Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

[vitesse]

Looking nice and bright up there. It's miserable down Sarf!!!!!

I don't think my new wiper blades are up to much either.

[colwyn500]

Just another update on trivial matters. I finally splashed out on some 20/50 oil and drained off the somewhat over-viscous straight 40 I was chancing my arm with(surplus stocks) from late summer.

I hope this will help the engine to turn a bit better from a stone-cold start as it can be a bit sluggish. It also obviously had the benefit of draining off the inevitable bits of grubbiness from running-in and from assembly muck. The engine was put together with care, on the kitchen table, but I doubt that every component was as scrupulously clean as it should have been.

Off to work in it tomorrow so I am looking forward to the journey:) I have to drive up near John o' Groats (about 100 miles) for work on Friday but I don't think I'm that brave yet!

[colwyn500]

Postscript to the oil change. It spins so much better on 20-50 and performed faultlessly again. Now getting confident to rev the engine to 50 mph or so.
Popped in Halfords and bought a kit of wiper blade refills. easy to fit and I have a bit left for when the other blade rips as it surely will.
Being Halfrauds, not cheapy cheap but better than the price of a rubbish new set of stainless ones from Holland , or Germany.

[kevin2306]

If it was my car I would use it for say a 1000 mile and drop the oil/filter again. I did this with the Singer and the engine got better with each change, finally put some 'classic 20/50' from Morris oils in.
Well done on the regular use tho, what's the heater like in the cold temps?

Kev

[colwyn500]

Kevin, if you saw the filter setup You'd probably be like me and see it needn't be done every time. It's not a canister but a centrifuge built into the crankshaft end pulley. It's vaguely like a Dyson.
All the cack becomes captured in vanes and becomes hard. It can't get away and the worst could happen is that so much gathered that it blocked the entrance to it.
So oil change regularly and filter dismantling (it's slightly awkward) every othere or so changes ,d depending if you change more often than the schedule.

Yes, loving using it and the heater is so toasty. The whole central spine of the car is the heater duct and becomes a fantastic radiator and hand warmer.

[vitesse]

Did you use Halfrauds Classic oil this time Peter or something else???

[colwyn500]

It was actually Comma Classic 20/50 which probably comes out of the same big drum. I see you are correct that the Halfords one would have saved a fiver but living in "the sticks" I just got it when I saw it at a motor factors.

It's bright green and seems really thick compared to 10/40 etc.

[D4B]

Fiat 500 in a wig Peter?

[colwyn500]

Me in a wig, in a Fiat 500, yes, maybe. But a wig on a car?.....wierd.

[D4B]

yep quite bizarre

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2782095/Now-THAT-S-hairy-ride-Woman-spends-150-hours-covering-car-entirely-human-hair-s-worth-staggering-60-000.html

[colwyn500]

Isn't that revolting?

[Penman]

Hi
There has also been a fashion for greengrass cars.
http://tinyurl.com/plrzcp6
_________________
Bristols should always come in pairs.

Any 2 from:-
Straight 6
V8 V10

[colwyn500]

Seasonal greetings to everyone who has been interested in this thread over the last couple of years.
The car is well sorted now with "shakedown" complete and 300 miles under its tyres.
There is an indication that one of the front wheel bearings is shot but these are the originals and although cleaned and regreased I did have to overtighten a little for the MOT.
Next year I may be lucky and get chosen for a planned 500 mile tour of the West Coast of Scotland being organised by the Highland car club. I'm off West anyway in May for a few days and will be using the car as much as possible in my job.
England beckons in late summer and the European tour is being planned in more detail for 2016 now.
So I hope that any updates from now on will be more of a travelogue than a restoration but I will be delighted to advise any other 500 restorers out there.
Have a Happy New Year with lots of classic car action.
Peter

[kevin2306]

Well done colwyn

Hoping to get the singer out on New Year's Day but apart from that she will stay nice and dry till springtime. Just bought an optima maintenance charger for the battery so she is ready to go.
Ive enjoyed the resto you did and look forward to the travelogue.
What do you do for a profession?

Kev

[colwyn500]

I'm planning to get a trickle charger myself.
As for occupation, my main employment is as a photographer for a holiday cottage company. I also liase with owners about presentation and safety. We also have a cottage of our own:
http://www.unique-cottages.co.uk/cottages/highlands/ross-cromarty/eb2-red-kite-cottage?searchId=721c75b1-2ce3-4211-a0d9-eda7c6c09376
The job takes me to some fabulous placesdand some beautiful and remote roads. It will be further enhanced by using the Fiat when possible.