first 5 thousand and still going strong

[stuart131]

Like me my trusty Amazon is a little saggy at the back end and also like me ,could probably do with a little cosmetic work here and there to prevent major surgery in the future . We also share a love of occasional smoking and we both drink a little more than we should .
Today I take considerable pride in telling you we have completed our first 5 thousand miles together all of this being this year.

This wonderful 1970 car has carried my 1965 backside on its super squashy supportive seat squab all over Northants ,Beds ,Bucks and Warwickshire for the last 9 months without a murmur. Always starts first time ,never misses a beat ,goes like a train (bit slow and chugs) and attracts admiring glances frequently (from a distance)
Over the last 5000 of the 98000 the car has done , I have only had to replace the crusty original radiator with a sparkling new one and free off a wheel cylinder that had set off the brake warning light.
All this ,free tax and £120 per year fully comp ...not bad for 34 year old "jalopy" .
I fear my obsession with this car may be becoming a little "serious " This is not because I bought the car a new carpet set for christmas BUT BECAUSE I REALISED I HAD ACTUALLY GIFT WRAPPED IT !!! In my defence I was wrapping other stuff up at the time and was on auto pilot but still a bit odd .
Luckily I realised what I had done before the wife saw .

Heres to the next 5 thousand and many more hopefully trouble free miles

[TomTom]

Congrats on your anniversary, so to speak. My affinity with my Amazon is that we are both 1967, so like you I consider upkeeping her is also upkeeping myself.

I must agree that it's a nice feeling to have travelled across the UK in an old car. The pleasure is not in the arriving but in the getting there perhaps (even with wind noise and the occasional sticking windscreen wiper, lovely in a storm doing 70).

Long may they roll (would that be "volveant", Latin specialists?)

Tom

[stuart131]

Thank you for your kind words .

Know what you mean about the wind noise ! I just turn the CD player up to compensate ...funny enough I get less noise with the quarter light open though .Take the point about getting there ,though i never really worry about whether I will as the car (touch wood )seems so reliable Ive stopped thinking about it ! .
I hope you improvements go well on your own car .I intend to have mine sorted as soon as poss. With mine there is no history or invoices so I dont know what work has been done in the past . Like you i have to change down on hills and put up with a fair bit of smoking from the 98 k engine so I think a bit of cash needs to be invested soon ....to be honest reliability comes first with me.
On mine I ll probably use Amazon Cars as they seem really helpful and switched on,also they are the nearest specialist to me in Northampton being in suffolk. I really would like a basic re build on the engine and a someone expert to have a really good overall look at the engine mechanics just to make sure all is well. Id love uprated cam etc as this would be great but too costly for me any way .Saying this the car goes really well and long distance isnt a problem .Mines single carb with overdrive and rolls along nicely at a steady 65 noprobs ,which is enough for me.What I love is to drive it normally as you would a modern car .Im sure it suprises other drivers when you whip past them on the M1 ...msost people seem to think old car = slow which is not the case ,mines certainly no slouch I can assure you. Any way good on yer and keep that little gem running ,let me know how you get on .
best regards

[stuart131]

Just got into work I HAVE TO GET A HEATED REAR WINDSCREEN,

[TomTom]

Yes, now this is something that bugs me constantly - you go to look in the rearview mirror and see.... an opaque blur.

Most Amazons leak and your body heat, and later the car's, just steams up that moisture. Check your rear screen for leaks, if you have that carpet on the rear shelf then this will tell you because it will be damp.

I have leaks that drop onto the parcel shelf; they rarely show up with a hose test but boy do they show up in the rain. I re-seal my screen with putty every year, especially along the top edge, but I guess I should do it properly and remove, repair and replace.

Tony Barrett did have some rear heated screens, not sure if he still does.

There was an interesting post on the brickboard recently about things to rub on glass to stop it misting, involving potatoes, lemons, tobacco and other things - sounds like a job for Delia...

[stuart131]

Yes, ideally Nigella Lawson should pop over and advise me if possible ....well ...it could happen couldnt it?In the meantime apparently there is an anti mist spray you can get at Halfords.
These leaks are mysterious arent they ? Ive got just one ,in the driver side of the windscreen .In heavy rain it steadily drips onto my leg which is not pleasant ,this then as you rightly say adds to the steam.
I use black silicon sealant on mine which seems to work for a while then fails for some reason I do not understand...ah well its far better than driving a plastic euro box .I salute all nutters like us who doggedly continue to use their more mature motors in all weathers .
I tell you what ,on the way in to work and usually on the way back ,there is a youngish bloke who uses his 70s notchback VW every day ,a girl in her 20s who drives a Ford Anglia and and old bloke with 60s Merc pillarless saloon I always flash the lights and give em all a wave .Guess what they all have in common(excluding misted windows ) ? big grins from ear to ear just enjoying their cars and time for a return wave or a thumbs up ...thats what its all about for me,the joy of using the car with all its little quirks,and the comradeship of others who also choose not to follow the herd .
best regards

[TomTom]

I totally agree about the boost that driving a classic gives you (so long as you're not stuck, natch). In my area of London there are 2-3 Amazons who pass each other at odd times and flash. When the local Sainsburys did leaded petrol there was quite a little clutch of Austins, Minis, Cortinas and the like, vying for that one pump; S have stopped selling now.

I would think that your windscreen lip has rusted away and the sealant is just trying really hard, but can't compete with the rainstorm. I have spent happy hours sitting in the car in a storm with a torch under the dashboard checking the point of ingress; might help, but then again might not. Stoicism is a good quality.