Fun and games on the motorway!

[BikerGran]

A while ago I was thinking of parting with Doris, my 1984 1600 Maestro S series automatic, for a later car as I wanted an unleaded head and power steering etc, but was dissuaded as the club members said I had a good body (well, Doris has a good body actually) - so when another member was advertising the 1.6 engine and autobox he'd replaced with a 2 litre & manual box, I jumped at the chance and we came to a deal. We were discussing whether he would fit it for me or whether I'd get it down here and get my mechanic to fit it, when it became a bit urgent as I was having problems with Doris.
So instead of going up to Derbyshire for a club run Mike and I set off from Dorset to drive Doris up to Cambridge for an engine transplant.

Well that was our idea but unfortunately Doris failed to co-operate. Having stopped for fuel we started off again but almost as soon as we got on the motorway she just died! It felt like fuel starvation, I have had problems in the past with fuel vapourisation but this time she just wouldn't start again. I have to say, breaking down on the M27 in the middle of the roadworks where there's no hard shoulder is a failrly scary experience! I called the RAC who said they'd be there within 30 minutes but the free recovery bods got there first and took us back to Rownhams services, and having updated the RAC we waited...... and waited.... and phoned the RAC again...... and again.........
Eventually the RAC van turned up and guess what? She started! There was just a little suspicion of a hesitation in the way she idled but the patrolman followed us for a bit when we got back on the motorway and she seemed ok, so off we went again - for a while.

We were supposed to be going to Wokingham to collect a PAS steering rack form another club member but decided to give that a miss and go to Cambridge by the simplest (ie Motorway) route - that was our next mistake as soon after we left the M3 and joined the M25 we got into slow-moving traffic and she died again - this time in the middle lane! Luckily I managed to coast across to the hard shoulder and we vacated tha car fairly quickly and stood behind a double barrier while we waited for the RAC again! This one arrived within about 20 minutes and I told him what the first patrolman had said - that if it died again it would need recovery as he couldn't find out what the fault was. He did try to start her but with no success so I was expecting another wait for a flatbed but he opened up the back of the van and pressed a few buttons and hey presto, a spectacle frame with its own wheels appeared out of the back of the van, he loaded Doris on in short order and we were on our way!

In the end, we got to Simon's parents' house (where the engine was waiting) only about an hour later than our original ETA - although we'd orginally planned to collect the PAS rack, take a non-motorway route to Cambridge, and drop off our stuff at the cottage we'd rented for the week. (We usually take a week off for the 'Great North Run' to explore the area as it seems a shame to waste the long drive so we just transferred our holiday to the Cambridge area)

So Simon and his dad spent the weekend working on my car while Mike and I were swanning around in 'The Duchess' - Simon's Daimler that he lent us for the weekend! It seemed sensible to spend the rest of the week driving fairly locally to make sure everything was ok with the 'new' engine and box, which it was, and we had a trouble-free journey home yesterday (Friday)!  While we were up there went to Ipswich to  visit a biker friend from Yoda's forum, and spent some time admiring her other half's collection of cars and trucks, I'll post some piccies later when I've asked her if that's ok.

I'm really pleased to have had the engine fitted by a couple of enthusiasts who really understand our cars and we had a great week as well - Saturday lunchtime we were heard to comment "We haven't been here 24 hours yet, and we're on our 3rd pub already! "

[mattyk]

sounds very hectic biker g glad u got back ok!,very strange coz my cars called doris to and im on my way up that way tomoro!!!

[Manky Monkey]

So Doris lives to drive another day then. Glad you all got back in one piece Bobbi -& Doris in several new pieces. Should've given Rainbow a ring -she lives just a couple of miles from Rownhams services.
Photos always apreciated. 

[BikerGran]

This was my ride for the weekend - she was lovely to drive and will be (probably) looking for a loving home at the end of September - Mike is seriously tempted!

[Manky Monkey]

Big ol' Jags are dirt cheap these days -I was given one for nowt a couple of years back. Planned to use the engine in a hotrod but ended up scrapping it, although the back seat did become a sofa in my flat for a few years. I only got to race it round a farmyard a few times but it drove beautifully. Go for it Bobbi!

[BikerGran]

Tisn't actually a Jag, it's a Daimler.  Not sure what the difference is now it's got the Jaguar on the bonnet!

The only thing that holds us back really is that if anything went seriously wrong it could cost more to fix than we could afford - particularly as it has an awful lot og electronics!  OK, that's not too big a problem as it wouldn't cost us much and could be scrapped.  But in order to make space for it we'd have to get rid of Mike's Xantia which he's rather fond of - it's a 2L Turbo Diesel that goes like stink, but a bit tatty so we wouldn't get much for it if we could find a buyer at all - so if the Duchess (the Daimler) died he'd be left carless without the means to buy something else.  We may well risk it though cos the Duchess is lovely!

She has to pass an MOT this week tho, and after that Simon will be using her for the 'Staples to Naples' rally again, which is what she was originally bought for.  He doesn't really want to part with her but he's moving house and will almost certainly not have the space to keep her as well as his Jag and his Maestro!

[Manky Monkey]

Taz & I looked at one on Ebay recently. It started at about £2.50 We said if it went no higher than a fiver we might put a bid on it. These days it's just as cheap to buy a bigger old car, run it till it dies then weigh it in for scrap, as it is to buy smaller & pay out for maintenance. Might as well travel in style!

[BikerGran]

It would be ideal for Mike as he doesn't do a great deal of mileage so the gas-guzzling tendency wouldn't matter too much!  But we'd also have something rather grand for a nice day out - also something that I could drive!  She won't fit in the garage tho................

[Manky Monkey]

A minor detail. 

[VALLEYSBOY]

you could get it and then when monies allow get a gas converter as the boot is huge and you wouldnt notice it and at 40-50p a litre you'd have a car thats cheaper to run than the betsy?

[Manky Monkey]

Just what we plan to do with Taz's Dodge.

[Firery Fred]

[!  She won't fit in the garage tho................
Make the garage bigger?