How Warm is Your (Period) House?

[Penners]

More bl@@dy stupid caravan names:

Musketeer (I ask you....)
Avantgarde
Wyoming (yee-haaaa!)
Castaway
Coaster (presumably to be seen heading downhill without a towing vehicle)
Spectrum (only available in white)

:roll:

 

[philpjuk100]

Our old discovery (a 200) had done 360,000 miles when we traded it in for a later one,the dealer did not seem suprised at the mileage,but then he gave me little back for it.My current one just went passed 100,000 a couple of weeks ago.

 

[Flyfisher]

When was the last time you saw a datsun?

My first car was a Datsun 140J. Nothing special but very reliable for the few years I had it and I don't recall any particular rust problems. The head gasket did blow out once and the temperature indicator started to rise as the cooling water leaked away. I was about 25 miles from home and decided to just keep going. The temperature guage never did get into the red and I got home OK. After allowing the engine to cool I was able to add water equivalent to the full capacity of the cooling system. On mentioning this to the garage that repaired the head gasket, they said the temp guage probably didn't get into the red because the temp sensor could have not been covered by the cooling water!

But after a new head gasket it was fine for another year or so before I sold it.

 

[Penners]

My first car was a Datsun 140J.

You're so young!

My first car was a Standard 8.

803 cc. Top speed downhill (with a following wind) 58mph. The engine blew up at 48,000 miles and I had to fully rebuild it. 50,000 miles was reckoned to be the life of a car engine in those days, after which you needed a rebore and regrind, new pistons and shells, etc.

 

[Matt Green]

My first car was a Suzuki SC100. 2" smaller than a Mini and developing a whopping 47bhp-when new. It warranted semi-classic (read: banger) insurance, presumably on account of the wings having been made from tin foil so the rust was practically factory-fitted.



A 4 seater vehicle alas doomed by being aimed at the niche demographic of those who had to transport amputees and midgets.

 

[Penners]

Shame - it's rather a nice-looking little car.

 

[Flyfisher]

You're so young!

Maybe not 'so' . . . just a bit late into cars as I had to get three motorbikes out of my system first (and, fortunately, before they 'got' me).

My first car was a Standard 8.

And it looks to have stood the test of time rather better than my old Datsun, from a design point of view at least. A lovely little thing indeed.

50,000 miles was reckoned to be the life of a car engine in those days, after which you needed a rebore and regrind, new pistons and shells, etc.

Yes, isn't it amazing how much better modern cars are today? You'd certainly feel short-changed by anything less than 100,000 miles and that's with practically no real maintenance apart from oil changes and replacing the inevitable wear and tear of tyres and brakes.

They certainly don't make them like they used to - and a good job too!

 

[Penners]

They certainly don't make them like they used to - and a good job too!

My sentiments entirely!

 

[Feltwell]

You're so young!

Erm, not sure I should confess then that mine was a Peugeot 405 then! Like FF, I had (and still have) a succession of motorbikes first.

Actually, not strictly true - I had a half share in a Triumph Herald 13/60 as a student, which cost me and my mate £100. It's condition reflected the purchase price, this was about 1992. We sent off for classic car insursance, agreed value - with a suitably out-of-focus picture of the car. They came back with insurance with the car valued at £2k!

We lived in Handsworth in Birmingham, just round the corner from the site of the pub where the riots started - so not the best area. Being good honest students, the thought of £2k was quite appealing - so we left the car with the keys in the ignition for over a year, but no one ever had the decency to steal it! It started and ran fine as well. Eventually the dreaded tinworm sent it to the great car factory in the sky.

 

[robgil]

Tdi landys will be good for 250k + before needing an overhaul, the rear boot floor and rear arches/seat belt mounts were a very weak spot for rust usually totalling the other wise decent vehicle, the 300 tdi's suffered from over heating due to poor cylinder heads.
Datsuns were great cars, the mechanics were really tough to beat, the engines could take a proper battering, the body work on the other hand didnt last, same as fiats.
My first car was a fiat 127 then i moved up a notch to a 128 estate with some Heath Robinson engine mods.

I progressed quite quickly to a celica again with a lot of HR engine mods etc.

That one ended up on its roof following the circuit of Ireland rally.

It took me a long time and a fair few close encounters to finally find a car that i cant break easily. Still , i get to use Ms Robgils posh car from time to time , which i break regularly.

I do bust the landy from time to time , but its always self induced and never accidental.

I have to admit i do like my motors, Jag xkr next, if i can persuade Ms Robgil its a good idea and we have some cash to burn , one day.

 

[Matt Green]

Erm, not sure I should confess then that mine was a Peugeot 405 then! Like FF, I had (and still have) a succession of motorbikes first.

Oh-ho-ho, no one said anything about the one true means of transport:

Age/bike/fate

17/Suzuki GP100/engine seized in the rain on my way back failing first bike test (still ranks in my top 3 worst days ever)
18/Yamaha TZR125/a visit from the police regarding its history prompted a rapid sale
19/Kawasaki ZZR250/sold to mate who, having discussed him buying it months previous, turned up with money one day and drove off with it
20/Kawasaki ZZR250/blue rather than red this time. Darn good, reliable bikes, both of them.
21/Kawasaki ZZR600/written off by a bread van. I've never eaten Kingsmill again.
23/Kawasaki ZX7-R/sold due to it costing 10p/mile in tyres to run. No joke. An absolute beast of a machine, though. Fabulous.
26/Yamaha XJ900/sold to buy an engagement ring
27/Suzuki GSXR750/a B reg thug's bike. Sold to pay for the honeymoon
32/Kawasaki ZX6-R/an ebay special in matt black and neon yellow. I have nowhere to keep it at this house, so back the t'bay it went

I grew up on an estate in the middle of nowhere- everyone learned to ride a scooter at 16 and was behind the wheel on their seventeenth birthday. Many of those bikes were state funded via the student grants system Given that two were pieced together from breakers yards it was a valuable education.

Of those 9, 6 are still on the road or SORN'd today according to the DVLA, which is not bad going IMO. Of the 5 cars I've owned myself or with my wife, only the little suzi is SORN'd, the others have all been scrapped. Plastic bodywork would seem to be a good idea.

 

[MatthewC]

I agree, but Ford (like most other manufactuers) have only started taking rust-proofing seriously in the last few years. When did you last see a Ford Cortina or even Sierra on the road?

I saw a Mk 1 Capri the other day!

Sure? The Mk1 Capri was actually a fastback sort of Ford Consul Classic. I remember when I first saw one of those! (1962)

 

[MatthewC]

Back to topic. Having replaced the roof, gutters and downpipes, cleared two drains and removed a good deal of the high ground around the house, plus removed acres of wet plaster and rotted lath, I think we have turned the corner. This week our house did NOT feel cold and clammy! It was flipping cold outside, but actually quite pleasant inside. Possibly the sheeps' wool insulation in the loft helps as well.

Matthew
http://houseintheenchantedforest.blogspot.com/

 

[Feltwell]

Erm, not sure I should confess then that mine was a Peugeot 405 then! Like FF, I had (and still have) a succession of motorbikes first.

Oh-ho-ho, no one said anything about the one true means of transport:.

Oh Lord. Ermm.....

16 - Honda Express Deluxe. I should have sued Honda under the trade descriptions act - it was a cr@ppy twist and go moped, "Express" and "Deluxe" it most certainly was not!
17 and onwards:-
Honda CB125T "SuperDream". Feel the twin cylinder 125cc's worth of puny power! First "proper" bike though.
Kawasaki GPz305. Strange belt driven thing. OK but still no idea why I bought it.
Yamaha XJ600. The original one, not the modern "Diversion" model. First bike with any real go and I loved it.
Honda CB250RS. Great little bike - I loved it! Skinny little single cylinder that was perfect for hooning around Brum as a student, I had this as well as.....
Honda VFR750. One of the early normal swing arm ones, I bought it in 1993 and still have it now! Worth nothing but just can't bear to part with it. Has been as far East as Russia, as far North as Norway,as far South as Spain and as far West as Ireland I guess!
Honda CRM250AR. Lovely poky off-road bike, so much fun. Bought it about 8 years ago and don't use it as much as I should. Japanese import, never sold in the UK, now killed off by the emissions regs. Evil powerband, especially when cold! Knobbly tyres make for "interesting" road handling.

In between times.....

Honda C90. Everyone should have one once. Got given to me by a neighbour, eventually swopped it for some panniers for the VFR.
Suzuki GP100. Bloody horrible thing, belonged to my University's bike club as a training hack.
Honda VT250. Quite rare and a great little bike - bought it for Mrs F to learn to ride on. Reputation for fragility but I paid next to nothing for it and used it as my ride to work hack for 3 years with not a single problem.
MZ ETZ250. Yes. Why did I buy it? Something cheap & indestructible for Mrs F to learn to ride on. She hated it, it was too heavy, too tall and she couldn't kick start it. Bad idea, got flogged to buy the little VT above.
Kawasaki ER5. Mrs F's present for passing her bike test, she loved it. Great bike for a novice rider, very soft and unthreatening to ride and surprisingly good fun to chuck about.
BSA Bantam. A friend bought a plot of land, found this rotting away in an old shed and gave it to me. A bit of fun to do up and ride on a sunny day when you were in no hurry to get anywhere!

Plus various mate's bikes on loan at one point or another - Suzuki GS1000, Honda CX500 "Plastic Maggot", a Gixer - a C reg GSXR750, which nearly crippled me. OK for my short-@rse mate, no good for me! Suzuki GT750 "Kettle" (scary scary bike - enough go but frame felt like it was made of plasticine and brakes made of wood, not good), Honda ST1100 Pan European, Kawasaki GPz550, Yamaha XJR1200, and probably a few others that I've forgotten about.

 

[Feltwell]

My first car was a fiat 127

That does remind me - my Mum had a Fiat 126, which was the first car I was insured to drive. It would make Matt's Suzuki seem like a limo! OK for my mum - who claims to be 5' tall, but we all reckon she's shorter. I was so cramped driving it that I physically couldn't change into 3rd gear, there wasn't enough room even with my left knee hard up against the steering wheel to get the lever into 3rd, so I used to scream it in second and change straight into 4th. I must have looked so ridiculous driving it! 650cc of twin-cylinder air cooled power, 70mph if you could find a long enough hill and were brave enough. Like all old Fiat's it had terrible rust.



Needless to say the picture tells lies, it was without doubt not a car to entice young ladies with!

I fancy an Audi S6 next - the previous shape to the current one, that's had an LPG conversion done so it won't be so cripplingly expensive to drive (4.2l V8 !). Not very environmentally friendly but I do like a car with some go. Chances of persuading Mrs F - slim, but not impossible....

 

[robgil]

I had a Yamaha TY175 as a kid. Couldnt drive it on the road because when you sit on one your knees are up around your ears but off road it could go just about anywhere.

 

[JohnB]

I agree, but Ford (like most other manufactuers) have only started taking rust-proofing seriously in the last few years. When did you last see a Ford Cortina or even Sierra on the road?

I saw a Mk 1 Capri the other day!

Sure? The Mk1 Capri was actually a fastback sort of Ford Consul Classic. I remember when I first saw one of those! (1962)

I wasn't, but checked first . The Consul version must have been the Mk 0!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Capri

 

[Penners]

Back to topic. Having replaced the roof, gutters and downpipes, cleared two drains and removed a good deal of the high ground around the house, plus removed acres of wet plaster and rotted lath, I think we have turned the corner. This week our house did NOT feel cold and clammy! It was flipping cold outside, but actually quite pleasant inside. Possibly the sheeps' wool insulation in the loft helps as well.

I'm still with you, Matthew, even if nobody else is! :wink:

I'm glad to hear that the house is starting to respond to your ministrations. I don't know what your plans are now, but could I urge you to leave the masonry free from plaster and well ventilated through the spring and (if possible) into summer? It'll make such a difference to have got rid of a lot of that soaked-up moisture.

 

[JoceAndChris]

Well done Matthew, that's a huge achievement. I've followed your blog with interest - and can't believe how much you've done!

 

[essexbearhunter]

I can't resist this - for, in the manner of "Dave's Tedious Links"....this thread has side-stepped so far from the original source that I can (quite legitimately and truthfully) unite it to another.

The discussion of rust and Peugeots leads inexorably to:

Franse Auto by Het Goede Doel
whose chorus is (from memory)

Jij ben precies 'n Franse auto
- Mooi en onverslijtbaar -
volgens de reclamespot....
Maar als de motor nog wil lopen
....is het plaatwerk al verrot.

(You are just like a French car
- beautiful and imperishable-
according to the adverts....
but, even as the motor begins to run
....the bodywork is already rotten.)

...which leads me to the topic:

What is on yr CD player
(or rather, what would be - if I had managed to transpose my vinyl onto CD) where Het Goede Doel sit along with Frank Boeijen Groep, De Dijk and Carboon.



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