Routy56 - can you just....

[V8Druid]

Thanks for your polite interest
It’s done about 176,645 miles so barely run in and good for another 200,000 miles
Has a Lynx 1.8 TDCi engine which is bulletproof. Pulls well and does about 50ish mpg on a run.
Now I’m not keen to sell it to anyone that I know ‘cos it only has ‘Driveway Warranty’
That said here’s a link to the FB MP
For y’all the have a gander
My brother laughs ‘cos rather than fanny around I just put new parts on it
View attachment 81326
So last Friday I changed a cracked fog lamp for a new unit
Next little job is to replace the alarm module back up battery. Little job for the soldering iron tomorrow

as usual you're too far away looks a good buy

 

[Routy56]

as usual you're too far away looks a good buy

Thanks for your most welcome input Gra. And NO you do NOT need to add it to your collection

 

[Routy56]

I know he looks after his stuff, I have been looking all week on all the platforms for a half decent one with a relatively good mot history some are absolute shockers! It’s a bloody minefield out there!

Yeah I know what you mean David - MOT history often tells a story of if a car has been loved or not which is often the case
Our Mondeo history will show the usual stuff and advisories. It was owned by my SIL, Rod who let us have it for peanuts when he got his new pickup truck.
When tested last June the advisory was "Both Rear Suspension arms corroded but not seriously weakened" - they all do this when the paint peels off. BUT the rubber bushes are all good - same ones used on a Saab
Before I forget, I'd better amend the ad and mention the Ford recall on this model. It's the usual airbag replacement thing. Just haven't bothered to get it done at the Ford Stealers. We had both our nearly new Toyotas airbags replaced in recent years. I'll add the letter to the paperwork

Hopefully I've put you off now

 

[Routy56]

Another busy Sunday so far...
"Dave, can you just pop round and move that left over sharp sand please?"

So Alan, my immediate neighbour, shovelled it up to come back into my yard. And little Alfie jumped on the dumper. Kids - they all love our machines

Then back to a nagging error message/fault on the Mondeo "Alarm Service Required" on the Ford Talk Forums it's all about the back up battery in the siren unit. Same unit is fitted to many cars, Fords, Volvos, Saabs and even Aston Martins. New unit is £169 - WTF
New battery from eBay at £9.64 cured it

Mind you I need ed to get technical with my Windows "Forscan" diagnostics dongle

Run a "Service Procedure" on the BCMii with reset the module and the error messages.
Not a lot of people know that

 

[Routy56]

Another busy week when I'm supposed to be retired

So yesterday I sold my lovely Mondeo 'project car'. I was actually sad to see it go
Alfie, a nice young man turned up with his wife, in their newish Focus, "Why do you want to buy an old Mondeo?"
He said, "Well I had one before and I really love them. But I crashed the other one into a tree"
He showed me the photos and although badly damaged, he walked away from it

This will interest @V8Druid - clearing out my stuff I put our old boiler up for sale on FB MP
Boulter Boiler Camray 2 with a RDB Mecron 3 burner. Been rebuilt many time and bit like triggers broom.
But we upgraded to a Grant BlueVortex a few years ago. Was gonna install this in the Barn/Workshop, but changed my mind

Caravan serviced and brakes checked and adjusted on the faithful old Abbey caravan ready for another season of touring the UK
Next weekend to big family camp at Uncle Eric and Auntie Kays place - be about 5 units and families gathered
Then in May we are off to Kessingland Beach site
And in August a Grand Tour of Scotland, featuring attending Edinburg Tattoo

My neighbour Alan, who had his patio extended said, "Dave, can you just move that top soil from the end of our garden"
So, popped a fence panel and reached in with the Neuson and scooped out nearly 5 loads of the good stuff to add to my pile

Came home late one evening after a Committee Meeting and Sharon said, "Ryan is very upset. He's only gone and kicked a football through the shower room window"

So spent the next morning fitting new glass.

Big shout out to our local glazing company - Harwich Glass and Windows.
Boss man Daryl served me. He has 3 van out with guys out full time while is is at base.
Old school workshop and nothing too much trouble.

Simply popped the aluminium beads, cleaned out the old silicone bed. Nice bead of new silicone, beads popped in a another job jobbed before lunch

 

[Jimoz]

How did you ever find time to work

 

[sandy2210]

just a wee reminder that the embra tattoo is open air and can be cold or wet dont ask me how i know!!!!!

 

[V8Druid]

How did you ever find time to work

exactly what I used to say

 

[Routy56]

just a wee reminder that the embra tattoo is open air and can be cold or wet dont ask me how i know!!!!!

Thanks - we will dress for the weather

 

[Routy56]

How did you ever find time to work

Well the thing is Jim that since 2010 until recently I operated my Mini Digger Service and didn't consider it as work. "It's not work if you enjoy what you are doing"
So the 16 years or so trading as a self employed operator has been a pure pleasure. There were jobs that I would rather not have done. And I got good at picking and choosing the job that suited me and what I wanted to do

 

[Routy56]

It's all about having a proper 'Man Cave'

You will remember Rob, a neighbour that asked me to do a dig out for a new workshop. And then later for a bit of landscaping. Well I popped and saw him during the week and what he has done is remarkable

Here's the Heli-pad and flower bed that I dug out

And another nice hard v soft landscaping
Rob and his wife Karen (who is the real gardener) are doing wonders with their lovely spot in our AONB in which we all live

 

[Routy56]

It's all about having a proper 'Man Cave' Part 2

So I popped in to see James who lives 2 doors away a few times over the weekend to check on his progress.
You will remember that I've been round a few times with my machine to do the dig out and help with the concrete. He is such a perfectionist and working all his spare daylight hours to get it done.

And as a good neighbour I even popped round with a few 3 o'clock beers

Then on Sunday we went to see Sharon' Bee Keeper friends - 'The Drone Club' at Kate's lovely old farm house.
Above shows a 'Nuke Box' emptying a captured swarm into a brood box.

It's been a tough winter for Kate's 5 colonies of bees. Only one of the five survived. The colony collapses were caused by a difficult wet winter and spring where they used up their stores and then couldn't get out due to the rain

Up to a few years ago our Sharon had 4 colonies in Commercial Hives but had to give it up because the supers got too heavy with honey

But on a positive note, with a few more swarm catching activities Kate's Apiary will soon be up to strength again. Her "Golden Acre" honey is absolutely superb

So finished the weekend with a 'barrel clean burn' of old cabinets and pallets etc

 

[Storrsy]

Well the thing is Jim that since 2010 until recently I operated my Mini Digger Service and didn't consider it as work. "It's not work if you enjoy what you are doing"
So the 16 years or so trading as a self employed operator has been a pure pleasure. There were jobs that I would rather not have done. And I got good at picking and choosing the job that suited me and what I wanted to do

What did you do before offering mini digger work? or perhaps you can't say

 

[Routy56]

What did you do before offering mini digger work? or perhaps you can't say

Now that is an excellent question, and if I tell you will you keep it a secret. Only @V8Druid has worked it out
Between 1979 and 2009 I was proud to be a Police Officer with Essex Police.
In those days, we had the staff to do a good job and make a difference.
I could write a book on what I did during my 30 years of service
But in 2009 at only 53 years old, I went back to my routes and love of machines.
The next day I was self employed. Took a year to fully adjust and get things worked out and in place.
The main thing was the Mini Digger and also driving Grain Lorries a few days a week
"It's not work if you enjoy what you are doing"

 

[Lancs Lad]

Now that is an excellent question, and if I tell you will you keep it a secret. Only @V8Druid has worked it out
Between 1979 and 2009 I was proud to be a Police Officer with Essex Police.
In those days, we had the staff to do a good job and make a difference.
I could write a book on what I did during my 30 years of service
But in 2009 at only 53 years old, I went back to my routes and love of machines.
The next day I was self employed. Took a year to fully adjust and get things worked out and in place.
The main thing was the Mini Digger and also driving Grain Lorries a few days a week
"It's not work if you enjoy what you are doing"

I was chatting with an officer last week...
He said when he started 14 years ago they had 12 officers on the beat (small town) now they've got 4. How the heck is that suppose to work

 

[Routy56]

I was chatting with an officer last week...
He said when he started 14 years ago they had 12 officers on the beat (small town) now they've got 4. How the heck is that suppose to work

Yep, similar stories are sadly familiar. I keep in touch with many past and present officers.
When I joined in 1979 it was a 30 year career. We had enough officers to do the job and were very busy.
Nowadays they struggle to cope and many officers are leaving after on average 8 or 9 years

 

[Lancs Lad]

Yep, similar stories are sadly familiar. I keep in touch with many past and present officers.
When I joined in 1979 it was a 30 year career. We had enough officers to do the job and were very busy.
Nowadays they struggle to cope and many officers are leaving after on average 8 or 9 years

He reckoned most are done after 5.

 

[V8Druid]

My old man and his peers/colleagues'd be rotating in their graves if they could see what a shambles the service has become ...
he did 30 yrs on traffic
can't recall the last time I saw a copper 'on the beat' in Aber. ...
the new police station in Aber is like for Knox ...
NO public access and out of the town itself. A gated compound that only they can get in/out of !!!!!!!

Folks used to ask why I didn't join the force ..... after living with it for decades, there's no way I wanted in.