Classic Jalopy Blog

Product Review:  SCA Hydraulic Vehicle Positioning Jack 1

Product Review: SCA Hydraulic Vehicle Positioning Jack

Supercheap Auto had their hydraulic positioning Jack on sale ($162 e.a.) last week so I picked up a set for the garage.   There are some parts of the Garage that are not easy to get cars in/out of, and I’ve also had situations such as with the 280CE where there are cars that are not running for extended periods of time as I...

Retrosound radio in the DS almost complete for the second time 0

Retrosound radio in the DS almost complete for the second time

Previously, I had been working on a nicer faceplate solution for the Retrosound Model 2 radio in the Citroen DS. I am happy to say that this is now almost complete and back in the car.    There are a few more adjustments to do, but overall it is a much better solution to the one I had before. With the rear knobs cut...

MBCNSW Run to Sublime Point 0

MBCNSW Run to Sublime Point

The Mercedes club had a run today out through the Royal National Park to Sublime point.   It was an official club run, so historic plated cars were welcome, and in particular was focused on the 107 series.   Given this, I took the 450SLC.    There were 7 107’s at the start and at least one more met us at the venue.   5 SLs and 2 SLCs,...

E-Type register new year breakfast run 0

E-Type register new year breakfast run

The JDCA E-Type register had an unofficial new year breakfast run yesterday up to Dural, and a good opportunity to take the Jag out for a drive.   It was quite a hot day (around 34c), but the coolcat fan kept the temperature at or below 90 degrees, even in traffic or going up Galston Gorge on the way back.    As this was an unofficial...

E-Type speedo bezel refitted 1

E-Type speedo bezel refitted

A while ago the E-Type speedo bezel and glass that protects the speedometer had fallen off.   I had tried to replace it in-situ, but the bezel fell off the next time I drove the car.    I later learned the correct way to do this and it is not very hard. The panel under the dash that protects all the wires is easily...

Citroen DS wouldn’t idle 0

Citroen DS wouldn’t idle

I came to start the DS the other day, and it started fine, but would not idle properly.  Once the revs dropped below 1200 or so the engine died.   The car had been running fine before so it was quite perplexing.   I had some advice from the forum to try a few things, one was to check the float in the carburettor...

W123 Idler arm bushing replacement 0

W123 Idler arm bushing replacement

The 280CE came back to the warehouse to replace the idler arm bushings.   The simple description of the idler arm is that it is the part that attaches to the steering linkage from the passengers side to balance the pittman arm which connects the steering box on the drivers side. Bad bushings in the idler arm mean that the steering system is not...

2014 ACT Terribly British Day 0

2014 ACT Terribly British Day

I had to be in Canberra today, so I swung by the 2014 ACT Terribly British Day.   It was quite a nice little car show with a decent mix of British cars.  I was glad to go as the Sydney show was rained out this year and I had not taken the 450SLC on a good road trip for a while. Some of...

Retrosound model 2 knob adjustment 1

Retrosound model 2 knob adjustment

Previously I had started re-looking at the faceplate of the Retrosound Model 2 I have installed in the DS.    The biggest issue is fitment of the secondary knobs.   In my first attempt, I had tried to file away small holes in the side of the cubby housing for them to fit, but I found that they jammed easily and interfered with the...

Retrosound Model 2 in a Citroen DS – Revisited 5

Retrosound Model 2 in a Citroen DS – Revisited

Last year I installed a Retrosound Model 2 radio in my Citroen DS.   Overall, I was happy with the result, but there were one or two small things that were not working as I expected.   This was mostly down to so little space for the unit in the DS, as it is hard to get the radio face and knobs to fit inside...

The Devil in Disguise drive 0

The Devil in Disguise drive

On Sunday, I attended the Devil in Disguise drive with the Citroen Club.   So the story goes the drive is named in memorial for a member of the club who is sadly deceased who was apparently a mild mannered man, until he got behind the wheel of his DS, when the Devil in Disguise came out! On this trip, the Devil was the...

New DS Air Cleaner Hose 1

New DS Air Cleaner Hose

The Citroen DS has a rubber hose that connects the air cleaner assembly with the top of the carburettor.   This DS air cleaner hose had become so hard and perished that it tore when I tried to remove the air cleaner to take off the spheres. The condition of the hose is fairly evident from the picture.   The new one was much more pliant.  ...

2014 Shannons Sydney late spring classic auction preview 0

2014 Shannons Sydney late spring classic auction preview

The latest Shannons Auction is on Monday, so I went to preview the offering.   As usual, Shannons have a nice mix of cars for sale, and the ones that caught my eye were: Lot 4: 1951 AUSTIN A90 ATLANTIC 2 DOOR COUPE This is not a car I know much about, but it has oodles of character and a price guide of $18,000-$24,000.  ...

MBCNSW ‘Topless Drive’ 3

MBCNSW ‘Topless Drive’

The Mercedes Club organized a late spring evening ‘topless’ drive up the Old Pacific Highway to the Central coast.    I had forgotten what a nice drive the Old Pacific Highway is, certainly nicer than the F3/M1.   I took the 250SE, and it was the oldest car there, the best representation being from the R107, in particular the 380.   I also discovered...

JDCA drive to Bulli 0

JDCA drive to Bulli

I recently attended a JDCA drive to Bulli organized by the Grand Tourers Register (i.e. XJS, New XK).   The drive started in Southern Sydney and took the grand pacific drive through the royal national park.   Unfortunately the event organizers Jag (a lovely XJS convertible) developed an issue and had to pull out of the event, but overall it was a very nice...

W108 300SE – the forgotten Mercedes 9

W108 300SE – the forgotten Mercedes

There is a blog I look at from time to time called “Aussie old parked cars” where the author takes pictures of interesting cars he/she sees in daily use around Sydney.   In particular, most of the photos are around North Sydney and Neutral bay, an area I am quite familiar with. One entry that stuck out to me was a W108 300SE, a...

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