Found the video file

Right I have found what the camera software did with the video file, and decided to go back to using Windows Movie Maker, It's better and doesn't hide the files in some obscure folder.

Anyway here is the first ever in car Estelle video from the new Toshiba Camileo and the home made camera mount.

Well the running problems seem to be cured. I made up some new gaskets, sealed the inlet manifold really well and did it all up as tight as I could while it was hot. No induction leaks and she is running well.

I have been preparing for the Exeter for the last couple of days, sorting out spares, making a video camera mount, checking wiring, fluids and things. I have also put the name stickers on the back windows, Lauren says they look ggod and she likes having her name on a car. I have taken some video today with the new solid state camcorder mounted on the in car mount I made up and it works well. Once I have worked out where the editing software put the file I will post it up here.
I am getting excited now.

UP & Running, but not for long!

Well took her on a 10 mile jaunt and she was fine, then popped down the station to pick Sharon up and she was as sick as a pig. Seemed to be fuel starvation again, but it can't be the carb it has just been rebuilt. Went over everything and found nothing. Retired to a safe distance before I found a hammer and did some damage.

After some thinking I decided if the fuel is getting there and it seems like starvation, there must be too much air. So off with the whole lot again, cleaned all surfaces, trip to Eddie to buy some gasket paper, made some new gaskets on the dining room table, then cleaned all the surfaces again and re-assembled.

I've been out to Upper Heyford in her today and she is back to being a joy. Just to check I also took her down the station, and she came back fine! So, touch wood, all ready to go for the Exeter. We need to put the stickers on, I need to install some cigar lighter sockets for the GPS or buy some maps, and we need to create a packing list then pack everything. I am going to do some more miles in her on Sunday, just to be sure, and then have a grand sort out of my tools to put together a travelling Skoda tool kit. No point taking all my old AF spanners as they won't fit anything. Also need to sort out and wrap the spares we intend to carry with us.

I'm really looking forward to it now.

UP and Running!

The carb has been rebuilt, the main jet had melted. I've fitted it, given her a bit of a tune and been about 3 miles in her. Completely different car! Running 5 degrees cooler, pulls from nothing, even in 5th gear, nice smooth tickover, revs right through to 5000 without a hitch.

Just a few little jobs to do and we are ready to go for the Exeter. The final instructions and route book arrived in the post in the week and Lauren is getting to grips with the navigation, it seems fairly easy and comprehensive. I think I will go and buy the relevant OS maps, even though they are not essential. Having them could be very useful if it all goes wrong. We need to sort out what spares we are taking, trial pack a couple of times to make sure everything fits and is secured down and sort out the tool kit so we have everything we need. I might see if I can get the fuel guage and speedo working before we got too. But I am putting a specification freeze in on Christmas Eve, no more work after then so we know we have a runner for the event. I was very tempted to do the Witney Motor Club autotest on Boxing Day, but I have decided it would be too risky to break something Boxing Day and not then have time to fix it before the Exeter.

Solved I Hope

After much investigation I think it's solved. Won't know for certain until the weekend when I put the carb back on, but I have got the carb back from the Weber expert and he says it was knackered! The main jet had been melted away completely, the expert suggests the ignition timing may have been over advanced at some point in the cars life, causing the carb to run hot and melting the jet. I've checked the timing since the problems started and it is about right, but I have had the distributor off in all the investigations so it may have been wrong before.

We have booked the hotel for the Exeter, Lauren and I couldn't get a room at Fawlty Towers, so we have gone to one of there competitors. Waiting for the final instructions so we can get on an mark up some maps. Might go on a bit of a recce when we are down in Dorset at New Year, just so Lauren can get a feel for the notes.

I'm working in London now until the weekend, so I'll post agin once I know it's working.

Exeter Entry Accepted

Got the entry confirmation for the Exeter Trial on 4+5 January today, so we are in! Lauren and I will be running in Class 0, as it's our first trial I thought we would go for the easy option. that will mean we can concentrate on learning how the navigation works, have some fun and hopefully not do any damage.

Have had some problems with her this week. She has been standing for a cuple of weeks and I dragged her out last Friday for a run. Had terrible problems, that I thought were fuel starvation and the filter blocked again. Cleaned the filter and that made no difference, so I stripped down the whole fuel system and found no problems at all, and still had the same problem. It ran fine from the house to the turning circle at the end of the road and then coughed and spluttered all the way back. having been through the fuel system I turned to the electrics. a quick trip to Smiths scrap yard liberated a coil and condenser from a 120, I've fitted these and it is running a lot better, went to the end of the road and back no problem. Now I have to take it a bit further and see...........

The scrap yard also provided a choke cable and lever, so we don't have to open the engine cover to cold start now. Also gt an air filter housing, but that won't fit. Shame really because I have got 4 air filter elements I bought for next to nothing on ebay that I can't use at the moment as I don't have an airbox.

Might take her on a little run tomorrow, if I get time to put everything back on and sort out my tools, but Sunday is planned to be a Land Rover day.

Been a bit quiet, but now........

Sorry it's been a bit quiet on here. I have been busy editing the video of the Production Car Trial and it is now viewable here

I had intended to enter the hardy Trial down in Dorset on November 18th, but Woolbridge motor club have consulted with the landowners and it has been canceled, another victim of the foot and mouth fears. So I am now looking round for something else to do before Christmas.

The entry for the Exeter Trial went in a couple of weeks ago, it was for Class 0 as I thought it would be good for Lauren and I to start with an easyish one as it will be the first time she has been up all night navigating. Other people tell me they have had their entry confirmed but I haven't heard yet. Lets hope it is accepted.

I have bought some rally car style name stickers to go on the rear windows, was going to put them on for the Hardy trial, but I think I'll leave it now until the Exeter. Planning to do a 12 car on 30/11 and I am not sure what Mike would make of having Lauren's name on his door :-)

Solved the Spark Plug Mystery

Ever since I first got her I have been puzzled by the spark plugs. The plug spanners in my socket set wouldn't fit, my 14mm plug spanner wouldn't fit. I was beginning to think the wrong size plugs may have been screwed in by hand because I couldn't find a spanner that fitted between the plug and the cylinder head.

Popped over to API's workshop today to help Simon take the engine out of his van after he put a con rod through the sump. While I was there he got a 14mm thin wall deep socket out of his toolbox and put it straight over a Skoda plug and out it came! So the answer is I just need a thin wall deep socket. Fortunately Simon had a spare one in his toolbox and gave me it in return for helping get the engine out.

Good to have mates with workshops.

Graham

More Autumn Trial Pictures.

http://grahamwhiting62.fotopic.net/c1376085.html not sure if they are before or after the ones that were already there.

Bought Four Rally Cars!!!!

I bought four genuine works rally cars yesterday on ebay. Not sure that the spares are going to be any use for Saffie as they are matchbox scale models, but I couldn't resist them. Need to look for a transporter now.................

Got the official trial results in the post today. We finished in the top half and fourth in class. However Lauren and I have worked out that we won. You see it was a PRODUCTION car trial, so we removed all the specials and kit cars that beat us, the Citroen AX that beat us had modified suspension, the VW beetle had 1300 badges and an 1800 engine, the other Skoda had a Felicia fuel injection engine in it and the Midget that beat us had a hydraulic handbrake and low ratio differential. So we were the first production car and we won! If you can't beat them change the results.

Seriously though we are quite pleased. I was expecting to get soundly beaten by the other Skoda as it's driver has much more trialing experience than me, but they only beat us by four points. Considering we had the abortive 11 on the first section of the day and they scored 5 on the same section we did pretty well. so if he can complete the Classic trials, Exeter Trial here we come. Unfortunately the Edinburgh has been cancelled because of the foot and mouth situation, hope the Hardy and the Exeter go ahead.

Well we did the MG Car Club Autumn Trial today. Not certain where we finished, but it was great fun. The pictures are all at http://grahamwhiting62.fotopic.net . Cleared four of the sections but had a disatrous first hill where the first two gates were far too tight for a Skoda's turning circle. The other Skoda competing got through by using his handbrake to turn it, I tried to use power to bring the back round but didn't stand a chance. I am amazed at how well Saffie climbed the hills. If you keep the revs at about 2000rpm she just carries on up. has fantastic amounts of traction too so combining the traction, pulling power and some momentum she went most places I expectd her to and more. I am hoping to get some video from the day too and when I do I'll get it up on here too.

Forgot to post after last weeks Witney Motor Club 12 car rally. We came second. Better than we have done in the Impreza in the past and much more fun as I don't worry about having to keep the car in one piece for work the next day. Had a couple of moments and got it all sideways, but it is easy to control and there is plenty of time to catch it. Mike (my Navigator) had been ill all week and wasn't at his best, but even then we did ok. had to clean the fuel filter out at the first time control as it was blocked. I guess eventually all the crap from the old tanks will get pulled through and emptied out, but its annoying keep having to clear it out. Mind you i am much happier with the Skoda tanks rather than the Beetle one that was in the front.

I'll try and get some pictures and video at the trial and post them here.

Got the final instructions for MGCC autumn trial today and I won't be the only Skoda! Another Estelle is entered, belongs to Nigel Jones who I have exchanged messages with on one of the Skoda forums. Will be good to put a face to the name. I am planning to change the gearbox oil tomorrow. That means I have to take the sump guard off to get to the drain plug but that only takes 20 minutes or so. Will also be having a good look round in preparation for her first proper trial!

Went to see my local Skoda 'specialist' today. Guy called Vern who runs a little garage business on the edge of Northamptonshire. There was a Rapid coupe outside, two more in the workshop and a convertible being rebuilt. Loads of spares and loads of knowledge. He had a good look over the car and declared it sound. I bought a full instrument panel off of him with all the dials in. Hope the speedo and fuel gauge work as that's what I need. Whole lot for £10.

Forthcoming Plans

I bought it to do the Lands End Trial next Easter. In preparation I have entered the MG Car Club Midland Cemtre Autumn Trial. this is a non damaging grass event at Burton Dasset on 23rd September and will be a great test of my skill and Saffie's ability. Lauren has agreed to passenger for me on trials but is a bit aprehensive about rally navigation, and I must admit, it's not easy. I have got all the entry information for the Exeter trial and I think we will probably enter in Class 0, which is an easier and less demanding version of the full event. that will make a useful introduction to classic trials for me, Saffie and Lauren. I would also like to enter the Hardy Trial, but I am not certain that I will get an entry as I am struggling to contact the organisers.

Grass autotest

I keep saying it looks faster on the video than it really was, but actually it was reasonably quick and I think I came 5th overall.

I bought a Skoda

Well i went and did it. Found a Skoda Estelle 130 LSE on ebay and I bought it for £371. Got it home and it was every bit as good as I expected. Built by Ted Holloway as a trials car and only used once by him. he used it for thre Ilkley Trial and decided that although it was adequate he much prefers his two seat open special.

I drove it home across south east London, through the Blackwall Tunnel, out on the North Circular to the M11, round the M25 to the M40 and then up the A41 to home. It never missed a beat and kept up with the traffic. It came stuffed full of spares and when I got it home I fitted the sump guard, changed it back to the original Skoda petrol tank and got rid of the beetle one that had been put under the front and changed the oil. Then I added a new distributor cap and rotor arm as the old ones were knackered.

So far I have done a grass autotest and a 12 car rally in it. Both went well and it has performed OK. Had some fuel starvation problems as it picks up the rust from inside the old Skoda tanks but I can get the fuel filter out, cleaned and in again in a couple of minutes.