Zel's Fleet Blog - BX, Jag XJ-S, Sinclair C5, Mercedes 208D & 230TE, AC Model 70.

[myglaren]

I use Music Magpie quite a bit but never realised that they did mobile phones, only bought CDs and DVDs from them.

The phone looks interesting. I have no need of one but tempted anyway. Not for just postage price though, would be a bit cheeky.

There's a shop near me that sells second hand CDs, DVDs, games and mobile phones. Some in excess of £1,000!

[Gibbo2286]

Had a look on the Magpie link Mick this model isn't on their buying list, probably not expensive enough when new or at nearly five years too old.
I bought it from John Lewis in October 2021 for £85.00 not used it much............I just don't.

[mickthemaverick]

Maybe try this Eric:

https://www.sellmyphone.co.uk/sell-my-p ... gb~p11116/

Don't bother no one lists it!! Sorry!!

[Zelandeth]

Folks who follow this blog may recall that last year my trip to Birmingham for ConFuzzled in the Trabant ended abruptly at the side of the A45 just east of Coventry when it sounded like someone had thrown a bag full of marbles into the engine.

I still haven't actually torn the crankcase down to ascertain exactly where the bits of metal that got into the cylinders came from, but the consensus on inspection was that it was just utterly worn out. Since then a whole new power unit has been fitted (along with some other upgrades). So you'll be glad to know that this time round the trip was far less eventful and I made it in one piece.

Found the most ridiculously contrasting car I could in the car park to park next to.

It definitely isn't a relaxed car for this sort of run, especially given you don't want to hold the engine at speed on a light throttle for long periods, so tend to adopt a bit of a "coast and burn" driving style. It works, but is definitely more stressful. I reckon once I get the gearbox sorted it will be better as it will probably make the car sound slightly less like it's really about to enter low earth orbit above 40mph. Actually kinda of harder to drive the car at 50 or so now as that now requires only about 3% throttle, rather than 40-50 before the new engine went in!

I can probably be a bit less hyper vigilant about things like that soon, but I'm still just about within the 1000km run in period, and holding the engine at continuous high steady speeds is something the instructions there specifically advise against. Given how much that lump of metal cost, I'm being careful. It's not really an issue around town because you're always stopping/starting there.

I haven't really gone looking for issues yet, but the only thing I'm immediately aware of is that the middle bolt on the front air dam has vibrated itself loose, so that's rattling. If that's all I have to contend with I'll take it!

The Invacar is definitely the easier of the two for longer runs like this. It's *really* surprising how happily that thrums along at 50-55 so long as it's not windy. The Trabant is definitely a lot more involved and a lot noisier! Also a lot more bouncy - though I'm withholding full judgment on the ride until I've properly serviced the springs as god only knows in what decade they were last cleaned and greased. It's not painfully jarring or anything (hello Mini) but is definitely a bit comically space-hopper esque at times.

[CitroJim]

Loving the parking contrast Zel

[Zelandeth]

Made a little progress on the pinball project today.

First was getting a few things ordered. Most importantly in the first instance being a pair of flipper button switches. The normal switches on this would actually have been on the play field itself I believe, whereas I need to fasten them to the side of the cabinet. Helpfully Gottlieb ones from the same sort of period used a flat bracket which will do just fine for my purposes. Hopefully putting Gottlieb parts in a Bally cabinet won't make it spontaneously explode...

The other bits on order (well not on order, I've actually asked a friend if they have any spares floating around first) are a compliment of eight solenoids which will be installed in the cabinet to provide audio and tactile feedback for when things fire rather than just relying on simulated audio through speakers (8x solenoids - two flippers, two kickers, three pop bumpers and the replay knocker). Additional to that will be a chime unit. This won't be needed on (most) solid state tables obviously, but will make things seem far more authentic when we're simulating electro mechanical tables.

Made a bit of progress on the cabinet as well. One step was pulling out the remains of the original wiring loom which I won't be using any of.



A change I needed to make to the cabinet to allow for the use of the display panel essentially becoming the playfield was to drop that down so the surface of the screen is at *roughly* the same level as the playfield would originally have been. The sandwich of the display panel and panel it will sit on is exactly 90mm thick on the wide side, so I simply dropped down the original rails by that amount.



The board containing the tilt devices had to move slightly as it would have wanted to occupy some of the same space. Was pretty easy to just shuffle it a little further back in the cabinet.



With the display dropped down a bit it is starting to look a bit more like an actual machine again.



In the space behind the playfield display there will be a trim piece, probably also fitted with some high intensity LED flashers to work in concert with when some high power flashers on the simulated tables would have fired - as that's obviously something you just can't get from an LCD display.



There will also be a thin wood trim added around the edge so the asymmetric bezel of the display will be hidden from view once we're done.

I've taken some measurements in the back box. It looks like we *might* have room to install the PC in here.



Aside from the historical symmetry as this is where the original MPU and driver boards would have lived it would just be convenient. There are already a bunch of nice mounting rails in there and it would be a nice way to help reduce clutter in the base of the cabinet. The big question is going to be if I have enough depth to play with - it'll be close, depending on how much depth I'm going to lose for the display that will also be there. It's not the end of the world, as I actually have a bunch of open space behind where the middle display will be, which is just a peculiarity of this slightly oddly shaped cabinet.



Usually space in this area is at a huge premium in more conventional cabinets.

To be honest space is likely to be an issue once we get going with this - there's a lot of "stuff" to cram in there yet. Plus a LOT of wiring. Actually fitting it all in isn't so much a problem as fitting it all in in a way which maintains any semblance of serviceability and doesn't look like a complete rat's nest.

[CitroJim]

Good work Zel

[Gibbo2286]

Zel's first photo could be his lunch whilst out with the boys.

[CitroJim]

Zel's first photo could be his lunch whilst out with the boys.

Zel did indeed have spaghetti for lunch Eric... Not quite so colourful though...

[MattBLancs]

The colourful spaghetti looks good, but by eck those meatballs have been cremated!

Not well versed on such matters but I'd not have guessed a surform was the tool for wiring strip out

[Zelandeth]

I really ought to know better by now. Seeing someone you know who swaps cars regularly with something you really, really like but figure it likely well out of your budget - and figure there's no harm in asking. Then find they were picturing a far cheaper price than you'd expected.

Well on the plus side, it has kicked me into actually starting to put together a few for sale ads for the P6, as that needs to go first (or at very least has a buyer) before I close the deal on anything else. Really needed to do that anyway as it's just sitting in the corner slowly turning green. It really needs a bit of money spent on it before it can properly start having miles covered and have the final few gremlins worked out, but I just don't feel invested enough in it to bring myself to doing that. It's a cracking car, especially for a design from the early 60s - but I've just not really taken to it. Really is funny how that goes sometimes with some cars, and highlights how much of a subjective thing what we like or don't like is.

[CitroJim]

Sorry to hear the P6 is to go from your fleet Zel... I do understand your feelings - I could never quite bond with any of the XMs I had...

[Zelandeth]

I think for me a lot of it is that the Rover almost feels too modern-like. It's very much like the Volvo but with more compliant suspension in terms of the driving experience. Just without anywhere near as effective heating and ventilation. Which means if I want to waft around in comfort while expending zero effort I'll just take the Volvo. Plus it's left me stranded in the middle of junctions/roundabouts twice without so much as a second of warning so I just STILL don't fully trust the fuel system. Especially as the last time it happened it cost me £60 for the privilege of sitting in a bus stop for five minutes while figuring out what the heck to do about the situation. Apparently having broken down isn't a valid excuse in the eyes of MK Council's parking enforcement guys for contravening a clearway. A clearway which technically isn't enforceable anyway as the markings aren't correct - but fighting that properly involved waaaaay more time and heartache than it was worth so I grumbled and got on with life.

I think I might have got along with it a bit more had it been a manual. That just fits the British interpretation of an American Muscle Car theme a bit better and allows you to really take full advantage of the V8 up front and let it sing - the ratios in the auto mean that while it's still bloody quick (and must have felt like a rocket ship when the 3500 was launched) you really don't get to hear it and there's really not much incentive to ever really stamp on the loud pedal. Common to many three speed autos, the ratios are just too long legged to really allow much fun. It feels that really the best engine for that combination of bits of car would actually have been that body/gearbox but with a 2.6-3.0 litre creamy smooth six cylinder engine. Yes you're going to blunt the absolute performance a bit, but really maximise the waft factor. Of course that was never going to happen as Rover didn't HAVE a six pot which was suitable when the P6 was in development - the old IoE engine from the P4 being vastly too heavy and underpowered, though it was without any doubt being one of the smoothest engines I've ever been lucky enough to experience. That's why the Buick sourced V8 ended up in the P5, and latterly the P6. Does just feel like there was something missing between the 2.2 four pot and the 3.5 V8 in the line up though.

All that said, I do still reckon they're cracking cars and can absolutely see why they have a following. A well sorted one really is something you could jump into and cross countries without a second thought I reckon. Or indeed use as a daily driver with more ease than plenty of cars 20 years newer most likely. I'm glad to have had had a chance at one and enjoyed bringing it back to life. Just isn't a long term car for me it turned out.

[CitroJim]

That makes perfect sense Zel and I know exactly about a car that randomly lets you down with no warning. I've had that happen with a couple of cars, one a V6 Xantia, the confidence in it goes and that can never be regained. When that happened I moved the cars on.

A P6 will always be in my dream garage - I love them but a dream it will forever remain.

A 3500 V8 with a manual box is definitely the ultimate P6

[Zelandeth]

I swear that car is cursed. It just cut out on me again. Wire fell off the coil.

Not loose or anything, it had just managed to detach itself. HOW?!?

That's now THREE times I've had to push the damned thing out of people's way while holding up traffic at a busy junction/roundabout.

Pretty sure it just hates me!