Practically Classics Forum

Regarding the plug leads, never try and pull them off by yanking the lead itself. where possible, pull the plug cap itself.. if you pull the lead, there is a risk of leaving the plug cap attached to the plug..oh hang on - bit late for that tip

Varta batteries everytime for me, cheap if you go to euro car parts etc.

As fitted to my Singer:



Then given the retro treatment:



Kev

Another vote for Varta from me.
I get mine from here: http://www.batterymegastore.co.uk

On Saturday, I decided to take a trip upto TSSC's Triumfest at Donnington Park, on a whim (To avoid a list of jobs prepared for me by Mrs FB!) and to see if I fancied joining up again.

As you can see from photo's earlier on in the blog, I went to TSSC's international weekend in Stafford several times and enjoyed it. There was plenty to do even for day trippers. Full exhibition halls and plenty of cars in the "car park" in addition to the full evening entertainments. Therefore I was expecting similar this time.

I was VERY dissapointed with the show. 230 mile round trip to get there, £17 to get in with a day ticket!! and then very little there when I got in.

A few members cars in the "car park" but very few of the owners where around to talk to either. Most owners and their cars were still in the campsite (I drove round it on the way out in desperation!). There was no "exhibitions hall" at all apart from a couple of cars preparing for the concours and I think I counted about 8 traders there in total too!

I was gutted! I don't think I'll go again or rejoin TSSC.

Sorry to the organisers for being so negative as I know the amount of work that they have to put in, but on the whole I didn't enjoy it at all. I'm sure it would have been better if I'd gone up for the weekend with my local section (But there isn't a local section local to me!) I would have certainly fancied watching the Italian Job at the "Drive in" on saturday night. However, I couldn't make it for the full weekend.

On the plus side I did get to see the ADU 1B Le Man Spitfire in action and I spent a few minutes chatting to a couple of clowns... No really...they were professional Clowns with a really beautiful red Herald Coupe and a green convertible with a (Shorrocks?) supercharger fitted. Thanks Chaps! I'm sorry about my "Do the doors fall off?" joke but It was out of my mouth before I had the time to think that you may have heard it before...once or twice...

One more plus was the 230 mile round trip in Poppy with the roof down on a glorious day! A361/A429 which was fantastic fun and then picked up M40/M42/A42. not so much fun but a good endurance trial! The drive there and back was a blast and Poppy performed faultlessy Just wish I'd used the miles to go somewhere else

i have had similar experienes in the past a few years ago i drove from essex to donnington for the lotus show, only stayed for a couple of hours and spent 7 hours on the road.

Mind you last weekend I had the opposite experince, we were on holiday in Norfolk and of the way up saw a small sign for the weeting country fair so we thought we would have a look, absolutely fantastic, £10 each adult to get in and kids free, 3 massive fields of classic cars, steam engines, lorrys, tractors tank rides(extra cost), standard gauge steam train in steam, loads of trade stands and much more besides, didn't really have long enough but may go back just for the show next year!

kevin

I thought you might like to hear of a not that recent saga with Mrs FB’s 2004 VW Touran. It’s all Luxobarge’s fault! He mentioned VW starter motors after I’d expressly told him not to!

Anyway, are you sitting comfortably? Then I shall begin

The Touran had been misbehaving over the winter. Starter motor turning over very slowly but still starting car. I hadn't changed the battery since we bought the car new so assumed that was the problem and thought "I'll change that soon"

Anyway, soon never turned up and one day I got a phone call from Mrs FB to say car was completely dead and nothing happened when she turned the key.

Time to get the new battery says I and visit the local battery stockist on way home from work armed with model year and registration details. I purchase the recommended shiny new battery.

I spent half an hour removing all the covers (Including air filter box) to expose the old battery and fixing brackets. Spend 3 minutes removing battery and discover that it is somewhat smaller than the shiny new one sat on the drive.

So I went back to local battery stockist with old battery under one arm and the new, too large, battery under the other and explained, fairly politely, to the spotty Herbert behind the counter that perhaps he'd misread read the data on his computer and please supply me with the correct battery for Mrs FB’s car. which he did fairly quickly and with only minimal under breath mutterings.

I returned home and spent 3 minutes fitting new battery and half an hour replacing all the covers (Including air filter box). Jump into car feeling pleased with myself and turned the key to be treated to........complete silence! Jumped out of car, slammed the door and stormed into the house to sulk with a Merlot.

I thought about the problem overnight and decided it must be the starter motor at fault. Still cross with the car I decided to phone my local VW dealer for confirmation of my diagnosis and quote for doing the job. They confirmed my diagnosis and with great delight informed me that they would gladly change the starter motor for me in exchange for 320 of my hard earned pounds.

After I'd finished crying and mopped up all the coffee I had spluttered over my computer, I thought "How hard can it be? I worked on a couple of cars before (pre 1985 ones, granted) I'll give it a whack myself!" "being terminally skint, I'll save myself a bit of cash too!"

So I head out onto the drive and lift the bonnet again to have a look. A quick glance did not reveal the location of the starter motor, So, having sent out a search party provisioned for 2 days and equipped with mirrors, periscopes and rubber arms I finally located the starter motor hidden behind many more plastic covers both on top and underneath the engine compartment. (Are they really all necessary?).

Another hour was required to carefully remove all the said covers and lumps of unidentifiable plastic, and I can now see, and have access to, my recalcitrant starter. 5 Minutes was then spent removing the 2 electrical wires and a connector and the 2 securing bolts and the starter was out, tested and confirmed to be broken.

Back to the computer to search for a cheap replacement starter. However, I now consider that the vendors of VW starters must all be highway robbing nasty people trying to rip me off as they all wanted me to part with rather more of my money than I really had available.

I sit back and have a glass of wine and another think " I bet it's just the brushes. I've changed the brushes on the washing machine motor. How hard can it be?"

So I decide to strip down the starter to see what the fault was and as I took the cover off lots of dust and springs and fragments of brushes fell out. “Haha! I was right” thinks I, and I decided that I would continue to strip and clean the rest of the starter ready for the shiny new brushes that I will source that evening.

With that, the loving Mrs FB felt sorry for me having to slave over her car for so long and bought me a cup of tea....and then proceeded to get very cross. Apparently, the coffee table in the sitting room ...well you know the rest... Anyway, Katie at A&E (We’re on 1st name terms now) was very understanding and gave me back the spindle and offered me a season ticket for the car park.

Who'd have thought that it would be so difficult to find a brush holder set! everyone kept telling me that they don't sell those but could sell me the complete starter motor! I did find someone in China that would sell it to me, unfortunately he could only supply them in batches of 5000!

Finally, I tracked down a very nice chap on the great bay of E who would sell me just one brush holder set for £10. Now that's more like it!

3 days later it arrived and I fitted it to the lovingly cleaned (Twice) and re assembled starter motor, tested it (It Worked) and refitted it to the car all in about 15 minutes! I jumped into the car, turned the key and to my very great surprise, it actually roared into life!!!

Feeling rather smug with myself, another hour was spent carefully refitting all the covers and unidentifiable bits of plastic. And I was able to present the loving Mrs FB with a fully operational car and we all lived happily ever after and feel very smug at being able to stick two fingers up to VW and their £320 quote…..BUT For God’s sake! Give me old cars any time!

I will now try and reflect on this experience and next time I feel the need to swear at my Triumph, I shall simply remember this experience and smile instead!....yeah right!!

best laugh ive had in ages

Love it, can see a column coming on!

kev

kevin wrote:Love it, can see a column coming on!

kev

That's probably too much information for a family forum Kev, but I'm glad you enjoyed it in your own way!

I feel your pain, and the many pointless and unnecessary plastic covers and clips that make just seeing anything that resembles an engine or a gearbox practically impossible. Having no end of grief with a modern diesel, I've done the most sensible thing, sold it, and replaced it with something from 1987, that only has 1 ECU, no silly covers, and simple and easy to sort.

From Poppy to another favourite British flower then, eh Rob?

Yeah, moderns are mostly pretty complex with the exceptions of "Heavy Quad" class cars as they don't have to comply with the same severe legislation as PLGs, but the trouble there is that the tiny French 505cc things are all utter crap, their sole good point being their absence of the ECU and similar complexities, but the 18bhp vertical twin that shakes itself and everything in the engine bay to bits within the car's first few months really doesn't appeal.


Sorry Mike, just pretend I wasn't here.