DI Alex Drake
AWOL
Quite frankly, your guess is as good as mine.
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Post by DI Alex Drake on Oct 20, 2019 17:10:11 GMT
The Capri just drove past me this afternoon! Never seen it before and now twice in a matter of days. I wonder if they've just moved somewhere because it's quite distinctive - I think I'd have noticed it before now!
Oh. I was lead to believe there were all kinds of differences. I don't feel like it would be quite so impossible to drive an old car then.
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Post by Sam Tyler on Oct 20, 2019 20:14:11 GMT
I'd love to have an old car but I don't think it will ever be feasible. I'm always intrigued though because there are things I'm sure you'd have to learn completely differently. No power steering for a start! But dad says he still double depresses the clutch knows he doesn't need to any more but still does it. Can anyone enlighten me there? I'm sure there's more! There are a number of things that you'd notice to be different but none are really difficult to get used to. First would be when starting the car as older petrol engine cars had a manual 'choke' whereas newer cars have automatic choke. Basically this closes off some of the air feed so that there is more fuel sucked into the cylinders to ease starting. The choke has to be reduced as the car warms up. Next as Carty said is power steering, this really comes in to play with slow manoeuvres since at speed the steering needs less force to turn. In saying that though, the steering on my old mk4 Cortina was still very light despite the engine and auto 'box. Servo assisted brakes I can't say much about as my cars have all had them, even our old Anglia we had when Annie and I got spliced. As regards the clutch Bolly, your dad sounds to me that he's 'double de-clutching'. This was the action of dipping the clutch, taking the car out of gear, lifting the clutch and then dipping it again to engage the next gear. This was necessary when gearboxes did not have a synchromesh and gear changing had to be a lot slower to avoid crunching gears. If you fancy the Capri though, many had automatic choke, power steering, servo-assisted brakes, and synchromesh gearboxes so don't be put off. Sam.
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Post by Gene Hunt on Oct 20, 2019 20:21:08 GMT
Well said Sam. I remember having a J4 pickup donkeys years ago that had no synchromesh on the box and it was a pain in the arse at first but you soon got used to it. Things like setting the gap on the plugs and doing the points is a thing of the past for most people now. There arent many prepared to bleed the brakes themselves either. Nor change the thermostat.
Gene.
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Three Litre
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Oscar 24
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Post by Three Litre on Oct 20, 2019 20:54:05 GMT
Yep and who heard of de-coking an engine anymore! On the negative side there weren't any damn timing belts to break! Reference young Tyler's technical description of the choke, I seem to remember a retro joke from the 70's was that the ladies used to pull it out to hang their handbags on. Just saying.
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Post by Sam Tyler on Oct 20, 2019 21:11:27 GMT
A full decoke! I used to enjoy them so much, the engines were transformed afterwards.
Decoke, lap the valves in, new plugs, new air filter, timing set up spot-on, new distributor cap and rotor arm - what a difference to the performance! I've done a dozen or so of our cars and made sure everything was spotless when it all went back together. I remember two of them particularly that went like the proverbial off of a hot chrome shovel after.
If only there wasn't so much crap in the garage now I'd be doing it again, and again!
Sam.
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Three Litre
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Post by Three Litre on Oct 20, 2019 21:20:22 GMT
A full decoke! I used to enjoy them so much, the engines were transformed afterwards. Decoke, lap the valves in, new plugs, new air filter, timing set up spot-on, new distributor cap and rotor arm - what a difference to the performance! I've done a dozen or so of our cars and made sure everything was spotless when it all went back together. I remember two of them particularly that went like the proverbial off of a hot chrome shovel after. If only there wasn't so much crap in the garage now I'd be doing it again, and again! Sam. I remember doing that when I built a Dutton kit car using a knackered Escort! Ford that is, not girl.
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Post by Gene Hunt on Oct 23, 2019 19:51:35 GMT
Another great spot today from Bollykecks. This time a nice yellow Triumph Stag with the owner making the most of the pleasant spell of weather by having the roof off. Triumph Stag Registered 13th January 1976 (43 Years Old) on 97,000 miles. MOT till January 2020. Thanks for leaving the photo on me desk Bols
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Post by Sam Tyler on Oct 23, 2019 20:06:03 GMT
Great spotting again Bolly and thanks for posting Gene I don't know many people that don't respect the Stag, a classic 70's motor and that one is in the classic 70's yellow, nice! I must say that there's something to be said for spotting these cars out on the road and in use rather than at a car show. I love going to car shows but seeing them out in the streets when you're least expecting them is very satisfying especially when you can grab a picture as Bolly has done here. Sam.
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Three Litre
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Post by Three Litre on Oct 23, 2019 20:19:23 GMT
Wonder if it was a Rover V8 conversion or had they sorted the cooling problem on the original 3L V8 engine on this one?
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Post by Sam Tyler on Oct 23, 2019 20:31:03 GMT
The DVLA has it registered as a 2997cc so it has avoided the Rover conversion (not that that was a bad thing!) and remains with a stock engine.
I remember them having one on Wheeler Dealers where they sorted the cooling with a few mods.
However the market sees it, the stock engine makes it worth more in my opinion.
Sam.
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