A Highland Z3 1.9 roadster
- Thread starter Pls
- Start date
Bother - I should have thought of that! Well, next time we're heading out your direction, I'll try and remember! We're intending to visit Gordon Castle at Fochabers again on 17 May for their Highland Games and Country Fair. Perhaps we could meet up there?
Cheers
Paul
With dry roads, Ratty and I went into Inverness today. It may be my imagination, but I'm sure the car goes faster when I'm on my own. Now it could be that the reduced all-up weight has an effect on performance, or it could just be that my foot seems heavier ....
Among other things, I wanted to get a new number plate to fit on the mounting plate that is on it's way to go on the front bumper. I knew that Halfords do them on the spot, at £16. However, I didn't really want Ratty to go around with 'Halfords' emblazoned on the front number plate, so I called in at Harry Fairbairn, the BMW dealer in Inverness. I was shocked to discover that they charged just £7.30 and that's for an aluminium plate, which I'm hoping will be easy to bend to the correct profile. So I now have a very smart new plate, part of Ratty's 22nd surprise birthday present - I'm not sure if he noticed when I put it in the boot with the other shopping!
Cheers
Paul
Among other things, I wanted to get a new number plate to fit on the mounting plate that is on it's way to go on the front bumper. I knew that Halfords do them on the spot, at £16. However, I didn't really want Ratty to go around with 'Halfords' emblazoned on the front number plate, so I called in at Harry Fairbairn, the BMW dealer in Inverness. I was shocked to discover that they charged just £7.30 and that's for an aluminium plate, which I'm hoping will be easy to bend to the correct profile. So I now have a very smart new plate, part of Ratty's 22nd surprise birthday present - I'm not sure if he noticed when I put it in the boot with the other shopping!
Cheers
Paul
A farewell visit to the Slaughterhouse coffee shop by the ferry slip at Cromarty, for the time being anyway.
However, I reckon that we don't need to curtail our trips out into the mountains and lochs in Ratty, if I patronise self-service fuel stops (as they are referred to up here), wearing gloves. We usually take a small hamper and the kit for brewing up a good cuppa on our trips anyway, so we don't need to encounter anyone really.
It's Ratty's birthday tomorrow, but the weather forecast doesn't look all that nice - we have six hours of snow forecast overnight, followed by sleet when the sun is due to come up, till elevenses. After that there's 45mph wind! Perhaps we shall have to institute an 'Official' birthday, like the Queen. Maybe when the new number plate mounting thingy turns up. The front bumper could do with a bit of a polish in readiness.
Cheers
Paul
However, I reckon that we don't need to curtail our trips out into the mountains and lochs in Ratty, if I patronise self-service fuel stops (as they are referred to up here), wearing gloves. We usually take a small hamper and the kit for brewing up a good cuppa on our trips anyway, so we don't need to encounter anyone really.
It's Ratty's birthday tomorrow, but the weather forecast doesn't look all that nice - we have six hours of snow forecast overnight, followed by sleet when the sun is due to come up, till elevenses. After that there's 45mph wind! Perhaps we shall have to institute an 'Official' birthday, like the Queen. Maybe when the new number plate mounting thingy turns up. The front bumper could do with a bit of a polish in readiness.
Cheers
Paul
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Today, after a special birthday polish, Ratty went out for a 22nd birthday run, reaching another significant milestone:
Cheers
Paul
Cheers
Paul
And I thought I was the only one who took pics like that.
There used to be a thread for notable odometer readings, didn't there? I couldn't find it now though.
Cheers
Paul
Cheers
Paul
I do loads of miles commuting in my Clio, i eventually stopped the 10000 pics and started doing patterns like 122221, 158851, 222222 ,you can rotate them and it's still the same , simple things for simple people. Waiting on my current Clio hitting 155551 in week or 2 ;-)
Every cloud ......
We went out for a run today, self-isolated within the cockpit of the Z3. And the roads were empty - no caravans or RVs, and greatly reduced traffic generally. April and May are often the best months for weather in the Highlands, so looking forward to Zedding with a picnic!
Back home in the gloaming.
Cheers
Paul
We went out for a run today, self-isolated within the cockpit of the Z3. And the roads were empty - no caravans or RVs, and greatly reduced traffic generally. April and May are often the best months for weather in the Highlands, so looking forward to Zedding with a picnic!
Back home in the gloaming.
Cheers
Paul
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That’s March P.O.T.M right there!
That's an idea,
Cheers
Paul
Cheers
Paul
Thanks Dave. Yes the weather here is glorious too - a bit of a frost last night, but no wind and bright sunshine. Over the fence in the distance, withBen Wyvis behind, our neighbour has started ploughing the next field but one, with seagulls whirling in clouds behind the tractor. It will probably be barley intended for the distilleries on the other side of the Firth. They produce some excellent oral sanitiser up here, and there doesn't seem to be a shortage!
But with great excitement, the new old front number plate mounting plate arrived. It had been sensibly and carefully wrapped and was complete and undamaged. It came from 'rainbowsys' on eBay (usual disclaimers) who has quite a lot of Z3 stuff. I expect he may be on here? It was £17, around a quarter of the price of a new one. And I think that he has several.
Anyway with the scruffy old number plate removed, the new mounting plate was quickly fitted,
and looks just the job.
I then fitted the new aluminium number plate, having carefully bent it to the correct profile and drilled the plate and pilot holes in the mounting plate. All in all, I'm very pleased, I think it really improves the look of the car at the front. It looks like it is supposed to look!
Cheers
Paul
But with great excitement, the new old front number plate mounting plate arrived. It had been sensibly and carefully wrapped and was complete and undamaged. It came from 'rainbowsys' on eBay (usual disclaimers) who has quite a lot of Z3 stuff. I expect he may be on here? It was £17, around a quarter of the price of a new one. And I think that he has several.
Anyway with the scruffy old number plate removed, the new mounting plate was quickly fitted,
and looks just the job.
I then fitted the new aluminium number plate, having carefully bent it to the correct profile and drilled the plate and pilot holes in the mounting plate. All in all, I'm very pleased, I think it really improves the look of the car at the front. It looks like it is supposed to look!
Cheers
Paul
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Had to go and get some shopping so we went for our exercise walking up the hill past Cromarty House.
Not much action on the bowling green!
The new number plate worked very well
Cheers
Paul
Not much action on the bowling green!
The new number plate worked very well
Cheers
Paul
Today we have a Force 9 gale with 48 mph gusts, but with brilliant sunshine and blue sky with fluffy white clouds racing across it. So by after lunch the grass was drier than it's been for ages. Now my lawnmower lives further 8n the garage than the Z3, so I have to get the car out to access it. So that's going to ensure that Ratty gets run every week for the next few months, even if we don't go anywhere, with grocery and fresh deliveries sorted out.
But then, after a lingering polish, it was back into the garage, suitably protected from spider poo:
Cheers
Paul
But then, after a lingering polish, it was back into the garage, suitably protected from spider poo:
Cheers
Paul
Well the cover didn't stay on Ratty for long, as I SORNed the Volvo at lockdown, and so the Z3 has been our sole vehicle since, even carrying bags of cement in the boot! As restrictions have been eased, we have made the most of a summer with empty roads and absence of caravans. Wonderful!
That was on the Dornoch Firth, with the Glenmorangie distillery across the bay and the hills of Sutherland behind.
That was visiting someone in Strath Lochbuie. They've been there 38 years, and still don't have a car, electricity, phone, gas, or mains water. They cycle ten miles to the nearest shop.
That was doing the diy crossing gates near Foulis Castle on the Far North railway line from Inverness to Wick. Look both ways!
And that was by Carrol Rock across Loch Brora, a favourite drive to see the heather, the deer and sometimes a pair of golden eagles.
We have now clocked up 12,000 miles since getting the car just over a year ago. The last five months haven't seen any work on the car, with its MOT extended six months to the end of November.
That is, until this week, when the rear silencer developed a hole ahead of the rear lower seam. As part of the work on the car prior to me buying it, Ray had welded two patches on the underneath of the silencer, but one of these had now rusted through. So today we put it on the hydraulic lift, popped the rear exhaust off, with it's simple two bolts and three rubber support straps, and mig-welded a patch on the rear patch! Then cleaned it all up and sprayed it with exhaust paint. Then I pressure washed the underside of the whole car, and we went for fish and chips while everything dried off. Later on we put the exhaust back on and hey presto, job done for a while, hopefully through the MOT in three months and perhaps another year's postponement of a £150 spend on a new one. The can of VHT paint cost £7 though.
Cheers
Paul
That was on the Dornoch Firth, with the Glenmorangie distillery across the bay and the hills of Sutherland behind.
That was visiting someone in Strath Lochbuie. They've been there 38 years, and still don't have a car, electricity, phone, gas, or mains water. They cycle ten miles to the nearest shop.
That was doing the diy crossing gates near Foulis Castle on the Far North railway line from Inverness to Wick. Look both ways!
And that was by Carrol Rock across Loch Brora, a favourite drive to see the heather, the deer and sometimes a pair of golden eagles.
We have now clocked up 12,000 miles since getting the car just over a year ago. The last five months haven't seen any work on the car, with its MOT extended six months to the end of November.
That is, until this week, when the rear silencer developed a hole ahead of the rear lower seam. As part of the work on the car prior to me buying it, Ray had welded two patches on the underneath of the silencer, but one of these had now rusted through. So today we put it on the hydraulic lift, popped the rear exhaust off, with it's simple two bolts and three rubber support straps, and mig-welded a patch on the rear patch! Then cleaned it all up and sprayed it with exhaust paint. Then I pressure washed the underside of the whole car, and we went for fish and chips while everything dried off. Later on we put the exhaust back on and hey presto, job done for a while, hopefully through the MOT in three months and perhaps another year's postponement of a £150 spend on a new one. The can of VHT paint cost £7 though.
Cheers
Paul
Hi Paul, some great views there mate. The people living in that house for 38 years with no mod cons, that’s “hardcore” that is!
Tony.
Tony.
- Joined
- Sep 3, 2019
- Points
- 19
Great to see your update -- I have been missing pics of Ratty in the Scottish countryside.
We took a little drive out in the country last evening in the red convertible to see the camels that a rural farmer unexpectedly has in his pasture. It was a nice sunset cruise.
We took a little drive out in the country last evening in the red convertible to see the camels that a rural farmer unexpectedly has in his pasture. It was a nice sunset cruise.
Thanks. I think their life is very real, very close to nature, and certainly hard in the winter. I think they read a lot, and play music. They seem very healthy and fit. And so calm and gentle. And thoughtful. Makes you think ....
Cheers
Paul
Ratty is back on the hydraulic lift, with some necessary work.
New front discs and pads, new suspension arms complete with ball joints and lollipop bushes, tie rod ends, along with a bit of brake pipe work is all required.
Having swatted up on the forum and on YouTube, Ray and I spent a couple of chilly hours removing the old discs and calipers and one suspension arm. All went well, no special tools were required other than a screw-up ball joint splitter for the tie rod end ball joints. The nearside suspension arm ball joints came out with a hammer and a big screwdriver. The inner ball joint nut came off quite easily with a succession of ratchet extensions reaching down through the engine compartment. Ha ing released the outer ball joint, we did cut the end of its bolt (with a reciprocating saw), as the nut was tight on the corroded thread and the ball just spun round, even with a jack under it. Anyway that left it all clear to attack the tie rod end to get that off.
Lots of WD40 spray in evidence!
A couple of months ago, we were gadding about,
around Eilean Donan,
and up the amazing Glen Shiel, avoiding the highland feral goats!
We're looking forward to getting back on the road, although of course we're a little limitied on places to go at the moment!
Anyway, Cheers for now and a Better New Year to all!
Paul
New front discs and pads, new suspension arms complete with ball joints and lollipop bushes, tie rod ends, along with a bit of brake pipe work is all required.
Having swatted up on the forum and on YouTube, Ray and I spent a couple of chilly hours removing the old discs and calipers and one suspension arm. All went well, no special tools were required other than a screw-up ball joint splitter for the tie rod end ball joints. The nearside suspension arm ball joints came out with a hammer and a big screwdriver. The inner ball joint nut came off quite easily with a succession of ratchet extensions reaching down through the engine compartment. Ha ing released the outer ball joint, we did cut the end of its bolt (with a reciprocating saw), as the nut was tight on the corroded thread and the ball just spun round, even with a jack under it. Anyway that left it all clear to attack the tie rod end to get that off.
Lots of WD40 spray in evidence!
A couple of months ago, we were gadding about,
around Eilean Donan,
and up the amazing Glen Shiel, avoiding the highland feral goats!
We're looking forward to getting back on the road, although of course we're a little limitied on places to go at the moment!
Anyway, Cheers for now and a Better New Year to all!
Paul