Kit's Khaos

[PR19_Kit]

Well, we don't know where you are to visit, so how can we? 

Ah, I may have missed that out, sorry.

I've moved to Kettering, a bit north east of where OGL is, and a bit north of where my 'country home' was. Of course I guess my old place is now the 'country home' as I'm in a town, or on the edge of one anyway.

[The Rat]

I've moved to Kettering,

"How do you like Kettering?"
"Don't know, I've never kettered."

Okay, I'll get me coat...

[PR19_Kit]

          

[frank2056]

Have you seen any of the local bugs?

[PR19_Kit]

      

Not so far, the only aviating device I've seen was a Griffon Spitfire a couple of days ago.

[Wardukw]

     

Not so far, the only aviating device I've seen was a Griffon Spitfire a couple of days ago.

Ok as bugs go ,,that's a pretty damn wicked one and with one hell of a bite   

[NARSES2]

So North'ants then Kit. Less than an hour from Euston, so commuterable 

Seriously hope the boxes get sorted out soon and best of luck in your new abode 

[zenrat]

20 years ago next May when we moved into stately zen manor such was my hatred of moving that i announced that i would die in this house.
I still hold to those words.

[PR19_Kit]

So North'ants then Kit. Less than an hour from Euston, so commuterable 

Seriously hope the boxes get sorted out soon and best of luck in your new abode 

Except the trains from here are run by EMR and go to St. Pancras, an old 'stamping ground' of mine of course. 

Thanks Chris, we're enjoying the house itself so far, just not the 'filling' of it.

[NARSES2]

Except the trains from here are run by EMR and go to St. Pancras, an old 'stamping ground' of mine of course. 

Thanks Chris, we're enjoying the house itself so far, just not the 'filling' of it.

To be honest I don't like Euston, much prefer Kings Cross/St P 

[PR19_Kit]

I've just spent three days back at my old house trying to sort it out prior to selling it, much of which was spent in The Loft.

Talk about 'Nostalgia Time'! I'd forgotten half the stuff I have up there, but I did find the Nova vacform C-141B kit, and it's HUGE!  Amazingly it has white metal landing gear legs, and it would sure need them! I can't see me building it in the near future really, but I have brought it back to Kettering with me.

I also found the 1/144 Roden RAF C-133 carrying a Thor missile that I started in 2023, and I can't remember why I stopped doing it. One wing has got Tyne engines from an Airfix Vanguard already fitted, and the other engines are loose in the box, plus I have the SAC metal gear legs for this too, very handy. I've brought this back with me too and I expect I'll carry on with after the 'Op Downfall' GB work.

I could go on and on about some of the other stuff there, like FIVE Lockheed Tri-Star kits ( ) and I've never ever built ONE yet, but the list would be endless.

[Gondor]

I've just spent three days back at my old house trying to sort it out prior to selling it, much of which was spent in The Loft.

Talk about 'Nostalgia Time'! I'd forgotten half the stuff I have up there, but I did find the Nova vacform C-141B kit, and it's HUGE!  Amazingly it has white metal landing gear legs, and it would sure need them! I can't see me building it in the near future really, but I have brought it back to Kettering with me.

I also found the 1/144 Roden RAF C-133 carrying a Thor missile that I started in 2023, and I can't remember why I stopped doing it. One wing has got Tyne engines from an Airfix Vanguard already fitted, and the other engines are loose in the box, plus I have the SAC metal gear legs for this too, very handy. I've brought this back with me too and I expect I'll carry on with after the 'Op Downfall' GB work.

I could go on and on about some of the other stuff there, like FIVE Lockheed Tri-Star kits ( ) and I've never ever built ONE yet, but the list would be endless.

I found that having kept old comics in the past, when I moved here, that became a problem as they were a distraction. Your finding Tri-Stars reminds me that I have some DC-10's to finish. I shall add one to my list of builds for the year.

[PR19_Kit]

Today was very much a 'Plan B' day.................

Plan A was to drive my 'new' Volvo V70 Estate to the British Motor Museum at Gaydon as it's 'Drive It Day' today, the day when many of the classic car clubs take to the road to prove their vehicles are still viable etc. To this end the 'Drive It Day' organisation produce rally style plaques to mount on the front of your cars, like this.



I was worried that the plaque would blank off some of the radiator and overheat the engine, but it turns out the horns are just behind the grille in the same position, so there wasn't a problem.

So by teatime Friday we were all ready to go early Sunday morning.

On Saturday the Volvo's alternator died. Yes, the SAME alternator that had just been installed 10 days ago after the first one died! 

So the RAC took the Volvo back to the garage where it was 'repaired' before and I swapped the plaque onto my Vectra VXR Estate, like this.



No worry with cooling on the Vectra, the radiator doesn't come up that far anyway. THEN I found out that there was a major BMW club event at Gaydon today, and there's NO way I'd show up at the same place as a bunch of them! 

So we changed destination to the Silverstone Museum, one I've wanted to go to for some time, having gone to the track numerous times since the late 50s. I was expecting to see loads of cars with 'Drive It Day' plaques on them, as I have done in previous years, but all day we saw a grand total of ONE! And that was ours! 

But the day wasn't too bad, apart from the fact that the place have NO idea how to treat disabled visitors, there being only 7 disabled car parking spots near the museum! But there was an overspill disabled car park about 1/4 mile away! I asked them if they'd actually tried getting a wheelchair across that distance, and they had the decency to look embarrassed.

Just one museum pic here to show how the day went though.



Hazel (the one with the grin) in her electric buggy in front of a car I've actually driven! EJB806C was a BMC Works Austin Healey 3000 rally car in the 60s. After the Healeys were replaced as the team cars by Mini-Cooper Ss, they were used as publicity vehicles with road engines, and I was lucky enough to get to drive EJB to Heathrow to collect Timo Makinen himself to get him back to Abingdon. When he saw the car he said 'Ah, Healey! I drive!' And he did too! I don't think there was a single speed limit that remained unbroken on the entire drive back!   

The Museum was pretty good overall, except their slot racing track wasn't open at all, how stupid. I'll post other car pics in the Cars & Trucks section.

[Later] Sorry, I uploaded some huge copies of the pics by mistake, but they're the correct size now. 

[Rick Lowe]

So a good day in the end. 

Hope the Volvo is up and running soon.

[zenrat]

Did you mark the alternator in some way?