Colin

Hi Pete,

I recall you posting something about how an owner (I have a 1200 Herald saloon) can check when the newly fitted electronic ign. spark takes place, with a 12V bulb, to set static timing.

I can't find that post - hand have read loads of other in the forum.

Could you please repeat??

With my bro', we recently fitted the Club electronic ignition. We didn't change ig timing at all and she runs OK. 

I read some elec ign units require timing adjustment for our cars, but I can't see any tech details for this.

Unlike static points timing which I used to do with a Gunson volts/points meter and/or 12V bulb, keeping it nice and easy, it seems I have to use a tachostrobe and dynamic readings with an electronic?? I think you have a tip for using more crude items (12V bulb - but clipped across which terminals, as the LT connector has gone . . . ?)

Further confusion :-

1) some fella on this forum with a GT6 was writing about retarding his ign. setting, from 10 to 13 degs BTDC or similar. Surely, that's not retarding; that's advancing??? Just a question about whether advancing or retarding really.

2) My Gunson Tachostrobe (which I fear and have never used) leaflets in the pack (from back in the day) say that with unleaded fuel the ign timing may need retarding. But of course since then, we've had changes in Ethanol content of fuel . . . so which way does the 'standard' Herald timing need to go???

She runs well enough (for 145k miles), but my gut says she's not as smooth as could be at idle or when going up the rev range.

Thoughts, please?? 

Cheers, Colin.

Hi Colin,

Reading your Latest TSSC article, I thought I'd comment on the lamentable presence/availability/willingness of artists to produce car or 'thing' related artwork.

I've illustrated all my life and have used my work to augment my (ex) graphic and magazine design design work.

When in Burgundy, running painting (art-working) holidays, I was visited by a classic car owner - now my now chum - from Geneva, he turning up in his Coupe - and another gent who stayed with another fetching original paint scheme two-tone lavender Coupe, once owned by a member of the Peugeot family apparantly.

In addition to his Coupe, my chum has around another 5 classics cars. But to say "thanks" for coming to visit and show me their cars (my Herald was scruffy and in dire need of renovation at the time - but a Herald nonetheless), I took to painting his primrose yellow Coupe on a half-glazed french roof tile - just because I could - and to remind him of his visit to me in France.

That has escalated since my move back to the UK and I have painted several more of his (and one o his sons's) classics, on a now diminishing stock of french roof tiles.

Now the point is this:- every artist will tell you that the hours they put into an individual and bespoke artwork could barely be charged for at a sensible commercial hourly rate, otherwise the works could never fall into the 'affordable' category!

I tended to state that the tile paintings took me 10 hours' solid work. But very often they took/take more; one needs to prepare the surface prior to painting and protect the image afterward etc.. So, if one put a decent hourly rate on that, you can see that if one was touting for business in a living way, there'd be few who would think the end product was worth the money!

I also took to producing PC generated outline-work illustrations of various cars I liked the look of - again, a different discipline, but for me not altogether the quickest or most enjoyable . . . 

Prior to this method, I'd have used draughtsman's technical pen on acetate film or ink board. But those days are long gone!

Enjoy the Pics!