Bell's Banter 2021

[grantp]

Originally Posted by Gerard C

You know there's no coincidence, Grant. "They" are here. In you battery, door-locks, Saab gearbox and rack/pinion, everywhere… Because they crossed the pond, dont talk about bonnet struts but rather hood struts… They can read you……

Good point Gerard and I'm glad to see you are back on form!

I have discovered that there is a company making suitable hood supports at reasonable prices a mere 10 minutes drive from where I live.

So I can obtain a "safe" version without the risk of Sino-American spy and tracking devices.

Hopefully.

[S griffin]

He knows his stuff Gerard, don’t mess with him! Hopefully you can get the hood sorted Grant. Let us know how it goes.

[grantp]

Originally Posted by bauble

since then I drove to a super market a good half hour away to ensure a full charge.

It takes unusual circumstances to remind one of the basics of car ownership.

Best excuse I have read for being miles from home during lockdown.

However, I doubt you would get away with it if the person stopping you had a mind to hit some targets.

[S griffin]

Hey you got to do what you got to do. No one really cares about someone getting his car serviced

[grantp]

Originally Posted by MGDavid

Buy online from Tayna, next day delivery, good choice of brands and qualities. I've used them for the old Iveco van and the Volvo, happy to recommend them.

I have to say their prices were about the same as batteries used to be and a LOT less than I was quoted locally by my regular convenient battery and tyre place.

Apparently battery price gouging is a factor at the moment, according to the local supplier reporting what they are being asked to pay as trade prices.

[Gerard C]

Originally Posted by grantp

Good point Gerard and I'm glad to see you are back on form!I have discovered that there is a company making suitable hood supports at reasonable prices a mere 10 minutes drive from where I live.

Hope it will improve, thanks… We used to send our air lifts in England to have them refurbished for the classics when impossible to find. Dont grease them…

[grantp]

Originally Posted by zefarelly

A friend of mine had a 2 door 316 in '88. as she was the first to get a car we were regularly 7 or 8 up. 5 in my 850 mini van and 3 dogs was normal for Sunday walks in the early 90's. poor thing suffered for a living when it wasn't lugging a PA and bass amps around!

I had an ex AA minivan as a first car.

It used more water and oil than petrol.

One summer afternoon I and a mate drove to Ringwood to pick up a friend whose scooter had broken down on the way back from Devon. 3 of us plus the scooter fitted in somehow from Ringwood back to Pirbright. Back doors were open of course. SUspension on the bump stops.

Those were the days.

[Alan Morgan]

A schoolfriend of mine was a big minivan fan. He must have had 4 or 5.

I remember driving down to Southampton in one of them in '74 or '75. I think there were 8 of us in it (and a big speaker in a free-standing box sliding around).

He built a very nice one a couple of years later with metallic dark brown paint (well, it was the Seventies), wide arches, Minilites and a Cooper S-spec engine. Sadly it met its end on a journey to his girlfriend's house on a Saturday evening. Saturdays were spent doing interminable tuning and fettling jobs on the van which frequently involved removing the front subframe. On this particular weekend, more work was needed on the Sunday so only the bare essential subframe bolts were replaced. His girlfriend's parents lived down a bumpy road with a raised manhole along the way. An enthusiastic trip down the bumpy road caused the sump to hit the manhole. The end result was a steering wheel in contact with the windscreen.

My suggestion of reversing back down the road at full speed to see if "reverse impact" with the manhole might straighten things out was not attempted...

[grantp]

Originally Posted by Alan Morgan

I remember driving down to Southampton in one of them in '74 or '75. I think there were 8 of us in it (and a big speaker in a free-standing box sliding around).

Back around the same time I knew, through others, a chap who was doing much the same perpetual fettling with a mini saloon with what had become a 1340cc motor. Wider track and wide wheels and a straightcut box. Competition clutch and stuff iirc.


I had a Mk1 Escort GT by then. 5 up in the Mini he simply blasted away up Stag Hill (Guildford for those who know of it and I suspect many might.)

The downside was that it regularly munched various gears - especially second and third.

He then bought a TVR. A Vixen iirc (may misremember) with 2.5ltr Triumph engine? Obviously some fettling was undertaken and that went through a gearbox every 2 weeks or so. Third gear, again, being his problem area.

Ah, those carefree days ...

[Mike Harte]

I see from the Tributes threads that Chris Craft passed away today. Dammit, yet another driver that I competed against back in the 60s has gone. Too bloody many for my liking, and it seem to be always the good guys to boot!

[delta]

I only met him once at. Silverstone but we had a nice chat . RIP.

[GORDON STREETER]

Originally Posted by Mike Harte

I see from the Tributes threads that Chris Craft passed away today. Dammit, yet another driver that I competed against back in the 60s has gone. Too bloody many for my liking, and it seem to be always the good guys to boot!

He came and had a good chat to me at Silverstone at a meeting where Fords were showing all the cars that were raced and were getting out of circuit racing.
Tony Lanfrachi was driving my Anglia but Chris was in one of the Yank Tanks but said he had tremendous fun in the old Angleboxes Rip Chris

Also one of my old boyhood heroes who could win a sidecar race by giving others a lap advantage in a handicap race has died. Rip Chris Vincent.
https://www.bikesportnews.com/news/n...ncent-has-died

[Peter Mallett]

Sad times, but some good news is that VNUK, the off road insurance law will not be invoked in the UK. It may apply if we go to Europe though.

[midgetman]

Carnets. Vnuk insurance. Increasingly tight road traffic laws for vans. Knockhill is looking increasingly tempting compared to Spa (until the Blessed Saint Nic gets her way).

Time for an enterprising organiser to put together a quality pan-UK series using the best this country can offer. I'm sure it'll attract European entries.

Sent from my AC2003 using Tapatalk

[Gerard C]

Originally Posted by midgetman

Time for an enterprising organiser to put together a quality pan-UK series using the best this country can offer. I'm sure it'll attract European entries.

No secret that you have everything one can dream of to race, prepare, find numerous nice tracks and so on. And a good vaccine too. Why bother to look elsewhere?

[delta]

Attachment 67308
Me and Mrs Delta hard at work on Sunday trying to finish this blooming phone box.

[midgetman]

She looks so.happy Iain! Presumably that's because a) you dragged her out on a Sunday and b) you're publishing this on social media

Sent from my AC2003 using Tapatalk

[GORDON STREETER]

It's with a very heavy heart that I have to report the death from covid of my old racing mate and good friend Norman Ricketts !! Rip Norm you will be sorely missed.

[Peter Mallett]

Jeez, what happened? Very sorry to read this. Good fabricator as I recall.

[GORDON STREETER]

Originally Posted by Peter Mallett

Jeez, what happened? Very sorry to read this. Good fabricator as I recall.

I have been keeping this under my hat for the last week or so, I was hoping that he would pull through. He died this morning after being in ICU.

[Peter Mallett]

Ah very sad. He lived in Haddenham not far from us, always had a smile on his face. Will be missed by many.

[delta]

Sorry for your sad news Gordon.
Max we had a nice day at the workshop and now just in from walk along Grimes Ditch, via trip to MG Davids.

[Lancsbreaker]

Grim reaper having a busy weekend, it seems......


I did think when I saw the phonebox photo that there was a certain quality to the "look" Mrs Delta was giving........glad you survived, Iain....

[Gerard C]

I she testing crazy glue to stand horizontally? Works fine so far.

[morninggents]

Originally Posted by delta

Attachment 67308
Me and Mrs Delta hard at work on Sunday trying to finish this blooming phone box.

I couldn't open the attachment.