a short one, and wasn't actively nervous.



Had someone again call out as I was leaving the car park to compliment the car. It definitely seems to be turning heads!

That's 60ish miles done over the last week, which is by far the furthest I've gone so far without something new going wrong or falling off. Trying not to let it know I've noticed.

Tiny fix today.



The little swinging covers over the keyhole on both front doors were being actively held away from sitting where they should be by their springs. Things are now lined up properly I think so the covers sit where they should do.

Really like the door handles on this car. They have that really satisfying design that is a perfect balance between being very deliberately designed, but not OVER designed. Feel really nice to use as well. I do need to adjust the hinges on the remaining three doors a little though as they catch slightly when opening. Driver's door was the same but that one got adjusted as unsurprisingly it's the one I use the most.

[CitroJim]

I know where you were Zel, it might not surprise you I'm a regular visitor to that establishment, albeit for different reasons I expect!

[Zelandeth]

Collection is on for the Volvo on Friday.

I just need to get myself over there. Touch under 90 miles door to door, no big issue. Call it two hours driving to account for traffic and the fact that it's traditional that I always miss at least one turning. Chris is out of town for the rest of the week and Abby is absolutely snowed under work, so I'm on my own for this one.

Let's put the details into Google and National Rail Enquiries to see what they come up with. Nearly five hours with no less than four changes of train. Oh. It's going to be one of *those* trips is it? What fun!

I can simplify things a little if I get myself to Bedford as that at least cuts out the whole "going to London to come back" leg out. It however still either leaves me with a car stuck in Bedford or needs me to take the bus to get myself over there - which I wouldn't mind so much if it didn't take nearly TWO HOURS to do the 25 miles (plus a bit actually as the bus from here doesn't go to the rail station so I'd need factor that in as well). I know buses stop so take longer to go places, but that is just a bit excessive. Especially when I've still got three hours plus change of train "fun" ahead of me when I get there.

Will interrogate things a little further tomorrow when I'm more awake and have more than two functioning brain cells. If that's what we've got to do it's what I'll do...but I won't like it! Especially as every single one of the last four times I've used the train is has been both an utterly miserable experience and has managed to go wrong in some interesting, exceptionally annoying and totally unnecessary way. Last time round managed to take a smidge over six hours to get from Milton Keynes Central to Birmingham International. I'd factored in two hours for driving that - and that was me taking the indirect route and driving the Trabant. With a whole load of changes and I think three different train companies in the mix I'm sure that will go flawlessly.

If Enterprise didn't want north of £200 I'd seriously consider just hiring a car for the run and dropping it off at the nearest depot to my destination.

[mickthemaverick]

Surely the answer has to be to dig TPA out and drive there in that and then put it in the back for the return journey? I'm willing to help if I can Zel but my Subaru is off the road at the moment pending me sorting the misfire and I'm not keen on putting too many miles on the MX3. However if you get completely stuck I could get it up to you and then maybe go to collect in your Rover and drive back the Volvo for you? Just a thought!!

[CitroJim]

I'd love to help Zel but I fear if the train journey is that difficult and it looks like a major expedition to plan then I fear is is going to be an order of magnitude beyond my current driving abilities

Where ae you having to go?

[CitroJim]

Plans are being hatched Zel and if the car is less then 100 miles away then your logistical problems may well be solved

I've DM'd you via another medium...

[Zelandeth]

I don't have the exact address yet, but it's right in the immediate vicinity of Boston - so 85-90 miles depending on the route according to Google.

Help is definitely appreciated, but equally really don't want to put anyone out of their way unnecessarily. It's just somewhat frustrating that what looks to be a pretty simple journey is being made difficult by the fact that we live in an area where all public transport seems to go to/from London and where getting anywhere that isn't just north/south is so much of a chore.

[CitroJim]

Boston will be fine Zel, I think we can do that

[CitroJim]

Now all sorted

Game on for a road-trip

[bobins]

Have you told Zel that it's usual for your road trips to start at 2 o'clock in the morning ?

[CitroJim]

Have you told Zel that it's usual for your road trips to start at 2 o'clock in the morning ?

[mickthemaverick]

No problem there bobins, the chauffeur doesn't get to MK until 10!! Could you PM me the address when you get it please Zel?

[Zelandeth]

Today ended up involving some fun and games.

With a view to getting everything ready to roll tomorrow I got insurance sorted out (about the same price as the Partner - but that's without any NCD on as that's currently on the Partner - but at least it kind of feels a bit less like you're being short changed when it's a top of the range 2.4 litre Volvo rather than a 1.6 Pug) no issues there. Cheapest quote was actually with who I've already got the Partner with so just did it through their website, where it worked out nearly £100 cheaper than shown on Compare the Market.

Then thought I'd check my mobile banking login as it's something I only use once about every five years when I've no other viable option as I don't like it. Turns out it's been so long since I last used it, my login has been completely disabled. An hour of fighting with the phone system eventually got me to a human who confirmed that the only thing they could do was to start from scratch which involves them physically sending me a new activation code. I should get it in 7-10 working days.

Fair enough, I'll go and pull the cash out then. Only took me a full hour in "branch" to get that sorted. I say branch in quote marks, as the MK branch is now basically a coffee shop with a couple of banking staff with laptops. It's an utter shambles. The staff were trying their best, but the whole setup is just utterly unfit for purpose. Suffice to say once our current mortgage deal comes to an end we'll be switching banks as there's no way I'm dealing with that mess every time I need to use them.

Still, after no small amount of faffing about we got sorted. So should be all ready for tomorrow.

Took the Rover over to the Motors at the Museum get together this evening. Plus side of having an actually photogenic car is I'm more likely to remember to photograph it being there.





Most of my photos are actually on film today, though did snap a few on my phone.

















On the way there the Rover got distinctly warmer than I would like. Not sure if this was just the stat being a little slow opening which I'd seen before. However I checked while I was there and the level was a little low. Topped it up, and sure enough stayed rock steady (the whole three or four miles) home.



Don't think it was low enough to make that big a difference, but hard to say. Definitely need to start properly trying to track down a new radiator I think.

[CitroJim]

Great pictures Zel Sadly, all those evening events are now too late for me

Looking forward to today!

Internet banking by phone: couldn't live without it! Use it at least twice a day Not been 'in branch' now in living memory. Last time when we still had a branch in Paggers. Now it's a tacky corner shop - agreed, should still be a bank.