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Ooh it's been a busy day, @syman84 and Michelle bought their 6 day old baby on her first visit to a track, @Big Andy turned up early with a smart new camera, the essential track accessory, and to top it off I fell in love - with a Zetec engined Ginetta. I have to take my hat off to Michelle, having had a difficult birth and here she is already back out and supporting Syman, albeit only spectating today. But first we met Martyn and Sue at a rainy McDonalds, it was only light rain so we set off topless and as we headed East it got brighter and brighter. We just can't stay at Blyton for only a hour or so because it is just too much fun, so we stayed well into the afternoon. This allowed enough time for us to get mischievous and I aided and abetted Glen in stealing Rozs' chocolate cake. Steve was glad as every time he ate cake his lap was 2 seconds slower than the pre-cake lap. I often chat to our chemical engineer, Femi, at work and he tells me all about these wonderful cars that he owns, so I was delighted today when he turned up in his Zetec engined Ginetta The Speed Series Fan Club was a bit low on numbers today We rushed off to the Idle Valley Cafe in Retford, just catching it before it closed. It was a lovely spot with views over the lake and the essential cake display, Martyn somehow blagged an extra piece. The conversation turned a bit weird, as it does at this time of day, and the moral of the story was, don't have a bath with Sue because you may lose your head. Oh my, don't ask!!!! We set off home, as we headed back West we drove back into the light rain, but we carried on regardless, the roads were a tad slippy though!! We have had our first taste of winter today. Here are a few of the photo's that I took, I had no chance of photographing a certain light blue Honda powered car, it was, ahem, too fast and had gone before I had chance, but that is a sore subject I think It has been great to chat to everyone today, what a friendly club this is, thank you.

Took a punt on a half hood on Ebay just before I went away for a weeks hols. Spoke to the seller, and from his description, the roll bar etc was the same on how written off car as my bar, so there was a decent chance of it fitting OK, he was offering collection only, and down in Kent, so I managed to persuade him to wrap it up and I'd send a courier in. Sale agreed, and I arranged courier, paid and went on holiday. Got back Friday afternoon, and unwrapped the hood, for a guy who wasn't keen on posting things, the wrap job was amazing. Inside was a nice soft bit for sevens half hood, all neatly stored in their heavy duty bag, and also a full nylon indoor car cover thrown in. Tried it on the car quickly, and apart form needing a couple more clips sorting to help with the tension, I'm very pleased.

Thought I'd check over the cooling side of the car, as the gauge was always showing it as running hot, even without any physical symptoms. And I've never heard the electric fan running. Ordered a few bits, new thermostat, new fan switch, and a gasket or 2 Got round to looking today. Quick taste of the water, left little lasting impression on my taste buds so probably not much antifreeze present. Off with the thermostat housing, and the usual bodge reveals itself, no thermostat. Fitted my new one and new gasket. On with the ignition and bridged the fan connectors, fan runs fine. So change out the fan switch on the thermostat housing too. Drained the coolant and refilled with the correct type and percentage of anti freeze and begin to heat cycle top up and bleed. check the temp gauge, showing hot. Retrieve my infrared temp gun ( misspent youth, Ok misspent midlife of playing with RC cars ) Thermo housing showing around 84c, gauge showing 130+c Let it warm a but further and leccy fan kicks in, and all seems well. So I'm going with dodgy sender or gauge. I'll order a cheap 52mm gauge and sender, and see how that gets on. But if anyone has a spare SW gauge and sender that works and matches this one, I'd be interested to hear.

Sweet Jeez, that speedo does moves as fast as the tachometer at times. It’s relentless too. Gulp.

Finished off a project I started back in 2014... @Kit Car Electronics would be proud of me It's a word clock (in Dutch).

I just love your replies Mark, so comprehensive! Good luck with the build James.

Appologies @Robin (Red Spider) - Yorkshire AO, you were one of first too! I will book table and will then inform what prepayment required and how! 19

Yeah, I've got a set of 185/70s and they do 185/65s too.

Expensive, but maybe Yoko AO21 would suit you? I think they're available in 205/60 and 185/60/13?

No in the process of packing! Bigger garage needed

I don't know why but some people prefer to buy from a dealer, which you will always pay a premium for.

Thanks everyone, had a great day even if I ended up emptying the loft for most of it

I know that this is a touchy subject, but there seem to be a lot of nice cars that end up with ToyBox and then re-sell at quite a premium. Surely this means that our cars are often under-priced when offered for sale? With any normal car, the trade price is much lower than the private sale price, so why not here, unless it really means the private sale price was too low??

Ive not tried zzs (and following the experiences of other competitors i will not as thet are **** for sprinting). Ive been competing with 888 supersoft, and Ive seen cars with the modern 888r being pretty near to my times with lower performance cars... so... tyres are perfotming quite well. However... a bloddy fulcrum with nankang driven by a vehicle dinamics engineer, is blowing ALL the times in class b2. So my next set of sprint tyres will be nankang ar1 as I have the perception that is the tyre to use. I cant tell you what to do with your money... but I can tell you what i will do with mine for next season... And that will be burn my toyos in trackdays and practice... and have a set of AR1 for timed runs. Class 2b, roadgoing.

@Shaggydoo is staying in Crown Plaza (must have won the lottery), @Terryathome and @marcusb are in Travelodge Manchester central. @nakkib hoping for no wasps or chuffin bats lol

Have a great day Andy

Hate to say it but Plato said it all ................. we could build it better in our own garage and what's wrong with that .... nothing ....... its a kit car we all love....... that allows us to put our own identity and upgrades into using tyres etc of our own choice ............... give any of us the budget of purchasing a factory built car and we could all possibly build a car that would get better reviews ................ but we don't have the overheads with rent rates and wages to pay and profits to make If journos have an agenda they will always be biased be that good or bad ..... they can find fault in anything