Retro Rides Gathering 2011 Moves To Prescott Hillclimb Gloucestershire

[kitten75]

Hi

I know I've not been on here for a while but am so sad I won't be able to make it down...had every intention of trying however my Fiat is a little poorly at present plus with my uni course I'm going to have to study every weekend from now until October, boo!

Hope everyone has a great time and can't wait to see the pictures...

Mhairi

[smallcox]

Kitten 75, sort it out, everyone needs a brake, how about just for the Sunday.

As I feel I got bet buy a Smart Car last time (for the last time), I have fitted a monster front anti roll bar but got to give a test drive to see if it's made an improvement in the right direction.

Retro Rides is getting nearer

Well looking forward to this show, best one of the year I reckon

[Darrell]

  better get mine running again hadn't I 

[bis13]

i am up there friday see you anon,

[smallcox]

First one there buys the drinks

[bis13]

nah that should read first one there first one pished....

[Darrell]

Charging battery, found tent, see you tomorrow pm-ish
07850 328007 is me

[thepuddlejumper]

Travelling down Saturday should be there late afternoon, wont have the 126 still not running well after the roasting last Sunday. Fraser is coming with me with no weekend pass so booked b&b for Saturday night 3 miles away from venue see you all there.

Ralph

[1973/126]

 Ralph just make sure you've got plenty of space in your car, or a roof rack
 We are coming down on Saturday. Hopefully should be there before mid day.
 We`re taking the van, so anyone after something let me know...
 See you there guys.

[stuey]

Have a good time guys I will be there next year Even if I have to drag it on a trailer! 

[thepuddlejumper]

I think it's going to take 6 hrs to drive down, so an early start.  Will be in my corsa, I know it's not the 126 but at least I will make it down.  The car will be empty so pleanty room for the spares.

Ralph

[Amateb8]

We are looking forward to the drive. It will probably take a couple of hours drive from north London. It is going to be fun! See you guys there!!!!!!!

[Rusty's Uncle]

Made it back from the Retro Rides weekend , just  
It was touch and go if I would made make it in the first place as my "new" engine was now showing the oil light on most of the time so it was kind of a do or die exercise. Some strange things going on in the oil department which defy logic  
Gearbox all seemed fine on my "new to me" 126 which I have been working on like crazy for the last few weeks trying to get it sorted for the event. However it had the most bodged up gear linkage I have ever seen along with broken mounts so the gear change worked some how but was horrible.
Replaced / rebuilt the whole lot the whole lot and things worked better but there still seemed to be a problem.
1st gear became hard to engage this morning and sometimes jumped out then getting the car onto the clud stand at the rally site this morning we had to reverse up a steep bank. My car made it but with a few odd noises which I thought might have been down to a drive coupling. Later on I had to move my car only to discover that I now had no reverse & 1st gear. So decided tio leave early to give myself a chance of making it the 80 miles home. Pulled out of the front entrance to the site in 2nd then found that it was impossible to engage 3rd. Ok so it was going to be 2nd and 4th all the way which is very interesting in very rolling Cotswold countryside  

[Rusty's Uncle]

continued ...........  It was hard work with only 2 gears and trying to nurse a sick engine. Had the sat nav set on shortest route which took me on a very scenic route up hill and down dale but some of the hills seemed to go on forever. The sat nav also kept reminding me how many more miles I had to go and they seemed to be clicking down very slowly !
I had to try and keep the momentum up and stay in 4th when possible and with almost exactly 50 miles to go , crossing a valley floor, I hit a series of 3 unsigned hump backed bridges. Almost took off on the first one then got quite a throw on the next ones. There then came a very long reasonably steep climb which I got half way up before the car had an almost total loss of power. The engine would tick over or attain medium revs but it was impossible to pull away. Thought I might have thrown a plug lead so had a look in the back but no obvious signs of a problem. I rolled back up a bank so I could get a bit of forward momentum and managed to pull away and just about managed to crawl up the hill. I pulled up thinking it was all over and switched off the engine. Checked a few more things but no joy. Restarted the engine but no power. Then I wondered if the rough ride on the bridges had stirred up something in the fuel system so pulled on the choke and the gave the engine a good rev, pulled away and we were back in business. I kept the sat nav on all the way home even though I knew the way. I just wanted to hear it say "You have reached your destination" 

[Amateb8]

Rusty, glad you made it home safely! I was so lucky to reach the Retro Rides (RR) venue having lost three of four coupling screws approximately 10 to 15 miles from Cheltenham which was the time I started to hear strange noises from the rear. I felt a bit guilty drving the car mostly at 70mph+ despite my best efforts keeping the speed down to 60mph. Anyway, I took everyone's advice not to risk driving back to London in its condition and rang my breakdown cover. The rescue lorry arrived at 3:20pm, just amazingly, 20 minutes late. Left RR before 4pm. Arrived home at about 7:30pm. I know all have a quite a distance to drive, so hope everyone got home safely as well.

It was great to see everyone there. It was great to meet Ralph (and his son?). Many, many thanks for everyone's knowledge and support particularly Bis13 and Rusty. Ladislav, it was good to see you and many thanks for bringing all my stuff. Steve, you have an amazing car. I was hoping that you would drive the car around the circuit. Darrel, you were right about the coupling. We did not get a chance to do a deal on your treasure trove of Bis parts - perhaps next time. Pete, I took your advice and moved the car to the RR entrance. The rescue vehicle actually drove passed as its sat nav instructed him to do so. He made a u-turn when he noticed my car, so he could have arrived sooner.

I need to buy a new drive coupling and perhaps risk driving it the nearest garage.