With all the discussion on MOTs that I seem to have sparked off, I thought you
would all like to know that Daffy has passed! Total cost was a mere GBP486
($750-ish?), but most of that (GBP275) was paying for someone else to weld
some new outer sills on - hopefully a good investment, won't need any more
welding for a few years. Also GBP76 for a new pair of rear tyres, GBP56 for
the sills and endplates (Steelcraft pattern pieces, not originals but good),
GBP15 to retune to get emmissions in spec, GBP8 for a new set of brake pads
(surprisingly not only available, but cheaper, from a general parts dealer
around the corner), GBP32 for the test itself. Painful, but all money that
needed to be spent for Daffy's survival.
Graham, you will be pleased to know that I am quite happy with the sill work -
very tidy job, doors now shut better than they ever did, all old rusty metal
gone. Only problem is that I didn't want to pay for painting right now, so
they have just been painted in black stone-chip. The bottom couple of inches
always were like this, and I thought that looked OK, but it is now a bit
funny, as the black curves up at the front all the way up to the gap to the
bonnet. Fortunately, she will be in for her minor accident repair (did I tell
you all about that about a week ago?) in a month or two's time, so hopefully I
will pursuade TRGB to touch up the sills then, since they will have the paint
mixed up and the sprayer out anyway.
This place - just a general garage, not a tuner or a classic specialist - did a
superb job on the tuning. Legal limit is 4.5% CO, Spitfire design spec
(according to the chart on the garage wall) is 3.5% +- 0.5%, he got it to
2.88%. HCs were 330 ppm (legal limit 1200 ppm). I guess this should improve
my fuel consumption a little - both figures were about 3 times the limit
before he started. I can always judge my consumption quite accurately - I
should be able to make 3 return journeys to work and be down to my last drops.
If I run out a few miles before I get to work I'm running badly (but keep a can
in the boot for such eventualities), if my needle is visibly above the empty
point on the scale I'm doing well!
Just thought I'd share the good news - this is the first time for months that
there hasn't been something wrong with her that has needed urgent fixing!
Well, apart from the accident damage, but that is not bad, and can wait.
Richard and Daffy
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