Where did you drive your Elan today ?

[draenog]

Took the car out for a drive round my local area (Wye Valley). As it is probably the last drive this year took some pictures. Lots of rain recently and the river is very high (and brown).

[trw99]

Got some of the electrics sorted out. Not my strong point, so I had some help!

Now I can put the car through the MoT.

Tim

PS I was in bed when I took the photo ...

[englishmaninwales]

Well, not today as it has been awful weather, but a week or so ago.
Llyn Crafnant in the Gwydr Forest, North Wales.

[trw99]

MoT day.

Pass.

No advisories.

Tim

[wolfchen]

[Spyder fan]

I drove my Duratec Elan to Zero Exhausts in the little village of Bethersden Kent, near Ashford.

https://zeroexhausts.co.uk/



Zero is run by Kevin Hoare who has over 50 years experience in the car industry. He personally fabricates bespoke exhaust manifolds and systems on the car on a one by one basis.

Kevin Hoare has over 50yrs experience in the car industry starting as an apprentice mechanic in a Ford Dealership when leaving school, then moving on to panel beating/spraying in the late 70’s.

In the early 0’s, while running his MG Restoration Company, he discovered that it was very difficult to obtain good quality stainless steel exhausts, so he invested in the tube bending machinery and in 2003 opened Zero Exhausts.

Over the years he has built up an excellent reputation for quality of product, these being sold to customers all over the world. Some of the most recognised can be found in the Gallery page.

He designs and manufactures exhaust systems for all types of vehicle…..even light aircraft!

In 2010 I had a mild steel manifold fabricated for my Duratec Elan, it has served well, but has had a few mishaps with speed humps and severely bumpy roads as well as making contact with a house brick that was left as debris in the road! Now finally it has started to corrode, so it's time for a new one and Kevin has been recommended for the job. This one will be made from stainless steel so barring accident I think it will last a good 20 years.

[The Veg]

Set out before sunrise on a foggy morning to try a cruise-in I hadn't been to before. Turnout is small, only other cars to show have been a late-model Porker owned by the host of the event, a McLaren, a recent Shelby Mustang, an MGB, and a couple of sport-bikes just pulled in. I'm pretty bored so I may go find a twisty road soon.

[englishmaninwales]

Not today, but a week ago. A trip around my local roads in Snowdonia taking in breakfast at Conwy Falls.

[h20hamelan]

Through the Valley of the Ghosts, note, the Great Pumpkin allowed entrance. I had the correct password

Now for winter

[trw99]

After an enforced lay-up over the last three weeks (due to an emergency stay in hospital) I managed to get the Sprint out today for a twenty odd mile circuit.

I went first to see Colin, my mechanical mechanic chap, to book the Sprint in for it's annual service and check over. Colin looks after several Lotus, including Elans, an Eleven, Type 14 Elites, a VI and Severns, Espirits etc, so I value his eyes on my car on a regular basis.

Then it was off to a local forge to see about getting a wrought iron latch repaired. I got back into the Sprint to drive home from there and, when I looked down at the speedo, found I had stopped dead on 86,000 miles. When I bought the car in April 2022, it had 78k miles, so that's an average of 267 miles per month, as I drive it all year round.

Tim

[englishmaninwales]

A blast along the A55 and back to attend the Saturday night time session of the Race for Rememberance endurance race at Anglesey Circuit. Really spectacular.

[reb53]

Not today, but not too many days ago.
Down to a local race circuit to watch some classic bikes racing.
Quite a few Manx Nortons etc but , for me anyway, the star of the show was what is said to be the last Brough Superior still actively racing anywhere in the World.
And I mean racing, no parade lap "demonstrations" here.
Sounded, and went, great.

Ralph.

[trw99]

The sun was out but it was cold. The roads were damp in the shade, so you had to treat that throttle pedal carefully.

I went off to Finchingfield, the 'most photographed village in Essex'. There is a wee antique shop there wherein resides young James, a master horologist. I was there to collect two timepieces he had repaired, a chiming carriage clock of my wife's and my Doxa Goliath watch, which came to me via my father and grandfather.

I've fiddled with the side on view of my Sprint, the other two photos are as they came out of the iPhone!

Tim

[512BB]

Hmm, I very much doubt that carriage clock chimes Timothy, but it may well strike.

I will never drive to that pub again on a sunny Sunday, as I did this year. To many idiots on motor bikes attend. About 1/2 mile away from the pub, there are a series of S bends. I negotiated the first bend, and on the next, all of a sudden there was a fool on a bike who was almost horizontal about 15 yards ahead of me. I was convinced he was going to hit me and I actually closed my eyes, but the bang never happened.

I have had some near misses in my time, but that topped the lot. Yellow Sprint pulled through, just.

Leslie

[trw99]

Les, it only strikes when it goes wrong ....

Yes, Finchingfield is best avoided at weekends in the spring, summer, autumn seasons. As you say, too many idiots on very powerful and very noisy motorbikes invade the area, from about 0500hrs onwards.

Tim