What's made you smile today?

[portland_bill]

A Land Rover thing pulled out ahead of me. No idea which model, there are so many similar derivatives, but the lettering across the back read URBAN, not the usual Discovery or Range Rover. I think I've heard of them, one of these 'tuning' companies.
It seeme a bit ironic, as it emerged from a country road, headed towards Swindon, but then turned off and headed onto the M4. Perhaps it should have said RURAL.

 

[Cheest]

I've been in the background a little bit, recovering from my bicycle ride around around Lake Pepin during the annual Lake Pepin 3 Speed Tour. Other than a flat tire caused by a leaky hose on my tire pump. It was a good trip.

We can always find a liquor store or pub.

The temps weren't great but we saw the sun on Sunday. We do a BYO lunch in Lake City on Sunday. The Lloyd family, who actually are from Wales, cooked theirs up on Kelly Kettles.

I used a well worn Optimus 8r for my set up.

While Mr. Wenker opted for a snooze in the sun.

I usually throw a bike on the back of the Ural and tent it but this year I brought Mrs. Cheest and Buster dog along with the rolling hotel room.

Other than the flat, it was a pretty good trip.

 

[The Panda Nut]

AT KINLAST! The wiring is all but done. Just got to replace the only bits that still worked.... These are carefully draped along the kitchen in shall we say a substandard example of installation. Then we are done bar a few connections. Now I need testing. First I will do a full continuity test on 12 v then connect it all and turn on. BANG!. I hope not.

Nearly ready for plasterers. The wall chasing tool was magic saved loads of time and was easy to use. It has five diamond discs that you can space as required, a vacuum dust extaraction point and water suppression for the dust. Highly recommended. I expect I will sell this soon. I have just put back the ssound dampening stuff in the stud wall, next a plastic sheet to keep its dust at bay until boarded and replastered. I now have to repair the studwork on the back room where the floor was missing and we are back at square 1. At last its pretty well all putting back now so every job will show as something finished. I have to remove all radiators so now as no quote has been received for the putting back has been received it looks as if I will be a plumber as well before long. At least at this stage if I have a leak its not goimng to be a catstrophe.

 

[StevenRB45]

Quite like the idea of this for commuting..

Fiat Grande Panda driven: A stylish hybrid you can actually afford | Autocar

Quasi-rugged retro throwback gains the option of a petrol-electric powertrain

www.autocar.co.uk

Note it's a T3 engine...not a puretech...OK!..(it's a puretech).

The kerb weight is very chunky indeed for something so small indeed 300kg more than my C3 and only 20kg shy of the Auris.

But I bet you can pick them up with a decent discount shortly.

Boot seems to be the usual SUV sleight of hand. It's likely only 2 inches deep but 5 foot high if measured to the window line so as long as you're carrying something that looks like a ream of A2 paper you're golden. Otherwise 412l in a car this small is scarcely believable.

 

[Cheest]

I could have had a grumpy thread with the DeSoto causing me fits during the past week but I got it squared away just in time for the first car show of the year today.

I took my youngest grandson along and he had a great time.

I would love to hear this one run.

 

[bugsymike]

I could have had a grumpy thread with the DeSoto causing me fits during the past week but I got it squared away just in time for the first car show of the year today.
I took my youngest grandson along and he had a great time.

I would love to hear this one run.

One of my neighbours is in the local Land Rover club doing trialing etc. had a stand at the Steam Rally showing the amount of articulation they could get on their axles.

 

[The Panda Nut]

I could have had a grumpy thread with the DeSoto causing me fits during the past week but I got it squared away just in time for the first car show of the year today.

I took my youngest grandson along and he had a great time.

I would love to hear this one run.

i would be standing well back for tgat one!

 

[Pugglt Auld Jock]

I could have had a grumpy thread with the DeSoto causing me fits during the past week but I got it squared away just in time for the first car show of the year today.

I took my youngest grandson along and he had a great time.

I would love to hear this one run.

Great shine on the DeSoto! I've only ever worked on a Jeep once but was the "main man" for the local farmer's Land Rovers when I worked at that wee family garage out south of the city. I remember being very interested seeing how they did the driveshaft joints on the front axle - exposed universal joint rather than the much more complicated, and rust prone, hemispherical "skulls" of the Landy. Axle articulation of the older land Rovers with leaf springs was always a severely limiting factor, much better when they went to coils.

I absolutely love the picture of the flathead (side valve to us) Ford - It is a Ford, isn't it? The carbs and inlet manifold are outrageous! What's the circular pipe between the carbs and top of the engine all about - maybe just to be different? or was it some sort of "tuned length" attempt? Bet it sounds great!

And your lad's "T" shirt? had to be a "truck" and an F100 too! My brother in law, up in rural Massachusetts, always has a pickup truck in addition to their everyday car but he seems to favour a Toyota. Is there a "thing" around Jap vs US "trucks"?

 

[Cheest]

Great shine on the DeSoto! I've only ever worked on a Jeep once but was the "main man" for the local farmer's Land Rovers when I worked at that wee family garage out south of the city. I remember being very interested seeing how they did the driveshaft joints on the front axle - exposed universal joint rather than the much more complicated, and rust prone, hemispherical "skulls" of the Landy. Axle articulation of the older land Rovers with leaf springs was always a severely limiting factor, much better when they went to coils.

I absolutely love the picture of the flathead (side valve to us) Ford - It is a Ford, isn't it? The carbs and inlet manifold are outrageous! What's the circular pipe between the carbs and top of the engine all about - maybe just to be different? or was it some sort of "tuned length" attempt? Bet it sounds great!

And your lad's "T" shirt? had to be a "truck" and an F100 too! My brother in law, up in rural Massachusetts, always has a pickup truck in addition to their everyday car but he seems to favour a Toyota. Is there a "thing" around Jap vs US "trucks"?

There's always a 'truck thing' over here. Sometimes it's downright tribal.
I've driven all of them, save for the full size Toyota Tundra and Nissan Titan. My Dad always gets a Ram because he still gets the Chrysler employee discount. I've had both Ford and Chevy, though the diesel F150 I have now is head and shoulders above the previous trucks I've had.

 

[Pugglt Auld Jock]

There's always a 'truck thing' over here. Sometimes it's downright tribal.
I've driven all of them, save for the full size Toyota Tundra and Nissan Titan. My Dad always gets a Ram because he still gets the Chrysler employee discount. I've had both Ford and Chevy, though the diesel F150 I have now is head and shoulders above the previous trucks I've had.

Brother in law just has a small one with a 4 pot engine. I don't think he's into "trucks" as such but he likes the practicality for his gardening activities and it's very handy for visiting local shops in the wee town near where they live.

 

[porta]

I often wonder why the Toro was never sold here, I don’t need a huge pickup, which are so prettified people dare not scratch them.
My XJ and the Renegade do the trailer pulling that a small pickup would have been ideal. The only smaller ones ever, sold in UK, weren’t 4x4 except for the Brat

 

[StevenRB45]

Back to using the green goblin regularly...

It got largely parked up when my wife went on mat leave mid march at which point I also started working from home.

When I put it away it had a fairly significant knock turning right on a rough surface.

Because I knew I'd be barely using it, and also when it started getting used again it would just be me commuting it went on the "manyana" list (well that and at the time the exhaust had just been replaced...and I had the hump with it for being forever slightly broken).

Been using it for a week now, it's not knocking anymore..so whatever it was has either self clearanced...or fallen off and isn't needed.

Winner.

 

[Cheest]

Brother in law just has a small one with a 4 pot engine. I don't think he's into "trucks" as such but he likes the practicality for his gardening activities and it's very handy for visiting local shops in the wee town near where they live.

That sounds like the old Tacoma/Hi-Lux. A bicycling buddy has a beat hell Tacoma that is his workhorse. We affectionately call them Taco's over hear. Not to be confused with TACO, the new nick name for the bloviating Cheeto in Chief.

 

[StevenRB45]

I absolutely love the picture of the flathead (side valve to us) Ford - It is a Ford, isn't it? The carbs and inlet manifold are outrageous! What's the circular pipe between the carbs and top of the engine all about - maybe just to be different? or was it some sort of "tuned length" attempt? Bet it sounds great!

The bit that's messing with me is 3 exhaust collectors on a V8.

I seem to remember the flat head maybe had a dual port of 2 cylinders but weirdly old Ford V8s from the pre-war era are not my speciality.

 

[Cheest]

Yes, it’s a Ford, though I think it may be a large truck or Mercury flat head. The standard Ford was a 237ci. Mercury was 255 ci, and the Big Job Ford truck engine was 337. I’m guessing the round thing between the carb and manifold may be an early attempt at a turbo charger.

 

[Pugglt Auld Jock]

The bit that's messing with me is 3 exhaust collectors on a V8.

I seem to remember the flat head maybe had a dual port of 2 cylinders but weirdly old Ford V8s from the pre-war era are not my speciality.

"Siamesed" ports those were called on the BMC "A" series. The ford Flathead was an absolutely legendary engine in it's day. Wasn't it in the V8 Pilot we got over here? I see that one has after market high performance alloy heads. I was trying to make out the name on them but just can't quite read it. The curved nature of the name reminds me of Edelbrock? That inlet manifold is still "bothering" me.

 

[StevenRB45]

"Siamesed" ports those were called on the BMC "A" series. The ford Flathead was an absolutely legendary engine in it's day. Wasn't it in the V8 Pilot we got over here? I see that one has after market high performance alloy heads. I was trying to make out the name on them but just can't quite read it. The curved nature of the name reminds me of Edelbrock? That inlet manifold is still "bothering" me.

Looking at the additional drive belt and central pulley I had a hunch it was belt driven supercharger.

McCulloch Supercharger Intake - The Flat-Spot

Robert Paxton McCulloch was a skilled Stanford University engineering graduate who inherited a considerable sum of money from his multi-millionaire […]

myflatheadford.com

Horizontal rather than vertical..then twin carbs on top.

 

[bugsymike]

"Siamesed" ports those were called on the BMC "A" series. The ford Flathead was an absolutely legendary engine in it's day. Wasn't it in the V8 Pilot we got over here? I see that one has after market high performance alloy heads. I was trying to make out the name on them but just can't quite read it. The curved nature of the name reminds me of Edelbrock? That inlet manifold is still "bothering" me.

Also J2 Allards, but I believe they also used a Cadillac V8 of larger capacity?
Many years ago I saw an old swing crane in Cornwall with what looked like one also well rusted up and also down here there was a Doctors Coupe with one that occasionally came to local shows.

 

[Cheest]

"Siamesed" ports those were called on the BMC "A" series. The ford Flathead was an absolutely legendary engine in it's day. Wasn't it in the V8 Pilot we got over here? I see that one has after market high performance alloy heads. I was trying to make out the name on them but just can't quite read it. The curved nature of the name reminds me of Edelbrock? That inlet manifold is still "bothering" me.

The heads are Grancor, made here in Chicago. When, I couldn’t say as I’ve never heard of them.
Good work on sussing out that it’s a McCulloch supercharger, SRB45.

 

[Pugglt Auld Jock]

Looking at the additional drive belt and central pulley I had a hunch it was belt driven supercharger.

McCulloch Supercharger Intake - The Flat-Spot

Robert Paxton McCulloch was a skilled Stanford University engineering graduate who inherited a considerable sum of money from his multi-millionaire […]

myflatheadford.com

Horizontal rather than vertical..then twin carbs on top.

Oh well done, I think you're spot on there. I was wondering about that second belt but it's so relatively small that it might be a blower drive escaped me.