1985 Honda Acty Show Truck

Message from Ray...



Things are looking good again on the driveshafts and rear suspension side of things.

Is this you?

The Fresh & Minty Store - on the book of face

@freshnminty.com

You sell stickers?

Today started out with a train from Birmingham to March, well after the morning school run and a breakfast in the trocadero pub on temple street in Birmingham.



After I read the metro newspaper I went onto this...



Arrived at three months ago at 1:40pm ...



Ray picked me up and took me to the magic station. How she looks with an extra 2” of height out back ...



I then proceeded to fit universal split boots which glued together nicely and seemed to have done the job - although I’ve not checked since I fitted them.

After leaving I took a few photos down the road ...







The truck was driving nicely all afternoon and when stuck in traffic I spotted that it hit 1500 (well at least 100,000 + 1500) miles but remember that it went round the clock on my journey picking it up so about 1600 in my ownership...



Stretch legs stop off 1hr 30 from destination, truck still driving as expected and getting lots of smiles from other cars, even got a toot toot from what I think was a Mitsubishi l200 towing what I think was a racing ford popular on a trailer.



It was on the next leg of the journey I started to relax and really appreciate how fun the truck is. The accelerator pedal mechanism really does feel like driving a dodgem or go kart when you slap your foot down on it. I mean it’s not particularly fast but manages to keep up with traffic and is fun gripping onto corners winding down and up hills through the new forest.

Arrived at the site (field next to a pub) at 8:30pm. Five hours since I left Ray’s but it must have been a good journey because it didn’t feel like half that long. And I was on my own. And I had no stereo for accompaniment. Just me, my truck, and my ear defenders blocking the sounds that the truck makes.



I wasn’t the smallest pickup there! Behold another of my desires, although not as much as a microvan because I didn’t know they existed until September 2015, a daihatsu midget...








Tesco run done, too late for barbecue so my evening refreshment...



Let’s hope she behaves to make it the 4 miles to goodwood in the morning.

Night night. X

That daihatsu looks like the one that was for sale in Middlesbrough they have some retro's & obscure Japanese vehicles

A small selection....

For those intrigued about the scale of the Acty, here it is between a mk1 golf and a mk(1?) caddy...




And think how narrow even they are compared to modern cars!

Mein Gott!

The Troc is still there?

MANY a very very incredibly very drunken night was had in that pub in my youth in the 80's. I can't believe the place still exists. It used to be utterly bonkers in there of a Saturday night back in the olden days. They did always do a legendary breakfast too so it's good to know some old Brummie landmarks are still going strong.

I’ve been meaning to update my thread since players show but seem to have been busy doing nothing this week.

Any way Saturday morning came around and I made it to the show, as per my size comparison photo above, but only after breakfast made on my cute little barbecue for one, a present from mrs minty...



Arrived at show and parked up...



Higher side panels are on but just to prove it still is on the floor...



After a lovely day wandering around some fine machinery it was time to leave but as the marshals had clocked off by then I sneaked around to the privileged area and took some size comparison photos...





The Acty is not two miles away, it really is parked next to the MAN truck...







Saturday night back at camp (field next to a pub, immediately next to a train track featuring very high speed trains pinging past my tiny tent every twenty minutes)...



Tea time ...



Back on it Sunday, papped on way in...



... and timed it well to be out of the sheds in the sunshine...



Time for breakfast...



Then I saw this...



A genuine mooneyes dealer at a UK show was a first for me, maybe usually they stick to VW shows? Any way my bank balance limited me buying the whole stall but I did come away with these...



I have more “me time” at car shows than any other time so I wanged out my toolbox “ooh-er” and after fiddling around and getting frustrated one was in...



Followed soon after by its brother, even at a matching angle.







*Flicks imaginary dust off shoulder *

If you think you’ve seen it before you must be thinking of the little robot on batteries not included...



The rest of the show day ensued, chatted to lots of good folks, well friendly anyway, they might be right bar stewards under the surface for all I know but as long as they’re chatty and friendly and interested in what you’re doing on the outside that’s what counts. For me.

I headed off, all was well until clang, clatter clatter clatter which upon inspection led to ...



A quick change into my scruffy clothes and pair of 19mm spanners later and I was on my way again, spending the rest of the journey 160 miles, pondering whether the broken part was actually needed or not, and whether something else had caused it to break.

I decided that as i made it home without issue all is fine and that the longer rams has caused the issue because at maximum height the panhard bar wouldn’t be long enough to reach the new diagonal. I’ve also decided it’s not actually required as all the rear axle is a fixed length any way and the setup is all fixed to that. Will see how i get on.

You need some mini moon eyes for that Schweppes crate now ^^^