Tuesday 21st October - Disappointing service from Atspeed.

 In January 2024, my Green Cortina had a rolling road session at Atspeed. They did a fantastic job and the car was running really well. 

Since then however, I have had my 'breathing' issue in which I have had to alter the pipework as the breather hose from the engine was going to the remote brake servo instead of the inlet manifold which isn't correct. The pipe from the engine breather needs to go to the inlet manifold in order to suck the gasses out of the engine. If it doesn't do this, then you will get crankcase compression and the engine oil will spray out of the dipstick tube.

Needless to say, changing this then altered the characteristics of the breathing through the inlet manifold and my engine is now running lean and not getting enough fuel.
 I explained all of this when I took the car in to Atspeed and asked them to look at the fuel jetting and give it a dynotune. 
I dropped the car off on Monday afternoon and I received a phone call on Tuesday morning asking me why I had brought it back. So I then explained again, and was told that my breather pipe was on wrong and that it should go to the remote brake servo. I told then that that's how it was before and it caused crank case compression and sprayed oil out of the dipstick tube, so I asked him not to alter the breathing and just alter the carburettor jets instead. He didn't seem happy with that though.
When I collected the car, I got my wallet out and went to pay and was told it was free of charge. I asked if he was sure, and again was told that it was free. I then drove the car home and found out why it was free. It was free because they hadn't done anything to it!

I then rang them the following morning and asked why nothing had been done and was told 'Well you think its right, I think it's wrong, so I didn't do it'. I repeated that it isn't wrong and again explained the situation. He then said again that the breather from the engine should go to the remote brake servo, but I then pointed out that these cars never had a remote brake servo when new, so where would the breather have gone then? 
He still wouldn't accept that the breather was correct and carried on telling me that he didn't do my car because it wasn't correct. I was more annoyed that he didn't even have the decency to tell me that he hadn't done it when I collected it. What kind of customer service is that? 
I booked the car in with him to cure the lean running and alter the jets in the carburettor, I didn't book it in with him to look at the breathing.
I really don't understand his mentality as his refusal to do it has lost him around £400. (That's the approximate price of a dynotune.) What a way to run a business! 

It's a shame because I've used Atspeed many times before and recommended them to numerous people, but after this experience I'll never use then again and wont be recommending them to anyone. 
Since this ordeal, I've spoked to other people about them and found that they've had issues with them as well, so it appears they've already got a poor reputation.

I've also since spoken to Redline Racing at Laindon and will be booking the car in with them. They did a good job on my Zetec Cortina, but I didn't book the Green Cortina in with them as I didn't think they were a Weber carburettor specialist, but it turns out they are, so that will be my preference in future. 

Sunday 19th October - Battlesbridge Breakfast meet.

This was to be the last Battlesbridge meet for this year, so needless to say, quite a few people came. We had also been promised rain from 11am onwards, so a lot of people got there early with a view to leaving when the rain arrived.  

I brought the Zetec Cortina to this meet just to keep it in use and also to run the new tyres in a bit. It looked good with it's different wheels and I was tempted to put the for sale signs in it, but decided to leave it until next spring. (Nothing is really selling at present-I think this hopeless Labour Government has got everyone too scared to spend money in case they want it!) 

The rain that was promised didn't materialise, so we stayed there until lunchtime. All in all it was a good day and nice to finish the season on a high. 

Saturday 18th October - Billericay Breakfast meet.

 With the classic car season almost drawing to a close I decided to get a few more meets in. The cosy cup cafe at Billericay is the location for a breakfast meet and is a nice friendly place to go. 

I decided to take my Green Cortina to this one as I hadn't been out in it for a while. It's not running quite right, but it's booked in for a dynotune soon, so hopefully that will resolve that. 

It was a good meet, although I don't think I'll be eating there again. The food is great, but the service is appalling. it took 40 minutes from joining the queue to receiving our food. That's 40 minutes I'd rather spend outside looking at cars and talking to friends. 

It was still a good meet though and there was some nice cars to look at. The location is also hard standing, so hopefully it will carry on throughout the winter. 

Friday 17th October - A change of wheels.

 After the exhaustion of the 2000 mile Club Triumph Round Britain Reliability Run, I took a short holiday down to Cornwall. It felt a bit weird driving down to Bude in Cornwall on the Saturday only having been there six days before, but it was a much needed rest and very enjoyable. 

I was back home by Thursday, so on Friday I decided to change the wheels on the Zetec Cortina. I had been wondering if it was the black wheels that was putting off potential buyers and a friend had emailed me a link to ebay that showed a brand new set of four JBW wheels for £100, which I promptly bought. 
However, when the wheels arrived one of them was the wrong PCD and therefore wouldn't fit. Also, there was only one hubcap sent when there should have been four. When I rang JBW to point out their error, they then found that they didn't have another wheel to send me. The original advert was for a set of 4 x 13 inch by 6 inch wide wheels. Because it was the end of the line, they didn't have another 6 inch wide wheel in stock. After a lengthy discussion they agreed to take the incorrect wheel and another 6 inch wide wheel back and send me two 5.5 inch wide wheels instead. (Plus the missing three hubcaps) 

With the the 5.5 inch wheels now in my possession, I fitted the new tyres and got to work putting them on the car. I must admit, I'm happy with the look and hopefully, it will gain more interest when I put it up for sale. 

Saturday & Sunday 4th & 5th October - Club Triumph reliability rally 2025

 Although I no longer own any Triumph cars, I had, last year, already booked up to do the Club Triumph RBRR with a good friend of mine, Richard Warr. Due to me no longer owning a Triumph, it was agreed to enter in Richard's Mk1 saloon. 
In recent months our other friend, Colin Wake had joined us due to his co-driver letting him down and dropping out.
As a ritual, we all normally meet for a carvery in Knebworth before the 6pm start time. Unfortunately, our usual haunt was closed due to refurbishment, so we had to find somewhere else to eat. Fortunately for me, that was in Baldock where I'd also had to drop off my lotus Cortina gearbox and differential at Herts & Beds Transmissions. 

After a good meal in the pub, we set off for the start at Knebworth House. It had been raining since I'd got up that morning and warnings of 'Storm Amy' doing her best to wreck the northern part of Britain were being broadcast regularly. 

After a few hours of coffee drinking and catching up with old friends, our start time was upon us and we headed out onto the wet and windy A1 to head north. 
The rain was still coming down heavily but we made good time and before long we were at the first control at Wetherby Services in Yorkshire. A quick Latte and a top up of fuel and we were on our way again. 
Around half midnight we were at the English/Scottish border. The wind was now very strong and none of us were looking forward to going even further north to see what storm Amy was up to in the highlands. 

Our next stop was Kinross services and the wind and rain was still battering us mercilessly. Another quick coffee here and I jumped into the driver seat and completed the long and boring restricted 60 mph  drive up the pitch black A9 towards Inverness. 
There was lots of evidence that Storm Amy had travelled this route before us as told by the amount of trees that were no longer vertical. 
We took on more fuel at the next control at Skiach services and then pressed on for breakfast at John O Groats. 

After a very slow breakfast, we were on our way again and now heading south. We stuck to the proposed route, but then encountered the A82 (The road that runs alongside Loch Ness) being closed between Invergarry and Spean Bridge due to power cables being brought down by the storm. We found a diversion that took us underneath Loch Ness and brought us out at Spean Bridge and down towards Fort William. This diversion had lost us time, so we decided to head over Glencoe to grab some time back. This would have been ok if Glencoe was open, but that was closed as well. So, we had no other choice but to drive down towards Oban and then cut back across towards Glasgow. (Which is a long way round!)

By the time we got to the next control we were two hours behind and most of the other cars had left. There was also no food and coffee left, so we got going as soon as possible and hoped that we could make some time up. 
I took the driver's seat and did some 'spirited' driving and got us down to Tebay services (The next control) in under two hours. We were in for more disappointment here as the services were closing at 10.30pm and could only do us a cup of tea and a pie! Not impressed!
Richard and Colin shared the next stint of driving down to Wales while I caught up on some sleep in the back seat. 

Gledrid services was the next stop and they were also closed except for fuel. No toilets, or shop! We were suffering from lack of caffeine at this point, so we headed straight for the next stop at Monmouth Services. Fortunately, this was open and we were able to get some coffee inside us at last. 
I took the next stint down the pitch black M5 towards Exeter and then the A30 towards the next control at Oakhampton in Devon. 

We reached the control and found that it wasn't yet open, so we had done really well in catching up our lost time. With our roadbook signed and returned we set out for Lands End and I grabbed some more sleep in the back seat. 
Breakfast at Lands End was a nice un-rushed affair and provided us with a decent break away from the car. The next few stops would all be taking us in a homeward direction and after the torrential rain and gale force winds we had suffered all weekend, it wasn't a bad thing. 

By the time we were pulling into the next control at Bude castle, the rain had finally, finally stopped. A welcome cup of coffee was on the agenda and then we were off again to Gurston Down hill start which was the next control. 
The queue for coffee here was a tad excessive, so we brewed our own with Richards cooker. All too soon it was time to hit the road again and my turn to be in the driver seat. 
Popham airfield was our next and penultimate control and it was only 37 miles away, so only took just over an hour. We skipped coffee at this control as the satnav was predicting an arrival at Knebworth at 19.15, but we still had the M3 & M25 to battle with yet. 
Richard took the driver seat for the last leg so that he would be driving when we arrived at Knebworth. (It's an unwritten rule that if it's your car, then you leave the start in it and drive into the finish in it)

After a little bit of traffic we arrived at the finish at the predicted satnav time of 19.15. Richard and I were staying in a hotel, but Colin was going straight home, so we said our goodbyes and then Richard and I headed for the Premier Inn in Stevenage. 

Despite the awful conditions, (Hence the lack of photos!) we still managed to have a good weekend. The car never missed a beat and performed really well. Even the windscreen wipers coped with everything storm Amy threw at it. 

All in all, it really was a good weekend, but it would be really nice to have a dry one. I've been doing this event since 2010 and the only dry one we've had was in 2016! 

Saturday 27th September - Differential removal.

 Following on from removing the gearbox and propshaft the night before, I now had to remove the differential. 
This has to start with removing the drive shafts first which didn't take long, although upon removing the driver side one, the keeper plate fell out as it was in two pieces. (See below)

My first thoughts were that it had broken, but on closer inspection it appears to have been cut. I've no idea why someone would have done that, especially seeing as the passenger side one was intact. Very odd! 

Anyway, I carried on removing the diff as I need to take this and the gearbox to my transmission man in a few weeks. 
After removing the diff I counted the teeth on the crown wheel and pinion and found that the ratio was 3:9. The diff ratio in these cars should be 4:9, but that will be too 'screamy' for my purposes, so I'll probably have mine built to 3:54. 
The diff appears to be in good condition and the oil that I drained from it was a nice rich green colour. The oil that I removed from the gearbox was a very clean gold colour too, so hopefully they wont require too much work. 

Friday 26th September - Gearbox removal!

 In an attempt to get at more of the underneath of the car so I can clean and paint it, I decided to remove the gearbox. The gearbox will have to be inspected and checked over at some point anyway, so it made sense to take it out. 

It was all fairly straightforward with the only real awkward bit being the remote gear selector. This gearbox is the same that was fitted into the Lotus Elan so the gear stick would have come out in a different place in that car. 
I also removed the propshaft and centre bearing whilst I was at it and then called it a day.