Sud style on the North Ring

I have seen some drivers do runs on the Ring, but never saw a litte Sud pass everyone by en take the corners so confidently and tight.
Chapeau for the driver!

Radio silence?

It has been a few weeks since I posted my last update. I could'n check the list any more. Funding has stopped. At least my career future is safe for the next 3 years, I'm appointed to work as a GIS-expert again. No more landscape designs for me in the next year.

I fitted the QV-wheels but I'm not fully convinced of the quality of the tires. So now I'm looking for an alternative: will it be wintertires or all weather tires? My set of Michelin MXV from the old QV is almost run off. Second hand tires? I'm looking for some Michelin Energy saver summertires, but what will I drive in the winter time? Oh, yes, I'll drive the FIAT like this guy:

By the way, this week my eyes fell on a FIAT 132, a very good looking berlina with some degree of luxoury. But than again, why a FIAT, and not an Alfa Sei? The FIAT is almost as rare as the Alfa, but the Alfa is a real 6 cilinder limousine, the FIAT has a very good diesel, even Enzo Ferrari drove it. My most favorite Alfa is still the Berlina 2000, agile, very boxy and simple or even the Alfetta GTV. I'm rather ambiguous these days.

  

Heij, what's wrong with the 33 SW?
Ain't it boxy, simple and elegant enough!

As you can imagine this is not a good stat of mind to get focussed on progress. Christmas holidays will learn if there will be any. My first action would now be visiting a specialist to adjust the carburettors and give the car a first check up for the appointment with the RDW. But I'll have to get some tires first.

For getting on the road these jobs must be done first:

- Reload the battery, add new petrol for real starting power. 

- Make the real first attempt to start the engine!  

- Replace the front brake calipers and ventilated brake discs 

- Add brake flued also for the clutch. Adjusting the systems. 

- Respray the little grill part. 

- Make an appointment at the RDW (Vehicle Import Service) to arrange all the paperwork for the taxes and registration (it's still a Belgian car). After my visit to the specialist, this is due first.

Since my Bleu Lord was outside in the rain for a few weeks, I saw some - for the import minor - imperfections:

- Fix the rear bumper so it won't keep any water to the body panel done

- fix the right tail light: water is coming in. 

- fix the left tail window: water is coming in there too. Some works have been doen, though: I fixed the rea bumper and the water problem wit som rubber tube slides. I cut the round slice open and put it around the bumpers' edge. Then I fitted the bumper again. Resulat: a fine aligned bumper beneathe the bodywork and no water will be hold on it.

Little rubber tube slices hold away the bumper from the body

It don't show when not looked properly.
Put some Dinitrol or oil 'round the rubberpieces to prevent watercontainment.

I found a spot on the bumper that was not sprayed @#$!#@%^#!
That's what happens when you put the bumper on in a dimly lit garage.

Wheels Speedline QV

Since the Bleu Lord project is almost ended, some extra efforts can be made to improve the looks of the Alfa. What makes a car look good at first glance? Right, the wheels! So today I purchased a rather good and rather cheap set of Speedline QV-rims. The tires look a little tiered, but for moving it about, they'll suffice. I think they won't need a restoration right now, so for now fitting and driving is the motto! (of course after my checklist is fully checked).

Smaller works on the Bleu Lord, checking the list, thumbs up!

Today was a good day for the Bleu Lord and me.
I vented the clutch- and brakesystem. My wife's better in sewing then in venting; while doing so, she pushed the brake instead of the clutchpedal, so at first it didn't work as planned.
I even had time tot attach the skirts with the little attachment-thingies on the floor. Meanwhile I gave the pipelines of the brakes and petrol a good spray of Dinitrol anti-rust treatment.
I filled some fresh oil (Kroon Emperol 10W40) and changed the oilfilter between the soup and the potatoes (as a matter of speaking). I found out a new and clean way to change the oil filter of the 33, which is lying horizontal. I simply put a plastic bag (this was from my partssupplier and was a good quality) with the handle opening over the oilfilter. So spilling oil from the engine would run in the bag and not on the subframe and exhaust. Result: a clean eng=ine compartment and alsoe garagefloor and more important, no stench of burning oil during the first 50 km. The dirty filter and the bag can be removed in one movement.
I even cleared my work bench.

The list is checked earlier than I had hoped. My wife suggested we'd be riding to our family's Christmas diner in the Bleu Lord. Looks like this is not an idle plan.

On november the 9th I wrote:
"This is going to be a challenge". 

For getting on the road these jobs must be done first:

- Reload the battery, add new petrol for real starting power. done

- Make the real first attempt to start the engine!  done, but the engine did'nt run very smoothly. I have to bring it to a specialist to adjust the carburettors. This is the job with the most effort.

- Replace the front brake calipers and ventilated brake discs was an easy job, looks great though

- Add brake flued also for the clutch. Adjusting the systems. Venting (or is it bleeding ?) is done.

- Respray the little grill part. done

- Make an appointment at the RDW (Vehicle Import Service) to arrange all the paperwork for the taxes and registration (it's still a Belgian car). After my visit to the specialist this is due first.

Since my Bleu Lord was outside in the rain for a few weeks, I saw some - for the import minor - imperfections:

- Fix the rear bumper so it won't keep any water to the body panel

- fix the right tail light: water is coming in. done

- fix the left tail window: water is coming in there too.

Again this image pops up... 

Fiat works, the end

More gear lever cover. The cover is ready and it's looking great.
Next time she'll be making the full leather upholstery of my Bleu Lord interior.
Do you?

Great job by Marianne. Thanks.

The list, ATE brake calipers with ventilated discs swap

This is going to be a challenge. Nice winter job to add to my to do list form november 9th:

For getting on the road these jobs must be done first:

- Reload the battery, add new petrol for real starting power. done

- Make the real first attempt to start the engine!  done, but the engine did'nt run very smoothly. I have to bring it to a specialist to adjust the carburettors.

- Replace the front brake calipers and ventilated brake discs was an easy job, looks great though

- Add brake flued also for the clutch. Adjusting the systems. Venting is about.

- Respray the little grill part. done

- Make an appointment at the RDW (Vehicle Import Service) to arrange all the paperwork for the taxes and registration (it's still a Belgian car)

Since my Bleu Lord was outside for a few weeks in the rain, I saw some imperfections:

- Fix the rear bumper so it won't keep any water to the body panel

- fix the right tail light: water is coming in. done

- fix the left tail window: water is coming in there too

Below my report on swapping the brakes from single disc to Ate calipers and ventilated discs.

To push the brake cylinder out of the caliper, I had to connect it to the car 

and push the brakes. Simple but efficient. The old discs are still on the car.

The (almost new) renovated caliper with good rubbers.

Ate, good brand.

Brake cylinder, lightly sanded and cleaned.

The parts althogether before assembling.

Assembled unit with (stiil good) brake pads

Installing the parts in the SW. Nice job for a nice saturday morning.

The left suspension with the 'old' Bendix brakes. No treatment of the calipers.

Swapped parts with Ate calipers.

Double discs for more braking power.

Underbody left suspension foot. I greased the calipers with Dinitrol ML. 

No further treatment. I'm curious how they'll oxidate now.

The little pin to centre the rims on the wheelaxle was too long with the new discs.

I had to shorten it to fit the wheels properly.

The content DIY-er reflects on his work.

Now for somthing completely different

Yesterday I didn't have a hard day at the office. In fact, the hard days at the office are becoming rare. But my efforts to find a new job are heavy energy consumers. So a nice day in the south of our little province of Limburg is a nice variation.
Our transport for the day was a little Suzuki Jimny from Staatsbosbeheer, the National Forest Service and I was rather impressed by its terrain qualities. In the hilly terrain with muddy underground the little jeep made good progress. Of course the interior is simple and functional, but it is equiped with a 2-wheel, a four wheel and a 4 wheel with low gearing traction. No power to pull a trailer but for two persons and a bunch of maps and papers it was sufficient.

Real bad maintenance of the nice small scale landscape in Southern Limburg.

This is an old road overgrown with bushes. Willows aren't cut.

A stable nicely integrated in the landscape

Contrast between landscapes: open rural area versus highly densed city. 

The city of Heerlen of Parkstad emerges from the horizon.

Newly laid road for rural transport

Poplar trees in a row on the high plains

Typical landscape elements.

This weekend the FIAT gear lever cover project will commence. Then the Bleu Lord must be brought to the mechanic for a real good inspection and an adjustment of the carburettors before driving it to the customs service in Venlo.

Fiat works, part 2

The gear lever cap is in full progress now. My Marianne has e new sewing machine and the lever cap is the first project she's undertaken. Meanwhile I fully covered her work in photos. So now it shows we're a handy family.

No more words this time. To be continued.