Martin's Argosy Rebuild Thread

[bkahler]

Originally Posted by martin300662

Ah that's easy Joseph. I have left spare parts at multiple addresses to maintain occupancy!

And I have at least 3 eBay and Amazon verified delivery addresses in the US and bank accounts and insurance registered over there, as well as still having my IRS and residency status.....I guess I have just answered the question why DVLA don't believe I live here, poor computer tracking system has no chance!

Not to mention you have Peanut over here.....

[PeterH-350LE]

Originally Posted by bkahler

Not to mention you have Peanut over here.....

I think my 3 point hookup for peanut makes this your legal Texas address...

[martin300662]

Whilst we are waiting for Bella to come out of 'bureaucracy hell', the good weather is here and needs to be enjoyed......

So I picked up a nice little summer runabout.





Working in Germany in a couple of weeks so can find out if it really is electronically limited to 155mph

[jm2]

But Martin! The steering wheel is on the wrong side! 😃

[bkahler]

Originally Posted by jm2

But Martin! The steering wheel is on the wrong side! 😃

That's kinda what I was thinking as well...

[PeterH-350LE]

Originally Posted by martin300662

...


Working in Germany in a couple of weeks so can find out if it really is electronically limited to 155mph

Nice ride, Martin!
ugh, the steering wheel being on the wrong side, doesn't bother me as much as the thought of being the passenger @249 km on the German Autobahn

[martin300662]

Originally Posted by PeterH-Airstreamer

Nice ride, Martin!
ugh, the steering wheel being on the wrong side, doesn't bother me as much as the thought of being the passenger @249 km on the German Autobahn

I agree, it feels more comfortable having control of the steering wheel at that speed!

But seriously.....it is quite common for the speed limiter to be removed 'aftermarket' and it is quite unnerving driving in a car with a limiter (on the limiter at 155mph) and being flashed to get out of the way because you are holding up traffic!

[martin300662]

Wait for it, wait for it........Bella has a UK registration and is fully road legal.....hurray!!!!!

[Isuzusweet]

Originally Posted by martin300662

it is quite unnerving driving in a car with a limiter (on the limiter at 155mph) and being flashed to get out of the way because you are holding up traffic!

I wonder what it would be like to drive Bella on an Autobahn? I'm thinking things have changed, when just after the wall came down and wack of two stroke Trabby's were all over the Autobahns in the left lane holding up the Merc's. Can you imagine doing 155+ when one Trabby pulled out to pass another one.

Even the semi's would go faster than Bella wouldn't they?

Nice Merc by the way but just doesn't have the style of my wife's 95 Jaguar XJS convertible.

[martin300662]

Originally Posted by Isuzusweet

I wonder what it would be like to drive Bella on an Autobahn? I'm thinking things have changed, when just after the wall came down and wack of two stroke Trabby's were all over the Autobahns in the left lane holding up the Merc's. Can you imagine doing 155+ when one Trabby pulled out to pass another one.

Even the semi's would go faster than Bella wouldn't they?

Nice Merc by the way but just doesn't have the style of my wife's 95 Jaguar XJS convertible.

Most Autobahn are only two lane, but the commercial traffic have very good road etiquette and keep over to the inner lane, so there is often a 140kph speed differential between the two lanes.....you just have to be very very aware when approaching to overtake commercial traffic in case they pull out. It is also very entertaining when passing through intersections.....areas where lanes leave and join typically have a 140kph speed limit so you have to scrub off 100kph, as you approach and then accelerate pretty rapidly after. The police love to setup cameras in the slow zones!

My limited experience of Bella on the UK motorways was good....most UK motorways are three lane and she was happy to buzz along faster than the commercial traffic (which is limited to 90kph) and didn't hold up the fast guys in the outer lane; just had to match speed to the other 'middle lane' traffic so around 110-120kph. On the Autobahns/European motorways I will be doing 90kph with the commercial traffic on the inner lane.

[bkahler]

Kinda makes me think I should just stick to the back roads of Kentucky!

[martin300662]

Well its been a long journey, and it does seem that the 'rebuild' thread will stop short of 1000 posts, because I am just back from picking up Bella and for the first time in a year she is parked outside our house.....just a different house and 4000miles apart.

LAS had her already sitting in the workshop drive ready to collect.From the outside the only difference was the amber lens, the new headlamps, an additional 'fog' light and an new reversing light, even the customers 325/345 was still there awaiting collection



Only uncompleted job was the fuel tank sender as the could not find a replacement part - guess I will spend the summer with a fuel gauge that reads backwards!

However on the road the front end engine rebuild makes a huge difference, the new timing setup with the previously rebuilt Quadrajet from Dick Paterson now sings. In the emission tests, across the rev range she outperforms a TBI.

LAS is 150miles of motorway (equiv to Interstate) driving from us and she is flying - 2.5 hours with a stop for gas, passing 80% of traffic including several modern European MH.

So the rebuild story comes to an end; we set out to build our 'retirement home' and bring it back to Europe when we retired, and we have done just that. At the moment she is parked up on a drive at the front of the house whilst we get planning approval for a new entrance at the rear of our property, and then I can start the battle to be allowed to build a timber pole barn and workshop (here we call them carriage houses, although I know a carriage hose is something different in the US). So to sign off this thread, a couple of last photos of Bella parked up outside our place, which happens to be my 'work from home office' so there could be worse views to spend the day looking it!

[bkahler]

Martin, it's been quite a journey for you and Denise!

You've done an outstanding job on Bella, one to be proud of. I especially like the picture of it sitting in it's parking spot in front of your house. Hopefully your stress level will drop and you can now begin enjoy your retirement.

The only thing I wish is we could have had at some point managed to park Bella next to my Argosy, that would have been a nice picture

Brad

[jm2]

Martin,
Denise,

I found this clip of your visit to the DVLA!

https://youtu.be/eIkgSJcRlF4

(Ignore the ad that might play, first... )

Best,

[bkahler]

Originally Posted by jm2

Martin,
Denise,

I found this clip of your visit to the DVLA!

https://youtu.be/eIkgSJcRlF4

(Ignore the ad that might play, first... )

Best,

Now that's funny!

[martin300662]

Originally Posted by jm2

Martin,
Denise,

I found this clip of your visit to the DVLA!

https://youtu.be/eIkgSJcRlF4

(Ignore the ad that might play, first... )

Best,

That times 5, because it took 5 goes for them to issue the registration!

[Boom Sounds]

Great job Martin, looking forward to a camping trip sometime soon


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[martin300662]

For about 3 months before Bella shipped, she was packed up with all our camping stuff and spares. The challenge for the next few days is to empty her out, catalogue what we have and also write a list of what has gone missing and needs to be replaced.

I knew my new Viair 450P-RV and all my tools had gone missing but the list is getting bigger....they even pinched the Furrion F30P50-SS cordset, so I can't plug in the shore power!

[Boom Sounds]

Was this at Zeebrugge? I lost some stuff too.


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[martin300662]

Originally Posted by Boom Sounds

Was this at Zeebrugge? I lost some stuff too.


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No Newark - Liverpool Nick, could have been either places but in Liverpool they had Bella parked next to the 24hr security guards so I tend to think stuff went missing in Newark