It gets better everytime I drive it

I took the car to work again today, and then on to Nottingham to collect some new Stag wheels from Lee Sellars, a round tip of 125 miles. I pottered up the A roads to Nottingham, but confidence growing returned down the A38 at 60 ish the whole way. The way it drove tonight, I could have kept going and done the RBRR, it felt that good and refined with no strange noises.

It needed petrol too 174 miles and 34 litres from the original full tank, so that's about 25mpg but I have been driving gently - I think its a little rich, but I would rather it run rich and cool for now, I'll lean it off a little later

Didn't miss a beat, water temp stays normal even at speed, rises a bit in town as you would expect. Exhaust is quiet at speed, no boom, just induction roar as you put your foot down. Gearbox has gone really quiet too, it only rattles a tiny bit over large bumps and even that is decreasing as the mounts settle down. The VC was making a loud clicking noise when it worked, but that is now just a gentle "whoosh" I think it was the fluid not being mixed having stood for so long, well its mixed now and works as it should..

The brakes are a bit "grabby" too - a little like disc run out (but its not that I checked with a dial gauge - I think its the disk surface bedding in. The pads are NOS ferrodo (with asbestos - so they don't wear the discs), the effect is reducing with use, but if it doesn't go I will put some normal EBC pads in to wear the disc surfaces a little and then change back.

Haven't tested the ABS yet.

Little niggles, both the alternator and power steering belts are slipping a little now so need a tweak. The rev counter stopped working, but I noticed tonight it wasn't illuminated either so its probably the earth connection that needs cleaning.

On Saturday before I drive the car again, I am going to check all the nuts and bolts in the suspension for tightness, and check for fluid leaks - but there's never any witness marks under the car, so the signs are all good.

I have a few jobs left to complete for the RBRR as follows:-

Headlamp alignment

Fuel pipe joint under boot

Seal windscreen and side windows

Cut spare keys

Adjust handbrake

Adjust gear change linkage - doesn't start in park - linkage needs extending

Get spare Stromberg diaphragms

Dust seal for airfilter

tighten drive belts

get tyres transferred to the new wheels

500 mile service

The headlamps are silly, I paid the MOT garage to do them, but they have aligned the inner high beam lamps as if they are dipping headlamps! Driving lamps that point to the floor are not much good.

So I hope to do all this bar the 500 mile oil change on Saturday before Gaydon, so we'll see all the other RBRR entrants there and we'll be in the estate.

And Mr Chatterton, you really must get DEL33 finished, the TV8 in an estate is fantastic, even though mine's an auto

Next Tuesday a major Classic Car magazine are coming to do a photo shoot and article about the car, hopefully for publication in November - I'll update you when allowed.