Mike McMad

It's a Pinkto....

They didn't do too good a job of getting the rust out from under the rear vents did they? They are too expensive and not good enough to justify the cost. Even with the phosphate coat they only offer a three year warranty, that's a thousand pounds per year premium, not counting paint and build costs if it has to go back. I've seen this on other shells they've done and I'm going to pass on it. I had my battery tray in an acid bath for three weeks, I still had to drill out the welds on the bracket and dip both again to clean it in the seam. Ask if there's anything I can do, jacking points, etc...

She pulled me down as I was having trouble with a fastening, then she said softly in my good ear, " would you like a Screwdriver" I looked her in the eye and replied, " I'm not a Driver and I'm a bit busy so you'd better ask Pete".....

I went today to look at one of the GWC Mk2's. I've been asked if I'll get the shell ready and I've said I'd love to. I'm not going to say which one it is but, It's the real thing and I'd be madder than mad if I didn't want to put my mark on such a rare car. There's a lot of brand new genuine Ford panels to go on it, and I'm expecting a good result and a straight shell. There was a nice feeling when I looked at the wing motifs, the real ones and not copies. When this shell is ready it will be a nice and welcome member of the MK2 club. I'll keep you all posted as I get into it. I'm busy on my Crusader as yet as I want it on the road for Summer if I can.

I forgot to mention My SIA Qualifications...and my understanding of difficult situations related to those same qualifications. Perhaps all my time as a registered doorman won't count when I have to face jobsworths...I need a new grade on my badges..More money!!!

Why do they never pull the stinking wrecks of Buses that are constantly fouling the air with their worn out engines, I was pulled in a two year old Toyota pick up for an emissions check! The Buses were rattling by as they stuck the pipe in my exhaust..Then I got Wise...Never again. I got a local bus taken out a few weeks ago for smoking too much...I also have a Roadside Camera van on video at over 80MPH on the M60, I admit to matching his speed to catch him out...

I suppose I'm a bit sick of the motorist paying to fix the country, it's made me a motoring militant. I'm all for proper Policing but not civilians in dayglo with an attitude. It's gone beyond sense now and become how much can the motorist provide for least expense. I watched a local traffic warden park his scooter on double yellow lines to book a car on the same lines..Fair? I felt like throwing him over the nearest wall.. If it had been my car I would have stopped him getting back on the scooter, costing someone a £60 fine as he did the same thing... As for my "problem" I'm very well aware what makes a vehicle unsafe to drive, the Police Officer was very lucky that I didn't have him on the bonnet with his stupid actions, he was on the exit side of a side road where vehicles were being ANPR'D..He spotted the broken screen and jumped in front of me, Idiot. The whole escapade stopped me from getting to the Salford Royal Hospital in time to see Denise (Streamline on this site) before she went for a heart scan. She has Leukemia and the jobsworths ensured that she was scared and alone that day. Since then, her Leukemia has returned and she faces a Bone Marrow Transplant with a 45% chance of living. I left her today after making sure her bed was made, just after she fell and grazed her knee and sobbed for an hour after that. It may answer the question of why I can't stand morons in or out of vehicles or uniforms.. To everyone else, tell VOSA to get stuffed and get a real job,where people come first.

I got pulled by VOSA a long time ago when I was a delivery driver, it held me up very badly. I checked the laws on roadside tugs, it came in handy. If it's your vehicle..you can defer the test for 24 hours to a place of your choosing, unless a Police Officer can confirm suspicion that a law is being broken. I used it not long ago with my Punto, it had a broken screen but it was the passengers side. The Police pulled me in, he even breathalyzed me because he thought he was onto something. Then he called over the VOSA men to check the vehicle..They were not best pleased to be told to go away for 24 hours and come to my house the day after...They took my details but they didn't come.. I would argue that a 12 month MOT being cut short by VOSA should entitle a refund of any time left on the test certificate already paid for, just because they find a roadside fault, it should not cut short the expiration of a legal document, also the fact that the roadside testing equipment is not of a specified type and fixture as used in testing stations, therefore subject to error margins not explained or specified at the roadside. Basically..Tell them to sod off.

Ask Pete, Cortina City..I'm sure there is one in his box of bits. If you send him a copy of your key, I'll match the lock to your key so the car has just the one key.

I discovered this long ago and made a few quid from it, they are about 90p from Ford... Or you can find them in a Ford KA as stated, the ones under the back seats are the newest looking usually...I have a carrier bag full..

After a lifetime of being nuts and getting injured so many times..I'm still not going to slow down.. I know we are mostly the same, bigger boys with bigger toys and tools that bite hard but, we have to do this or we have nothing to fill the spaces. Slice me in two and I'll look like Blackpool Rock with Cortina all the way through....

One day at a time for recovery, if only people could be taken into the body shop for a makeover! Nice work on the Transit, the mojo must be getting fired up for the Cortina now...

I hope this is as good as it looks for you after your hard work, ask if I can help. Where do I go with mine if the bar is as high as it seems to be rising towards? Swampy is going to be something special now, that's not in doubt but, are we reaching the end of the MK3 restoration Era as we know it...

I have two on the go at the moment and a house renovation, that said, with the rarity of MK4's I'd have liked to have seen it turned into a 4 door Saloon if anything. It's his money and his car but I don't have to like what's being done to it. It's an opinion and nothing more than that, I'm not at all upset by the car or its owners efforts to do this job, I just don't see the point of wrecking something rare. I've done a lot of what he's trying to do over 20 years ago and there's a lot involved. The simple thing is, don't put things up for scrutiny if you don't want negative comments, that goes for all areas of life. Regards.

How are the front wings going to meet the upper and lower panel? The bonnet has to be shortened at the back edge for the scuttle..I've done this in the past. The headlamp bowls are not the same fit for the wings. MK3 or 4 at the front..What about the more prominent rear wheel arches compared to the doors and front wings? At this point I'd say stop and pass it on for repairs before it's totally beyond repair.