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As a non-Scot, married to a Scot, and living in Scotland, I've seen more of Scotland than most Scots! We've toured every corner of Scotland, mainland and the Isles, on motorbike, car and camper, and there's not many single-track dead-ends we haven't stuck our nose up for a look-see. Of the big chunks, there's only Shetland we haven't visited. But that's always the way - as a New Zealander, who has done plenty of motorbike touring in NZ, I'd never been further south than Christchurch 'til I started taking my wife back home on holidays every couple of years. Two day trips out from Fort William may interest you - the shorter is the road out to Mallaig, the longer is the road out to the remote Ardnamurchan Point, the most westerly point of mainland Britain. Or, once you've got to Mallaig, catch the ferry to the bottom of Skye for a loop of the island, then carry on north via Applecross and Ullapool to Dunnet Head, the most northernly point of the mainland (John o' Groats is just for the tourists). Just remember, Westfield tanks are small, and gas stations can be scarce and not always open on the weekend or after 7pm - if you're on a 1/4 tank and you see a station, fill up. Never mind the east side of Scotland, you'll not have the time in just a week to take it all in - that's a whole trip on it's own, with whisky trails etc, and there's a neat car museum in Alford, out from Aberdeen too. From Inverness, come back down through the Great Glen, on the west side of Loch Ness which although pretty you'll curse all the trucks and coaches, or on the little known east side, single track some of the way. At the top of Loch Lomond, stop or stay at the Drovers Inn (UK Pub of the Year - 1705) - other than electricity, not much has changed much since then, except lean over a bit more. The walls of the bar are black with open fire soot, and they make the best haggis and cheese baked potatoes! They say it's also haunted...woooooooo! Just remembered - on the way up from Glasgow, grab the Gourock to Dunoon ferry and do the stunning Argyle coast road then onto Fort William via Oban. Or, forget the ferry and go via the Rest-and-be-Thankful summit. We did the Argyle loop last weekend in our self-built camper for an overnight wild camp just out of Kames/Tighnabruaich. (as an aside, and a merciless plug to keep me at the top of the youtube search list, see my camper build here... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SweT1DuQbqA Have a great trip.

Nice to see a good turnout today. Weather has been great, cracking breakfast and good to meet up with some of the Essex crew also. hope everyone had a nice drive out and see you soon. Loving Josh's detailed tyres Ian

Another new car turned up this weekend too. Hard to believe @Osmium is now old enough to drive!

Splendid morning

http://www.quotezone.co.uk/gap-insurance.htm?adkey=google-gap-gap insurance compare&gclid=CPuXsufGttQCFekW0wodN2MGJw Get a quote then ring ALA who will then beat it.

Ok, so I made it good run out, thanks Kev!

If it sells at that price then that is the correct price isn't it. For many they have no idea of value so a car that is £12k with warranty and only 300 miles may well be what they think is reasonable, especially if he will take a part ex. Our cars are too cheap, Caterham's hold their value better as their owners tend to talk them up we find reasons to devalue them. Just my view. Buying Westfields is simple, go to a club meet and see as many as you can, then go armed with the knowledge and see your chosen one. Here is the difference between a Westfield and normal car, there will always be other normal cars, there are fewer good Westfields available in any one year, see one you like and buy it if it meets you ideal spec. Otherwise the first person to see it after you will buy it.

As Dave said in the latest Westfield World I'm going to fit a mk1 mr2 engine in my low line. Well it has started test fitted the engine today and made the engine mount brackets. It's tight but so was the cross flow but I have about 20mm space to the bonnet and everything is level so it's going to come out again to dress the motor up and maybe convert to hydrolic clutch using a mini slave cylinder. Oh and I might have got a spare engine as well.

Happy Birthday.

MHR Andy.

Well it was a bit of a Billy-no-mates situation at Curborough! However, one of the guys we met at Middleton Hall last weekend turned up to keep us company, so thanks Pete! There were some interesting bikes and sidecars taking part in a sprint. I think this guy must have lost some parts to his locost? For those bike fans here are a few interesting ones among the plethora of super motard stuff. Greeves Griffon Gilera My personal favourite was this Kawasaki S2, a three cylinder 2 stroke 350cc. What a fantastic sound, it took me back to my early biking on 250, 500 and 750 versions of this machine!!! Shame you all missed it!

Sorry to say but that is one damaged engine. I would suspect that the car was starting to seize up, which is why when you tried to start it the lights were dimming and it wouldn't spin over. Push starting it got it going because there was enough geared movement to let it catch. I wouldn't waste time stripping the sump off, that engine will have to come out so you can fix it. don't despair as everything can be fixed it is just dependant on your skill level and time.

You may need rods as well, as a knocking shell can cause them to ovalise, so may need checking too, but a machine shop can deal with that.

Drain the oil through some gauze and see if its anything silver in there.

If a big end bearing has gone, you'll need to strip it down and rebuild with new bearing shells and probably need the crank reground or replaced. big ends often sound like they are coming from the top of the motor, but as said, use a very long screwdriver with the handle pressed against your ear to detect the location of the noise. Fingers crossed it's something easier.

MHR

Glad you all had a good day, I'm envious. It was one of those weekends where nothing went right, 1 step forward and 2 steps back. Brakes hopefully sorted tomorrow.

Happy Birthday

Thanks, came over Applecross and along coast road to Ullapool. amazing roads and awesome scenery and 'biblical' rain But thoroughly enjoying every minute. Shared the road at one stage with 2 Mclarens and a 911 Porsche and a load of Aston Martins.

That's me booked on

Great to meet you all, look forward to the next one!!

Here's the thread on the traction control, Rob physics

Ear defenders......you lot are going to make me deaf, my left ear is still ringing! Thanks for the rides again chaps, you're gents.

He he. Back to play and dish out jelly

Good blat, good food, good company and good weather, what more could you ask for!

I'm sure Amazon have paid already... May: Does that mean he's not coming on then? Clarkson: well he was driving too fast, slew his car off a corner into someone's garden, burnt it, got airlifted to the hospital, fractured his knee, which means a NO... May: So that is a no.

Have a good one Andy!

Having an aero screen and being to big (read wide) for half doors in an SE, I find in the wet the car starts to fill up with water even with holes drilled. After opening the holes up I found surface water was coming in from underneath. I am not sure if there is an off the shelf solution for this but to justify my 3d printer purchase I came up with this. I am going to try firstly to bond it with PU and if they come off then PU and 4 small rivets.

excellent time too , only a smidge off the leader . If they had dangled a slice of carrot cake in front you prolly would have won easy

According to a couple of older posts on S2ki (and you really should join the forum: it's free and a great info source for our engines) the date of the engine is contained within the engine stamp number, position 3 So in your case F20C2 10303XX positions 3 indicates that is 2003. The vin number on your log book can be put into a vin decoder website ( https://www.vindecoderz.com/EN/Honda/S2000 ) where you will need the full 17 character vin but as you alude to that will show you the provenance of the car and won't help if the eigine has been swapped out. However, the S2ki forums reakon the vin is also stamped onto the gearbox ( The transmissions is on the bell housing on the mating surface to the engine. I think it is on the passenger side but higher then you can see when under the car. ) So, If the vin on the log book matches the vin on the gearbox, then the gearbox is original. If the vin is different then perhaps it came with the swapped engine, in which case the vin decoder website should help identify its year of manufacture. Anyway, apart from all that: great choice of engine and really pleased to see another S2000 build on the cards. Please start a build thread with lots of pictures....

Charity Pop Up Pub not quite sorted, but it will be. & chance may have a 'proper' bar man with hand pull pumps.

Glenetive is great for wild camping. Not done it myself but always wild campers down there and because of them I always wanted to try it myself. Loads of waterfalls and a river to bathe in. The roads is a dead end but there is a beach of sorts at the bottom when the tide is out.

We have arrived safely. Rain was biblical!! All the way to Glasgow. All fed and watered. Those cakes look nice. Drive safely. See you tomorrow.

everything packed ready for tomorrow can't wait

If it was me and you had a week only, I would avoid the east coast as it is certainly no way as spectacular as the west. I would concentrate on the area going up from Glencoe, to Durness and also the Isle of Skye. You wont go wrong on any of the roads around there.

Well worth it, but as said accomodation will be the difficulty so may be easier to plan overnights slightly off route. If you work out rough areas you'll be stopping in I'm sure there's enough of us on here with experience to sugest good B&B options.

If you decide to go for it get your accommodation booked as it's getting very popular in the summer now.

Just got back from the area and can say that there are some utterly amazing roads up there! We didn't do "the route" but had a great time regardless. Just do it.

Well many were predicting a Landslide for the Tories, but things have changed, for the worse IMHO. Social media has become the only way certain people get their information and Facebook is literally awash with Labour supporters spreading their views and shouting down anyone who wants to have reasoned debate. there is no checking of facts at all. So it appears now all you need to do to get on is promise everything for free to those who want it. Never say no to anything, refuse to explain how you might make it work and in the case of Labour just paint all Tory voters as rich who do not care. Many of my staff were telling me how they were voting for Labour as he was going to make them richer and make the rich really suffer as there was plenty of money if you just took it off them. It is a sad day as the EU negotiators will know we now have a parliament who will argue over everything and the chances of us getting a fair Brexit deal have gone as Crobyn has told them he wants Free movement and access to the market. New Zealand and Australia must be looking so tempting for many young hard working aspirational people this morning. We as a country deserve better public servants than we have now got and those of us of a certain age will well remember people of opposing views could have reasoned debate in a none shouty way, we now have soundbite bear pit politics instead.

With the level of media scrutiny I can't see any high quality former captain of industry wanting to do it in the way they did 30 years ago. So we are left with 3rd rate career politicians or useless former trade union types. I just hope the civil service and advisory posts can attract some competent people. I actually think you could get rid of the majority of MPs and just have Majors for large centres of population. Most people vote for a party not an MP anyway. David