2021

A Christmas present for Vee. After 17+ years I think she deserves a new battery.

December 14th & 16th:
After a cold, wet and frosty (hence salt) November into December and no running for a few weeks we get a dry, mild spell after rain (to wash the salt off) so first Vee then Bee get a run out. After the Golf being our daily driver in that time I had forgotten how much wind noise there is in a GT! The lower heater valve screw hole partially stripped a while ago and can't be fully tightened, so even with gasket and sealant it has been dripping. Checking today it looks to have got worse, with crystallisation round the valve and the distributor body as well as the temp gauge capillary, so I'm going to have to bite the bullet and do something about it.

November - I can't get out of Vee! Button works, and the internal control is acting on the latch, so it comes out. Part of one of the pressings has fractured, which is odd as both button and internal control have always been 'light' to operate. New ones around £200, used £25, but it takes quite a bit of fiddling to get it working right.

October 10th - Kimber Run:
Start and finish in Staffordshire at the National Memorial Arboretum so local for us. A bit cool to start but then the sun came out for the rest of the day. Not the best route, some single-track with very poor surfaces to begin with, then too many built-up areas. Cannock Chase featured in the advert for the run but very little by way of vistas, mostly thick woodland either side of the roads. It wasn't until we got into South East Staffordshire at the middle of the route that we were in enjoyable countryside, then all too soon heading back through more built-up areas to the finish. Most of the route stages were less than a mile which didn't please the Navigator. Had a wander round the Arboretum on our return, interested to see at the Dunkirk memorial (closest to the entrance) a couple of painted pebbles to the memory of someone captured at Cassel in the rearguard defence of Dunkirk as was the Navigators father, Harry Munn. About 160 miles all told, no problems with prop-shaft or fuel hoses, or other extraneous noises.

September 4th-5th - Lincoln Imp:
Our first club run in two years, second time on the Lincoln Imp, and it was the last one we did in 2019. Another very good run through the Lincolnshire Wolds with its huge vistas, the glorious weather a real bonus given the miserable August. Plenty of places to visit en route, with copious notes about the places we were passing. Very friendly people as before, and encountered another Black Tulip roadster which is a rare occurrence. Built at about the same time as Bee but an American import allocated an age-related 'K' plate whereas Bee is an 'L' having been waiting for a purchaser for nearly six months. Ironically it had originally been Harvest Gold, and when we bought a new Marina in 1973 we specified Black Tulip but it had just gone NLA, so we had Harvest Gold, then buying Bee in 1990 she just happened to be Black Tulip and always had been. Finished at Hemswell Antiques Centre around 2pm, we stayed just for a cup of tea and a wander, no in-depth browsing, as we were north of Lincoln and had a 2 hour journey back home that afternoon.

Travelled up on the Saturday - round Newark very busy. Paid our respects to Coningsby and were just in time to see one of the Spitfires fire up prior to taxi and take-off, so a bonus. We stayed that night at the Hare and Hounds in Fulbeck just a few miles from the start in Ancaster. Very nicely done out and good food, but since Covid like many places they put in place outdoor dining just so they could open and have some money coming in. Now fully open but kept all the outdoor tables so they were really busy, we had to ask twice for someone to take our order and it still took half an hour to get that far. Fortunately the food itself didn't take long after that. Next morning for some reason madam sat-nav led us a merry dance on our way to the start then switched off so we had to stop and ask directions.

Journey home very good, traffic flowing well all the way, even on the M42 which is a rarity. 350 miles, with some unusual smells, sounds and sensations. We had to stop twice before we got away from Solihull because of a persistent fuel smell, but I couldn't find any cause under, round or in the engine compartment, feeling all the joints with the engine still running. On the M42 that went, but I felt a vibration like running over a finely corrugated surface, that came and went. Then on the run a squeaky rattle that sounded like it was from the front right corner, worse when turning out of a T-junction, and what sounded like a loose exhaust. Both those stopped after quite a long time, to leave the vibration. Travelling from 40 to 50, nothing on the overrun, light maintaining a steady speed, worse when accelerating. I suspect the prop-shaft but we shall see. Fortunately most of the run was 40 or less, and most of the journey home 50+, but checking after our return home I found the rear propshaft UJ badly worn. And a week or so after replacing that (complete shaft) I decided to check carefully for any fuel leaks and found it was coming from a carb hose in the engine bay. So those two at least have been resolved.

Late August: A weekend at our son's place, and filling up the V8 before-hand I spotted 95 was labelled as E10 at our local Tesco so used 99 octane, the first time I've used a higher octane in Vee in 25 years. Normally a 200-miler and I'm keeping a close eye on the fuel gauge nearing home, this time I did an extra 50 miles so was sure I'd have to do a 'splash and go' on the way back. But no, got back home with just under a quarter-tank showing, and even though filling up next morning it had dropped a bit more it still only took 8.5 gallons and gave an average of 29 mpg. A different pump with a 'favourable' lean to the forecourt, but even so, it'll be interesting to see what happens in the future. I wouldn't expect a change of grade to make that much of a difference without changing the setup, and starting and idling hasn't changed either.

One of the extras was a trip to Shuttleworth with grandson (very into aircraft modelling both classic and modern) and arriving in the afternoon there were no less than 30 Bond Bugs lined up, with gaps that looked three or four more would have been there originally, including a couple of four-wheelers. I had no idea there were as many road legal examples as that:

Been pondering changing the points on both cars since a question on a forum made me look at the last time I had bought any (new spare after fitting the 'old' spare),and finding that whilst it was 2019 for Bee I had no record for Vee since 1995! Can it be that long? The 'new' packet was ratty, but the 'old' contact surfaces were in good condition, so probably not but I have no recollection of changing them. Then I discover a photo of a previous set taken in March 2008 which is more likely, but still 30k ago. Setting the dwell and adjusting the timing (different points can change it even with the same dwell) has made no difference to idling or starting.

August: Bee's service, which I did easily in a day but it was cooler. The following week MOT at Cranmore Garage. Just advisories about oil leaks from the diff and elsewhere no specified, but I keep an eye on the floor so I know those are no more than an occasional drip. Both inner track-rod ends showing play, funnily enough I did notice the near-side one move very slightly when moving the steering from lock to lock for greasing, so will keep an eye on them. Advisories tend to come and go when I've done nothing about them i.e. marginal, and down to the tester, like the near-side rear damper misted with oil even though the level never drops.

Mid July: Golf service and cambelt changed, farmed out to Cranmore Garage, no issues so far.

Vee's service: Getting too old to do the whole thing in one day especially in warm weather. The back brakes take nearly as long as everything else put together, I do those last so I'm getting tired before I start them, so decide to do those the next day. No problems with any of it bar a seized piston on the off-side, which I did the day after. Ready for an MOT now, missed last year as the screen was cracked which I knew would be a failure. HID headlights fitted earlier this year, it will be interesting to see how they get on!

June 15th-18th - Dorset
Hotels etc. open again so grab the opportunity after half-term. A pub with rooms near Lulworth and more sections of the South West Coast Path to hand. After a scorching couple of weeks we feared the weather might change but the journey down was baking in Bee top-down but straight-forward. Hot and sunny first day for a circular walk from Studland towards Swanage. Parking is always a problem in these places knowing what is needed, and Studland was coins only - £5 for four hours with the next duration up £10. No coins - but a chap of our generation nearby was quite prepared to give me five pound coins and get nothing back! Fortunately I did have some notes. Superb scenery down to Swanage emerging from sea mist on one side then back to Studland and even more spectacular out towards Brownsea Island, Sandbanks, Poole and the Isle of Wight. Early afternoon cream tea at a farm, then down to Studland beach for a paddle then back to the pub for a couple of beers. Why anyone needs to go all the way to Cornwall when we have Dorset beats me.

Next day to Lulworth Cove and another circular. Another potential car park nightmare as that is cards only, and someone in the pub the night before said it charged her £10 even though she had selected £5. Complained at the visitor centre and was told they get loads of complaints but there's nothing they can do as the machines are operated by another company, of course. So extreme care, two yellow buttons to select the duration the first for £10 and the second for £5, I pressed the second and it said £5 on the ticket, so why there are so many problems I don't know. Out past Durdle Door, but with two very steep sections in sight before we could turn inland we retraced out steps. Coffee at Lulworth Cove and it was clouding over by lunchtime so we decided to head for Portland Bill as it was somewhere neither of us had been before. Heading into Weymouth it started to drizzle which is OK when bowling along but not in town traffic - and boy what traffic! A nightmare crawling through the town, then up a very steep hill in Portland which came to a halt a couple of times - good job Bee's handbrake is as good as it is, Vee's would never have held. A long long way for what is just a lighthouse at the end. But by then it had stopped raining so at least we could have a bit of a walk before heading back - and another nightmare back through Portland and Weymouth. Madam Sat Nav insists on taking me through the middle of towns and we had already turned round and made a detour going in, so coming back I worked out another route avoiding Weymouth town centre, only to get caught out missing a branch off to the left for 'other traffic' because the A354 went through the town centre! Struggled through that and avoided another turn of the A354 into the town centre and we were free.

Forecast for the journey home was dire. Raining when we set out, headed for Bovington where there is a memorial to T.E. Lawrence who was killed riding his Brough Superior from the village to his cottage at Clouds Hill. When we were there before we couldn't find the memorial, there is reputedly an old one in the wooded walk somewhere, also a more recent one in a small car park which we didn't know about before but found that this time. It continued to rain until we got home - six hours later! What should have been a 3-hour journey so three hours spent sitting in traffic on the A31, M3, M27, A34, M40 and M42! I fear that is going to be the norm this year given staycations. This was term-time, school holidays definitely to be avoided for long journeys. 460 trouble-free miles apart from Bee getting pretty wet but next day dried her out. Given the journey home I'm amazed she averaged 34mpg from home pump to home pump. I normally say something about the accommodation and at first sight The Countryman Inn was very nicely decorated and the staff very obliging although the food was very basic. But for three days we had workmen in the loft above our bedroom making plumbing changes, the second night there was something hissing most of the night but they fixed that, then the third night the under-manager had all his mates in the bar under our bedroom making a din until after midnight. Definitely not one to go back to.

June 6th - Midlands Air Festival at Ragley Hall
The first 'proper' air-show of 2021, and local to us. Our first time and an impressive show, with excellent commentary from very knowledgeable people for each display. Prior organisation a bit chaotic though when just a few days in advance they said that everyone would have to show a negative lateral flow test recorded by the NHS within the previous 24 hours, and just a couple of days in advance said everyone would be required to take a forehead temperature test! A bit ridiculous since this is outside and we can go inside to hotels, bars and restaurants without any of that. I had no idea what was involved and the only info I could find online regarding the process was that if you used an NHS testing station and didn't get an email or test response in 12 hours you should take another test! Great, as that meant going back in the evening to take another one. I argued that this was a change in contract, they refused to refund me, but in the end said "We cannot legally enforce that you do the test, nor will you be turned away if you haven't". In the end I got a test-pack FOC from a pharmacy, followed the instructions and got email and text confirmations of a negative result in a few minutes ... the ridiculous thing being that you didn't need to perform the test, just enter the test-strip number! Also on the day there were no lanes for people with different tickets as stated on the web site, and no temperature test, but unlike other air-shows we drove straight in and at the end pretty-well straight out again so good from that point of view.

Weather forecast changing daily leading up to it (and still wrong on the day) with some rain forecast - what to wear? In the end settled for umbrella, waterproof jackets, shorts and sandals! Mizzling on the way there and waiting for the show to start, but then the clouds started to break up and the sun was scorching with further intermittent cloud a welcome relief, both of us got burnt as we hadn't put sun screen on straight away. A good mix of displays from the Typhoon to balloons with two Spitfires from the BBMF, the first display of the 'Russian' Spitfire from Hanger 11, Sally-B and the Catalina from Duxford, and a fly-through by The Red Arrows. They weren't displaying anywhere that day as they were visiting so many locations, including the inauguration of the D-Day Memorial in Normandy. We aren't interested in helicopters but Otto the helicopter was superb as was the aerobatic display. Some spectacular smoke-rings from explosions as part of a D-Day re-enactment. A good day, will probably go again on this basis ... but remember to take the camera next time, phone results not good. Travelled in Bee but only 40 miles return.

January 9th: After a couple of months of rain, frost and snow it's barely above freezing but the roads have dried up so an opportunity to drive a couple of times round the few hundred yard loop that doesn't get salted to run the engines and turn the wheels otherwise the tyres will flat-spot. A few days later it's dried up from rain which has washed the salt off so an opportunity for a decent spin in Vee - a sunny afternoon so why I didn't think to come back and go straight out in Bee I don't know. She had to wait another couple of weeks, roads dry locally but the lanes have quite a bit of water draining off the fields after more heavy rain so she gets wetter than I would have liked, but such is life, and quite a bit more ice, snow, salt and rain follows into February.