Turbocharger

Ba-da! I'm back. 2000 miles, 7 countries, 12 campsites and a youth hostel. Total LR issues: 1 speedo cable as we drove back into England off the ferry (and one non-start when I left the fridge on, but it push-started). An excellent holiday, I'd certainly do a similar thing again. Photos will follow I'm sure.

Pah - you'll not get that much for it and it'll cost you more than you save. Remember last time? Look where that truck ended up. You and I both know you'll only see the purchase price again, so the cage, winch etc will be wasted, and you'll be no richer in 6 months time if I gave you £10k for it now... Mothball it if you have to (I know a good place for storage) and revisit it in a year. And next time, don't you dare wait till I'm on holiday before posting musings like this...

The sprung/unsprung balance won't show up in a static test AFAICS. Much more likely it's because Andy found his springs lying in a hedge somewhere. Andy - very tidy result, and I find the 25/25/25/25% (+/- 5%) weight distribution more impressive than the low overall weight. It's a testament to a well thought-out design, good result. How does a stock Ninety or your Ibex fare on similar scales (for comparison)?

The pulley on my Milemarker pump has more grooves than the engine pulley, or indeed the belt. I just run a narrower belt, it squeals a little at full chat but that's an indicator to re-rig the winch really.

Yes, she does have a lovely pair of eyes...

Right, the car is cocooned in blind-spot mirrors and we've got more guide books than you can shake a stick at. All the bearings are greased or oiled and I've got to figure out how I get the little 12v compressor to blow air through a 2" filler plug. All good. Major problem now though - the 600W inverter won't run my girlfriend's 75W straightening tongs. It runs a laptop charger and 100W household bulb quite well, but when the straighteners are plugged in, nothing. Not even the LED. Is my holiday to fall at the last hurdle, preparation complete but for a square/sine wave oversight? She won't go if each day brings wavy wavy big hair. Help me o forumeers. (Seriously, all's well and we're set for a fantastic time. 240V would be handy though)

Last one Tom and I fitted, it was nearly in and we were both snarled up in 100ft of string, just on the cusp of dropping in so he gave it a 'tap' with a hammer. Then we took both halves out again.

The issue is that when you push the pedal you're demanding force (torque), not speed. Modern (car) throttle maps are set up on a torque demand principle - mechanically governed engines like a 300Tdi run on a speed-demand principle, albeit with significant controller droop. Dirtydiesel - nice manifold! I've supposedly got a chap making a similar effort for a VGT in the offing, but I might be on the phone to you if nothing comes of it.

Hmm. I smell people hoping to swap random tyres for beer - I have some already thank you Might drop by the Miners Arms though - I only live on Bedminster Parade...

I was joking - with one tyre being pony-expressed to me from Derbyshire and another from Boatbuoy over the weekend hopefully, I'll have two spares (but incidentally they're TracEdges) so should be fine. The car's pretty well prepared (I hope!), it's just the stuff to go inside that I need now! You've won a beer for the offer though, but the super-hoppy giveaway is now closed. Thank you to all for your generosity

You're all good people, thanks for the offers and advice. Mum has splashed out on new glasses, so she can now see far enough to clip my brother around the ear. He went out to the shed and dug out my own two-burner (£1 at Brighton tip) so we won't starve. However, each offer of a loan stove above this post wins a pint, just for being good folks. Offer reclaimable at any of the LR shows I attend this year or next, or at a pub in Bristol if you can spot me. Terms and conditions apply, no correspondence will be entered into. This forum's great, thanks guys. Anyone want to lend me a set of tyres?

Right, 2 weeks of driving around Yoo-rope starts on Wednesday. You will need: Ferry tickets Water In-car fridge 240v inverter (for hair straighteners of course) Clothes Plenty of diesel MP3-o-matic Camping stove Ah. Camping stove. Not a problem, the camping stove's in my flat. No it isn't. TroddenMasses' garage? Nope. My parent's house? Mum had a poke around but can't find anything but spiders. Umm. My brother has lent me his Tranja, but it's not ideal for 2 weeks of intercontinental motoring. Any ideas on (vv cheap) places to buy some portable flames? Otherwise, would anyone vaguely in the SW be so kind as to lend me a portable 2-burner camping stove for two weeks? I can collect this weekend and I have beer...

Mam Tor is subject to a TRO from the gate at the top of the layby, down to the 'No Motor Vehicles' sign quite a long way down the hill. Exception is made for access to Mam Tor Farm from the bottom end. However, since there are no signs at the top end (from the layby) and the gate is not locked, how are you supposed to know about the TRO? If you drove down the road proceeding as a normal motorist might (if he ignored the 6ft steps in the road, cravasses etc) then 3-point turned at an arbitary point, say 6ft before the signs at the bottom (which point in the other direction such that you haven't seen them) and drove back up to the layby, you'd simply be exercising your right to pass and re-pass with no knowledge of any existing traffic orders. My guess is, you'll end up in someone's photo album, in the same way that I have pictures of someone unicycling down a footpath on Snowdon. Unlawful, but not illegal and having novelty value.

It's worth a call or an email - they're made bespoke so he might be able to work it out? The quality of fab is spot on though and some pretty interesting stuff comes out of his shop:

Any pics of your tubular manifold? I've got one in the offing somewhere...

www.tornadomotorsport.co.uk do a bolt-in cage kit at very sensible money - email Dave for a price with details of your vehicle.

Don't Mach5's use the wheel cut from an 8-spoke or modular, and just weld in a new centre?

I don't know, my tape measure is only marked down to millimetres...

Kumho MT? Cooper Discoverer STT? Sounds remarkably like my question

Filling overnight? I bet the neighbours will love you Why not just add an overtemp switch to the compressor motor, switching it off when it gets vaguely warm? Simpler = better.

So to change the speedo gear, you grab hold of the lower rim of the part on the right with pliers or similar (which sticks proud of the t-box?) and pull? Sounds easy enough, maybe I will get round to sorting my speedo out.

Is there a way to put the flexi hose directly into the caliper? As a point of interest, I noted last night that the short copper pipe was fouling the lower spring seat on my car on full lock - I've 'adjusted' it out of the way. Something to watch out for?

Nige - if the pear-shaped bit you refer to has three holes in it and bolts to the chassis, I'll give you the postage for some FOC plate? That'd save me some more hacksawing and cutting...

Mine was £120 inc postage from Thermoman, search the archives for his (Australia-based) website.

From the vast pool of knowledge on here, does anyone know if fire exits must open outwards? We have an external door to my block of flats which opens outwards; the lock was vandalised by some local scrotes and the building management company has locked it shut permanently while they get a new lock - ETA is a couple of weeks. Meanwhile, the substitute exits are The lift (not applicable in a fire) The door down the corridor, 100m away The door at the bottom of the stairwell adjacent to the locked door Assuming the fire could be in the corridor but the stairwell is accessible from the locked door, it's been suggested that the door at the bottom isn't allowable because it opens inwards. The building was put up last year. I'm making a complaint about them towing my car away (LR content!) and it's just another point in my correspondence. Any thoughts?