eurogranada
Europe
To tinker or not to tinker, that is the question...
Posts: 2,556
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Hey Chris, I've got to wonder... How does your wife take in all these little breakdowns? I know you've not been left standing anywhere for very long, and were able to effect some fixes that keep the car driving, but still... My wife would have been done with my car and hobby for sure! Hell she's almost done with my hobby because of me stranding a couple of times when she wasn't even there!!
One for the books that comes to mind typing this: my daughter recently came to me about the Granada and very carefully said: "maybe you should let a real professional have a look at the car". It was quite funny and at first I reacted (fake of course) offended, then I explained to her that the hurt of the car not being 100% ok, was outweighed by the "fun" of trying to figure out what is wrong and fixing it yourself... Her reply: "if that's how you feel than don't whine about it so much!"
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jamesd1972
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 2,922 
Club RR Member Number: 40
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Great trip, many thanks for sharing.
It’s 20 years since I visited the Schlumph collection so I’m sure it has developed a bit, the value of it all is too much to take in. I came away in awe but also pretty sad as very little of it was in running condition, bit like seeing Lions in the Zoo. Has this changed much? It’s one of the things that I like about Haynes - most of the stuff is still running.
James
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Hey Chris, I've got to wonder... How does your wife take in all these little breakdowns? I know you've not been left standing anywhere for very long, and were able to effect some fixes that keep the car driving, but still... My wife would have been done with my car and hobby for sure! Hell she's almost done with my hobby because of me stranding a couple of times when she wasn't even there!! One for the books that comes to mind typing this: my daughter recently came to me about the Granada and very carefully said: "maybe you should let a real professional have a look at the car". It was quite funny and at first I reacted (fake of course) offended, then I explained to her that the hurt of the car not being 100% ok, was outweighed by the "fun" of trying to figure out what is wrong and fixing it yourself... Her reply: "if that's how you feel than don't whine about it so much!" Alex - Madam is fine - it's all part of the fun - she is normally one to reach for the panic button first but having travelled with others in the club and experienced their breakdowns she is pretty much used to it - equally I never take her for granted either and always ensure that our accommodation is of a reasonable standard and that eating arrangements are also of a good quality standard - some people may think that Jowetts in particular are unreliable having read this thread - our Javelin is well kept & serviced but maybe this trip was half a trip too much for it given the advancing years of some of the components and at the end of todays write up you will see what plans I have place to resolve several issues that have reared their heads on the car. Great storey about your daughter - you will get sorted with your car when the time is right - 'it's just that life occasionally gets in the way' - sometimes more than what we would like to allow for - a fellow Jowett club member over from Holland liked this phrase when I used it during a discussion on the rally - so much so that he started to use it  |
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Last Edit: Oct 11, 2018 8:23:44 GMT by Deleted
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Great trip, many thanks for sharing. It’s 20 years since I visited the Schlumph collection so I’m sure it has developed a bit, the value of it all is too much to take in. I came away in awe but also pretty sad as very little of it was in running condition, bit like seeing Lions in the Zoo. Has this changed much? It’s one of the things that I like about Haynes - most of the stuff is still running. James James - Personally I don't think museums are the best place for cars - they may preserve the structure & fabric of the car but little else - has you state the best options all round for the cars is to keep them running - having said that future generations that take an interest in our pastime are going to have a battle on their hands justifying keeping the cars on the road and supplies of fuel available whilst the rest of world lays blame on the classic / retro car community for polluting the atmosphere - but that is whole different argument for car museums existing |
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This has been as facinating a read as any of your restorations. Thank you so much for taking the time to post it all. Can't wait for the dvd release!!
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My wife wont even sit in my estate. I kinda think she has tolerance for the RS as its similiar to an Escort we owned back when they were current. But we never use them together  I think she envision journeys to be a bit like yours in fact!!  |
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This has been as facinating a read as any of your restorations. Thank you so much for taking the time to post it all. Can't wait for the dvd release!! |
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eurogranada
Europe
To tinker or not to tinker, that is the question...
Posts: 2,556
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Hey Chris, I've got to wonder... How does your wife take in all these little breakdowns? I know you've not been left standing anywhere for very long, and were able to effect some fixes that keep the car driving, but still... My wife would have been done with my car and hobby for sure! Hell she's almost done with my hobby because of me stranding a couple of times when she wasn't even there!! One for the books that comes to mind typing this: my daughter recently came to me about the Granada and very carefully said: "maybe you should let a real professional have a look at the car". It was quite funny and at first I reacted (fake of course) offended, then I explained to her that the hurt of the car not being 100% ok, was outweighed by the "fun" of trying to figure out what is wrong and fixing it yourself... Her reply: "if that's how you feel than don't whine about it so much!" Alex - Madam is fine - it's all part of the fun - she is normally one to reach for the panic button first but having travelled with others in the club and experienced their breakdowns she is pretty much used to it - equally I never take her for granted either and always ensure that our accommodation is of a reasonable standard and that eating arrangements are also of a good quality standard - some people may think that Jowetts in particular are unreliable having read this thread - our Javelin is well kept & serviced but maybe this trip was half a trip too much for it given the advancing years of some of the components and at the end of todays write up you will see what plans I have place to resolve several issues that have reared their heads on the car. Great storey about your daughter - you will get sorted with your car when the time is right - 'it's just that life occasionally gets in the way' - sometimes more than what we would like to allow for - a fellow Jowett club member over from Holland liked this phrase when I used it during a discussion on the rally - so much so that he started to use it Well my wife could learn a thing or two from yours then! ;-) I like how you subtly address the balancing act between yours and hers needs on a trip like this. Shows the kind of man you are. Never met you, but I feel a somewhat kindered spirit... This thread and the latest installments do not make me personally consider this Jowett or any other for that matter unreliable in general. It's a car of a decent age that makes my 45 year old car look young so it's bound to go wrong every once in a while, even being well kept. It's us that get a little complacent as the thing has held so well on all the other adventures like the goodwood taxi service. I think it's a merit that only now at this age the car shows some (basic) faults as many cars these days will never even reach that age. Having said that: do you know how great it feels for us mere mortals that even the great and oh so capable and knowledgeable MrGrumpy is not impervious to the phenomenon of a road side break down?! Anyway, I'll stop taking thsi thread off track and let you get back to the story! |
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Oct 11, 2018 10:56:53 GMT
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Having said that: do you know how great it feels for us mere mortals that even the great and oh so capable and knowledgeable MrGrumpy is not impervious to the phenomenon of a road side break down?! But Grumpy on his other threads does bodywork and a bit of gentle servicing!! The engine and box work is done by someone else in the club.... So since you’ve got him off his pedestal you may as well give him a dust, but then put him straight back up I don’t see it as unreliable either, I think it’d expect to get my hands dirty in a 2000 mile trip in something of this age. There were a few small issues so far, and the gearbox problem... but in a modern car that would result in it being recovered I imagine |
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Oct 11, 2018 19:50:47 GMT
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Thursday 4th Oct: So today should be our last day of travel in order to return home - we had breakfast and left early our channel tunnel train booking was for 11:20 they like you to book in at least 45mins before departure   85 miles to go - I work on a 50 Mph allowance and round up slightly when calculating travel times - we left at 07:30 but had to refuel which should see us at the terminal for around 10:00 ish No issues has we arrived in plenty of time - stopping first for the booking in and they offered us a slightly earlier train but we were happy with the original 11:20 timing - then on to French customs who interestingly were swiping all cars for drug traces - then a further 150 metres to enter UK customs  Lucky me got to push the trolley for madams obligatory duty free shopping  Quite incredible when a spot of early light lunch and couple of coffees cost 25 Euros at Starbucks in comparison to the 23.50 Euros in duty free that we just expended on a bottle of 'Roku' (A good quality craft gin from Japan) Loaded up and ready to go - key in ignition - switch on - starter button depressed engine turns and over and over and over some more and wont start - train is now boarding - try again still no go - bonnet up and nothing amiss from a quick glance - try again still turns over but wont start - madam is now pressing the panic button and say's I will go and organise a later train booking - I get her to stay seated in the car and to not worry - unclip the distributor cap - all looks ok but a closer check to ensure the points are opening reveals a loose base plate on one side - simple tightening up of the screws - starter button depressed and the engine starts right up - she thinks I am a hero - I get a peck on the cheek off her has I engage first gear and let the clutch out - last call for boarding has just come up on the large screens in the car park  Boarded and en-route to Blighty    The M20 and back to driving on the right side of the road - well the left but you get what I mean  Round the M25 and a splash of fuel at Chobham Services -  Before arriving home and unloading - took the rest of the afternoon off Sid was delighted to see us and came to bask in the sun but would not leave our sides for the rest of the day just to make sure that we did not disappear again    A few days later I ran the Javelin over to the barn after checking the anti freeze concentration level  Removed the battery  One of Sid's distant cousins is constant rodent patrol at the farm and keeps the cars free of any small visitors that like to eat bits of classic cars So a very enjoyable trip that was slightly trying on few occasions - all part of the fun factor has far we are concerned but some components on the car are showing their age - I had planned to renew the wiring harness in a few years time but will now advance this work and undertake this winter - it's a pretty major undertaking has the harness travels down the offside of the roof which means that the headlining has to be removed which happens to be the same age has the wiring harness - 66 years old and will also require renewal - it's quicker to slide the engine out to do the clutch & gearbox and whilst the engine bay is empty it will also facilitate the wiring harness but I may has well clean the engine bay up and repaint it whilst everything is off / out of the car - I have a new distributor on the list too Keith one of my fellow Jowett Car Club members has done a lot of research & testing into remapping the advance curve on the Lucas unit so it will be supplied to his specs - there are several other things on the list too that I will also go through whilst the car is in the workshop You know me I'm always busy - we will be staying at home over the festive period so this is when I plan to undertake the works - in the interim I will gather all the parts & materials together - I shall collect one of my spare gearboxes tomorrow in order to deliver it on Saturday at our AGM to another fellow club member for a rebuild - onwards & thanks for reading |
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Last Edit: Oct 11, 2018 20:11:03 GMT by Deleted
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Oct 11, 2018 20:08:39 GMT
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Very enjoyable to take part in your trip via the written word, thank you. Nothing like triumph over adversity. I wish my mrs was like yours - she wont even ride in the pop unless forced.
I know you like originality but does it ever cross your mind to commit sacrilidge and consider modern underpinnings for the Jowett? A nice Zetec engine etc? I know you will smile and say NO!!!
However would you consider a nod to modernity with upgrades such as electronic ignition conversion etc? A modern harness will fix many faults, and will have the added bonus of allowing you some hidden extras such as USB connections for satnav/phone charge etc.
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Oct 11, 2018 20:20:07 GMT
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Nice trip and very pleasant report. Am a great fan my self of Switserland and made several trips with motorbike and MG. Very good roads and not much traffic and plenty nice vieuws with the mountains and lakes- Also visited the Schlump collection and like the Bugattis they have.
Sorry to read about the problems you had. The Javelin may not be the best car to drive on motorways as the engine capacity and output is not that high
Looking forward to your next restoration work
Peter
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Oct 11, 2018 20:26:51 GMT
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Very enjoyable to take part in your trip via the written word, thank you. Nothing like triumph over adversity. I wish my mrs was like yours - she wont even ride in the pop unless forced. I know you like originality but does it ever cross your mind to commit sacrilidge and consider modern underpinnings for the Jowett? A nice Zetec engine etc? I know you will smile and say NO!!! However would you consider a nod to modernity with upgrades such as electronic ignition conversion etc? A modern harness will fix many faults, and will have the added bonus of allowing you some hidden extras such as USB connections for satnav/phone charge etc. Mark - Hmmmm, nice thought but not on this car - However in the 'TOP' (Tomb of Projects) I have a pretty solid & straight Javelin bodyshell - it's been dipped too - thought is if we are going to do it lets do it with Jowett principals so that means a boxer engine but a more modern version - not a lot people know where Subaru attained their original boxer engine design from and they will never admit that it was more Jowett than it was ever Subaru so that would be the direction I would head in engine & box wise - rear axle would have to go too - retain the body shape - suspension is torsion bar all round and can be set / fine tuned so I would leave has it is - front brakes would require conversion to disc though - so the thoughts are there - finding time to do it is major factor and no way would madam allow another project on the go until I get more work completed on the house (well a project that she knows about anyway - there are several that she is completely unaware of that I own - thing is when you run a restoration business you can just say they belong to someone else if she ever asks) Scubby Javlin 2 litre turbo - its has potential |
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Last Edit: Oct 11, 2018 20:57:58 GMT by Deleted
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jamesd1972
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 2,922
Club RR Member Number: 40
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Oct 11, 2018 21:06:22 GMT
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Or Alfa ? Nice 33 engine on twin 40’s ? Or even the Lancia one the scooby was based on?
Keeping an eye out for a gt86 gearbox ?
James
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Oct 11, 2018 21:37:25 GMT
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Scubby Javlin 2 litre turbo - its has potential Well I have a Subaru Forester Turbo I'm about to scrap... |
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jamesd1972
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 2,922
Club RR Member Number: 40
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Huummmm grumpy’s skills on a modified classic wibble.
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Scubby Javlin 2 litre turbo - its has potential Would Scubby Jupiter 2 litre turbo - be a better project for such a tramsformation? |
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Scubby Javlin 2 litre turbo - its has potential Would Scubby Jupiter 2 litre turbo - be a better project for such a tramsformation? Not really practical from an economical point of view has regardless of how good the car was finished with Jupiters being rare you would half the value of the car than that if you left the original Jowett engine in the car - it's a bit like taking a nice E type worth £50k - then doing a Chev 6.5 litre conversion on it - regardless of what it cost it you to do and how good a conversion the car would have lost a large part of it's originality and chances are is that you would be lucky if it was worth £25k when completed. Javelins are plentiful in supply and unfortunately are very undervalued you can purchase a excellent car that wants for nothing for £10k ish - projects depending on work required are anything from £0 - £3k - so this provides a more economic platform to undertake the project upon. Now having said all of that there are a couple of club members that are racing Jowetts and advancements have been made with the original engine - new liners, pistons, cams & reworked heads along with better carburation & ignition have resulted in some strong performances of late - another advancement with the gearing of the gearbox has also brought good results which were previously unachieved - so it could well be that a reworked engine & box to race spec would give you the right results. That said where do you stop - you then need a disc brake conversion, then good wheels in order to fit a decent width of tyre - read custom made alloys at £5k + a set and it all starts to run away with itself - Considering that it would all take time that I haven't got either it would far better if I took the chicken route - spend £10 - £15k on a nice convertible Jag XKR |
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Last Edit: Oct 12, 2018 11:35:07 GMT by Deleted
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I came across these recently - buffing wheels that will fit a angle grinder  So I gave them a go on the cast alloy grille fins with some hard polishing compound  They recommend a angle grinder with a variable speed control and a rpm of circa 4000 - I currently don't have a angle grinder with variable speed but thought I would give it a go on a standard speed grinder (more like 9000 - 10000 rpm)  Good enough for me to see that they work fine but would be more controllable and generate much less heat into the workpiece with the lower recommended speeds - hence I shall be investing in a variable speed grinder (3 x the price of a fixed speed)  Refitted and waxed to prevent the alloy oxidizing - I will do the upper section at a later stage this week when I get chance If you make up a small extension lead, with a lighting dimmer switch in the middle going through the live cable, you’ll be able to slow your current grinder down, without buying a new one Great thread too. |
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Last Edit: Oct 12, 2018 8:34:03 GMT by pauly22
1994 BMW 525i touring
2004 BMW Z4 sorn and broken
1977 Ford Escort
1982 Ford Capri getting restored
1999 Mazda B2500 daily driver.
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Oct 12, 2018 16:43:23 GMT
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Absolutely brilliant story of your trip was delighted you managed to get the car back on its own wheels and not on a recovery truck/trucks think a lot of use would of bottled it and phoned the aa/Rac
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