:: Diary - January 2026 ::
:: Thursday, 1 January 2026 ::
Happy New Year to both our readers!
Time to start thinking about spring and getting wee sports cars ready for some fun outings! Obviously, that will be after the snow storms that are
reportedly on the way. It's too cold in the garage for some jobs, and to cold (and salty) outside to be taking cars for wee trial runs. What's a
git to do?
Well, one way to occupy the time is to browse classic car ads, pureky to check current values of the cars that I already have, you understand. But
what's this? I pre-cat Griffith for sale? Hmmm... Oh no, what's this for sale by the same seller? A Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow? Which of those is
likely to be the greatest moneypit though? It's a close contest.
Anyway, I remember the chant of the true car buff:
Who are we? - Car enthusiasts!
What do we want? - More Cars!
Where will we keep them? - Fuck knows!
I'm not ready to sell either of the two I have. so it looks like they'll be staying.
:: Monday, 12 January 2026 ::
It's a bad job, is it not, when you reach an age where you have to keep telling people that you're still alive? Got a message from the other reader
today, asking if I was OK because I haven't updated the website in a fortnight. Well no, but that's because it has been feckin' freezing here
since Christmas, so working in the garage risks hypothermia. Yes I know I have a heater (or two) but that's not the point - why freeze your
wossnames off for something that isn't urgent?
So instead I have been languishing in the house, doing various wee jobs, or going out and about to do interesting things between storms, when the
weather has been reasonably bearable. So I'm not quite dead yet.
I've also been asked to do a wee lunchtime presentation to a local group on TVRs - mainly the history, but a wee bit about mine as well. I've only
got 45 minutes though, so what do you leave out? It's not until March, but I've set up the talk and 40-odd slides already, just to keep me in the
house so that I don't slip and break my curly-wurly.
Today, though, I've been left without grown-up supervision, and it's reasonably mild, so the garage beckons!
First bit - I want to spray some rust-proofer on some of the inaccesible bits of the Vixen's chassis. It has been painted, although there are wee
chips in places, and seems to be in pretty good condition underneath. I want to keep it that way! I painted in some of the chips, but I didn't
quite get the right shade of light grey...
Lift it, wheels off and get underneath with a sprayer. I'm using Lanoguard - I used it 2 or 3 times on the Porsche and it seemed to be pretty
effective. I've also treated Mrs Git's VW Beetle and that seems to be holding out well. It's great stuff, but they sprayer they give you in the kit
isn't - it's a wee hand pump thing, and I've got 3 of the bloody things but none of them work, despite cleaning them out carefully after each use.
So I went out the the garden centre and bought one of those pump-action pressurised 1-litre spray bottles, so let's try that.
It's magic! Well, after you sort the spray pattern. It doesn't take too long to coat some chassis tubes underneath, with particular attention to
the sill tubes.
Wheels back on and lower car!
I've just renewed the Vixen's insurance, and they need photos so that they can renew the agreed value. So I start it up and move it out of the garage
for its passport photos - both sides, then front and rear, then engine and interior.
The engine is nicely warmed up after all that shuffling about (and because I left it running while I chatted to one of my neighbours) so it's an
ideal time for another job - checking the ignition timing. My timing light isn't exactly new: I think I bought it when I had my Escort (the Ford
car, not a professional lady - I'm no US President) in 1979 or something. My aging eyeballs can only see my aging timing light in the dark - so
with the car in the garage and the light off, I find that it's too far advanced - maybe 15 degrees BTDC.
When I go to adjust it, I find that I've used all of the adjustment in the wee distributor clamp plate, so I need to stop the engine and loosen the
distributor itself and retard it a bit. Then I tighten up the main clamp and re-check the timing - still at around 15 degrees - but now with
adjustment available! I set it to 12 degrees BTDC and tighten up the clamps, then check it again to make sure it hasn't moved during tightening.
That's not a bad way to spend a morning, so I pack up, then spend ages washing Lanoguard off myself before submitting the agreed value photos, and
then writing the website!
Plenty of life in the old Git yet!
Erm - maybe I HAVE reached a stage where I shouldn't tempt fate like that!
:: Tuesday, 13 January 2026 ::
Not much to report today, except that I'm still alive.
I did spend quite a lot of the day tidying up the garage and then cleaning the Vixen - it was covered in wee marks and fingerprints as a result of
the various jobs I've been doing and also soapy water run marks from the episode of testing the back window seals.
Nothing too major, but it does look nice!
:: Wednesday, 14 January 2026 ::
Jesus this is hard, thinking of car stuff to do every day, so that I can write about it to pre-empt emergency calls to ambulance services. It's a
responsibility, right enough...
There are signs though. I remember, not too long ago, when the main factor affecting when I started on the car, was "when it gets light". Recently,
it has been "when I can eventually be arsed to get up", which this morning, was almost 3 hours later. So, with most of the morning gone, it's (past)
time to start!
Today I am going to start cleaning the S. First I have to move the cars in the garage so that I can get the S on the left side - where it is, it's
right up beside the garage wall. That maximises working space around the car that's parked on the left, but it means that you can't get in to clean
the far side. So - both cars out, and I decide this is an opportunity for a photo of both TVRs together - I don't think I have done that yet!
There's 91 years of TVR history, right there!
Then I reverse the Vixen in, as close to the far wall as possible, then turn the S round and park it in the middle of the space that's left. That
lets me get both doors open, and work around it.
The reason that it's nose in, rather than reverse, is because the ramp lifts I have, lift the car forwards as well as upwards, and if I reverse the
S in and lift it that way, it lifts forwards against the garage door, so I have to open the garage to make a space in front of the car to raise the
bonnet. Then, if the lift is fully up, and I'm not careful, the back edge of the bonnet can hit the garage door when it's up-and-over, and we don't
want that, do we?
If I put the car in forwards, I can open the garage door, park its arse in line with where the door would be, and then lift it forwards into the
garage, where there's still enough space, at full lift, to get the bonnet open, and I can still get into the stuff on those shelves, and get around
the back of the car without opening the garage door again.
"Ah but yeah, but no, but," I hear you say, "why not put the car in arse-first and then lift it backwards?" Well, aside from the potential
garage-door / bonnet clash, there's another issue. Because of the way the levers in the lifts work, they lift the car up and over the base, which
is fine - but when the car first lifts, the back support under the car is around half a metre behind the back edge of the base. If the lifts are
going to tilt, that's when it's gonna happen - when the weight is furthest offset from the base. So I always make sure that I'm lifting TOWARDS the
heavy end of the car, to keep the most weight above the base and keep those bases on the ground - forwards in TVRs, backwards in the Porsche.
There's no warning in the instructions about that, but to me, it seems to make sense, even without a degree in engineering. Oh wait - I've got one
of those too, a long, long time ago! You wouldn't think it, seeing me struggling to hold a spanner the right way up...
So with that accomplished, I start to clean the S, starting with the paintwork - just a spray and a wipe with detailer at this stage, and it comes
up not too bad. I'll maybe give it a proper polish later, where I see some tiny swirl marks. Or I might not.
:: Saturday, 17 January 2026 ::
I been continuing to clean the S over the past few days, finishing off the paintword...
and then the engine bay - a wee touch of polish on the metal bits, a wee touch of cleaner on the rubber hoses and painted bits.
and then today, the interior.
I've also cleaned up the wheels and tyres, but I forgot to photograph them. How many photos do you need anyway?
I've just finished that, when I get a delivery - it's the new inner wheel arches for the Vixen! It's been ages since I ordered those, and they're
made to order in the colour you want, and I did tell him that I wasn't in a hurry for them, because there's still plenty time to fit them before I
need to use the car (famous last words eh Adrian?).
Before I can fit them, though, I'll need to seal the underside. I have some epoxy primer (although it's grey) and I spray that on to seal the
fibreglass against water penetration.
I think I'll apply some black stonechip or something to help with sound deadening. I order some from Euro Car Parts, which is around 7 miles from
here, on the edge of Edinburgh. The journey home is a nightmare - is there something about 3 o'clock in a Saturday that brings out the dopiness? I
encounter at least 3 other drivers who seem to be driving in a coma. I had better not get started...
We're also looking into attending the Big Bad Wedge Fest in England in June. Dave, Eric and Bobby all have Wedges, so I understand why they might
want to go. I've never been, in all these years, but I think it could be good - at least they organise stuff for the weekend, not just a static
show.
Of course, I could wait to see what our TVRCC Regional Organiser might be planning, but I won't hold my breath.
:: Monday, 19 January 2026 ::
Yesterday I set up my makeshift spraybooth again (by clipping a tarpaulin to the garden fence) and spray a tin of stoneguard onto the inside of the
wheelarches. Coverage is pretty good!
Here's the driver's side one (upside down) after a second coat of stone guard in some of the tricky bits. You can see on the right side, the "dimple"
that the brake master cylinder will sit in. On the left (under the plastic bottle) is where it will be mounted just beside the radiator.
Now I need to leave those to dry properly, while I get the old ones off the car!
:: Wednesday, 21 January 2026 ::
Right, let's have a go at fitting these inner arches to the Vixen. Let's start with the passenger side because, well, why not?
The first bit, obviously, is to remove the old arches. There's a wee screw at the top of the arch, and one at the back at the bottom, at the bottom
of the wing. Then a bolt to a bracket just behind the radiator, and finally a clamp with 2 bolts, to a chassis tube in front of the footwell, and
the arch comes free!
Here's the old one (at the top) and the new arch for comparison.
So onwards to fitting the new one! It doesn't slide into place quite as easily as the old one - that extra overhang at the front makes it more
difficult, but after a bit of pushing it around, I get it into place, and mark up where I need to drill holes for that U-clamp at
the rear. I also notice that I need to shave a wee bit off the bottom front corner, where it's gonna dig onto the steering rack boot if I leave
it unaltered.
I take it back out, drill it, cut that corner off and then fit it back in.
Here's the front of the old one. You can see how exposed trhe back of the light and the underside of the bonnet are.
Here's the new one - much better protection! A big rubber seal around that edge, and she'll be fair dinkum mate!
Here's the old one around the suspension. You can see the mounting bolt behind the radiator, and the two bolts at the back on the ends of the u-clamp
around the chassis strut.
Here's the new one - again you can see the mounting bolt behind the radiator. The new arch comes much further down over the chassis, but leaves more
space around the suspension. In this photo, I've already trimmed a bit off the corner above the steering rack, but I've marked where I plan to take
off a bit more, to allow for suspension movement.
The next step is to take that back off, and shave that bit off, and also a little edge at the lower rear corner where it screws to the wing.
After a couple of goes at shaving wee bits off, I get it in a better position and drill a wee hole for a self tapper at the back of the wheelarch,
and then another at the top.
Here's the re-shaped bit over the steering rack.
After a frankly ridiculous amount of time faffing about with drills, cutters, sanders and hand files - it's fitted! I need to put shorter bolts
in the clamp though - they are sticking out too far.
That's the easy side... the drivers side has the brake master cylinder in the way, and has the heater intake mounted to it as well. I don't have
time for that today - it's too near dinner time and priorities must be set.
I only had a couple of hours, because I had an eventful morning in Edinburgh. First, the bus driver noticed my TVRCC jacket, and ended up chatting
for ages (this was me getting on at the terminus so he didn't care about the time).
Then when I got off the bus, I was walking up the Royal Mile when I saw a group of police excort bikes, then a black BMW and a Range Rover. Convoy
stops, Range Rover empties itself of various burly-looking security boys and girls, then who gets out of the car but Princess Anne.
So I walk away from there, and less than 2 minutes later, this young woman comes sprinting and dodging through the crowd, and past my shoulder.
Just behind that, there's another woman who starts shouting "stop her, she's got my bag!" Unfortunately, she's already past me and round the corner.
I take 2 steps round the corner, and there's the first woman sprinting, surprisingly fast, up the far side of the street, whith the other girl
still shouting but falling behind. Then this big guy appears from the other side of the road, moving like a rocket-propelled brick shithouse, straight
across the street and flat out into the thief woman, and pushes her straight into a shop doorway (A Subway sandwich shop if you really must know).
She wouldn't have known what hit her or where he came from.
Woman 2 snatches her bag back, there's a screaming match then woman 1 takes off up the street again. They let her go.
It's all just too much excitement for a single day... I was glad to get home and retreat to my wee cold garage.
Busy morning tomorrow again, so I might not get back to the car until Friday.
:: Thursday, 22 January 2026 ::
Didn't get to the car until late afternoon, but after yesterday's practice, fitting the right-hand arch took a lot less time!
First I remove the old arch. The process is the same as the other side, except that there's an air duct to the heater, with a fan in the end just behind
the radiator. I unplug the fan and unbolt it from the old wing. The wiring loom to the front lights etc also runs along this side, amd is clipped
to the inner wing, so I undo those clips as well.
Fitting the new wing is tricker than the other side, because you have to guide it past the brake master cylinder. It fits by putting it upwards into
the space, leaning back towards the chassis, and then tilting it outwards into place. Again, I have to cut a corner away for the steering rack, and
mark where the chassis u-clamp has to go.
I get that fitted back in, and clamped into place, and drill for the mounting bolt behind the radiator, and then for the screw at the top of the
wheelarch. With those all bolted into place, I drill a wee hole for the wiring clip, and another bigger one for the mounting bolt for the heater
fan at the front of the duct.
Here's the arch all fitted, with the heater duct in place. You can see how the brake master cylinder fits into that recess in the arch moulding. I
still need to reconnect the fan wiring, and then clean all that fibreglass powder off both arches.
:: Friday, 23 January 2026 ::
Time to finish these wheelarches! Not much to do...
First, I need to secure that heater duct to the inner wing, and then wire up and test the fan in the end of the duct.
Next, I fit shorter bolts to those u-clamps. No wait, I'm lying - like the lazy git that I am, I cut off the excess with an angle grinder.
Then I measure the gaps around the arch when the bonnet is shut, so that I can buy an edge seal to fill that gap.
All that's left is to clean up the inside and outside of the arches, and then brush and vacuum all the shit that has accumulated inside the front
of the bonnet, on the back of the headlights etc.
Wheels back on and lower to the ground.
:: Saturday, 24 January 2026 ::
You would think that I had nothing better to do, and in this weather, you'd be right.
The first job today is to clean up these arches. They haven't been painted or finished - they are "straight from the mould". I'd like to get them
a wee bit shinier if I can.
I start with some scratch remover - spread it on, rub it in, and polish it off. Then I wax the surface and buff it up.
They come up not too bad at all! They're not perfect, but they'll do.
I've ordered seals for the top edge, they're not due to be here for a week.
In the meantime, I clean up some other wee bits, then clean the interior, starting with the dash and instruments, then a quick vacuum of the
carpets.
:: Sunday, 25 January 2026 ::
Since I moved both cars here from the farm (last March) I've had limited workbench space - partly because I narrowed them down, but mainly because
the worktops I have are full of clutter. DSo the first job today is to tidy that up a bit, so that I can put tools there instead of all over the
floor!
When I took the Vixen for its MOT last April (on the day of that the bonnet got smashed in on the way home), it had an advisory of slight wear in
the offside front wheel bearing. I did have a quick look at it while I was doing the bonnet, but I couldn't feel any noticeable play. Today, I
decide to look more closely, and there is the slightest trace of play. I take the wheel off and pull out the locking split pin. I tighten the
castellated nut by about 1/3 of a turn (2 flats of the nut) and check that the hub still turns easily. Then I put in a new split pin and replace
the wheel.
Next is a job that I've been meaning to look at for years. The nearside rear tyre on the S has a slow puncture somewhere. It's REALLY slow, it
takes months to lose half its pressure, so as long as yopu remember to pump it up before you go anywhere, it's fine. I would rather fix it though!
I had aa go at it before, spraying the whole tyre and wheel with soapy water, but there wasn't a bubble to be seen.
So I jack the car up and remove the wheel. I notice in this photo that there seem to be a lot of dead leaves blowing around inside the garage!
Then I go round the tyre methodically with the soapy water, first the tread, then the seals round the rims. No sign of any leak...
Then the valve... the bubbles are so light as to be hardly noticeable, but there's a definite "fizz" of air leaking around the valve stem hole. It
needs a new valve, so I need to take it in to a tyre shop. OR... I'm sure Jock has a tyre machine along at the farm... I haven't been there since I
moved out, so maybe a wee social visit is due?
Finally for today, I write an advert and put the old Vixen wheelarches up for sale - surely somebody has a use for them?
:: Monday, 26 January 2026 ::
I was in two minds about this tyre valve - well, three minds actually...
One option is to try to take the tyre off on my own. It's not hard to make a bead-breaker with a trolley jack and a ratchet strap, and that would
let me get my hand in to change the valve. But first I neeed to buy a new valve...
Second option is to take it along to the farm, and hop that they still have a tyre machine so that I can do it there. The machine would be easier,
but not quicker, by the time I get there and back...
Option 3 is take it to the tyre shop round the corner, and get them to do it. Minimal effort, they're not going to charge much, are they?
Fuck it - option 3 it is. I take it round and leave it. when I go back a few hours later, they give it back to me - all fixed and no charge, they
remember me buying tyres there before.
Defitely the easiest decision! I check it with my soapy bubble water, and it seems to be ok. Set it to the right pressure, and we'll see how it
goes, eh?
I'm struggling with my tvrgit email address - it lapsed, I didn't notice, and now I can't access it. I'm trying to set it up again anew, but I
can't get it to work. If you've emailed me on that address in the last few days, and I haven't responded, that's probably the reason. Or it might
be that I couldn't be arsed.
:: Wednesday, 28 January 2026 ::
The edge trims for the inner wings arrived last night. Well to be honest, they could have arrived any time during the day, because our new Amazon
driver taps the door like a virgin knocking on the door of a harem on her first day - she has to do it but she doesn't really want to. I realised
the parcel was on the front door step at around 8pm.
Anyway - today is fitting time! I cut them to length (a metre each side) and then throw them into a bucket of really hot water to make them more
pliable, to go around the tight radius at the front bottom corner of each arch.
Once they are warmed up, fitting is a dawdle!
You can see that with the bonnet shut, there's still a wee gap at the front, between the bottom edge of the arch and the edge of the bonnet. It's
still much better than before, and will protect the back of the lights etc, but I might have a think about a slight extension to the arch, like a
little reverse mudflap, to fill the gap a bit better.
Overall, though, I'm happy!
I'm also happy that I managed to fix the email problem - the service provider was directing new mail to their old email server, and I couldn't amend
the MX record from here. After a wee on-line chat with a man in New Orleans, it's fixed!
