Oh please don't Andy. I think that one's a spares only proposition and I'd be looking to give a lot less than that for it. If it's not moved for 40 years there may not be all that much useable on it - just look at the way the rust has eaten in under the back window. Wonder what it looks like underneath?
It'll be a week tomorrow since the hip was done and I'm quite pleased with progress. Having experienced how important doing the exercises is when my knees were done - some 18 years ago - I've been doing the hip exercises "enthusiastically" despite the pain and it's now paying off. Very painful to begin with but yesterday I took both my sticks and I managed my first outside walk from my front door to the end of the street and back - yeah! Today did the same but carried on past the end of our path on the return and went to the T junction before coming back. I think it maybe overdid it a wee bit as I'm now quite sore, but I'll have a cup of tea and pop a couple of dihydrocodeine and I'll be fine in half an hour! The pain is tending to interrupt my sleep but it's getting better every day. Sitting on the loo is excruciatingly painful. Mrs J is amused by the bruising which is now extending from my hip to just above my knee and looks like it's not done yet!
I've spent some time considering whether I should lower my sights in terms of working on the cars and, at this time, I think I'm decided that I'm not going to undertake another major vehicle resurrection. However I will continue to do routine servicing and repairs. I've had enough of working out in the cold and wet. However I think I'll keep my eyes open for another vintage horticultural machine - I got enormous enjoyment from doing the Merry Tiller which I recently sold on for strong money. Also I can work on this sort of stuff under cover and even with a heater nearby! An old British motor cycle would also fit the bill but Mrs J would never allow me to ride it so Horticultural machinery it is. In fact I shouldn't forget that I've still got this:
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Which needs a mag coil and grass box then I will start restoration. It's proving very handy having my youngest boy now having his sign writing business well established as he can produce beautiful copies of the original signage on the machines and grass boxes etc. Just for your interest here he is doing a couple of jobs:
and
Does all his own design work and vinyl cutting too:
I don't think my aging body will allow me to fit a new rear axle to Becky - although her MOT isn't 'till the spring and she's driving Ok'ish at this time so maybe I'll change my mind on that once the hip really settles down? I'm attracted to the idea of something a bit younger for Mrs J to run around in though so maybe a later 1.2 Panda or 1.2 Suzuki Ignis, but not the mild hybrid. Anyway, I'll see.
although she now needs a couple of things doing which I've ordered & will crack on with them I think it's just small teething troubles which I expected as it had done hardly any mileage & throughout it's life only doing a few hundred miles a year, I use it virtually every day now so I think it's just getting used to regular use, I've just got a new old stock genuine Fiat down pipe of Italiparts for £16 along with both gaskets & new nuts & bolts for £11 off eBay as this is one of the small things which needs doing as it's just starting to blow at the Flexi end.
