What's next at Lake View

The search for an engine block to grace Hildegarde continues.

The candidate block, sourced as a freebie from the neighbouring Rudyard Lake Garage has failed pressure testing.



Fwd: 4.0 block fail by EthelRedThePetrolHead, on Flickr

Tom said:
Note the tiny bubbles around No5 cyl and the adjacent stub holes.
Not what I wanted to see.

Tom's bitterly disappointed but we both know that we have pre-empted the recriminations that would have arisen if he'd installed this engine only for it to overheat.

I know what the options are - there's nothing for it but to pay for a fully reconditioned engine. Anything else is a gamble which probably won't pay off.

The original 3528cc engine is sufficient for my motoring needs but now that Tom's wafted the idea of a 4 litre engine, I quite fancy it.



EFI by EthelRedThePetrolHead, on Flickr

I've also remembered I have an EFI kit that has been floating around for many years at the garage - if this is found to be in good working order Hildegarde can have it and Ethel can keep the Edelbrock carburettor.

Meanwhile, Daffodil sleeps in the lockup and there is just no rest on Planet McFoo - a trip to Wolverhampton last weekend and it's all go in May - I've got the week off between 16th and 23rd May because there's a car show at Bowes on 16/17 May and another one – the Scottish All Rover Rally on 23/24 May so I have decided to have a tour of Scotland between the two car shows.

My parents live in Cumbria which helps. This is amazing organisation by my standards – 5 hotels booked – it's usually totally random with me.



Abington Hotel by EthelRedThePetrolHead, on Flickr

Starting at Abington (18th) (it's practically the law to start there), the second hotel is at Macduff (19th) and then on to Thurso (20th), Ullapool (21st) and Glasgow (22nd) and I think there is a campsite at Lauder – I know the hotel at the castle is already booked out.

The Blue McFoo will almost certainly get the nod for both shows and the road trip and I will install that new stereo I bought for the other car before I set off.

It'll be at least 4 hours driving on each leg - Ullapool to Glasgow considerably longer because I will be avoiding that horrid A9 in favour of the A82 - there's an AA phone box I missed last time because I went via south Ness.
 
The 1960s called. They want their loudspeaker back.



IMG_20150501_165914565 by EthelRedThePetrolHead, on Flickr

They can have it too - all ripped and torn. No wonder it was a bit 'farty'.

A nice sound system is now installed in one of my Rovers - the Bluetooth McFoo.



IMG_20150501_171354854 by EthelRedThePetrolHead, on Flickr

I'm very pleased with this stereo - a thumping great big upgrade without breaking the bank.

Notice the 3.5mm auxilliary jack - we have USB and Bluetooth connectivity as well.

A very busy day today - I was steam cleaning the ruined V8 blocks and they are now listed on eBay, along with the very rare 14" rostyle wheels.

The Blue McFoo's rostyles will also be listed because I am now driving around, or not, with a possible 6 points - two bald tyres. I selected 4 good steel wheels to take home with me and I will order some tyres next week - the Blue McFoo is grounded pending new wheels and tyres.



IMG_20150501_123051542 by EthelRedThePetrolHead, on Flickr



IMG_20150501_120310748 by EthelRedThePetrolHead, on Flickr



IMG_20150501_120253414 by EthelRedThePetrolHead, on Flickr



IMG_20150501_105023705 by EthelRedThePetrolHead, on Flickr
 
DaveCol said:
Excellent update as usual.
..
Thank you.

It is getting harder to find suitable tyres for the 14" wheels - most search results come back with van tyres, which will be noisy and heavy - I wouldn't want anything that would drown out my nice new sound system.

With that in mind, I am happy to wait and take advice as to what tyres will actually go on these wheels without looking silly or sending the speedometer off, or both.

Daffodil has a fine sent of Nexen 185/80/R14 mid-range tyres - they were very reasonably priced and are wearing well - these don't seem to be available now.

With this in mind, I went to a very local tyre shop and got two part-worn tyres for the front wheels of the Blue McFoo.

This wouldn't usually be my scene but it is way better than a possible 6 points and £200 worth of fixed penalties.



IMG_20150502_115922180_HDR by EthelRedThePetrolHead, on Flickr

The tyre man also removed the ancient yet unused tyres from the steel wheels I picked up at Lake View yesterday - notice the immaculate condition of these wheels - most if not all of these 4 are spare wheels from the days where the spare was an identical wheel rather than a donut - compare the rusty wheel languishing in the corner of the garage.



IMG_20150502_124459305_HDR by EthelRedThePetrolHead, on Flickr

I will find a nice quiet tyre for these rims and then get them swapped over and the rostyles sold.
 
What part worn tyres did they have for you?

You will be made very welcome at the SARR.

Colin
 
arthuy said:
What part worn tyres did they have for you?

You will be made very welcome at the SARR.

Colin

Thank you.

The tyres are Pirelli - they seem OK. I will get new tyres for the steel wheels very soon.
 
Hope you enjoy your trip Chris, I won't be able to make it to Bowes this year so I'm looking forward to seeing the pics.
 
testrider said:
Hope you enjoy your trip Chris, I won't be able to make it to Bowes this year so I'm looking forward to seeing the pics.

Thank you. While I hope it's fine weather at both car shows, I'm also hoping for some proper weather while I'm in the Highlands.

Meanwhile, I've swapped the wheels and tyres on the Blue McFoo and I am very pleased with the result.

A nice set of Falkens



..was Tom's remark when I arrived at Lake View on the old wheels, the numpties at Tesco Tyres having failed to remove them for want of a Whitworth spanner.


The young men did a good job of fitting the tyres to the wheels and I was able to take them to Lake View to finish the job - lucky I was going there anyway to have the tracking done and some adjustments to the wiring of the new stereo - I was fed up with it forgetting the presets when I turned the engine off. All fixed now.

It was Falkens or van tyres - very limited choice but these new tyres are indeed nice.

I'm very pleased with these wheels and hubcaps - I managed to find Lil's hubcaps in a cardboard box in a far flung corner of the garage.




Thanks to the 14" wheels, the speedometer is now more accurate - within 1-2 mph compared to what the GPS says - previously the speedometer read about 10% over.
 
ethelred said:
What's going on?

The engine from the red one's going in the green one, who's wheels are going on the brown one after being fitted with the gearbox from the blue one......

Am I close? :LOL:
 
harveyp6 said:
ethelred said:
The brown 2000TC is not one of mine.....Yet

Just edited that for you....

Nope - I'm only interested in the V8s because they are more practical and better suited to my driving style.

The only time I'd buy a 4-pot was if it were a basket case with good panels or a decent interior - this happened when Ethel went over some ice on Shap and grazed the nearside on the crash barrier. I bought a 2200TC for a snip on eBay and did very well selling the unwanted parts - more than enough to cover the repair bill for the mishap on Shap.

I'd never be interested in running one and would never want to scrap a car that could possibly be saved just to line my pockets or make my cars shinier.
 
ethelred said:
harveyp6 said:
ethelred said:
The brown 2000TC is not one of mine.....Yet

Just edited that for you....


I'd never be interested in running one and would never want to scrap a car that could possibly be saved just to line my pockets or make my cars shinier.

Indeed we all have a duty :LOL:


Graeme
 
ethelred said:
I'm only interested in the V8s because they are more practical and better suited to my driving style.

The second point is understandable as it's personal choice. The first also to a point but I wouldn't agree with it, personally.
 
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