:: Diary - September 2025 ::

:: Saturday, 6 September 2025 ::

The Vixen makes its first show of 2025! It's a local show in aid of cancer charities. It only started up a few years ago but now has hundreds of cars of all types and ages. I've been before with the Chevy and then the Vixen last year.

Eric, Bobby and John have signed up as well, although Dave isn't - he's at the Grand Prix at Monza as a birthday present. The rest of us have arranged to meet up beforehand, just 5 minutes along the road. It's only 10 minutes away from me, so the car is barely warm by the time I get there.

Then we move on and into our places at the show.

Show that shine there, boy!

This is parked beside Eric - it's a Nissan Micra pickup, which the guy built years ago. It has a turbo that's almost as big as the engine block, wastegate pipe straight through the bonnet, and about 400 bhp, he says. I've seen it before in different colours - he was a friend of my son, and so we've spoken before - ages ago!

After some cakes, kindly supplied by Mrs Git's home bakery, we wander off for a look around. Too many cars to photograph, the priority is to just look at them and maybe chat to owners.

We saw this from behind as it was coming in, but couldn't tell what it was. It's got no badges (and no paint!). It's a Volvo P544, the model before the Amazon. It's lovely!

There were 5 American cop cars, which I know are stored just up the road. They are all genuine ex-cop cars, not replicas, and all look amazing!

1950s Ford Thunderbird...

This was different - a classic Mini, with a wee flap in the top of the rocker cover so that you can show off your anodised billet valve gear, alongside all the other chromy shiny bits in the engine bay. Makes valve adjustment easy, but how does it not leak?

I quite liked this, one of 2 Fiat 600 Abarths at the show. Bet those are a lot of fun!

The day is interspersed with various breaks for lunch, then more cakes that Mrs Git brings with her, then ice cream... it's a hungry job, this wandering around looking at cars...

When I get home, I decide to check and adjust the idle speed up a wee bit, from around 900 rpm to about 1100 rpm. Then I adjust the carburettor mixture screw inwards by about 3/4 of a turn, which seems to give the smoothest idle.

Then I realise that I haven't sat down all day, and my back is sore... I'm a crumbly old git...

:: Sunday, 7 September 2025 ::

It's TVR Car Club day! The Vixen hasn't been to the Car Club this year. The S is manky because - well - I got someone to powerwash the driveway during the other week, and they were ever so thorough... they decided to clean the garage doors while they were at it. What they didn't do, was check that water wasn't pishing into the garage along the edges of the up-and-over doors... result - One TVR covered in wet dust. Luckily, the Vixen was away at the paint shop so escaped this spray of shit.

I haven't had a chance to take it outside on a dry day and wash it, so it's still manky. So, I'll be taking the Vixen today!

I meet up with Eric and his Tuscan for a wee run beforehand. Earplugs in, seatbelts on and we're off! A couple of minutes after we set off, we pass a 50-year-old Datsun 280SZ coming the other way...

We head off over the Forth Bridge, fortunately with no queues. Onwards up the motorway for a few miles before we turn off onto wee roads over to Crook of Devon then Auchterarder. During this bit of the drive, on wee twisty roads, I notice that every car we meet on a left-hand bend (so they are bending to the right) is over the white line, partly on our side of the road, before we see them. It's not because the bends are all that tight, it's just that they are lazy unobservant bastards. Every single left hand bend.

Lunch is the usual chat about various car escapadees - new ones, though, because Dave isn't here... Lunch is very nice too, then it's time for home.

Someone informs me that they tried to email me through the link on this website, but it didn't work. That'll be because the link is wrong... It's a long story involving spam email and other shit that happened a few years ago, but I changed the email address slightly to avoid that. I didn't renew the subscription for that new email address a couple of months ago, because I don't need it any more. I forgot that the website address still used it. Anyway, it's all sorted now - normal email service is resumed!

The good news is that the car seems to be going much better, a bit smoother and holding 70mph easy. Maybe the ear plugs help... I had forgottten, though, that I was half-way through setting all this up after the carburettor rebuild in November, just before the car went off the road for the winter. Then I fitted a new fuel pump in March, then fixed an air leak in the carb mounting gasket, the week before the accident. Today is the first decent run the car has had since I started all that!

:: Monday, 8 September 2025 ::

Classic cars of a different kind today! Mrs Git has a 24-year-old VW Beetle. It has only done 40-odd thousand miles, and the previous owner (from new) was a wee old wifey (wee-er and older than Mrs Git) who only did about 35,000 miles in 20 years. It looks like an asthmatic Kermit, but it has a 2 litre fuel injected motor, so it's really a mid-1990s Golf GTi in a party frock. It's a nippy wee thing!

Anyway, it passed its MOT last month, so it's pretty sound. It looks ok, except that the wheels are so corroded they look like they have been sitting on the fore deck of the Titanic. They are booked in for a refurb tomorrow.

So today, I lift the car and take all 4 wheels off, ready to take to the wheel specialist. While it's up, with the wheels off, I decide that, because it's a warm dry day, it's the ideal chance to give it a bit of rust protection. I bought some Lanoguard at this time last year, but never got around to doing it before last winter...

I did do the Porsche every year, and it seemed to have helped!

First I wire brush any loose rust, and use the air hose to blow that clear. Then I spray on the Lanoguard to any metal bits I can see (apart from the exhaust, obviously!). The kit also includes a long probe so that you can spray inside box sections, suspension arms etc.

Now it's got two days to dry before the wheels come back on Wednesday!

:: Thursday, 18 September 2025 ::

What fun TVR activities have we been up to? Not a lot, there has just been so much other shit getting in the way.

I did decide to polish the spokes on the steering wheel, which were dull and corroded looking. I decided that to do this properly, I should remove the steering wheel first. Ther hardest bit of that operation was getting the plastoc centre cap off without breaking it! Then undo the nut, but leave it on by a few threads so that the wheel doesn't fly off and break your nose when it comes free. I did thaat once, many years ago, and that kind of aversion therapy still works, nearly 50 yearss later...

With the wheel off, and after a few hours praying for the help of the Greek god Autosol, it came out not too bad...

Then today I got a wee brush and some black paint, and coloured in the wee vents in the bonnet - 2 face forwards and 2 face back. Some might prefer them shiny, but I think they look better in black.

Not exactly major jobs!

:: Tuesday, 23 September 2025 ::

We're off on Friday for a wee run around Yorkshire, to close off the season. I'm planning on taking the Vixen, so a few last minute checks today (not as "last minute" as some of my companions, but it'll have to do). When I move the car out of the garage, though, I can hear a ticking from the engine. A couple of minutes with the "wooden spoon" stethoscope confirms that it's not the valves or any other mechanical part that I can find - it sound like the exhaust is blowing slightly at the manifold.

I go along with a spanner, checking all of the bolts for tightness. This is considerably easier on a crossflow than it is on a V6! The front lower nut is loose, and it won't tighten. I take it off, and the thread in the brass nut has stripped. The stud is ok though, which is a small mercy!

I manage to nip it up a wee bit, but order new brass nuts and stud which should be here by Thursday. I should really take the exhaust off and fit new gaskets, but I'm not going to risk that, the day before we're due to set off.

In any case, I have another task lined up for Thursday...

I have a Range Rover. Brilliant car - a bit big for modern parking spaces (especially when half of the driving population are incapable of parking properly in a space) but a brilliant car. It just had a service and MOT 10 days ago - pass, no advisories... I was busy rejoicing at no additional expense. I should have known better.

Then last Thursday (3 days later) it decides to put up a "stop now - danger of death!" red warning light because the suspension is fucked. A bit of research shows that this warning refers to the "dynamic response system" which is basically an electric and hydraulic variable roll bar. It has more pipes and pump motors than a U-boats's bouyancy system, and one of them is leaking. The garage tells me to top up the fluid in the system until they can get the parts to fix it...

Now that isn't easy - Jaguar Land Rover are in the middle of a cyber-attack that means that they can't build cars, or supply parts. My garage is going to try to source the right parts in-stock at any other garage that they can find... Meanwhile I'm still topping it up, and the car is pissing out oil everywhere I stop - my drive is covered in oil marks.

Well today, they phone to say that they have found the parts, but they'll need the car for a few days... Since I won't need it while I'm TVR-ing at the weekend, that suits me fine!

Paying the repair bill might not be quite so convenient.

:: Saturday, 27 September 2025 ::

Instead of going to the TVR Pre-80s in Coventry, we have decided to repeat our Tour of Yorkshire from a couple of years ago, so that it's easier for Adrian to take part, since he lives there, and has work and parental responsibilities to attend to.

First, though, yesterday I replaced that stripped exhaust nut, to tighten up the manifold.

I also collected the Range Rover from its repair, after stopping by the bank with a balaclava and a pistol.

So today, we meet up at our usual departure spot, and after a bit of chat, we're on our way - first stop Jedburgh for breakfast.

I remember vaguely that when we came here a couple of years ago, the experience was less than satisfactory, but I can't remember why. Within 2 minutes of joining the queue, I remember - their service is excrutiatingly slow. The breakfast menu varies widely - you can choose a bacon roll, a sausage roll, or a sausage and bacon roll.

Anyway with that out of the way, we set off again down the A68, over Carter Bar and down past Kielder, towards Corbridge. Plan A was to meet Adrian near Corbridge, but he can't come today - those parental responsibilities again... We carry on down the A68 until another cafe and loo stop.

Onwards again for our 3rd (and final) leg to our hotel in Pickering. At one point we get all separated by traffic, so stop in a layby to regroup. When we move away again (at max acceleration to get into the traffic gaps), my car leaves behind a huge cloud of oily smoke, but settles down right after. oil temp and oil pressure are ok, no unusual noises (none that you can hear above the usual racket) so we carry on!

At the hotel, I lift the bonnet to check things, and theire's oil spattered on the bulkhead above the pedals, and a few drops on the inside of the bonnet above the dipstick tube... oil level is ok though, so maybe it was slightly overfilled?

So we get checked in, then we're off to Whitby for chips! John travels with me, and maybe it's the extra weight, but the exhaust grounds out on the way. It's dark by the time we come back - the first time I have driven it in the dark - and the headlights are like candles - I can hardly see where I'm going. This gets worse when it starts to rain and the wipers aren't the best... I think the headlight aim could be better as well, mind. Nevertheless, the car seems to be going well, and sounds great!

Adrian texts to confirm Plan B - if we set off on our route, he'll meet us at Osmotherley. We arrange to meet him at 10.30, which means we have to leave the hotel at 9.30 to allow for time to refuel. 9.30. Everybody got that? 9.30.

:: Sunday, 28 September 2025 ::

Breakfast is at 8.30 or 8.45, depending on who you ask. In either case, that still allows plenty time to be ready to leave at 9.30. Did I mention 9.30 already? Sorry, wasn't sure if you heard.

Doesn't matter to me, I'm awake at first sparrowfart anyway, so I go for a walk in light rain, to the shrine of automotive classics, which is almost next door...

Mathewson's Classic Car Auctions!

They have an auction coming up next week, so they have hundreds of cars stored in every available space, including this Mk1 Cortina and 2 Ford Corsairs.

Want to buy a Range Rover?

This was parked around the corner - not sure if it's part of the sale.

So - back to the hotel for breakfast, and then off at 9.30.

9.30 comes and goes. No hurry, eh? Then we set off, and stop in the petrol station, before we set off for Osmotherley. Dave's leading, and takes a left turn before the one we were meant to take, and we end up driving in a huge half-circle before we stop to re-think. Dave asks for directions from a couple of cyclists, who know the area less than we do - and we're totally fucking clueless. My satnav to the rescue!

I go to text Adrian to tell him we'll be late, to find a text from him. He's on to Plan D - let him know when we arrive in Osmotherly, then he'll meet us in Northallerton. There was apparently a Plan C, but he never got round to telling us about that... I suspect Plan C involved him driving a TVR, but that wouldn't start, so on to D.

So eventually, we find Osmotherley, from where we agree to meet him in a garden centre on the edge of Northallerton - back the way we just came. Satnav to the rescue again, and off we go. No sign of Adrian when we arrive, but he says he's on his way. We while away the time trying to decide whether to have a coffee while we're here. We while away a lot of time on this. When Adrian arrives, we have whiled away so much time that a huge queue has developed at the coffee counter while we've been whiling.

We decide to save time by heading for Richmond, "just up the road". We follow Adrian for just under an hour, park up, and find a very nice wee cafe in the town centre.

Such a happy wee group!

By the time we have finished that and walked back to the cars, it's after 2.30pm, and here we are, just getting our tour started!

We head off west, through Swaledale, and over the Buttertubs Pass. The road is fun but scary (which is what makes it fun) and we stop at the top to admire the views.

These old cars keep getting in the way of the views though!

I've had a couple more episodes of the exhaust grounding, with a particularly bad one on the edge of a cattle grid, which I think has loosened one of the exhaust joints...

Then we head back, over a slightly shorter second half of the day, and stop in Leyburn for the loo, and a drink.

Adrian takes us back as far as the A1, where he has to head home again. Mrs satnav comes out to play again, and takes us back to our hotel via Sutton Bank - 1 in 4 gradient with a couple of hairpin bends thrown in. We came down this way this morning, and when you look at it on a map, it's miles off the route we meant to take!

So - another interesting day, more to come tomorrow!

:: Monday, 29 September 2025 ::

Breakfast is at 8.00 today. No fixed time of departure - there's no hurry and nobody to meet.

It has apparently been a light frost overnight, but it's now just a heavy dew. I nip out and wipe the car windows down, then use the wet cloth to wipe up some of the splattered oul from the bulkhead and bonnet. There doesn't seem to be ny more than there was on Saturday - it seems to have expelled one oily belch and then settled down.

We set off again under the direction or Mrs Satnav, northwards through Rosedale, over the North Yorks Moors. This is just as spectacular as Buttertubs, but without the sudden drops off the side of the road.

We find a layby on Blakey Ridge, to stop for a good look around!

Then it's onwards again past the Lion Inn, and into Castleton, where progress is hampered slightly by the bin lorry... before a left turn down towards Guisborough, and on to main roads around Middlesbrough and onwards to the Tyne Tunnel.

It's difficult on main roads, to keep everyone together. One of the reasons that I stopped going on Porsche runs was because the organiser (who had planned the route) would go first (obviously) but would then turbofart himself off into the distance, passing everything in sight, without regard for those following, who didn't know where they were going. After half an hour or so, you were driving along without another Porsche in sight, except for a few coming in the opposite direction, trying to find someone else to follow.

When you got to your destination, you would find the fastest guys engaged in willy-waving bragging rights, without realising that everyine else could only see a bunch of pricks.

Anyway, to counter that, when you're leading a geographically-challenged group (I'm no less challenged than they are, but I've got a satnav!) I think that it's important that you drive as a group - no sudden lane changes, make sure that the others behind you have gaps to choose lanes in plenty of time, slow down to let them "bunch up" so they don't miss important turns, etc.

We manage to travel together for 75 miles from the Moors to services at Morpeth (that reminds me, must pay the Tyne Tunnel charge), where we stop for a wee bit of lunch.

When we come out after lunch, the cars have cought the attention of a Chinese group, who seem to be particularly interested in how old mine is. One of their group was born in 1971, so he wants a photo. Then others do too... eventually my travelling compadres get fed up waiting, so I have to leave - at the back of the group this time.

We set off up the A1, where our leader follows a lorry for ages, while nothing passes us. Then, after a handful of miles, he decides to pass the lorry, when there is a solid line of traffic in the outside lane. I can't get out. Everyone fucks off up the road, and by the time I get past that lorry, there's no sight of TVRs ahead. I batter on, and eventually they come into sight in the dustance... then I realise that they are all going up a slip road, and I'm in the wrong lane. I only just manage it, but now I can't see TVRs because of the 3 lorries between us, on a single carriageway road. I'm not sure that the leader can see me, or even know that I'm there.

This carries on for bleeding miles, and I am resigned to driving home more-or-less on my own, when I spot them parked up, waiting.

On we go... until we reach the Edinburgh Bypass, where we join a 1 mile queue and then, for some inexplicable reason, I pass them, crawling along in the nearside lane... Can't stop, can't regroup, I head for home at a steady speed that might give them a chance to catch up. But they don't.

Home, car in the garage ready for exhaust inspection tomorrow.

A grand day(s) out Gromit!

:: Tuesday, 30 September 2025 ::

Because I'm not Adrian, I'm going to have a look at this exhaust before 4 April.

I get the car up on my ramps, and start it up. I can instantly hear that it's blowing from the back of the silencer box, and slightly from the exhaust manifold. The tail pipe is also loose.

I remove the tail pipe and then disconnect the silencer from its hangers. It's really tight on the front tube though, so it needs a lot of battering with a big hammer and a wood drift before it's off.

Here's the split, right where the pipe is welded into the back of the box.

I take it along to the MOT garage, who says that he has a better welder guy coming in tomorrow, so he'll ask him for a price to repair it.

Back home - let's have a look at the manifold gaskets while the exhaust is in bits. I remove the 4 brass nuts on the end pipes, and the two bolts in the middle, and wiggle the manifold off.

Here's the old gaskets - you can see the black sooty marks where at least 2 of them have been leaking. I order new gaskets.

That's half-decent progress, with 6 months to spare!

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