general melchett Posted November 26, 2020 Share Posted November 26, 2020 Quote Just Imagine if they had designed the Spitfire.. If it had been British''All out, brothers''Leyland then they'd never have been built....and any that had, would have rusted through before they left the factory... Great memories of push-starting my friend's 1971 MGB Mudget on damp winter months, the ones we are so fond of here in blighty. On one occasion, to give it a fighting chance at starting we managed to persuade a couple of mates to help us lift the thing into the middle of the road, well away from the water filled curb. Once on the open road, it was a cosy arrangement, I'm 5' 11'' and he was 6' 2''...mind you he also had a TR4a and Spitfire Mk 1, which weren't much better, we drove just about everywhere with the lids down, (heaters had packed up eons ago), wrapped up in Irvine jackets and woolly hats, (no goggles, we needed all the peripheral vision we could get in London traffic). All part of the allure of British 'sports' cars. 2 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
perdu Posted November 26, 2020 Share Posted November 26, 2020 54 minutes ago, general melchett said: If it had been British''All out, brothers''Leyland then they'd never have been built....and any that had, would have rusted through before they left the factory... Great memories of push-starting my friend's 1971 MGB Mudget on damp winter months, the ones we are so fond of here in blighty. On one occasion, to give it a fighting chance at starting we managed to persuade a couple of mates to help us lift the thing into the middle of the road, well away from the water filled curb. Once on the open road, it was a cosy arrangement, I'm 5' 11'' and he was 6' 2''...mind you he also had a TR4a and Spitfire Mk 1, which weren't much better, we drove just about everywhere with the lids down, (heaters had packed up eons ago), wrapped up in Irvine jackets and woolly hats, (no goggles, we needed all the peripheral vision we could get in London traffic). All part of the allure of British 'sports' cars. Ah YES I remember it well. 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Space Ranger Posted November 26, 2020 Share Posted November 26, 2020 On 11/24/2020 at 6:45 PM, LorenSharp said: Fine example of British Engineering.... Just Imagine if they had designed the Spitfire.. Well, the cockpit door might have cracked and fallen off … https://www.mgexp.com/article/crack-of-doom-repair.104 The only body problem I had with my GT was a sizeable dent and crack in the aluminum ("aluminium") hood ("bonnet") caused by a grapefruit-sized hailstone ("hailstone") resulting from a Texas summer storm. A new hood ("bonnet") had to be ordered from the UK ("blighty") as there apparently was none to be found anywhere in the US ("HM's Former Colonies"). That took 6 weeks ("3 fortnights"). 2 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
general melchett Posted November 26, 2020 Share Posted November 26, 2020 Quote Ah YES I remember it well. I thought you might, Bill..........ah, the despair, the disappointment, the hyperthermia, long-term back and neck problems and not to mention, of course, hit on the cheque book.......for the all that, I wouldn't trade a second of it. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corsaircorp Posted November 26, 2020 Share Posted November 26, 2020 5 hours ago, general melchett said: I thought you might, Bill..........ah, the despair, the disappointment, the hyperthermia, long-term back and neck problems and not to mention, of course, hit on the cheque book.......for the all that, I wouldn't trade a second of it. I found a brother of speckled Jim on here Dear general !! Belgium share these misty mornings... Thanks to Mars, Jupiter and so on... I did'nt see and fixed a ...Austin Allegro... 7 hours ago, perdu said: Ah YES I remember it well. Another one that you surely remember, when the dispatcher said An Austin Allegro or a Simca 1100.... You were sure to scratch your fingers in drying the spark plugs leads and whatever you got havin' a good electric shock !! That was the time !! I remember once, I was drying a Simca 1100, the 2 hands on the Delco and the stupid driver tried to start... Oh god, my lips were dried by the cold and everything opened up and my head get on the bonnet I got my mouth bathed in blood and bleeding from the head !! Swearing like an Hussar !!! The guy asked if everything is OK, I cannot reproduce my reply on here, I will be banned... But that was... How can I say ?? Explicit... Sincerely CC 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fjaweijfopi4j48 Posted November 27, 2020 Share Posted November 27, 2020 On 11/22/2020 at 5:33 AM, Martian said: I have been enjoying the short periods I have spent on the model. Martian 👽 Glad to hear, Martian! 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonH Posted November 27, 2020 Share Posted November 27, 2020 16 hours ago, general melchett said: If it had been British''All out, brothers''Leyland then they'd never have been built....and any that had, would have rusted through before they left the factory... I remember reading an account about the early days of Spitfire production at the Supermarine works that were not too dissimilar to that what you describe abovely. I wish I could put my hands on it. It may even have been in Morgan and Shacklady. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
perdu Posted November 27, 2020 Share Posted November 27, 2020 8 hours ago, corsaircorp said: I remember once, I was drying a Simca 1100, the 2 hands on the Delco and the stupid driver tried to start... Oh god, my lips were dried by the cold and everything opened up and my head get on the bonnet I got my mouth bathed in blood and bleeding from the head !! Swearing like an Hussar !!! The guy asked if everything is OK, I cannot reproduce my reply on here, I will be banned... But that was... How can I say ?? Explicit... Sincerely CC I recall when they would always hit the starter as my fingers were in contact with dynamo or alternator pulleys and drive belt. The excitement of snatching fingers out of the zone of ultimate peril----- On the whole I am glad I retired, very glad. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corsaircorp Posted November 27, 2020 Share Posted November 27, 2020 3 hours ago, perdu said: I recall when they would always hit the starter as my fingers were in contact with dynamo or alternator pulleys and drive belt. The excitement of snatching fingers out of the zone of ultimate peril----- On the whole I am glad I retired, very glad. Agreed 200% Come on CC, a little 7 years left !! And the day I retire, I will never again put my hands on a car... Except mine, and my kid's cars, well, that's still a lot !! Okay, I forget it Errrr, I saw a good used car on the web, 60.000€, it is called T-55... A bit heavy but simple and reliable machinery... Sincerely. CC 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
general melchett Posted November 27, 2020 Share Posted November 27, 2020 Memories come flooding back, frozen fingers trying to reset points, ripping knuckles to bits, trying to change leaking fuel lines and handbrake cables, cack filled fuel pumps, ruining your best penknife adjusting spark plug gaps, vacuum leaks, fuel logged carb floats, rust (remember that?), the list goes on...thank the gods for modern technology, the one that ends up costing you ten times as much and spending more time in the garage than your beloved jalopy from the jurassic period, due to you being unable to work on anything more complicated than changing the brake pads... Yes, there's a lot to be said for retirement....all, good. 1 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry1954 Posted November 27, 2020 Share Posted November 27, 2020 39 minutes ago, general melchett said: Yes, there's a lot to be said for retirement....all, good. I'll second that! Terry 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
perdu Posted November 27, 2020 Share Posted November 27, 2020 I do have to say it, if it breaks these days - find some other beggar to fix it Even probably on the Midget, I am just 'car'-red out and totally uninterested. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnT Posted November 27, 2020 Share Posted November 27, 2020 In defence of the MGB I bought one that was just about three year old and had it for 18 years. Only things done were 1 new alternator, 1 new radiator fan when bearing seized and cheaper to get a new one, a few replacement exhausts, bare metal respray when the black paint oxidised to bluebottle blue and the seats reupholstered and new carpets and new hood Sold it for twice I paid for it too. Now the MGB GT V8 I also had was a whole different beast. Race tuned and tickled it was about the fastest car I ever had. At least it was in a straight line. Wasted GTi hatchbacks all over the place. 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ex-FAAWAFU Posted November 27, 2020 Share Posted November 27, 2020 Mighty fine to hear from you, my green friend. As you will have seen, we’re all still just as bonkers here and doubtless will still be spouting fluent man-vegetables when you come back more regularly. Take whatever time you need; we’re thinking of you! 7 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tornado 01 Posted November 29, 2020 Share Posted November 29, 2020 On 11/22/2020 at 7:54 PM, Pete in Lincs said: F'nar woof bark! Glad to hear you are still persevering @Martian Small steps, My friend. And, I found this to keep you going... Rearguards and best wishes, Pete On 11/22/2020 at 7:54 PM, Pete in Lincs said: F'nar woof bark! Glad to hear you are still persevering @Martian Small steps, My friend. And, I found this to keep you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tornado 01 Posted November 29, 2020 Share Posted November 29, 2020 On 11/22/2020 at 7:54 PM, Pete in Lincs said: F'nar woof bark! Glad to hear you are still persevering @Martian Small steps, My friend. And, I found this to keep you going... For someone that worked for a now non existent partwork ish company... 😉 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tornado 01 Posted November 29, 2020 Share Posted November 29, 2020 Can someone delete my first duplicated post... I can't seem to get it to delete..... And the comment I posted also hasn't appeared. Either way The Build your Own rocket Partwork would be fun..... 😉 Speaking as someone that worked for the creators of the Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft, Warplane, Take Off, Airplane, War Machine etc etc, Hope all goes well Martian. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
general melchett Posted December 8, 2020 Share Posted December 8, 2020 I had a long chat with our favourite Martian a few days ago and pleased to report that he's feeling more his old self (I put this down to the tentacles) and is currently working on a few simpler builds, to keep his mojo going as much as possible. They seem to be doing the trick. I won't elaborate any further until he feels up to posting his thoughts here but he extends his thanks to everyone for their thoughts and concern and wants you to know that things are slowly improving for him. Andy 9 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry1954 Posted December 8, 2020 Share Posted December 8, 2020 46 minutes ago, general melchett said: I had a long chat with our favourite Martian a few days ago and pleased to report that he's feeling more his old self (I put this down to the tentacles) and is currently working on a few simpler builds, to keep his mojo going as much as possible. They seem to be doing the trick. I won't elaborate any further until he feels up to posting his thoughts here but he extends his thanks to everyone for their thoughts and concern and wants you to know that things are slowly improving for him. Andy Thanks for the update Andy. Sounds like better news continues. Will be having another chat with him myself in the not too distant future. Terry 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corsaircorp Posted December 8, 2020 Share Posted December 8, 2020 Hello Dears, I'm glad that our Alien friend is growing better !! Stay safe you all !! And thanks for the updates ! Patient CC 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LorenSharp Posted December 8, 2020 Share Posted December 8, 2020 1 hour ago, general melchett said: I had a long chat with our favourite Martian a few days ago and pleased to report that he's feeling more his old self (I put this down to the tentacles) and is currently working on a few simpler builds, to keep his mojo going as much as possible. They seem to be doing the trick. I won't elaborate any further until he feels up to posting his thoughts here but he extends his thanks to everyone for their thoughts and concern and wants you to know that things are slowly improving for him. Andy Thank you Col. The wonderful news about Martian is probably the BEST Christmas present I've had in a long time. 2 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marklo Posted December 8, 2020 Share Posted December 8, 2020 Good to hear. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martian Posted December 8, 2020 Author Share Posted December 8, 2020 Many thanks for all the good wishes Earthlings. The latest news is that I have had another talk with the shrink and she is scheduling treatment for January. I have to do two group courses and then move on to individual therapy. I am a bit worried about the on line group therapy as they seem to be the first sessions she has tried on line and she sounded rather apprehensive as to how they are going to work. Still, we have to start somewhere. I have managed to sort out the fin on the T4 Canberra and will post some pictures when I have some more to show. I have also got an Horizon Mercury Atlas spaceship ready for paint and have started on a Mercury Atlas. These will not be subjects of a WIP as I don't want to put pressure on myself as my concentration is still very hit and miss and extreme fatigue continues to be a problem. Although these are frustrating, I am less concerned about them since my other shrink told me that this is quite normal in these situations and that they will improve with time. The good news is that I have been enjoying the Horizon kits and that I did feel up to picking up the Canberra T4. I am sure that the B(I) 8/12 will come along as well as soon as I can bring myself to get on and make the wiring looms for the bomb bay. Martian 👽 27 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marklo Posted December 8, 2020 Share Posted December 8, 2020 I have me and diabetes so I can at least empathise on the physiological issues. Model making is a wonderful distraction from both of these; but I do sometimes find I put myself under pressure to progress builds and post clever stuff and it can be easy to forget that it’s about enjoying the hobby and I’m getting it wrong if it’s actually stressing me. Anyway good to hear you’re on the mend, stay safe and get well and if we can help, we will. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brandy Posted December 8, 2020 Share Posted December 8, 2020 Good to hear from you again Martin, and great to hear that things are moving in the right direction. Every journey begins with a single step, and all that...... Best wishes to you and Mrs M! Ian 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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