Thanks to Mat Fenwick!

[Kitch]

Just wanted to publically thank Mat for his efforts in finding me a centre silencer and door for the now 75% red valver I'm doing up!
It involved a 645 mile round trip yesterday though....in a valver with chipped valver economy! 370miles on the first tank!
Got to visit some really nice bits of rainy, misty Wales but wouldn't have had to travel so far if my sat nav hadn't taken me up as far as Chester and then taken me across the top of Wales! So journey there was average, although M6 toll road was it's usual clogged self:



Mat lives in a really nasty area of the world too....just look at what you have to travel along in order to reach his awesome house:



And then you can even stop by his local mountain to get a pick of your bitch of a car to prove it made it!



And admire his waterfall on the way out again:




OVerall a good trip, although valver did develop an odd problem once I got onto the M56....it vibrates as you accelarate. The harder you load the engine up, the more it vibrates. The gear lever shakes itself to pieces in all gears, yet is fine when you're not pressed the throttle in gear. It screams bent driveshaft, but how does a shaft suddenly bend?!
I wondered what could have done it, as my journey there was at 65-75mph average meaning it was constantly revving at 4k revs or so. I only stopped twice too.
The journey home was taken easy in Wales, as it was hilly and loading up the engine even more (with the valver's magnificent lack of torque, which Mat got to experience! ) causing mega vibrations, but once in England and on the big wide empty carriageways it rarely dropped back into two-figure speeds. Amazing the convoy of cars that were all contently sitting at these speeds, just goes to show with a bit of lane discipline and common sense, a British autobahn would possibly work.

Course it wouldn't....all muppets were sat at home at 9pm on a Sunday night!

Anyway, cheers again to Mat. Top bloke!

[mat_fenwick]

Thanks for the kind words, the big question is - what's the colour match like? Fingers crossed it matches reasonably well...

645 miles - you must have had an even larger detour on the way back! It only took 640 miles when I picked up the seats, and that involved a trip to Worthing too.

I agree with you about the lack of low end torque on the valver (masked to some extent in the 205 by the lighter weight and lower gearing), but in some ways that makes it feel faster (want a valver now!). Once you hit 4.5k, bang, off it screams. I had an Alfa 75 a few years ago, and my father in law had the 24v version of the same engine in his 164. On paper they were both about the same acceleration wise, but the 164 always felt quicker due to that surge after about 4k. Wheras the 12v engine was a gradual build from about 2k upwards. A beautiful noise from both though!

[Kitch]

My mistake....635miles! Took the roads you mentioned on the way back and cut off a big boring section of motorway I had to do on the way up. Definately would use that route again, if only for the twisty bits in Wales!

Not sure on the colour match yet, looks pretty close initially. It doesn't have a hoofing dent in it, thats the main thing!

Torque on valver is laughable, but once it starts shouting its no problem. I know where there might be one for sale too mate

[Tim Leech]

Kitch I know someones whos after a good valver if you do come to get rid.

[mat_fenwick]

I doubt I could swing another BX past Lana (although she did say your car sounded really nice as you accelerated gently out of our drive)

Now if mine was a hatch, and she never saw them together, she might never twig...