But I only borrowed it Ratty....

A lively night out last night, trying out the new goggles. (Ex. French Airforce, unissued WW2, bought on ebay) I phoned my pal Duncan who needed reminding of what motoring is all about, having just bought a new Audi A6. We went out to the pub at Ashby Folville, which every second Tuesday of the summer months sort of hosts a Classic Car/Bike event. It is delightfully unorganised. Not a high viz jacket or Copper to be seen and a £1 coin allows you to park on the village green. A good turnout last night as it was a mild evening. It is so quintessentially English and allows those of us in the autumn of our lives to dress up in a way we only can in the company of others of the same persuasion. There were Mods on Scooters, Hells Angels on Harley's and old Buffers in Vintage Cars, mixing with some pretty cool Dudes in 40’s and 50’s Buick’s and Chevrolets. Everybody stayed for a couple of hours, lamented on how they used to have one of those, but scrapped it in 1975, then went home. Reality was in another World.

First Coat.

A lick of paint has restored enthusiasm and momentum to the Jeep project. Matt and his team of experts worked a long Saturday to finish preparing the chassis and all the mechanical components for a coat of ‘sand yellow’. The underside of the body had a coat for good measure and is positioned, but not bolted to the chassis. I find it most inspiring that a BIG bit is now almost finished. looking at the Jeep in stripped down form there is really so little to it that a few good weekends would see it finished. There will, inevitably, be awkward snagging items, but I think we are on track for hitting tarmac in late Spring, early Summer.

Rose tinted life.

A marvellous ebay purchase, just this week. Genuine WW2 French Air Force, flying goggles. Bought for £33 from a lady called June with a hand written note in the jiffy bag stating, “Given to me by a Captain in the French Airforce”. One can only imagine the rest of the story and I’m sure there will be a few suggestions. They are new, unissued stock and the seal with my face is made with rubber, the like of which is one never sees now. Soft and without colour. There is a lovely little adjusting screw at the bridge to adjust the overall width. They will be perfect for blasting across the desert in the Jeep, which I plan, will have no windscreen, though I may wimp out nearer the time.

Post War bikers.

Not mine, I’m sad to say and almost nothing to do with the Jeep, but what a lovely picture depicting a life free of Health & Safety, when people were allowed to think for themselves. I love the Wallace & Grommet slippers. I found the picture mousing around on http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/familyhistory/your_photos/
One can waste hours, but the rewards are well worth it. Peter will be lost forever in an historical cyber space. The bike, a B.S.A. M20 (I think) is relevant, however, as one of these lived up the road from me when I was a car/bike mad 13 year old. It was for sale, but the £5 was beyond my pocket money, so I bought a B.S.A. B31, 350 single, for ten bob instead. It was an early one with a rear sprung hub and started a relationship with the infernal combustion engine that lives on today, in the Jeep project. Thanks to John Hyatt, Nottinghamshire for the picture.

Carbon footprint.

Nothing to do with the Jeep, but interesting never the less. Trying to do my bit to save the planet, (Waste of time.... obviously. We're all doomed) I have taken to using my electric bike and charging its two 12 volt batteries via the two 40 watt solar panels on the roof of the Land Rover. Squeaky clean power. The bike itself dates back to the 30’s and is a Philips Gent's with rod brakes and a Sturmey Archer three speed with original cross bar mounted changer. The electric bit comes from a 24 volt electric shopping bike discarded by none other than Ron Combo’s elder brother. It’s remains were in a lock up in London when Ron quit this sceptered Isle. I welded the mounting bracket to the bike frame, made a battery rack and fitted a Bakelite switch offering ‘on’, or ‘off’. I even managed to rig it to run through the Sturmey Archer three speed, thus giving comfortable cruising speeds of 100 mph. No room for the back brake, but any fool can make a bike stop. Added advantages are one can quite legally ride it back on the cycle lanes having had one or two too many in town and whizz up behind pedestrians in silence giving them a huge fright!

New this, new that.

The motor is now in complete with; new clutch, new water pump, new carb, new manifolds, new distributor, new engine mounts, new-ish starter motor that I bought on ebay. I bought this engine from Jeeparts Uk before Christmas. Originally rebuilt by the French Army, probably in the seventies, it had been stored in some vast hanger in France until the army decommissioned their Hotchkiss Jeeps. Graham, at Jeeparts, gave it a check over and a clean bill of health and with a few more little bits it should be time to fire it up. Less torque than a Hornsby, but probably more suitable for the task in hand.

Massive Torque.

In the winch room at Cadgwith, down on the Lizard Peninsula, lurks this remarkable engine. I have been aware of it for over 20 years and pop in to pay my respects every time I’m down here. It is pitch black in the shed and I banged my head on something to get these pictures. Up until comparatively recently (Within the last 30 years I guess) this engine was in regular use hauling fishing boats up the quay in this living fishing village. Web research tonight has unearthed that is a Hornsby Oil engine dating back to about 1910. There’s a mass of stuff on the web about them and some You Tube video of boiler suited enthusiasts keeping them chugging along at summer meetings.