Poor old Modestine, had to take a back seat to the Fanalone rebuild since last October! However, in truth, she's been pretty reliable and in regular use. Took her to the Lambda Winter Lunch in London in January and various other outings up to and including Fulvia 50.
The return to contact breaker ignition has proved successful and she has started and run very well. Until that is just before Fulvia 50 when she developed a horrendous backfire! It was bad and I just couldn't find the time to investigate until after that event. But with the Sliding Pillar rally in France a couple of weeks away something had to be done. Ran her with the brake servo disconnected, no improvement, checked through the exhaust system to ensure no air was being drawn in, no improvement. Finally fitted a fuel pressure reducing valve to bring the pressure down to 1psi, adjusted the points which were a tad closed up and hey presto! no backfire. So, which of those two things was the problem I'll never know.
Last October I said that i would sort out the rear wings and valance to give more ground clearance and stop knocking off the number plate. So, the week before the SPR I removed the back wings, modified them to allow me to raise the trailing edge whilst leaving the front edge connected to the rear of the running board and thus increase the ground clearance by nearly 5 inches. Had to have the wings and valance re-painted but well worth it as she now not only doesn't drag her bum but looks so much better.
Off to the SPR and what a great event until that approaching a crossroads some 100 miles south of Calsis on the return journey, drop the clutch and tinkle tinkle clonk, pedel to the floor. Peeing with rain and lunch time but a restaurant on the opposite corner which Margaret insists is the place to be. Following a more than acceptable lunch investigation shows that it's not the external linkage that's failed but something in the innards. Ring Footman James Recovery who send a truck inside the hour and wisk us off to the local garage.
Two hour wait during which negotiations result in us setting off for the port to be loaded onto the ferry the next morning having met up with our fellow travelling companions for the overnight stop. Arrive at the port 21.00 only to be told that we can't leave the car there and that whats more we can't be loaded as the Dilambda doesn't have a towing eye! Eventually do get towed on with a strap having given assurances that a recovery truck will be at Dover at mid-night to take us off. Arrive Dover, no tow truck but towed off with no problem. French bureaucracy eh!?
Recovery truck arrives 2am but will only take us to Maidstone where we are loaded onto another transporter and arrive home at 4.30am. However, must say, that FJ performed well for a second time for us when stranded in France (Fanalone gearbox on the way to Classic Le Mans last time) and to be home with the car some 14 hours after braking down was pretty impressive.
Strip the clutch out later that day to find that for a second time the clutch release bearing carrier has failed. So, Jonathan makes a new one out of steel and she's up and running again.
RAC 'Summer Drive In' at their Woodcote Park mansion at Epsom as the guest of Dilambda owner Elaine Moore this evening and the AGM at Newbury for this weekend. Hopefully!
OK, up to date.
Robin.
