Well, Modestine did make the ball but alas midnight came all too soon!
Having, well and truly burnt the midnight oil we arrived at Malvern on Sunday evening and Monday saw us off to the Fly In Picnic at Shobdon some 30 miles away. Those first miles were so stressful expecting any minute a drop in the fantastic oil pressure and noises from the engine. However, all was well and we arrived in fine fettle to be greeted by John Millham on marshalling duties at the entrance gate. Terrific day spent in the company of hundreds of vintage cars and their owners with the added bonus of vintage aircraft, some of which flew in spite of the wind and occasional rain.
The homeward journey was completed in a much more confident manor which confidence evaporated at the entrance to the Malvern Show Ground with a complete loss of forward motion. We eventually coaxed her to our camping pitch and discovered that the tapered connection between the gearbox output shaft and the Hardy Spicer prop shaft joint had failed in a big way. Something which had happened once before.
Tuesday was Homes and Gardens day and we travelled with John Millham in his Augusta. Our first visit was to the home of Brian and Monica Gray who John knew and Brian came up with the suggestion that he ring Alistair Tempelton (a local well known in vintage circles engineer) who agreed to have a look so off we went. He cleaned the coupling up but could do little more except suggest that we visit a nearby agricultural engineers with a view to welding the whole thing together as a temporary measure. They wanted to see the gearbox shaft so we went back with the car on the trailer in the afternoon.
They wanted the rear end plate off of the gearbox and when we removed it there was so much damage and masses of swarf floating about that they advised against any temporary solution. John and I agreed and gave up the quest to get her operational for the rest of the week's activities.
So, as Roger said, you were close Steve, just the wrong gearbox! and Roger, sorry, but you can't vacate that chair just yet!
However, we had a great week, I'll perhaps write it up in the VSCC 75th thread and as Ade's picture shows, did make the static display on Saturday. She's back home again now waiting for the gearbox to come out for dismantling. I'll post some photos in the next day or so.
Oh, and the journey home was a disaster when the radiator on the tow van burst resulting in AA recovery and arriving home at 3am.
Robin.
