Valve Bounce

All mod cons

I've been planning to install an automatic aerial for a while and have finally got round to it. I first big decision was which model to fit. I went for the Hirschmann (HIT AUTA 2040) all the fitting instructions and measurements are online which is very useful. This is a modern replacement ariel but at least it is made by the original suppliers to W111 Mercedes (and it is the model that all the dealers were selling at Essen) and can be found on ebay for £30. It has a stainless ariel and chrome fittings so does look the part. 

The installation was very easy. The car was already fitted with a manual aerial so the hole had already been cut in the front wing. The aerial fits very easily in the space under the wing as shown here.

I have a Becker Europa radio with a connection for an automatic aerial and the wiring loom has a connection for the aerial so it was just a matter of hooking up all the right connections.

SCCON Classic Car Run - June 2008

It must be summer...we had another weekend run this week up in Norfolk. It was organised by the Sporting Car Club of Norfolk (SCCON). We’ve been on this run for a few years now it is brilliantly organised and features a good range of interesting cars. It’s a very relaxed event and comes highly recommended by me.

This years route included some beautifully clear and testing roads and some good stops; a wildlife centre on the north Norfolk coast,  a working windmill (with a great bakery attached) and the first English distillery. So lunch was easy and very fresh, a dressed Norfolk crab from the Cookie Crab Shop and a couple of warm rolls from the bakery. All eaten out in the sunshine, it doesn’t get better than that…

The English Whisky Co. opened the St.George's distillery in December 2006 and is building up and aging it’s stock (whiskey must be aged for three years before it can be sold as whiskey). Look out for the first English Whiskey to hit the stores next year.

The car behaved immaculately as usual but the thought of the cost of a fill up with 60 liters of premium unleaded is getting truly frightening.

London to Brighton 2008

This years London-Brighton Classic Car run was run on 8th June with a start at Mercedes World at Brooklands. It was a very enjoyable event and we had great weather all day.

The start at Brooklands brought out a few more old Mercedes than usual; a couple of 200 W111 fin-tale saloons as well as the usual handful of CE coupes and Pagoda SLs. When we parked up on Madeira Drive I managed to get a few photos to compare the 200 and 3.5 coupe. 

Our stop on the way to Brighton was Batemans a secluded Jacobean house that was the home of Rudyard Kipling. It has been left just as he left it, reflecting his exotic tastes. There are fabulous gardens and a working watermill. Another treat was seeing Kipling's 1928 Phantom 1 Rolls-Royce which is still it it's garage and has a wonderful patina. Kippling was an enthusiastic motorist and because of the secluded nature of his home had a succession of early cars so that he could travel into London.

Our final check point was on Brighton seafront and a chance to have a rest, an ice cream and chat with fellow enthusiasts.

An Unusual Everyday driver

Spotted on a Notting Hill driveway this week, the choice of Italian filmstars and the pope. The Lancia Flaminia Berlina. Very nice to see one in use as I dont remember see one of these anywhere recently.

Hertfordshire open road

A great little road here for blowing the cobwebs away. Not many overtaking opportunities but some great twists and turns. This is on the way out of London so if you are in London it's great for a summer evening bimble.

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Mercedes-Benz Type W111 Heckflosse Classic Video

A great little clip here from an old Mercedes-Benz promotional film for fintales. Including some very frightening W111 coupe test crashes...

Enfield Pageant of Motoring 2008

I spent Saturday at the Enfield Pageant of Motoring.This is one of the biggest and long established events in North London, it's held over the bank holiday weekend, and is usually a very good way to while away a day. Fortunately Saturday was dry but I think it was the only dry day this year. This is most unfair as they seem to have had their fair share of wet whether in recent years, especially for such a welcoming event.

I usually spend most of my time looking around the auto-jumble and that's what happened this year. The jumble does seem to be getting smaller and smaller over the years. This year there was one less row and a lot more general brik-a-brak which was disappointing. I'm usually after good quality used tools (Snap-On or similar) but there was very little to see this year. I guess ebay plays a big part in this. I did spend some money on oil at Classic Oils a very enthusiastic and knowledgeable outlet for Penrite, highly recommended. Even engine oil is getting very expensive nowadays!

Overall I enjoyed to but I'm not sure I'll go next year (I bet I go anyway!). It's one of the most friendly and down to earth shows with a huge range of cars and trucks and deserves supporting.

Plus on the way back I discovered that the Volvo is losing brake fluid somewhere, I think it must be the Servo as I can't see any leaks anywhere, where are those spanners...