Zel's Fleet Blog...Rover, Renault, Peugeot, Trabant, Invacar & Sinclair C5

Post pictures and stories about your cars both present and past. Also post up "blogs" on your restoration projects - the more pictures the better! Note: blog-type threads often get few replies, but are often read by many members, and provide interest and motivation to other enthusiasts so don't be disappointed if you don't get many replies.
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Luxobarge
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Location: Horne, Surreyshire

Re: Zel's Fleet Blog...Jag, Citroens, Mercedes, Sinclair & AC Model 70

#1071 Post by Luxobarge » Mon Nov 29, 2021 8:45 am

If you want to explore the option of a solid state regulator, I can strongly recommend this company:

https://www.dynamoregulators.com/voltage-regulators.php

He's more than happy to discuss requirements over the phone so you make sure you get the right one, I'd be surprised if they couldn't help. The products are well designed and well made too. This is of course who I used for mine.
Some people are like Slinkies - they serve no useful purpose, but they still bring a smile to your face when you push them downstairs.

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Zelandeth
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Re: Zel's Fleet Blog...Jag, Citroens, Mercedes, Sinclair & AC Model 70

#1072 Post by Zelandeth » Mon Nov 29, 2021 5:59 pm

Luxobarge wrote:
Mon Nov 29, 2021 8:45 am
If you want to explore the option of a solid state regulator, I can strongly recommend this company:

https://www.dynamoregulators.com/voltage-regulators.php

He's more than happy to discuss requirements over the phone so you make sure you get the right one, I'd be surprised if they couldn't help. The products are well designed and well made too. This is of course who I used for mine.
Cheers for that, I'll take a look at that when I get a chance.

-- -- --

Well...the day could have started better.

I generally try to keep the Jag clear of wet roads and especially salty ones... it's not much fun on a cold day either as the heater control logic is hopelessly senile so it's a lottery as to whether you get heat or not. It's also *quite* squirrelly in the wet. Not ideal conditions then...

Image

The Jag agreed with me.

Turning the key produced naught but a click, starter didn't even try. Battery flat again. Fair enough, it's been weak for a while (demise probably hastened by having gone flat a couple of times during lockdown and when the alternator was failing).

Out with the jump leads, will jump it from the Merc. Well I would if I could get in to it... however the driver's door lock was frozen and the passenger one doesn't work. Cue me clambering in through the boot. Which doesn't stay open so slammed shut on me when the stick I prop it open with fell out.

After far too much messing around which probably looked like something from a Laurel & Hardy sketch at several points we got the leads hooked up.

Image

Didn't never hesitate then, spinning over much faster than any time in the last year at least, pretty much confirming my guess that the battery is past it's best.

This is also a good example of why I don't bother messing around with horrible skinny jump leads. If these hooked up to a decent battery won't start it, it won't start.

Image

The heater decided to play ball today so at least I was able to demist and defrost the windows normally.

An hour later the results were in.

Image

Given I'd barely even looked at the car prior to the test I'll take that result.

That could have been a lot of stress if I'd just given myself 15 minutes to get there (test station is less than a ten minute drive away), but because I gave myself half an hour and always do for anything time sensitive, was no bother to sort things out with time to spare.

Will make a run over to Costco later in the week and pick up a new battery. Just ran out of time today.

Collection has now been arranged for the 10th/11th of December, so will be all change here around then!
My website - aka. My *other* waste of time
Current fleet: 73 AC Model-70. 75 Rover 3500. 84 Trabant 601S. 85 Sinclair C5. 88 Renault 25 Monaco. 06 Peugeot Partner 1.6HDi.

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Zelandeth
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Re: Zel's Fleet Blog...Jag, Citroens, Mercedes, Sinclair & AC Model 70

#1073 Post by Zelandeth » Fri Dec 03, 2021 5:48 pm

Been having a bit of a ponder about the fleet as a whole today and also looking at commitments coming up both temporal and fiscal.

I am still unconvinced that the engine in the S123 has great long term health prospects. I'm far from convinced that the rattle at higher revs isn't getting slowly worse.

I'm not doing an engine swap. I don't have the space and am missing several bits of equipment, and would have to strip down the existing unit to transfer ancillary components and do a bunch of preventative service work in the middle of the front lawn.

1. Not fun in December.
2. My neighbours across the road (who we do get along with - only ones around us we really know at all) already put up with enough of my nonsense.

Dropping the sump is about 80% as much work as pulling the engine, so we're not going down that road. Plus just being completely honest, these are jobs that quite simply I do not *want* to do and therefore have zero enthusiasm for.

If someone wants to take it on as a project, two grand and it's probably yours. Taking quite a substantial hit there, but I'm conscious that I'm selling it with a known engine problem and budgeting somewhere around a grand to sort that.


Jag definitely needs a new battery, it's obvious having tried to charge it that we've lost a cell. Been on charge overnight, however dim dash lights and nothing but a 1/2 second lazy churn of the starter before click-click-click when I went to start it. Haven't had a chance to pick it up this week, but we'll be making a run to Costco this weekend anyway so will grab one then.



I've decided to see about getting a quote from Chevronics to sort the rear end hydraulics on the BX. It's a fiddly job with a ramp but they know the car and the quick ways to do things. Crawling around in my front garden trying to drop the subframe just doesn't sound like a barrel of laughs. Plus I can get them to give the whole car a once over and provide me with a proper to do list.
My website - aka. My *other* waste of time
Current fleet: 73 AC Model-70. 75 Rover 3500. 84 Trabant 601S. 85 Sinclair C5. 88 Renault 25 Monaco. 06 Peugeot Partner 1.6HDi.

Dick
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Re: Zel's Fleet Blog...Jag, Citroens, Mercedes, Sinclair & AC Model 70

#1074 Post by Dick » Fri Dec 03, 2021 7:57 pm

If you sell the merc, what's your plan to replace it???

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Zelandeth
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Re: Zel's Fleet Blog...Jag, Citroens, Mercedes, Sinclair & AC Model 70

#1075 Post by Zelandeth » Fri Dec 03, 2021 10:02 pm

Dick wrote:
Fri Dec 03, 2021 7:57 pm
If you sell the merc, what's your plan to replace it???
It's a tricky one. It leaves a large estate shaped hole in the fleet. Short term it may actually end up being something cheap and modern - though the cheap end of the market is pretty soul destroyingly boring at the moment!

I need to be able to cart around two large dogs though so an estate or very large hatchback is essential.

I think though I'm going to go back to looking for what I was after before the Lada appeared out of the woodwork back whenever that was. The car which has been on my wish list since 1993 when I first saw one parked outside the bar entrance to the Pittodrie House Hotel, and that's an early Jeep Cherokee. Mechanically pretty simple, well documented, decent parts availability even if you might have to wait for some things to come from the US, supremely comfortable, and with more than enough get up and go to be satisfying when you prod the right hand pedal. Plus I just love the whole look of them, the whole real-world Tonka toy profile they have.

I've driven a few and the whole high velocity squidgy leather sofa approach to motoring they embody suits me down to a T.

Finding one though is going to be a challenge. They've virtually all been turned into off-road toys, rotted away to nothing, or are one or two owner minty fresh examples that folks want £10K plus for... especially as I am being a bit picky - it needs to be the 4.0 and in Limited or Limited SE spec.
My website - aka. My *other* waste of time
Current fleet: 73 AC Model-70. 75 Rover 3500. 84 Trabant 601S. 85 Sinclair C5. 88 Renault 25 Monaco. 06 Peugeot Partner 1.6HDi.

Dick
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Re: Zel's Fleet Blog...Jag, Citroens, Mercedes, Sinclair & AC Model 70

#1076 Post by Dick » Sat Dec 04, 2021 7:59 am

Jeep, interesting.. a friend once described those as a big 4wd volvo.... if you're looking for something else i can recommend ford galaxy.. room for 7, carries my 3 section ladders inside dogs and all the seats come out when you want to get serious and fill the car with insulation tools etc, and it never drops below 40 mpg...
Mine is falling apart now..

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JPB
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Re: Zel's Fleet Blog...Jag, Citroens, Mercedes, Sinclair & AC Model 70

#1077 Post by JPB » Sat Dec 04, 2021 9:23 am

 Pittodrie House Hotel you say. Lovely place, best remembered for being the first local venue, during my failed attempt to return to the dark, oh ever so dark, North East, whose bar served Sheridan's. Awful stuff, far too pleasant and easy to imbibe recklessly yet intriguingly weird what with its trademark piebald appearance.

Another vote for the Jeep here, just choose carefully whose advice you pay attention to when researching the potential perils of owning one. These attract even more ill informed bar stool hogging "expert" opinions from ignorant people than just about any other, similarly proportioned SUV, as it seems we're required to call mud pluggers these days, so avoid whatever a Discovery owner says :oops: 'cos we're supposed to be bitter rivals ;) . My view is that I should own a nice '90s Cherokee and my Disco, because why not! I've travelled in a Cherokee and found it pleasant enough, but haven't driven a modernish ('90s on) example so know nothing of how they feel from the driver's seat. I did once receive a very kind tow out of a campsite from the owner of an immaculate Cherokee, a '96 N prefix one if memory serves me correctly.
I was in one of my many Reliant kittens at the time, they weren't too shabby themselves in mud, but the cheap tyres weren't helping.. was my excuse.

Another suggestion, if I may: How about a Lada Niva? They're being sold new, in the UK now for very little money (cheaper than some Dacia Dusters) and are well proven in that unique market sector between Jimny and Discovery.
You're already familiar with Lada fettling so would feel right at home, possibly, in a Niva.
J
"Home is where you park it", so the saying goes. That may yet come true.. :oops:

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Zelandeth
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Re: Zel's Fleet Blog...Jag, Citroens, Mercedes, Sinclair & AC Model 70

#1078 Post by Zelandeth » Sat Dec 04, 2021 10:14 am

Problem with Galaxy etc is that they're too modern. I'm not getting involved in multiplexed electronics, dpfs etc, and being working vehicles tend to have had a hard life...so either clapped out of expensive are the usual states. Plus I've done servicing work on a few vehicles of that sort of form factor and the lack of access to anything in the engine bay pretty much put me off. Can't remember which one it was, but I have memory of needing to remove the windscreen wipers and scuttle trim to get to the engine air filter to change it in one. Even then it was still a battle to get to.

While it's a 90s car, the Cherokee is basically an 80s design - sharing a lot of DNA with the AMC Eagle if memory serves. They're really pretty straightforward.

I'd love another Niva, I loved my first one but there are drawbacks - aside from the eye watering tax bracket for a new one, I'd rather have a late 90s one with the bulletproof GM TBi injection system to be honest - is space. An essential ability of the practical fleet member is the ability to carry four adults and two large dogs. Niva can do either of those things but not both at once.

Also not exactly the most comfortable vehicle for passengers on a longer run, and I'd like my cars to be something the rest of the family are willing to do rather than just suffering through!
My website - aka. My *other* waste of time
Current fleet: 73 AC Model-70. 75 Rover 3500. 84 Trabant 601S. 85 Sinclair C5. 88 Renault 25 Monaco. 06 Peugeot Partner 1.6HDi.

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gazza82
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Re: Zel's Fleet Blog...Jag, Citroens, Mercedes, Sinclair & AC Model 70

#1079 Post by gazza82 » Sat Dec 04, 2021 8:11 pm

i had a 2.5l Cherokee from '94 to '98 as a company car (4L was too expensive to lease!) but it served it's purpose with a growing family. The lift -up rear door was also a hit with the fishing fraternity at work as they could reverse right up to the water and sit in the tailgate using the door as a large "umbrella" keeing the rain off. They would try to borrow them at weekends .. as mine was needed to cart the kids around it didn't get loaned out. One did and wasn't as much fun the following week when some stray maggots hatched .. I say some ... it was a good 3 or 4 hours before the last one left .. with all the doors left open in the middle of the office car park. A few stray ones succumbed to a couple of cans of fly spray! Needless to say none got loaned out after that!

Being 2.5 it had selectable 4x4 .. there was a lever next to the gear stick to select all-wheel drive, but you could only use it in slippery conditions or the transmission could lock up!! Mine travelled over 80000 miles and in that time I would say it did 3 (yes, three miles!) in 4x4 mode. One in a field leaving a kids football match where it rained for an hour turning the car park into a swamp, one to get up about 200m of black ice on a small hill and the rest .. on the beach at Inch Bay in Kerry where we went for a drive in the surf!! The car was being returned to the leasing company the following Monday so the salt water wasn't even considered. Also a brand new Alfa 156 was awaiting my return at the local dealers!!

The only thing really to go wrong with that Jeep was the rear axle. In the third year the rear diff (LSD) started to knock but not all the time. Just randomly. Dealers fixed it a couple of times but after the third or fourth visit said that the best way to resolve it was to weld it up!! Cop out on a major scale. So when it's lease was up it went back rather than becoming the 2nd car in the family. (We still had the Alfa 75 from prior to the Jeep and that was a more fun drive!).
"If you're driving on the edge ... you're leaving too much room!"

Retirement Project: '59 Austin A35 2-door with 1330cc Midget engine and many upgrades
Said goodbye: got '98 Alfa Romeo 156 2.0 TSpark to 210K miles before tin worm struck

Dick
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Re: Zel's Fleet Blog...Jag, Citroens, Mercedes, Sinclair & AC Model 70

#1080 Post by Dick » Sun Dec 05, 2021 9:53 am

No love for a galaxy, :cry: .... I've never had major problems with it apart from chocolate drive shafts. The drivers door window fell out once and the cable for the electrics has been repaired a few times and the remote central locking died many years ago.. now the lock is playing silly buggers... ive seen quite a few jeeps for sale here, 2 door with diesel engines are popular here...

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