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At the beginning of the month the UK was covered in snow, nothing compared with the real snow folks in other countries get but enough to bring the transport network to a halt. My parents are packing up ready to move down to Cornwall and they asked if I would take some stuff to the local tip (Refuse centre) for them. As I had just changed the oil in Lucie for some Morris straight cut 30 oil and fitted a new Purolator MF6105 oil filter, I thought the 16 mile trip would do the van good. So I loaded her up, got to the tip and they wouldn’t let me unload as I was in a van ... a 3-wheeled van at that. So, I had to come all the way back home, attach the towing hitch to my Jaguar, load up the trailer and take all the stuff back to the tip. Crazily, a large car with a trailer is no problem, a tiny van and I’m not allowed in there!!?
The car tax also ran out for Lucie this month and as she is classed as a “Historic Vehicle” it was wonderful to receive a tax renewal notice that stated 12 months tax would cost ... wait for it ... NIL. It’s the best tax renewal form I’ve ever had. I applied for it online and five days later a nice mew shiny one came through the post. Strangely I also got one for Ole Blue whose tax also ran out this month even though the car is long gone so I had to write and tell them before I got lumbered with a fine.
I reported last month that the leak from the back core plug seems to have stopped so despite buying two new core plugs, I didn’t fit one. For some strange reason the core plug has decided to start leaking again though not by much. On a journey of 2 - 3 miles water loss was barely noticeable so I whilst I’m not too worried about it at the moment I shall have to change the core plug soon. At least with it having no water pump and working on a thermocycle there is never any pressure there so if need be, even when hot you can take the radiator cap off and check the water level.
The Regal Mk VI has combined indicators and side lights with a dual filament bulb. I decided to move the side light up into the new headlights I bought though wanted to keep a Mk VI look with clear glass indicators. At the same time I wasn’t sure what the MOT man would think and also thought amber indicators may be safer on the road ... rather than some one crash into me and say I have a dodgy sidelight as it kept flashing!!!
To get round this I purchased some silver indicator bulbs off ebay. The bulbs are silver and when fitted look like the normal clear bulbs. However when switched on they give a great amber light. I was most pleased with the result.
I also now have two side lights working. When Geoff fitted the headlamps we only had one sidelight bulb and so only fitted the passenger side one. I then decided to leave it for filming for The Royal as I though if I had to have my lights on, the look of a blown bulb might give the van a more run down look. I actually then forgot all about it and it wasn’t until I went to the tip at the beginning of the month that I got out of the van to put it back into the garage and noticed I only had one side light.
I’ve cleaned the lights up again no from the paint and shoe polish that was making them look old though now bright shiny lights look a bit strange on a van that looks totally run down. So much so that when ever it is parked outside my house people cannot believe that it actually does go. One elderly chap even commented, “You’ll never get that going again”. He probably was quite surprised when a few moments later I drove it down the street and over took him.
Go to Part 2
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