Pistonpoppers MotorJournal.

If you can laugh and joke with one another, it goes a long way.

15? Now look here Mr PP, you have been my get-out-of-jail free card for a while now. Everytime i buy something, i can state as a defence when questioned "but look, pistonpopper has waaay more cars than me!" And i imagine i am not alone in the trick, If you go and get too sensible what will we all do!? 😂 just stay above 5 and i think we'll all be safe 😊

Being sensible for a mo (unlike me this!) You are being wise. Better to allocate time well and not stretch yourself to thin. Otherwise you enjoy what your doing less i find. Or you never get the time at all!

Glad the escort van will be restored, as i am a sad git for old 80s/90's fords i was wondering what wiuld become of it. I reckon i see more mk4's than mk5's though!

Right then, as i have the morning, or possibly maybe the whole day off due to the old boiler needing a good service... No, not Mrs Pistonpopper, this one...



It packed up about three weeks ago, and we've been without heating or hot water since! The heating bit isn't so bad, but cold showers every day has been a little brutal! Anyhoo, as i have this new found time on my hands i thought you guys might enjoy a little update. And not a retrospective update like the previous ones, lets talk about something current, lets talk about the now, the future. The future's bright, the future's orange... Erm, well, yellow!



Last night Mrs Pistonpopper decided that i needed to run to the supermarket to get a few supplies, so i thought that i'd give the fantastic StreetKa a bit of an outing. Pistonpoppet the younger decided that she was tagging along, we got outside, she looked at it, and just said, "Roof down Dad!" I said, Roof down? Are you not cold enough?! She just chuckled and told me that it would be fine, it's the Spring!! So roof down it was! We made a decision not to go to the nearest Supermarket less than a mile from Pistonpopper towers, but one thirty odd miles of twisting country roads away instead.



It was chilly! Not so much for Pistonpoppet the younger who was tucked down in her booster seat, behind the windscreen, with the side windows rolled up, and the heater going full chat! And to be fair, about 97% of me was warm too, but the 3% of me that pokes up above the windscreen, the 3% of me without any thermal insulation, that bit was cold bitterly cold! I really think that the few folicles of hair that were left on the top of my head got frozen solid, and then the wind blew them off!



However, it has to be said that as we blezzed our way along the winding country roads it was a beautiful night, the inky blackness of the night sky was punctuated by the stars shining like diamonds. Pistonpoppet the younger said that she had never seen the stars shining so brightly, and pretty much spent the whole of the drive looking up at the night sky in awe. She was telling me how beautful it was, the "stars shining like diamonds" bit was one of her descriptions of the sky. As we drove along, and i was getting colder on the top of my head by the second it was great to listen to her talking about what she could see, and how amazing it was to her. This, for me is what it's all about. Making these memories with my little girls who may well remember things like this, the night they drove with Dad with the roof down, in the freezing cold, looking at the stars while he drove along. It's simple things like this, something that costs no money (until we got to ASDA) but its so easy to do, and my kids love it, and to be fair, i love it too!



Anyway, half an hour or so later we cruised into the carpark at ASDA, and i got out to buy myself a hat! We wandered around ASDA for far longer than i we needed to be there while i waited for my head to thaw out a little, even with my newly aquired hat my forehead still felt cold lol. But by then we had a trolley full of supplies, and we headed back to the car park. The boot of the StreetKa is surprisingly big, and swallowed our groceries with ease. But the one thing i don't get about the StreetKa, and i remember thinking this when i had my previous one. Why isn't there a lock on the boot on the outside of the car? Why do i need to insert the key in the door to unlock it, then insert the same key into the door on the cubby hole between the seats to open that, and then insert that key once more into the lock at the back of the cubby hole to unlock the boot!! Madness! It's a good thing i'm not the moaning type!



With the boot full of groceries, and Pistonpoppet the younger full of chocolate we jumped back into the car, I looked at her, and she said "Roof up Dad." I thought to myself, oh thank goodness for that lol, but said to her, roof up, are you sure? Ive just bought a hat! "Yeah" she said, "you looked cold on the way here!" As it was getting late and it's still a school day i decided to take a slow cruise along the motorway home. As you drive along in this thing with the roof up, it is very well insulated, I had to turn the heater off in the end! I remember being surprised by my first one i had, and how warm it is and how theres not really any more wind noise than there is in a tin top car. Its not even drafty! For what was essentially a cheap little convertible, the quality of finish is pretty good! Before too long we were pulling up outside Pistonpopper Towers, i lugged all the shopping inside the house in one go! Why as men do we do this? Why not make two or three trips? I dunno, but i guess it's a man thing as pretty much every man i know does this! Look at me, i'm so strong i can carry 11 bags of groceries! I know if i was at work i wouldn't be able to do this, because the health and safety nazis would tell me it was too heavy! Anyway, i do like this little car, and i liked my first one too, for just driving about and having fun they are brilliant! Pretty much all of my male friends tell me that i look like a gay when i drive it, and some of them wont even set foot in it for fear of what people think! Personally i'm having way too much fun driving my StreetKa to worry about whether someone thinks i'm gay or not, and besides, whats wrong with being gay anyway? I must admit, i do wear some pretty outrageous sunglasses when i'm out in it with the roof down in the sunshine, i reckon even Elton John would have reservations about wearing them lol. But surely this is all part of the fun of owning a car like this.

Moving on, but sticking with the colour yellow for a bit if thats all the same to you. I found some wheels for the Proton...



Taking it from rusty wheels shod with cheap plastic bin lids to...



A rather splendid set of alloys which previously called a MX-5 home. Although they only cost me £20 plus fuel, I'm still not 100% sold on these yet, although they fit i've got them on massive spacers to clear the hub. I'm either going to have to machine the centre bore our about 1.5mm, or just keep on the spacers which mean that they do poke out just a tad! I'm also wondering about painting the raised spokey bits a bright glossy silver, and painting the flat lower bits in a matt finish grey, kinda like primer. I wonder if that would look good. I guess you'll soon all know! Of course, i'll probably change my mind completely and fit something else!

I reckon i followed onto this thread from your twelve cars thread. Though that thread was awesome, this is better Still! your updates are always very entertaining, interesting and well written. Besides i enjoy this thread muchly, so i reckon i would have found it and bookmarked it with or without 12 cars, it would have just been a matter of one of them leading me to read the other, whichever i read first! Cycling thread also excellent, though i wonder why Klunkers? I hoped it was to do with Klunk from Dastardly and mutley in their flying machines! 😂

And your point regarding your kids, and the free little treasured moments is right on the mark. Good for the soul stuff like that.
Despite the now increased risk of jail, i await more culling and other adventures updates! ☺

I did as well if I'm honest, but then bookmarked this and your cycles thread because both are full of content that pleases me. You've had a few cars that I've often thought I'd like to own and it's nice to see a real world review of oddball cars.

Also, if you ever want to rehome the Ertl A team van by your boiler, drop me a pm

I came to this thread because of the 12 cars thread. Have no shame in saying it but I bookmark this because I enjoy your writing Style, it's very personable and I feel like I know you, that and I'm waiting for you to sell the pickup lol.

12 cars brought me here and lead me to the klunkers thread as well. I liked the idea of 12 cars in a year and remember thinking what a class idea it was. Of course, having no idea where it would lead or what models would be involved, how would they be chosen, would there be a budget, etc, etc.
anyways, thoroughly enjoyed reading every word so far and looking forward to reading many more

I think most of us are glued to your threads due to being so jealous that you have such and understanding other half.

I'm limited to four "toys" cars at a time, get granted around three hours a year to work on them and if I go out for a "drive" for no apparent reason I get accused of having an affair 😂

i was referring to his original Talbot, which i believe is tucked away somewhere