So the last post with any real meaning was August 2008. Bugger.
Since that time I have done - well - sweet FA frankly. But I think 2012 really should be the year to get something done with this car, even if it's just setting it on fire (I jest of course, it's uninsured, what would be the point?). So over new year I decided to attempt to raise it from the grave.
On inspection I found squirrel droppings on the rocker cover gasket, clear signs of small furry life in the engine bay and a total lack of coolant. Things not looking good really. I stayed positive though, put in a lot of neat antifreeze (a magnificent example of shutting the stable door three years after the horse had bolted, retired and died peacefully) and checked the oil level. Looked good, so I put in a half-charged battery, disconnected the dizzy cap and tentatively turned it over on the starter. It turned over. So I reconnected the dizzy cap and had a go. After ten turns or so -
IT STARTED!!!!!!
Not only that but after a while longer,
IT ROSE!!!!!!!
Alleluia! So next order of business was sort out the tyres. I had laid it up on one space-saver and four alloys. Nearside tyres were fine. OS front had deflated (dodgy valve cap). Luckily my dad recently bought a 405 Executive. Unluckily it turned out to have the structural integrity of a fondant fancy that's a week past the sell-by date. Luckily he kept the alloys so I could bung them on the BX to get it moving. Wheel swap completed, I ceremonially put the centre cap back on the steering wheel and tentatively put it in gear and drove it for the first time in over three years!
Only a few yards mind you but it felt good. Here is evidence. Phase 1s are the best looking aren't they?
However, the OS rear made a loud scraping noise, meaning that either a) the wheel is the wrong offset, b) the rear arm bearings are totally fucked, or c) the wheel is the wrong offset and the rear arm bearings are totally fucked. My money's on c).
Anyway it all seems to have survived well, interior is in good shape and no evidence of water ingress.
Unfortunately as I backed it into the space, it coughed, spluttered and died. I backed the last few feet on the starter and investigated, but no amount of EZstart would raise it to life again. Bugger. Still a good day though.
So after all of that I tried a trial fitting of one of my super-light C5 steels. Turns out I have the wrong wheel bolts for them. Oh well... bigger fish to fry right now...