TimFF

I'm still about, just 'otherwise occupied' by the Mustang... Came across this rather sorry looking roadster on Saturday. It's 'parked' on a farm not far from me. According to the guy I was dropping stuff of with (who has the unit next door) it's with a mechanic / workshop for a gearbox and or a clutch issue. But looking at the weeds around it (note the one poking through the open hood, sorry, bonnet!) and the hood looking like it's open at the back plus a trailer board slung across the passenger seat, it looks like it's not going anywhere in a hurry... The other cars aren't parked anywhere as overgrown as the Zed. Dare one ask if it's anyone on here? TimFF

Assuming you're in England or Wales (Scotland is different), anyone can drop out of a chain at any point until contracts are signed (and that includes the day of signing) - at which point a financial penalty is incurred... Having been through a whole world of pain once trying to do it privately I'd strongly suggest you don't, even though it obviously increases your costs. What it does do is remove you from direct negotiation and if it turns out you're trying to buy from a fruitcake (see previous sentence) then the agents earn every bl00dy penny! I wouldn't remove our place from the market until we had a complete chain AND the financial viability of my buyer was proved to my agent. Be prepared for pain and hope for a small chain and no pain!

and to add another into the mix: http://www.design-a-canvas.co.uk/ We have a 4' x 3' canvas of theirs amongst quite a few smaller ones; all of them are as vibrant as viewing the image on a screen. Several are a few years old ad the colour remains the same, and none of the frames have moved. I'll use them again for sure.

Unless you arrive 'en masse' then you'll be split up as all you do is park on either side of the circuit, first in parks closest to the access point. Start / Finish straight is apparently 'reserved', so I guess they have a few star Vee Powers for there. Weather permitting I'm there too

Love the pitstop... Now, is mine where I left it?

Payment received and wheel / tyres now packed awaiting collection for delivery north of Hadrians Wall. Peter S, sorry, didn't spot your post but you were beaten to them. Tim

And another one who found that a bit of a surprise! But now comes the 'best' bit of getting another car - the 'what car' decision itself... Then the slightly less good bit, actually trying to buy one! I miss mine, but then I do see it anything up to 5 times a day! And hear it rumbling past... and of course have something for the weekend tucked way!

I love build threads! The hours I've lost to them... Looking forwards to more instalments! If you need stuff from the US and can afford to wait for it to come by container, then there's a well respected company I know of (wonder why?) who brings one over usually monthly. They also have a US credit card and postal address (Florida) which can be used if someone won't ship internationally.

Bump - we had our first frost last weekend so if you want to help me sort out my garage...

AIrwick Gatport AKA Gatwick Airport, well, within sight and sound anyway...

I had (briefly - it was a swap) a 1976 CX. The most comfortable car I think I've ever been in, and that includes a contemporary Silver Shadow and XJ6/Xj12... Bronze with beige velour - sadly I didn't take any photos. Quirky as heck though - the speedo was a revolving sphere, the high pressure hydraulics (suspension and brakes) meant you didn't have a brake pedal but a button which went from no brakes to full panic power in about 3mm of travel. You soon learnt the meaning of feeling the brakes. IIRC the GS had a flat four engine - the rear spark plugs could only be removed from below. It was such a good system, Rolls adopted it under licence. I kid you not. Long time since I saw one on the road, but a GS similar to the car spotted is run by a staffer on Classic and Sportscar.

And if you're really curious, you can work out when it was made and what it came from: http://mustangtek.com/FordDecode.html I'll get me coat...

The Post Office also now use the MID database and no longer need you to produce the Insurance docs - I've just copied this from their webpage: " How it works If you have a vehicle tax reminder (form V11 or V85/1 for HGV), bring it to your nearest vehicle licence-issuing Post Office branch along with: A valid MOT/GVT/PSVC if required – your vehicle tax reminder will tell you if you need this. Your MOT must be valid on the date from which the tax disc starts or the date the tax disc is issued whichever is the later. For disabled vehicle tax, you need to bring a valid Exemption Certificate Reduced pollution certificate if required Please note: Customers in Northern Ireland are required to produce a valid paper copy of the certificate of insurance or a cover note. Your insurance must be valid on the date from which the tax disc starts or the date the tax disc is issued whichever is the later."

Bump... Initial post updated

They are indeed. I'm now in a (storage) position to split if anyone is interested in just the Rays or the tyres.

My wife works with the elderly and vulnerable and sadly they are all too easily taken in by this sort of scam. She has contact with one elderly couple whose husband has so far sent over at least £10k to SA in 'fees' for his lottery winnings. He's been judged as not lacking capacity.

That will be a whole lot of fun... I did it on 2 wheels rather too many years ago now, make sure you include a bit of autobahn storming getting there or back - nailing it and knowing you're legal at 3 digit speeds is rather enjoyable!

Another vote for Abbey in Oxted, but Kaizer in Rochester are also well regarded if further away...

I had (and the Zed still has...) a Medallion Touring together with Berks HFCs and a Stillen Y pipe. Loud enough to be noticed when, er, making progress, but quiet enough inside and out when not and cruising at speed. Now I get to hear it from the outside it sounds as good as I thought it did from the inside!

Heading amended... Yup, a black one, he'd have been coming from Copthorne direction so the chances of it being someone else are slim... If you see me (you won't today!) feel free to wave, more than happy to show the car if you want - PM me, I'm only seconds from where he went spinnin'... I had someone literally slam on his brakes as he was passing the house yesterday and abandon his car to run over and take a look, much to the bemusement of a neighbour who was looking it over.

Yup, that was me. I've worked out I can get 4 tunnels in within a 20 min loop of home - A23 north under South Terminal (1), take exit for North, loop round service road under North Terminal (2), back under South (3) then home via narrow single track bridge (4)... Not today though, yeuch out there.

Passed me heading north, I was waiting to turn into Balcombe Road in the Mustang and ended up following you. Turned left onto Crawley Avenue slip road, gave it rather too many beans (and without TC on?), last saw you in 2nd of tank slappers pointing across the road heading for the bank... Trust it was nothing but an 'oh ****' moment.

I'll see what I can do about a drive by - not easy on oneself and with only a phone or an iPad to hand... I didn't rev it hard as it's still running in and it IS bloody loud (not quite 2 coke cans but...) and that was on a quiet evening...

So having finally persuaded my phone to part with a file, here's some audio... It's when parked in the garage only - turn it up...

Cheers folks... Been out cruising the streets of Sussex tonight - I did try to take some sound bites of it on the mobile but the computer won't recognise the phones presence on the USB cable... Not sure the quality of anything short of a pukka video camera can get across the rumble it makes anyway. It's not a car for the shy and retiring! I might try and sneak in to the next local Zed meet...