One out, one incoming, one unexciting roadtrip

Hello. This is the HubNut News, brought to you on 2CV Day (06/02 – 2CV engine size).

In Honda news, the S-MX has carried out a long journey, for the first time in a very long time. I’m not sure it has left Wales since October. A gaggle of press cars, other fleet members and a Christmas spent at home mean it’s been sitting around a lot of late. Something I’m reminded of when I go to drive it somewhere and the brakes go BANG as the rust breaks free. That open, three-spoked alloy wheel style is perhaps not a good thing.

Nor was it good to discover barely any oil in the engine on the morning of departure. Oops. A substantial amount was added. These engines can and do burn a bit of oil, but I will keep a closer eye on it. Sorry.

Our destination was York, where we attended a wedding, met some lovely Canadians and, just in case the weekend wasn’t busy enough, we went to the National Rail Museum with our nephew and niece (and family). It was worth travelling all that way just to hear my four-year old nephew say “This is the perfect place for me!” He really is quite fond of trains.

York is nice. You should go there. Probably not  by car to be honest. Ignore the yellow lines…

I’m sure you’re allowed to stop on double yellow lines if it’s for artistic reasons. Whether most people consider a filthy, boxy Honda worthy of art is an argument I’m not prepared to start.

I digress. The trip was very nearly without fault, other than the usual somewhat iffy gearchanges (usually downshifts – it revs up a bit as the changes aren’t quick enough), the clunking bushes on the rear suspension and the offside headlamp, which did its usual trick of not earthing sufficiently. I will definitely* do something about all of these things at some point. Maybe.

The headlines for the journey are just over 400 miles, at 33mpg. I’ll take that.

In ZX news, well, it’s gone. Today. Didn’t have time for much ceremony, as I’ve spent pretty much the whole day proofing pages for the next issue of Classic Jaguar magazine. It’s press day tomorrow. That typically doesn’t leave a whole lot of time for anything else.

The ZX was everything I expected. It rode superbly well. It handled very nicely. The interior plastics creaked in that way only French interiors can. It was remarkably good on fuel (55mpg). It was also horrendously dull, had one of those stupid, useless single wipers and the speedometer would often only work if you smacked the dash top. I don’t think I’ll miss it.

The ZX. It came. It went. The End.

Which leaves space on my driveway. Of course, I already have plans. Well, things have developed a bit since then. You see, my local buddy Jasper is a rather good fiddle player, and one of the outfits he doth fiddle for is Songdog. They have a gig in Bristol on Thursday night. My new car is in Bath, and is to be collected on Friday. Well, as I don’t have to buy a train journey (nor suffer another three hours of misery aboard an Arriva Trains Wales thundering Class 158 – the train equivalent of stumbling into a Black Sabbath gig when you were expecting Sade), I think I’d rather accept a lift from a friend and spend the money on a no-doubt dubious B&B instead.

That means I can arrive at the car nice and early on Friday. I know it needs a sidelight bulb replacing for the MOT, but I don’t know a fat lot else yet, despite most excellent comms from the vendor. He’s even offered to send me a video if it running, but I want to save that pleasure until I’m there, feeding the clatter of its six-cylinder engine into my ears and the mic of my phone for your future enjoyment.

The story takes an interest twist, because the chap I bought a Nissan Bluebird from about five years ago has offered assistance with The Caper, and has booked my new car into a garage for MOT at half past two on Friday. That’s back up in Bristol, so the short drive there should give me a chance to ensure the brakes are nice and clean. I know some of you know what it is, but I’d ask that we don’t divulge further clues until the day itself. I think a lot of people will be surprised. I hope I’m not one of them, as it all goes horribly wrong, the MOT man dons a black cloth upon his head and I’m faced with the horrors of a train home after all. Oh, the anticipation is so utterly, utterly fantastic!

Until then, I’ve got a magazine to get to the printers, a lunch appointment with some of my favourite elderly folk, and then a morning of taking some different favourite elderly folk into town on the community minibus.

And, finally, I’m sorry to report that the 2CV is yet to turn a wheel in February 2017. I must do something about that. How remiss of me not to get the 2CV out on 2CV day!