Post by pauldaf44 on Nov 8, 2014 13:42:34 GMT
Proper update time now. Went out this morning, fitted an inline fuel filter and a fully charged battery and she fired straight up. So time for a complete account of yesterdays events.
Yesterday morning saw my brother and I leaving home at 8.30AM in order to catch a ride on this to Bristol Parkway Station.
Once there Howard picked us up and gave us a lift over to the unit where the one now known as Gremlin was awaiting us. She had a few niggles that needed to be sorted that delayed her getting an MOT. Inoperative wipers and indicators where traced to a dirty fuse connection and a blown headlamp bulb was replaced. I then drove her to the MOT station, a half hour or so's worth of welding got her a ticket with no advisories. At which point Howard and I shook hands on and finalised the deal making Gremlin mine.
Howard then kindly led me to a petrol station where I stopped for fuel and brimmed the tank for the journey home and went our separate ways. I got maybe 4 miles down the road before Gremlin suddenly started coughing and spluttering and losing power before she cut out completely leaving me stranded in lane 1 on the M32 junction 1 roundabout. Due to the position of the car and my complete lack of any tools there really was nothing to do but call for the AA. After 2.5 hours of waiting the situation starting getting quite worrying. Traffic was getting really heavy and Gremlin's battery was rapidly dieing from having to power the both sidelamps and Hazard warning lights. It was this point that my call to 101 saved the day as a patrol car with two helpful police officers arrived and used there car to stop the traffic and helped us push the car a 100yds or so into a maintenance layby. Still a very vulnerable position as it was effectively just a hard shoulder but much safer than a stationary car, with at this point no lighting, sitting in a live lane of traffic. 1/2 an hour later the AA deened to turn up and recovered her to Severn View services.
AA 'technician' turned up after another hour waiting in the services. He jump started the car, revved her for several minutes and sprayed carb cleaner down the carb throat, then announced all was fine and to be on our way. Yeah right! If the problem was dirty fuel blocking the carb jets which seems very likely then it was only a matter of time before it pulled more through a re-blocked. But we also had another problem. A completely flat battery, halogen headlamps, and driving rain all combined with a car that hadn't been on the road in 15 years. So set off again and managed 6 miles with the generator light flickering slightly at 60mph before the inevitable happened and the car once again lost all power and died. It was now 10 o clock que another hour and a half wait on the hard shoulder with a car that didn't have enough electricity left to even flash the Hazard Warning lights and two exceedingly cold and wet daffers.
Thankfully then the AA agreed to relay us home que gales of laughter when a heavy duty commericial vehicles recovery truck arrived for a small dutch economy car. Relay from then on was done in 3 legs on 3 different trucks and we finally pulled into the farm track at 2.30am. Making it 3am before I could get in and go to bed. The car broke down at 16.45 and was recovered a grand total of 115 ish miles.
Next time I buy a classic car that's been off the road for a number of years I'm going to just take the blinkin trailer and tow it home!
And now for some photos of her now that she is safely home and back on the road for the first time since 1999
Wha wha what!!! You did see that right a B body DAF with an immaculate cloth interior! It is not unheard off it has happened.
And yes according to her history folder, which does contain a few previous MOTs as well as the last one in 1999 all tally the mileage, as well as the cars general condition that mileage is genuine.
Engine bay is lovely and clean as well and no sign of any oil leaks.
So in general despite the 'interesting' trip home I can honestly say that I am really pleased with my purchase.
Yesterday morning saw my brother and I leaving home at 8.30AM in order to catch a ride on this to Bristol Parkway Station.
Once there Howard picked us up and gave us a lift over to the unit where the one now known as Gremlin was awaiting us. She had a few niggles that needed to be sorted that delayed her getting an MOT. Inoperative wipers and indicators where traced to a dirty fuse connection and a blown headlamp bulb was replaced. I then drove her to the MOT station, a half hour or so's worth of welding got her a ticket with no advisories. At which point Howard and I shook hands on and finalised the deal making Gremlin mine.
Howard then kindly led me to a petrol station where I stopped for fuel and brimmed the tank for the journey home and went our separate ways. I got maybe 4 miles down the road before Gremlin suddenly started coughing and spluttering and losing power before she cut out completely leaving me stranded in lane 1 on the M32 junction 1 roundabout. Due to the position of the car and my complete lack of any tools there really was nothing to do but call for the AA. After 2.5 hours of waiting the situation starting getting quite worrying. Traffic was getting really heavy and Gremlin's battery was rapidly dieing from having to power the both sidelamps and Hazard warning lights. It was this point that my call to 101 saved the day as a patrol car with two helpful police officers arrived and used there car to stop the traffic and helped us push the car a 100yds or so into a maintenance layby. Still a very vulnerable position as it was effectively just a hard shoulder but much safer than a stationary car, with at this point no lighting, sitting in a live lane of traffic. 1/2 an hour later the AA deened to turn up and recovered her to Severn View services.
AA 'technician' turned up after another hour waiting in the services. He jump started the car, revved her for several minutes and sprayed carb cleaner down the carb throat, then announced all was fine and to be on our way. Yeah right! If the problem was dirty fuel blocking the carb jets which seems very likely then it was only a matter of time before it pulled more through a re-blocked. But we also had another problem. A completely flat battery, halogen headlamps, and driving rain all combined with a car that hadn't been on the road in 15 years. So set off again and managed 6 miles with the generator light flickering slightly at 60mph before the inevitable happened and the car once again lost all power and died. It was now 10 o clock que another hour and a half wait on the hard shoulder with a car that didn't have enough electricity left to even flash the Hazard Warning lights and two exceedingly cold and wet daffers.
Thankfully then the AA agreed to relay us home que gales of laughter when a heavy duty commericial vehicles recovery truck arrived for a small dutch economy car. Relay from then on was done in 3 legs on 3 different trucks and we finally pulled into the farm track at 2.30am. Making it 3am before I could get in and go to bed. The car broke down at 16.45 and was recovered a grand total of 115 ish miles.
Next time I buy a classic car that's been off the road for a number of years I'm going to just take the blinkin trailer and tow it home!
And now for some photos of her now that she is safely home and back on the road for the first time since 1999
Wha wha what!!! You did see that right a B body DAF with an immaculate cloth interior! It is not unheard off it has happened.
And yes according to her history folder, which does contain a few previous MOTs as well as the last one in 1999 all tally the mileage, as well as the cars general condition that mileage is genuine.
Engine bay is lovely and clean as well and no sign of any oil leaks.
So in general despite the 'interesting' trip home I can honestly say that I am really pleased with my purchase.
