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24th March 2009.....Spent two and a half hours in my garage working on DHR last night. What a nice change! Firstly I had to see if I had a spare key to the locking wheel nuts, (I lost a set of keys a few months ago at the school where I work). As luck would have it I did have a spare, so I must now get another cut. Anyway; I put her up on axle stands and started to fit the new HB mud flaps I've had since before I had her painted. The muck and stone chips up the sill and the rear end, have made me realise I need them on. I started on the nearside front. They came with all the screws and clips but not the original brackets. I decided not to use the silver screws and have instead used some black ones that blend in better. I made up a new bracket from galvanized metal; so that should help stop the rust. After two and a half hours I managed to get one on. It took that long because; a) I'm in no hurry and b) I hated drilling DHR. I know it's stupid but I know that, with my luck, the drill would slip and I'd have a scar down the side of the car. Anyway I can report that all went well and no accidents occurred. I changed the way the bracket went from the drawing that came with the mud flaps, but have decided that I don't like it, so I'll be changing it tomorrow night. I'll also try and take a few pictures for you all. It seems like a long time since I spent some quality time with DHR. She also needs a damn good clean, inside and out and under the bonnet. With any luck many more hours will be spent with just her, the radio and me over the coming evenings. I'm a lucky fella!
 22nd March 2009.....Garden time, or so I thought! Got a call from David, my boy, "Dad the car failed it's MOT on a track rod end loose and they wanted £60 to do it, can I bring it round?". I told him okay but he was to do it. I told him that we weren't going to just tighten the old one up we would put a new one on, they were only £7. What could be simpler, two bolts, split the track rod end and screw the new one on. It took us three hours and I ended up doing it because it wasn't simple. All I will say is that I've told him to go to Peugeot and get a new track rod end and new steer bar, it was that bad.
21st March 2009.....First thing this morning I dashed outside before Joanne had the chance to give me any "jobs". I put the estate up on axle stands and adjusted the new brakes up. Next I called my beloved out to help me bled them again. I did it properly this time. After telling Joanne she could go now and make me a cuppa I tested the brakes. I even got tea when I came back. Bloody brilliant! I should've done it better last weekend, I was a bit sloppy. I then started on the carb. I removed the Zenith and replaced it with a Solex. This gave immediate improvements and the estate lost all the jerkiness I was getting when I lifted my foot off the accelerator. I now just had a slight flat spot when pulling away. After numerous conversations with Spot I changed the air jet to a smaller one and once again god was smiling at me. She's running really well now, so well I'd now let Joanne drive her. (She wouldn't). I then tried to sort out the nearside door handle. From inside it's hard to open. I oiled everything I could that moved, but it made little difference. I did change the inner handles to the ones with a lump on them. (Viva owners will know what I'm talking about). So, 'stop before something goes wrong', that's my motto. At lunchtime we were taking our parents out to lunch for Mothers Day so that was it, but what a successfully day. The sun shone, I ate until I burst, I had a couple of pints of the black stuff and good company as well. Don't you love it when it all comes together.
20th March 2009.....Took Alex out for a ride around in the estate and she packed up on me. The car not Alex. I thought it was petrol, (the gauge still hasn't been fixed), so started putting some in from my can when I remembered I'd only done it earlier in the week so knew it couldn't be that. Alex said "did you turn the switch off"? (I've fitted an immobiliser). I knew I hadn't touched the switch but then wondered if the wires had come off. Quick removal of the dash and push the bullet connectors together and hey presto! See my daughters learning. When we got home I removed the connectors and soldered the wires then covered them with heat shrink, like I should've done in the first place.
14th March 2009.....Put the brakes back together again on the estate, which included new cylinders all round and new shoes all round. I then got Joanne to help me bleed them before driving round the block to test them. They seem okay but I think I could get them better. I've decided I'm going to run them for a week, then next weekend adjust and bleed them again. That was the only car related thing I did again. The rest of the time was spent knocking down one wall and building another. Not only that but I'm using the same bricks so they all need cleaning up and all the soil I'm digging out  is being used as top soil, so that all has to be sieved and the rest bagged up ready for a skip. I did spend some of the two days ridding the pond of frogs and frogs spawn. Joanne hates frogs so having a pond at breeding time is a bit stupid really. Now before you all worry I don't kill them, (as Joanne wanted me to do), I re-home them to a better place. I've been told that's illegal so if I get fined, next year the dustman will find 200 plus dead frogs, plus two 5 litre buckets of frogs spawn in the bin.
13th March 2009.....I'm bracing myself for the inevitable mickey taking that's about to take place. Last year I was contacted by Total Vauxhall magazine and was asked if I would do a photo shoot for them. I'd never done anything like it before and it was a great day out. A photographer and journalist met me at my house, had a cuppa and a chat, checked out the garage and the other GT then we headed up to Bovingdon airfield, where a friend of mine had asked his Mum if we could use her farm for the 'shoot'. We then spent the next 6 hours, yes 6 hours, talking Viva's and taking pictures. Well the article is in the latest Total Vauxhall. The piss taking has already started but I want to state here and now that I didn't write the article, or have any sway over the contents and I defiantly didn't say the opening sentence. Overall I'm very happy with the outcome so there! I'm also now employing an agent and am available for supermarket openings and showbiz parties.
8th March 2009.....Up early, well early for me on a Sunday morning, with the sun shining down like a glorious summer's day. I set off in DHR for Coventry. I love my car and I tell her this all the way up there. A steady seventy all the way, she doesn't miss a beat and I'm there in just over the hour. Plenty of people there and I meet up with Tony, Paul B, Paul L, Steve Coote, Colin, Keith, Mike Stanley, Justin, Steve Walton, Steve Warner, John, Rob Knight, Flod, Deon, Spud, Edd, Chris and Michelle. (I'm bound to have missed somebody off the list). After all talking and the sorting out of parts I try and find the rear cylinder. Not one to be found, well Flod had two but had sold them. No repair kits either, can you believe that! All those stalls and not a rear cylinder for a baby Viva. The strange thing is that I found loads to fit the GT. I bet if I wanted GT ones they would be as rare as rocking horse poo. Edd says he has some in the barn so I follow him home later. In the meantime I lend Justin my two 4 branch exhausts so he can get them copied, I collect a load of bits from Flod, who kindly sorted some more stuff out for the estate and all for a naan bread. I get my spare ignition key for DHR and a gasket set for the estate. Then I spend some time with Chris and Michelle who have come all the way from Devon. Chris has bought Paul Licorice old GT and is re-storing it. I see loads of pictures and he's doing well and at a much better speed than I ever managed. He's coming to Billing although the car probably won't be with him. I found the brain part of an electronic ignition fo £2, so that was a bargin and four front wheel cylinders fromFlod cost me £4, can't get better than that. I had a great day and then went back with Edd to the barn. He had half a dozen cylinders and made me take two because he said I should cahnge the other side as well and he wouldn't take any money for them. I'll buy him a beer when we're next in the pub. I get home to late to start putting the brakes back together so open the wine again. Another good day with the only down side being DHR needs cleaning again.
7th March 2009.....Well I thought I'd attack the brakes on the estate this afternoon as they were very low and I think I have a small fluid leak. So after spending most of the day digging my way to Australia I take some time out and get the car up on four axle stands. After removing the drums I see the culprit. The rear nearside cylinder is leaking and the shoe lining has broken in two. Well what I'll do is get a new rear cylinder or repair kit at the spares days in Coventry tomorrow. I pack up my tools and crack open a bottle of wine with a ice Indian take away.
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