Today I mostly .....

[Zelandeth]

Further to my previous post of the 2nd August, I am sorry to have to report that just after 18:00 this evening my beloved mother passed away peacefully in her sleep following a short battle with cancer.

[excossack]

Zel. Sorry.

[Hoodoo]

Zel,
My deepest sympathies.
Regards,

[Hannesb]

The same from us; our thoughts are with you.

[nitro_warrior]

Really sorry to hear your news.

[Zelandeth]

Thanks everyone. Doing okay really all things considered.

Couple of days ago got the middle and rear exhaust sections on the Saab changed after it split at the front join on the middle box. While having it sound like a spitfire under power and a Jag F-Type on the overrun was sort of fun in a highly immature was, it had to be sorted!

Actually running better now, so reckon the box may have started to collapse internally before it actually failed.

...Do miss the overrun burble though!

Also narked it picked this month to do it as plan had been to stick a full stainless system on there when it failed...but not going to happen now! Well...that said, may need changing again next year if it's of the same quality as the last new exhaust I bought. Not sure who made this one, always used to try to spec Bosal if I could as I'd never had one fail early or have issues with poor fit, but as they no longer exist can't do that now. Walker were always the other big name, and had several issues with them before, usually poor fit and cracking welds.

[Zelandeth]

Oh...Odd. Remember somewhere someone linking to a news article a year or so back over on UKSaabs which showed them to have gone bankrupt. Must have either been a dodgy story then or someone stepped in and saved them...

Oh well, good news for the future at least! Still need to have a look to see what it is that they've actually put on the car. Sounds subtly different from the old exhaust, slightly more raspy and definitely a smoother, slightly deeper burble at idle. Definitely needs some black paint on the back though as it's the later shape one with the cylindrical rather than oval rear silencer and doesn't follow the contours of the car as well.

This morning I had the news that my poor little Pug 107 now has a stoved in nose. Stainless steel wheel trim flew off a lorry going the opposite way down the road and careered into the car. Thankfully it hit on the right hand side, so embedded itself in plastic rather than the a/c condenser and radiator. Right mess apparently (I'm naturally at the other end of the country right now), and the front number plate vanished entirely but nothing's hanging off and the damage appears to be entirely cosmetic.

Still going to be bloody dear to fix I'll bet being a modern car and given that everything is as a result painted. Plus I can't see getting the bumper off being a barrel of laughs given that it makes up about 3/4 of the front of the car. Oh well, that's a task to add to my list!

First time that it's happened to one of my cars, but our housemate who was driving has had several stupid things like this happen over the last couple of years.

Moral of the story: Commuting into Oxford is Something You Should Never Do (TM).

[Zelandeth]

Baxter: Yep, have been keeping tabs on the ups and downs of the Saab/NEVS story. I was actually saying that it was over on the forums at UKSaabs that I'd heard about Bosal (a big supplier of exhausts over here) having gone under - but this has since been proved false it seems.

The NEVS/Saab thing however is less good news, and looks to be honest to be the end of the road unless miracles happen based on the last few articles I read.

[Zelandeth]

Very nice! Always find the same with the Skoda. Makes me smile, and has a very distinctive smell.

Today I mostly got the Saab's wheel alignment sorted. It actually goes in a straight line now! Really didn't realise how much it was wandering around until it was sorted out!

[excossack]

Spent the day running around the various server rooms doing a server audit and then had to compile the BTUs/Hr for each server. So far over 500,000 BTUs/Hr across all the server rooms.
Then had a form to complete to work out what cooling is required per room (inc lighting, number of people in the server rooms etc) It was easier to compile the calcs into Excel and work out from there.

[Zelandeth]

Yesterday actually...

Drove back from Aberdeenshire to Milton Keynes. Saab never missed a beat in either direction, nor used a drop of any fluids save for petrol. Even then it looks to have managed around the 30mpg mark over both directions which is pretty impressive given that the normal average is in the low 20s!

Return journey was a good deal more relaxed having had the wheel alignment sorted a couple of days beforehand meaning that it actually goes in a straight line where I'm pointing it now rather than where it feels like.

[excossack]

Well Sunday was the Manchester to Nantwich cycle event.
Then when I got home spent 4hrs washing the landy. Washed and colour restored the whole car.
After some rain over night the bonnet looked like this today

[Zelandeth]

Drove through Detroit. In rush hour.

Hooooooly hell, drivers there are INSANE.

Made it okay, but ended up feeling like I'd spent an hour fighting a tiger!

[Zelandeth]

Double post courtesy of dodgy wi-fi...

[Hannesb]

Weirdo. Walking for "fun"...