General Sunday pandering...

[JimMagill]

Right, before I hit the wine as it's been a hard day (not as hard as an 'Changing an engine with Alan' type day but I'm not the type of guy to carry a FIRE unit under one arm! )

Sylvia's front seat was collapsing as the back rest would move without touching the leaver and I had a spare seat but it was a different colour.

Thus a lot of 'peeling it like a bananna' took place this afternoon...

And some rust

Where's Uncle Stu?????

Jim

 

[Stuartl]

Oh I'm here. I'll get a look at it sometime.

I do hope your weren't about to pack the seat or worse the hole in the door with that flake rapper. Silver foil works better. Some halfwit did that on my Dads X19 before we got it and it passed an MOT with it. One of those lucky bag English Mot's of course.

Well done on the seat swap. First the fuel problem and now this. Your DIY skills are coming on great. Soon you won't need my help. Just like Steve. He hasn't asked for my help in ages. Is there something you 2 aren't telling me?

Here is Sylvia still going with no hesitations?

 

[Steven]

Nice work Jim.

Stuart, I've been working away at Splutter. I won't have him at the April meeting, but he WILL be at the May meeting.

 

[JimMagill]

I'm a child of the 70's and will forever want to sit in a field of poppies painting dodgy watercolours eating a Flake... Or in my dads back yard with a broken panda eating a flake. Same thing

Rust - There's rust in both doors so it's got the wire brush treatment, rust converter and then some fancy German anti rust wax that I'd got for juppy. There's a couple of holes but hay, it will let more water out so that's good. There was a couple of bubbles on the lower parts of the door and sills but again we wire brushed and then put on rust converter and then primer. Its not too noticeable as there's lots of writing down there to catch you eye first. Whats bad is that there is a hole in the scuttle under the screen and it will let water in. It's right under the rubber so more rust converter was applied and I'll see you about it Stuart.

Seats - They went really well, I broke a few clips but it's not noticeable. If anyone has the bit of plastic that goes round the seat lifting handle I'd be very happy to hear from you as all my spare ones are broke too. I don't know if you noticed or not but I put some extra padding in at the base of the backrest as there seems to be a steel bar that digs into you lower back on long journeys. It's a bit odd at first driving but it's much more comfortable. The down side is that the spare seats and foam came from juppy so he looks really bad at the min with missing/ripped seats. I'll not put any photos up cause if Richard sees them I'm in big trouble!

Fuel - Mmmmm. There's no hesitation, power delivery is still really strong
and the car is totally reliable but if I plant my foot into the carpet I get about 30 seconds of 'GO' then the engine will cut out. Now, all I have to do is lift the throttle and I've got life again and it is a lot better than the 'Random Dead Panda' syndrome that we used to have but as the 1108cc is really nippy I'd like to be able to use the power. Our latest estimates are putting the USA trip at 3610 miles plus across Mexico and back (probably another 3000 miles) I'd like to be able to put my foot down on the freeway. I'll have another wee chat with Mackers and Jaunty about the regulator.... I've moved it so that it sits upright now and increased the flow from it but I'd like a second opinion. The amazing thing about it thou is the fuel economy. It really does seem to make a big difference. On the last measured tank we got 59MPG which is near double what I was getting with the lash up that was on the car.

Remember, only the crumbliest, flakiest chocolate....

Jim

 

[Tony M]

Our latest estimates are putting the USA trip at 3610 miles plus across Mexico and back (probably another 3000 miles) I'd like to be able to put my foot down on the freeway.

You may get a little frustrated by the legal speed limits in many of the states in the USofA... I recall them being painfully slow for a country that is so big. I don't think you want to be spending any time in the hands of the LAW over there...

 

[JimMagill]

I think 65 is the limit in most states but every one cruses at about 70 which is fine for Sylvia at the moment but if you add in a few hills then we're up the creak without a mechanical fuel pump

Jim

 

[Chas Uno]

I think 65 is the limit in most states but every one cruses at about 70 which is fine for Sylvia at the moment but if you add in a few hills then we're up the creak without a mechanical fuel pump

Jim

:yeahthat:

The blanket USA 55mph ban was lifted a few years back. Speed limits do vary from state to state, but generally it's about 65mph on freeways and Interstates, and in some states I'm sure it is 70/ 75mph.

Be careful on the open Interstates, as though you can see for miles and think there is no-one around the cops have a habit of hiding in out of sight places. Plus they can catch you on their radar when they are going the other way, and they WILL cross the central dip and come back after you.

If you think you might be travelling at somewhat higher speeds, then it might be worthwhile investing in a radar detector (everyone uses them over there). They're not that expensive either, and a lot run on batteries so you don't have to worry about cigarette lighter sockets.

And as lil' Panda's use the same engines as a lot of Uno's, 80 - 90 mph cruising is not impossible

Also be warned when on the Interstates, that a lot of drivers drive with cruise control on and brain off. :nutter: in Mexico they drive like the Spaniards (loco!) and similar to the Italians so be aware that lunacy will abound. The roads in Mexico are also pretty poor so make sure the suspension is in good shape.

I'm not sure if you're going that far, but be very, very careful in Mexico City. It's a great place, but still full of corrupt police and if you enter the wrong part of town you could be in big trouble.

Going back to cruising in the USA (sounds dodgy, especially with Jim! ), you CAN do high speeds on the Interstates but as mentioned above invest in a radar detector. Last year I drove from Los Angeles CA to Phoenix AZ in 5 1/2 hours. That's 400 miles! Mind you, it was in my friends 2002 Cadillac DeVille with a 4.2 32 valve Northstar V8

And about three weeks after that I was back in the UK and had to drive from NW London to East Grinstead in Sussex, and courtesy of the M25 joke it took almost as long to do that trip of only 75 miles. One big accident and they closed the whole SW section of the M25 car park :shakehead

The trip sounds great fun Jim and I wish I could be joining you on it!

By the way, when are you planning on going? When I finish college this summer I'm hoping to be heading out and staying with friends in Eastern Arizona (near Tucson) for three months. If you're passing by you can drop in and say 'hi!'. And the Mexico border is about 130 miles away from where I'll be

 

[Alan.D]

Well done Jim nice to see some others get their hands dirty.

 

[Stuartl]

:yeahthat:

And about three weeks after that I was back in the UK and had to drive from NW London to East Grinstead in Sussex, and courtesy of the M25 joke it took almost as long to do that trip of only 75 miles. One big accident and they closed the whole SW section of the M25 car park :shakehead

Don't get me started about East Grinstead. Long story cut short I thought I had bought a car with out an engine, (just the engine) off a guy from there and when I got to the place it was at The B*****D had got someone to strip a load of parts off it. The car was 150 mile from were he lived so I couldn't afford the time to get on down to his house (had to get back to work or get fired) and I lost about £3000 on the car. I only got back over 4 months later and he had moved. He had tried the same thing with someone who did get to him. Can you tell I'm still sore about it and it was 10 years ago

And relax.

 

[JimMagill]

Here is Sylvia still going with no hesitations?

Rather handy having Kerri round at mine tonight as women have there uses when it comes to going to get food and such! Left me some time after doing the 750 clutch to have a go at the Italian instructions that came with the fuel regulator. Anyway, it seems to of lost something in translation (like apparently it helps with 'Engine Effervescence' what ever that is!) So I think they got clockwise and anti clockwise mixed up. With a bit of twiddling and some runs up the 12% hill outside my house we're firing on all cylinders (metaphorically speaking) and Sylvia is going as Giorgetto Giugiaro intended:slayer:

Tomorrow night we're for the NIIMC Annual Charity Quiz and we're taking Sylvia so we better make it as I've all the questions and the prizes!!!

Jim

 

[Stuartl]

Did I tell you it's you or Steve taking the meeting cause I'm not up to it?

 

[Steven]

Did I tell you it's you or Steve taking the meeting cause I'm not up to it?

That'll be Jim then. Will you be there Stu?

 

[Stuartl]

Jims doing the quiz so you can take the meeting please.

I'm not sure yet.

 

[Steven]

I'm not taking the meeting. Alastair wouldn't mind I don't think.

 

[Alan.D]

If anyone has the bit of plastic that goes round the seat lifting handle I'd be very happy to hear from you

Who's your bestest buddy Jim

 

[christopher watson]

What are you offering Jim. a clip thing or a doggy

 

[Alan.D]

Clip thing but Jasper wanted to say hello

 

[JimMagill]

Alan, you're my best buddy (ok, Stu is, as he's welded the life outta juppy but we'll ignor that for now )

I'll pm you me details and you can give me your terms and conditions!

Jim

 

[Steven]

I have a clip thing as well.

 

[JimMagill]

Yeah, but Alan will actually give me one......

Jim