Almost Made It

Last weekend was due to be my first car meet, my good mate Craig sent me a link earlier in the week which was for a show just thirteen or so miles away from me in Lavenham across country. The car was pushed out the garage on the Saturday to de-winterise the car and give it a bit of a clean up. I also did a oil and filter change change with some Millers 20W 50 Semi synthetic oil. I also had a new detailing product I wanted to try and mini project that had waited for the right time to get the car out in the nice weather.

The mini project was a real quick one to replace the headlight retaining rings around the headlights as I detected a little rattle at the end of last year’s shows and found it was from the drivers headlight. I knew exactly what it was, but wasn’t to worried about it at this point. I had made a trip over the winter to get a pair of headlight retaining rings from Mustang Maniac to make sure they matched, I couldn’t have one shiny and one not as shiny could I?

The headlight retaining rings were pretty simple to swap over and I have done a full walkthrough of the process here.

Basically the headlight door comes of after loosening four screws.

The exposed headlight retaining rings are held in place by three screws.

Loosen the three screws and twist the ring counter clockwise a little to release the ring and the headlight itself becomes free.

You can replace the headlight at this point as well for an LED upgrade, like I did here. Or just replace the the rings which was my intention this time. On the left picture below you can tell the difference between the new one at the top of the left hand pic and the old one below it.

While I was at it replacing shiny things I got my mini polisher out and decided to clean the headlight door screws, just because I could.

Will anybody notice, I very much doubt it, but I know they are shiny. Happy with the days quick bit of work I was ready for the car meet the next day.

Sunday morning arrived and where I checked the weather which was sunny, today was going to be great. I started the car and rolled out the garage with over an hour before the start. I realised that I had more fuel than I remembered, just over a quarter of a tank, which would be more than enough to get to the show and back again about twelve miles each way in fact. I could fill up on the way home in my own leisurely time. The usual turn off for me is more of a main road route than the back roads, which can be dirty and you often get idiots in the middle of the roads going much to fast. As I turned into the road barriers stopped me with the dreaded “Road Closed” sign. Somebody was being paid to stand there and watch all the cars turning around. He eventually wondered over to me as I wasn’t turning round, it was obviously too much for him to walk over. We had a very brief exchange of words where I tried to bluff my way through. Unfortunately he was having none of it and walked away mid way through his sentence mumbling under his breath. Now I’m in a bad mood as it meant that I was going to have to reverse back up because I didn’t want to do a ten point turn in the car. The down side was me about to reverse onto a fairly busy roundabout. I think he said ‘follow the diversion signs’ in some sort of half strung together sentence, which would ‘only be a few miles or so’. The irony was the ‘Road Works’ which wasn’t happening with him or the other half a dozen who were also standing around and certainly not working on the road. They could have let me through, but no – Mr. Jobsworth was on the case.

The signs sent me back round to the far side of the town along the way my SatNav was having a mental, with “turn around where possible”. I turned my trusty navigation co-pilot off in order to concentrate on following the road diversion signs, or should I say more like a ‘wild goose chase’? Twenty minutes later I’m still following signs to who knows where. I started to realise something was wrong when I glanced a sign giving directions to Cambridge which was the exact opposite direction I needed to be going. Now I’m literally in the middle of nowhere with no phone signal. I started to sweat as my fuel gauge was running down. I may have mentioned in a few post before, the air was turning blue just like my car and the sky above me. It would be a glorious day to be at a car meet, if I could get there. But no, the diversion muppets who put the signs up were having a laugh at my expense or they got lost themselves.

I reckoned that I had a couple of gallons left and decided to abort the trip as I’m now in a previously undetected black hole that exists in darkest depth of Suffolk. I eventually found some signal and called my mate Craig to say I was lost. He said he would do a fuel run for me if needed, which was very kind of him, if I knew where I was of course to get the fuel in the first place. I opened my Shell app which showed me the location of petrol stations near me. My usual, regular Shell fuel station in Bury St Edmunds was shown to be ‘only’ 15 miles away. My featherweight foot was just resting on the gas pedal and some twenty minutes later I pulled into the gas station. The fuel gauge before on the left, then almost £70 later I was full up again.

I reckon that I had another gallon or so in the tank, but you can’t trust these old gauges. I certainly don’t and tend to fill up when near the 1/4 tank mark which is my ’empty’ guide during the car show season.

The drive home was relaxed, but feeling disappointed. I stopped at a junction to turn right, when pulling away out of nowhere a rather annoying screech on quick throttle. One of belts for the fan/alternator or the power steering belt was slipping. Pulling up back on my drive the belt screech was becoming more pronounced. My day was now getting worse by the minute, I popped the hood, but couldn’t tell which belt it was. The first belt to come of was the power steering and then re-started the car, screech was still there. I then removed the alternator belt and started the car, the screech was gone. Laying the belt on the floor it looked more like an egg where it had sat around the pullies and had stretched over the winter just enough to cause the issue. I cleaned the belt and the pulley V grooves with degreaser, along with a fair amount of isopropanol alcohol to dry the grooves and belt, once cleaned it was refitted back on. The screech had almost gone, only happened on sudden revs, but still there a little. The tension couldn’t be adjusted anymore as the alternator was now on the max adjustment on the bracket. I spoke to Adam at Mustang Maniac who told me that he would send the direct replacement belt and another one which was 1/2″ shorter belt to give me more adjustment on the bracket.

I put the car away after a clean and went inside the house decided to relay my dissatisfaction of the day so far to my ever understanding wife. I plonked myself on the sofa with the hump and felling very sorry for myself.

About an hour or so later Craig pulled up and asked if everything was OK. I had even forgotten to let him know that I had filled up and gotten home safely. Sorry again Craig.

We decided to have a couple of hours of detailing tyres and comparing products, all of which I will be reviewing. The first was the Meguiar’s Ultimate Insane Tire Spray, the full review can be found here. The product we used on the daily car was CarPro DarkSide Tyre And Rubber Sealant, the full review can be found here. Craig loaned me his new product that he had recently bought and liked. He asked me if I wanted to try it on my cars. So we opened a can of chilled soda each, sitting in the warm sun we took some pictures so that I could review the product, which is a nice change as I tend to do them on my own.

Once the tyres were cleaned we tried the CarPro product on the Smart car.

I was very pleased with the results and I will buying some of this product when I get round to ordering it. Time started run away with us as we cleared up and Craig made a move to go back home. It was a good day in the end, catching up with a mate, shame it wasn’t at a car meet itself. That means my first show was a DNF is normally defined as ‘Did Not Finish’, but in my case ‘Did Not Find’ it, so near yet so far.

Hopefully the next proper show is this weekend at Kersey Mill, but the weather forecast doesn’t look that good, maybe I could be forced to miss that one as well.

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On My Own

Last weekend was another double header car show, both of which I was looking forward too. On the Saturday was the Knuckle Busters shows at Stonham Barns for American cars to be held over the full bank holiday weekend, that’s four days if you read the leaflet. Then on the Sunday it was Lavenham Classics Car Show. Last year it absolutely poured down with rain, a show that I left early from as it was that bad. So this post is a double car show delight. The weekend was promised hot days everyday and they weren’t wrong.

Saturday: I got up a little late as the snooze button was to much of a temptation as the dogs couldn’t settle and kept me awake for a fair amount of the night. Everything was ready the night before and I just had to fall out the door and get in the car. Knuckle Busters is an all American affair which I was eager to be a part of. I arrived at ten(ish) thinking there would be a queue to get in. Driving closer to the main entrance no cars. They were doing well with the marshalling. Then I got to the main entrance, I was told it would be £10 to enter for the day, it was £10 each day actually. When I looked at the field it wasn’t full and they marshal felt sorry for me (I think) and let me in, free. I was told what area to park in and I could take my pic. The options were (not) limited.

I checked the leaflet to make sure I had the right day!

Yep, Friday, Saturday, main day on Sunday and leave Monday so it says. A little bemused I wandered around the only stall that was set up and listened to the conversation. People were supposed to turned up Saturday evening for the bands and not during the day for a pre show as it were. Well, apart from the odd car, I was the odd one!

The food stalls weren’t open so I was missing out on a bacon roll, people were wandering back to their caravans while pulling barrels of water which were dotted around the outside of the field with the odd American tucked up next to them.

After an hour nothing was happening, for the first time at a car show I was bored. I had read the news on my phone, checked my emails and posted a social media or two. I heard a nice v8 rumble and got excited, only for it to coast go back to the caravan. I was the only car on the ‘Show Field’. I played a little game – I decided that I was the judge for the day.

Obviously I won the (imaginary) trophy for ‘Best In Show’. 😂

I know this is a good show on the Sunday, but don’t post it as a weekend event if it’s not!! The funny thing is that I filled up with fuel on the way home, I had a couple of conversations in the petrol station about my car which was more than the whole time I was at the car show. 😀

Sunday: Up bright and early with everything being set out ready the night before. Not quite so local this show, but it’s a beautiful drive through the countryside with some wonderful scenery going through some tiny little villages. Lavenham Classics Car Show is a charity event and cost £10 to get in. I arrived at the gates as was marshalled in, there was no queue. I pulled into the field and people were parking up. I was shown to the American area and Again I had pick of the area as I was first there. I parked on the end which would be one of the first cars you see when you walk in and look to your left.

This is a unique show as it’s arranged in a circle and not straight lines. shortly after I arrived and messed around with the cleaners I started to chat with the other arrivals. A ’67 Convertible, and a lot newer Roush powered S550 Mustang. There was also some Corvettes who took up the rear of the area, we were all spaced out nicely. I took a walk around the relaxed and very friendly show, I just walked around clockwise.

This Renault was a huge car and a full nut and bolt restoration.

This very early MG had a rare kit for a bolt in super charger.

A few super cars turned up which were parked near the entertainment tent and the BBQ food. There was a guy on an acoustic guitar that played a long set which included a couple of Pink Floyd songs, one of which was Wish You Were Here, simply brilliant.

A Beautiful Bentley

The rest of the cars.

Then back to our Americana little section.

There are a number of behind my car shots, if you are wondering why; I had the luxury of finding some shade instead of keeping out of the rain. 😎

The overall view from my slightly up on the hill pearch?

This week I was going to post a little bit of work I had done on my car after the Stonham Barns show where I left early. That can wait till the next post now.

A great weekend with beautiful weather for a UK bank holiday for a change. 😃

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Washout

Last weekend I attended a car show in the beautiful village of Lavenham in Suffolk, not far away from me. The weather was forecast to be cloudy and rain at five in the afternoon. That would be perfect as the show was to finish at four. I would get home before the rain. The morning arrived and I looked at the sky, broken clouds with a hint of sun, do I or don’t I go? There was an outside chance that there would be rain, my car might get wet. I have a ‘paid for’ weather app and it’s usually right. Then I have my lovely wife who simply said “it’s gonna rain, you might as well stay at home and do a little more decorating.” That killed it – I was going. I’m not saying I hate painting and decorating, but I would rather stick certain parts of my anatomy in a bear trap to get out of it. Setting of I was watching the clouds so far so good.

I arrived and was directed to the USA car club area, there was one other Corvette there and he looked pleased to see me arrive. We had a chat about the weather and we both agreed it wasn’t going to rain.

There was a few cars turning up, but not the massive influx as you would expect. The set up was good for the show, a circle in the middle where all the cars faced outwards to the other cars facing inwards to the circle from around the outside. Well that was the theory at least. The event opened, and a few people turned up to see what was going on.

The pictures above was pretty much the all the cars there and only took me half hour max to walk around. Then I got the call “Are sure you don’t want to come home as it’s raining here now?” I’m literally only twenty minutes away from home in this village. I walked back to the car and was pleased to see two more Corvettes had arrived.

We of course talked about weather, it wasn’t going to rain. I told them that my local weather girl, had predicted rain – although my ‘paid for’ app was still saying no rain. Unmistakable clouds were now forming.

The tea room was selling hot cups of tea. Then I saw it, the first umbrella went up, then the wave of rain-swept across the field.

Within a few minutes it was carnage, soft tops were going back up, bonnets (hoods) were being closed, windows being wound up, people diving into their cars as more umbrellas went up. My car was now starting to shrink in the rain. Although I was very pleased with the wax beading as I studied it.

Cars were starting up and began to leave. I, of course being the optimist put my cowl guard on thinking that the rain would stop soon. As my ‘paid for app’ said no rain.

I called the wife while running for a tent for cover, who told me the rain was getting worse at home. My ‘paid for’ that wasn’t cheap, that I bought especially for the car show weather forecasts, was still saying ‘cloudy – no rain’. Half an hour later I admitted defeat, the cowl cover came off and stored in the boot (trunk). I started up and set off home, with the language now as blue as my car! It was almost a good car show for the two hours or so that I was there. Almost home I called the wife to open the garage for me so that I could drive straight into it. The car got dried off as best I could and put the dehumidifier on full blast to absorb every last drop of moisture in the garage and from under the car.

Now that the car was dried I came into the house, and I was greeted with that look only women can give, the ‘I told you so’ look. Nothing was said, nothing needed to be said, she was right, (again). My ‘paid for’ app now said, ‘80% chance of rain’, really? I could have phoned them and told them it was raining, and got my money back while I was at it.

Oh, what did I do for the rest of the day? Yep – painting! 🙁

Putting the rubbish bin out later in the evening ready for Monday morning collection, I made a detour via the garage to check the humidity, all was quite dry in there now, so I was quite pleased in that respect. I reset the dehumidifier back down to its normal setting for my garage, the dust sheet went back on and closed up. It was such a shame the rain stopped play, the Lavenham Show is held in a beautiful village, a great little drive to get there and is always supported well with all the proceeds going to the county’s Air Ambulance trust.

Maybe next year we will have some sun.