GT mediated Awesomeness

[saintjamesy89]

Wow, I can't believe I’ve not been on here since last May! Quite a lot has happened in that time...

-Rover has gone

-AX 1.0 arrived (loved it, such fun for a little 1.0!) I did end up replacing the cheap and crappy aftermarket wheel trims with
proper ones which really improved things!


-Then the AX went 6 months later

-Volvo 740 hearse arrived to convert into a campervan for our european (probably mostly French) road trips, accommodation prices have been steadily increasing and are now prohibitive, across the pond so we'll take our accommodation with us! This is an old photo, much has been done with it since!



-We've moved house, from a new build coachouse above four garages to an old property in a rather nice village a little outside of town. We've kept the house in town and are in the process of renting it out, once this is done, we can get the new house sorted (much much sorting needed!) but it has a nice bog garden, but unfortunately only one parking space and no garage... Can't have everything for the price we paid for it though! Of course, with all this snow down here, out ancient behemoth of a boiler has packed up...

I'm still thinking about the GT, and have big plans for it. I want it to be the most comfortable place to be, as well as seeming as standard as can be, I quite fancy puddle lights, footwell illumination, extra soundproofing and insulation and air conditioning (plans are afoot for this, I have sourced some bits I thought I’d never find - so the ball is rolling). But haven't visited it for a couple of months now - it's been a very busy year (or more!).

Work has been pushy in getting me qualified to fill a higher position, my 'provided' target is to have this done by the end of March, but with moving house that's not going to happen! But shouldn't be far off. So this has been taking up all my time that I've not been moving house/packing/unpacking/Volvo fettling etc

Have a shiny GT picture, just because this is my favourite picture of it.

[panky]

Love that car

[Tim Leech]

Hey Tom

Long time no see mate, glad your well, hope to see you at the Centenary!

[saintjamesy89]

Sorry Tim, didn't make the centenary! Shame as the pictures i've seen of it look great.

I've not seen the GT for a VERY LONG time, maybe not even this year. Plans are still developing for it, but again I am tied down wth work, extra qualifications and the related coursework for a promotion that I have secured. I'm on module 7.5 out of 10 and i've promised myself some time afterwards to do a bit of GT work.

Which is all very well as apparently the GT has sprung a leak - I really hope rodents haven't moved in, so I'll go and see what's going on tomorrow/Weds.

In other news the Hearse has been truckin gon, and glugging the fuel (22mpg BEST!) but otherwise proving to be a brilliant utility vehicle, it's transported a couple of half ton loads of mulch for the garden, furniture, plants and scrap metal amongst other stuff. We've also camped in it a few times, and it was surprisingly good with just amattress thrown in the back

I also *may* have bought this, a MK1 french TRS WITH AIR CON! it should arrive on Monday...

[Tim Leech]

That's amazing! good luck, I have a greyish/blue rear bumper somewhere if that helps

[saintjamesy89]

I think it's only going to be good for parts as its been sat there for many years and hasn't run in a similar amount of time, according to the seller. My intention is to have the a/c system off of it for my GT and then strip it for parts - but if its saveable i'll keep it whole and get it a bit more sorted to sell on.

It's an 'export' spec apparently - that mean anything to anyone on here?

[vulgalour]

Wheel envy.

[saintjamesy89]

The french MK1's? They may well be for sale if the car is not worth keeping whole, so watch this space

In other news, I went to see the GT today with a case of mild anxiety - I was dreading rodent attack or some other major fluid inebriation that meant that Auntie Sue knew there was a leak. Firstly I always forget just how good this car is, it's really quite clean and tidy - funny how we usually only remember the negatives of things rather than the positives.

The leaks







Interesting how its running down the lower suspension arm/wishbone and tyre, and a mystery patch further back. Much head scrathcing was performed (not the psoriasis type) and eventually I figured out the cuprit, thankfully it was something entirely trivial! In the scuttle panel area, next to the wash pumps I keep spare engine fluids (probably like most other BXers) and the engine oil container's lid had come loose, and oil dripped through the drainage holes!





My only guess (was, and still is shit at physics!) is that the container got hot and the pressure gradually loosened the screw cap over time.



This /\ I can't explain though! The looks like a drain plug for the sill/inner front wing cavity, how could the oil have gotten in here?!? When the drain pipes from the washer reservoir area empty inside the wheel arch.



She's still clean and lovely!

IN OTHER OTHER NEWS, the delivery of the french TRS is delayed, the driver had an accident on the M25 last night on the way to the ferry... So looks like it'll be a Tuesday collection, not sure about delivery. I MUST BE PATIENT.

[vulgalour]

I wish my cars did the rust proofing for me! I shall keep an eye out for any announcements on you selling those alloys, I know they're not actually correct for an RD but they are a very attractive design and meant for a BX, so I think I'm allowed. Hope your delivery driver is okay.

[saintjamesy89]

I think they'd look great on your RD, especially as it's an early MK2. interest noted I've been following your progress with it on here and on autoshite. Top work, that man!

Driver all ok I think, colelction/delivery rescheduled for this comng weekend, hooray!

[Tim Leech]

That's so awesome

I find the same with my GT Tom, until I get it out of storage and give it a clean I forget how good it drives/how solid it is....

Must get the MOT done.

[Kitch]

If the TRS gets broken, and the interior grey, please don't sell any of it until you've spoken to me!

[saintjamesy89]

As soon as I took the cover off th GT, i sighed as I forgot how much I like it, and I couldn't believe it was still clean! The bonnett was and roof were a bit dusty but I was astonished on its cleanliness. And the interior! It's almost perfect, and what a lovely place to be. Funny how these things get forgotten.

No problem Rich, i think* the TRS's interior is grey by the picture, but difficult to tell. it's likely to be grey on account of the car being silver, anyway. Do let me know if you want any other parts from it, it'd be a good parts donor to your red TRS I imagine

[Kitch]

Oh I will! Don't flog anything without telling me!

[saintjamesy89]

Although I have been really excited about getting this BX shipped over, I have used shiply and the guy has postponed the collection date 3 times now. Only 1of those times did he say he wasn't collecting on the agreed date, so the seller has huing around for hours twice, waiting for him to collect. Once he was in Ireland, when he was supposed to be collecting my car! No apology or anything! Now I am getting no reply to any of my communication. He's been paid, so why not do the job? If I cannot get hold of him soon to request a refund, then i'll take him to court. I've only used shiply 3 times, and twice i've been messed about.

It's name and shame time. Vehicle-logistics247 on shiply, and perhaps other platforms. AVOID USING, he has quite good feedback tally but I have had appalling service from him, if you can call it service at all. I'm quite cross.