Drive-it-Day morning run and pub lunch Sunday 27th April

[Ian Grace]

A reminder that we will be gathering for breakfast at Ye Olde Hobnails Inn, Little Wasbhourne on Sunday morning (breakfast starts at 8-30, but pitch up whenever you like - we'll probably head out around 9-30 or 10) and then taking a particularly scenic springtime amble to The Old Bull at Inkberrow for lunch.

A small Tour Handbook will be available at the start which will include the route. We will be calling in to the Great Western Steam Railway at Toddington and the RAF Defford Museum along the route. All pre-war cars most welcome. Or a modern if you must!

I'll be bringing my 1929 Minor fabric saloon.

Who else will be coming?

[SV_Minor]

I'll be there Ian. I've had to decline at least 3 other invites for DID
I attended the monthly Breakfast Car Meet at The Parish Rooms, Knighton-on-Teme, on Saturday. It saw around a dozen cars, with two Morris Eight Tourers, one being a very rare Series-E. Yesterday I attended a tour of Herefordshire in the 2CV, organised by the Herefordshire 2CV Club.

[Ian Grace]

There's certainly plenty going on right now in this area.

I'm just doing some work on the fabric saloon today to get it ready for next Sunday, including fitting a VMR badge.

See you there.

[Ian Grace]

Excellent run yesterday in gorgeous spring weather. Three Minors, a Hornet and a Rolls gathered for breakfast after which we stopped in at the GWSR station at Toddington where there was a good crowd of classic from the Swindon and District Classic Car Club and about a dozen post-war Minors from the MMOC. The run up to Inkberrow was lovely, specially through Stanway and some sections of the Blossom Trail. There were about 18 cars at the old Bull including Barry Walker's historic blown J4 and Clive Hamilton-Gould's Delage.

George Radford had his SV Minor 2-seater there on its first trip out since major engine repairs and was going well.

The fabric saloon performed admirably, except for the shock absorbers that seem to be doing nothing. The car bucks a good deal even on roads that had no visible potholes. I'll try adjusting them but if that doesn't work, I'll think about fitting Hartfords.

[SV_Minor]

Ah! I thought that was Clive with the Delage. A very different machine to his old Cammy Tourer.

[Ian Grace]

I asked him about his cruising speed in his tourer. He said he used to cruise it easily at 50. I feel I'm pushing it at 38-40 in the fabric saloon, with the engine screaming. I'll have to try and work out what revs 50 equates to with a 9/44 back axle. Maybe I need to be a bit more lead-footed?

(With a SV and 8/43 that would equate to 45.5 mph in a SV Minor.)

I really need to get one of those speed measuring apps on my iPhone. Maybe I AM doing 50!