Hopeful March

                                                   March 2011

Tues.01.03.11. The new springs have arrived from Rimmers, I have arranged for Derek Roscoe to fit them next week. The rear registration plate brackets have been taken to Catterall and Wood to be re-made.

I have moved on, in that it has been a long enough time for me to realise that I must complete the project, set my own targets be the only one that should be accountable as well as critical. It has been easy to look outside for blame, but no more.

Fri. 04.03.11. Chris of Catterall and Wood has fabricated the rear brackets for £20.00: with a little filing and cursing they were eventually fitted to the vehicle. Derek Roscoe can fit the new springs next Thursday but this may need to be re-scheduled since Tim Brown can now take the car on Sunday, a week in advance of the original date. Considering that his work commitments sound more punishing, it is more sensible to delay Derek for one week?

Mon.14.03.11. Tim has completed the new cockpit trim. It is not a million miles away from the original but the fabrication is much more professional: £350.00 better, I am not sure? He stripped the old trim then laid the old leather on the frame to provide a maquette for the fibreglass mould. The profile was covered with polythene then one layer of stripped glass applied followed by larger pieces of ‘fabric glass’. Once removed the mould could be tailored until the perfect pattern had been achieved. A layer of foam, followed by the original leather completed the total assembly. 

Silicone bonded the trim to the tub and upper dashboard to ensure a solid permanent fixture.

Derek will take the vehicle tomorrow to change the front springs, tighten a few nuts but also tune the one and half inch SU’s carburettors.

Thurs.16.03.11. I have collected the car from Derek who has fitted the new front ‘doli’ springs, fully extended. As I requested he has also ‘tightened all the accessible nuts and bolts under the car whilst on the ramp; a very important piece of work, particularly when many were loose causing the rear suspension in particular to have too much movement. 

Also Graham who occupies the last unit in the yard has electronically tuned the carburettors, dizzy etc but needs to know the exact ‘Cam’ tolerances to set up the engine properly. I need to contact GKN for that information but after the engine rebuild undertaken by Engine Tekniks I suspect that they have probably been reconfigured.

The extended springs seem to have raised the overall ride height slightly; the rear wheels appear not to be as ‘angled’ as before: the front now dips marginally. 

The ride feels better, slightly softer at the front, more decisive at the rear: but, many more miles need to be completed before the definitive is achieved. The cost of the work was £65 for Derek, £25 for Graham. This could be possibly the final large bill for the build? 

A Winter of discontent

Sat.26.02.11. The article has been passed on but with seemingly little appreciation; I have missed my window of opportunity if there ever was one in the first place. I am not too concerned about the mood swings but slightly baffled as to the reasons. The situation has reinforced my belief to complete the project my self; the programme of work as well as the scheduling, is in my hands.

His reluctance to maintain his involvement may be borne out of ‘clearing the garage’, ‘a line under the entire affair’, ‘his own personal path’, ‘change, crossroads’, or ‘something at present, totally different’. Does he feel ‘out of the loop’, ‘in the cold’, ignored, forgotten. I have endeavoured for this not to be the case, keeping a distance that I believe would have encouraged reflection but not exclusion. Whichever tactics I have employed they have not been successful since having stored the Burlington at Marylebone contact has been unpredictable often irrational, sometimes aggressive.

Enough is enough I must have the self belief to conclude the final chapter myself. I must also refrain from making this claim but simply ‘get on with it’.

Sun.27.02.11. The normal vibrant atmosphere in the Oak was absent today. Arriving halfway through the set of the ‘Lazy River Jazz band’ sober, the usual suspects, a gallon ahead, were experiencing a different world that I was just peering into. Chris had several opportunities to nod an appreciation of the article but none was forthcoming. A line has been drawn. The glorious days of the pub may also have finished? A time for change, or is it just the Winter weather numbing everyone’s appetite for fun? 

Double garage

Not being able to rid the conversation out of my head I pondered during the rest of the evening at a possible outcome of this latest unfounded outburst. My imagination overtaking any logic or ability to rid my thoughts of a dispassionate conclusion to this continuous, relentless ‘see saw’.

There is a face off, who’s contributed more to the project etc...

“All you did was scribble away all day in between buggering off to France, whilst I was choking on tete dust. I provided the experience, knowledge and skills, plus all the proper contacts!”

“So you claim that I did not help in any way with the build?”

“Oh you did that alright, but everything you made was shite that I had to re-do over and over again, the only serviceable bits were made by your mates!”

“What about the design of the interior?”

“You took your fuckin’ time with that as well. Anyway, it finished up just like Colin’s first design, after all your ‘so called’ work!”

“That’s right, God Colin who built up the engine that lasted a magnificent two minutes before it seized along with the £400 head where, incidentally, the cam followers had been re-assembled in the wrong order after ‘someone’ had ‘fiddled’ around with them!”

“That’s because you were too tight to have the block blasted clean in the first place. As for the head someone had to sort it out after it had been thrown together by those conmen in the south. Anyway, you’re just being picky now; it’s was a good thing that I was there or else you would have made a complete balls of everything with your come day, go day approach. Now that it runs you can’t even be arsed to drive the fucking thing!”

“The weather has been against it really; every time it has been dry I’ve been out!”

“You have only completed 1000K over the last year; in the past when I could drive, I could have done that in a day, you lazy bastard!”

”I am not the one who has taken 4 years to assemble a kitchen, in fact I’ve built a fuckin’ house in 2 years, in a foreign fuckin’ land. I didn’t just walk down a flight of stairs to the work place; I had to drive 900 miles before I could open the door!”

“I’ve done that kitchen all by myself not with the help of tradesmen. I even re-plastered the ceiling because the job had been botched by a so called professional. Besides all that, you’ve not appreciated anything that I’ve done, not once have you said thank you!”

“Not true, I have always thanked you for spending my money even twice on many occasions. The number of times I have bought simple parts such as nuts and bolts only for you to lose them in that shithole order of a garage!”

“You could have always taken the car away and finished it yourself!”

“I would have done if I had a double garage!”

“Oh the truth is coming out now, so you only put up with me for 5 years because I have a double garage!!”

“Correct!”

Hissy fit

Fri.25.02.11. I couldn’t wait to tell Chris the great news about the interest shown by ‘Complete Kit Car’, the possibility of a double feature ‘bigged up’ by Ian Stent, once the car had been finished; but there was a less than enthusiastic response. In fact he was more concerned with whether or not buying a new set of springs was wise given that the present ones worked perfectly well enough. Having the trim above the dash sorted out by Tim didn’t float his boat either or the important ‘push’ to finish. I am becoming increasingly concerned as to how Chris interprets the final days of the project.

The order for the springs has finally been dispatched to Rimmers. The ‘doli’ springs are 10.5 free length with an ID of 2.65. Although only £15 each with Vat and delivery they come in at £48 .00. But, importantly as reinforced by Max they should be perfect for the job.

However, later down at the Oak what I had assumed earlier in the day was indifference, may possibly have been anger. Chris arrived into the pub with Doctor Dave, they both seemed as if they had already had a drink or two: after half an hour or so he approached both Jo and I requesting the promised photocopy of the article from CKC.  Having had quite a busy afternoon I had been unable to fulfil this request. 

Typically, he irrupted into the, by now, usual tirade of “I have spent the last five years of my life building this fucking car for you and you can’t be bothered to ..etc...etc”

I must admit I am increasingly pissed off with this unwarranted reaction. Last week bursting with ‘bon amie’ itching to finish the vehicle showing off, proud and eager, today a red faced pussy in a hissy fit. I must tread my own path: end of. 

Double feature

Weds.23.02.11. Posed by Ian Stent, there has been more question marks regarding my motives to ‘promote’ the Burlington at Stoneleigh. Do you want to market the car? Just to ‘show off’ the build quality? Are you targeting mainly inside or outside the kit car world? They are all relevant questions that I have already personally answered, but being questioned for the first time by a person within the industry has meant a serious review of the master plan. Constructing my reply modestly I included the following responses, ‘oh it’s the simple build that evolved into the monster’ ‘the design decisions running parallel to the engineering considerations’ ‘the good, bad and very ugly characters encountered on the way’ or, simply ‘a very unique vehicle as well as an extremely compelling story’.

                                                                                                            

Thurs.24.02.11. Astonishingly, Ian suggests that when the car is completely finished he may want to produce a double feature describing in detail the rebirth of a ‘very unique’ vehicle.

So much so that I have since contacted Tim Brown of ‘Gabbat and Brown’ to have the dashboard trim finished properly, Bob of Robsport to quote for new ‘Doli’ springs for the front suspension: the call to Bob came after a conversation with Max of Totally Triumph and John of Paddocks, neither of which could supply the parts but offered the name of ‘Robsport’ as well as the ubiquitous Rimmer Brothers. Listening to Max brought back some history from the past: his forthright opinions, masked with apparent sympathy for the useless amateur again punctuated with his customary edge ‘If you don’t know what you are doing you shouldn’t be doin’ it!  

I need to promote the project!

 

                                            January 2011/ February 2011

Mon.03.01.11. I have contacted ‘Complete Kit Car’ magazine, principally Ian Stent, the editor, amongst other people in an effort to increase the profile of the ‘story’. Remarkably, he has returned my mail indicating that he will spend a few days reading my blog to see if it would be of any interest to the magazine.

Sun.16.01.11. I have had several outings in the vehicle to stump up the miles but the weather and the reluctance of Chris to become involved has restricted any serious tweaks. But, after each trip there were marked improvements as the engine loosens up, suspension settles; plus I am driving the vehicle increasingly confidently, definitely assured, more proficiently.

I have left for France today having not had a reply form ‘Complete Kit Car’. Not that I expected much but nevertheless I have mailed Ian giving my schedule but more importantly, my difficulty in picking up electronic ‘mail’ unless I visit my local cyber cafe.  

Sun.20.02.11. There has been no response from the ‘mag’. I must endeavour via my blogs to generate much more interest: but how?

Tues.22.02.11. As an opener, there was nothing to lose ‘mailing’ Ian Stent of CKC in the hope that he has in fact read my blog. Within minutes a reply came through to the effect that there was a small feature ‘in the club section’ of this month’s mag outlining ‘The resurrection’ of a Burlington. Excitedly, I immediately purchased a copy to discover that on page 39 of the March 2011edition there was a half page spread about the car. I equally and rapidly returned my thanks with a further request as to how I could spread the gospel further afield. Perhaps a visit to Stoneleigh Kit car show in May? 

Slow but positive progress

                                                    November 2010

Thurs.18.11.10. Alan has fitted four new tyres to my pristine 15 inch Minilite wheels. Road race tyres ‘Avon 175/65R Zt5’. The cost is a little unknown at this moment in time since I have bartered the tyres for ‘wine’.

                                                    December 2010

Thurs.09.12.10. I have returned from France to an extremely cold spell. Chris had phoned earlier in the week to ask if I had actually added anti-freeze into the radiator, considering the extreme zero temperatures that had engulfed the UK for the past three weeks. I had, before leaving, covered the Burlington with a variety of ‘sheets’ etc. but nothing really of real substance: I obviously, could not also remember whether or not I had carried out the simple procedure? The previous winter the vehicle had been stored in ‘Slick’s’ temperature controlled garage; so no problem there.

Fri.10.12.10. Today has been the first opportunity to visit the garage at Marylebone. Gemma had arrived the following evening so Sam and I trawled up complete with 500mls of anti-freeze. Luckily or thankfully, the core plugs were still intact and showed no signs of leaking water? There was also no ice was in the radiator. The car sparked up after a few turns, with no sinister grumbles so after glugging in the ‘mix’ I wrapped the engine in fleece blankets covering the front and rear with the old original hood and the ‘ex’ tonneau. Fingers crossed everything is ok?

Sun.12.12.10. It has been a bright but cold day. I took the opportunity to run the car locally to swish the anti-freeze around the engine block. Again I could not detect anything too untoward so returning to Marylebone I again wrapped her up knowing that the following week promised even colder weather.  

The new wheels and tyres remain in the dining room. I suspect that they will only be ‘offered up’ next Spring?