Colin Lindsay

Ever wish our cars had more exotic names? If I search for Triumph Herald I get Triumph motorcycles, Triumph underwear, anything that ever occurred in history with the word 'Triumph' in it, plus Herald caravans and models and a copy of every world-wide newspaper calling itself 'The Herald'. Spitfires are worse.

I'm still hopping over Microsoft ending support and registration for Office 2011; I have two copies boxed with licences but they can no longer be activated. Microsoft no longer supports them and has no interest in that version, but they won't allow already purchased copies to be activated if, for example, a software update loses the original activation. I queried it - a lot - that I have spent money on two boxed programmes that were at the time quite expensive, and they have arbitrarily refused me to activate them despite the fact that it would result in no loss of revenue to Microsoft as I'm not buying a later version. The reply was: "Sorry we can't help you, bye!" I'm now using Libre Office instead, it's free and seems to work very well.

Aha.. so that's what happened to GTC. Haven't seen it in ages. You'd be afraid to use it on the road, though... first scrape or stonechip and you'd be talking ££££££s.

No they're not!! By agreeing to use his software you give him permission to mess them about as he likes. I must admit to having a total dislike of cookies, and having to opt out of every website I go to to avoid 'targetted advertising' and 'statistics'. Rimmers and Bing give me the popup every single time I go near their services, they just won't take 'reject all' as an answer.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2vdQryu7OA4 Learn from the masters.... Flippin' Bangers Triumph Spitfire in Spanish...

There's CONTENT?

SABOTAGED!! Typical. Ah well, a small blue rocket is better than no rocket at all, I suppose.

Go ahead, it's a simple job and the worst part is trying to get it refitted again afterwards! It doesn't take much to jam the gear teeth, it might only be a small fragment but can do a lot of damage.

Surely there can't be any model of BMW or Porsche that they haven't restored already? Take one plastic box off the engine, attach another, replace both headlights and bingo.

That'll take a coffee later on... looks good so far, tho.

I could guess that something has jammed one of the gear teeth; you've dislodged it temporarily but there's a danger it's lying in the bottom of the diff ready to be swirled back up again and jam things - not pleasant at speed. I'd have the diff off and the casing opened for peace of mind.

I'm the other extreme, been retired 3 1/2 years now and the time has just flown... no idea where I ever found time for work. However: 'Er Indoors has another twelve years to go and talks incessantly of retiring early. All I can say is: "Well, if you can afford to..." Not being smug or anything...

Black is 11. When the cars were built the stripe was an optional extra, so it wouldn't be featured anywhere on the car's commission plate, but could still have been there from new. It's quite a common colour scheme, there are dozens of photos on the Net.

Just write the address on it and stick the stamps directly to it; no law says it has to be wrapped.

That would be my preferred option, maybe the lazy man's way, but I'd just smooth the trim as close as possible and very carefully cut with a scalpel, smoothing and fitting as I go.

Only a matter of time and a few rambling posts, Pete.

If they were to say that they identified as Triumphs on certain days, would that work?

Never noticed - although I'm still only a 5th Dan? I'll still bow to the Grand Master, tho. Some things cannot be equalled.

Looks like Andrex, they weren't allowed breaks in those days...

Which must be why they stole our 1500 engine...

So it smells like a f@rt?

That brand of locally-made is supposedly supplied to HM the Q. I think she sent it back, I could see her teeth marks in it.

Just to hark back to the original post on fuel; I was trying to trim hedges recently and the hedge trimmer was fighting against me, refusing to rev and actually getting red hot. I thought it was the clutch or drive. Went on a help forum, someone suggested old fuel, so I emptied the tank and refuelled with fresh and it ran perfectly. The 4-stroke lawnmower will run all day on ages-old petrol but this 2-stroke won't.

The mind drifts much better - and further - than my car ever would...

Harry Ferguson lived and worked not far from me, they have a memorial garden to him in addition to all of the little Fergies on static display in many local villages. We seem to have so many of them that they can just set them in flowerbeds and leave them there on permanent display...