1972 ST Clone

[jb]

You are very brave to venture out in that monster in the wet
I look forward to seeing you

[sladey]

Thanks Kirk - what a lovely write-up - feel like we were there with you and can relate to all the mixed emotions and constant swearing.

Thank you fir your kind words. Hopefully see you tomorrow at C&M?

I would have loved to have come but I’m in France with the family

[BILLY BEAN]

Thanks Kirk - what a lovely write-up - feel like we were there with you and can relate to all the mixed emotions and constant swearing.

Thank you fir your kind words. Hopefully see you tomorrow at C&M?

I would have loved to have come but I’m in France with the family

Enjoy your holiday.
Kirk.

[BILLY BEAN]

Long time no post.
Hardly use the car after August 2025. Indeed from I think September no use at all. Started the ST up a couple of weeks ago for a short trip around the potholes. The car has never like starting from cold. Hot starts are no problem at all. On the first journey out I found myself enjoying the power it has and questioned why I was contemplating selling it. Got back home and could not open the front lid to attach the CTek. At this point there was a bit of swearing. No actually a lot of swearing and now selling seemed a great idea. Several attempts to open up but on pulling the release the lid would only come up a little and no way was I going to get it open. Visions of cutting holes in the front lid
( can't get myself to call it a bonnet) to get at the release mechanism. These thoughts are now the old bloke's domain. Could things get worse ? Of course they can. Creeping pessimism? Actually more like galloping nihilism. Emergency call to Gary Cook of GDC and took the car to him the next day. Mr Magic Hands had the thing open in a trice. Relief. Which reminded me I had just driven for an hour and nature needed to be attended to. On the journey back home, despite the delays from cross rail and HS2 road works, I was a happy bunny. OK happy-ish. Must not get emotionally carried away.
To be continued. Must cook dinner.
Fully intended to complete my scribbling after dinner. However, drinking two large glasses of 13.5 alcoholic content wine hit the spot rendering any further thought, other than languishing on the sofa, out of the question. The following day being bright and sunny was ideal for a drive out .......
or gardening. Fatal mistake. Got bitten by a Blandford fly. A 2 to 3 mm long black fly that never sees flight above 500mm above the ground. This little insect is distributed through the UK but particularly prevelant in Oxfordshire where I live. Tiny bite on my calf. Lower leg ballooned up to twice it's usual skinny size. Red itchy, hot and painful. Still is despite lashings of Hydrocortisone. BEWARE BLANDFORD FLY.
Took the disassembled seat runners from the 911S to get clear zinc plated. Difficult to find anyone close by to do the job quickly. Ended up going to Hounslow some 58 miles away. The things we do for our cars. Bonkers.
The ST has a niggle always has had it. A "chuffing" sound on a neutral throttle between 2000 and 2500 RPM. Throttle off or throttle on and it disappears. Or on the neutral throttle and engine under load like up a small incline and it disappears. My OCD tells me to get things right even though the "issue" is a minor irritation rather than a full blow problem. Outright performance of the car is not impacted. Indeed I would suggest it is as least as quick as the 993 I used to own. Maybe even quicker.? The MFI does run rich particularly at lower RPM. This was previously corrected by leaning off the slow running rack at my insistence and against advice. Didn't impact performance or the "chuffing". Presented the " chuffing" issue to three well respected early 911 gurus. Three different analysis of what is the cause. Surprised I didn't get four or five "causes" from the three. Now what to do? Whoever is correct or maybe no one is correct this could cost. Let's say I take one and they spend hours on the job but still no resolution? Service is not free so a cost to not sort things. Dilemma. The engine was running rich above lower RPM and the concern is washing the bores with excess fuel. So starting point is the MFI pump. I see a Rabbit hole looming.
Rush of blood to the head. Washed the car. Most uncharacteristic of me. Two bucket method. One with soapy water infused with Ecover washing up liquid and a handy J cloth and the other bucket used to chuck clean water over the car to remove the suds. For the first time in my life I found car washing quite therapeutic. I might consider doing it again sometime. But not for a while. SWMBO asked why was I washing the car? I told her I was contemplating selling it and the 911S. Fully expected a round of applause as she hates both cars and has never been in either of them. A car for my wife is an 'appliance' like a washing machine or dishwasher. Hence her Audi something or other. Surprise when she said "Why don't you keep one". Bloody hell. I don't remember imbibing an illegal substance today. Most uncharacteristic of SWMBO. Then she reverted to type and admonished me for washing the car in "good" clothes. I reminder her that as she is a clothes snob I should not be seen at the front of the house wearing my Sainsburys TU clobber. What would the neighbours think?