James May: LPE power gift for James May

Re you kidding? The slovenian post doesn't do that. I'd have to pay horrendous amounts for the shipping to get that.
 
Sharp? Cool? Groovy? What is the word I need to use here?

Whatever the word should be, you get the idea, and I think this should be right up James's street.
 
I expect it's just a customs delay. Reception have my phone number as I said i'd handle any charges. I'll double check with plum when I see one of them.
 
HeidiL do you know when James should be at the "construction site" the next time?
 
No sorry no idea when the big boss will be in, BUT! I have the engine. Reception gave it to marcus the wine man rather than plum because I wasn't here and i'd been asking about it.
 
HeidiL said:
Reception gave it to marcus the wine man rather than plum because I wasn't here and i'd been asking about it.
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Marcus the wine man must be rather devastated that you took the pressie away from him. :mrgreen:
 
If the package is undamaged on the outside it should be fine. /me relieved it arrived.
 
Right, well, today, a lovely polish lass gave me a lift into town, where we nipped to Halfords and picked up a cheap 12v compressor. Once back, after I'd got her tyres up to the right pressure, I sellotaped the compressor adaptor to the end of the tube on the engine, and fired it up. It works, though not at the speed it should, because, well, it's only sellotape and the compressor's a bit cheap and cheerful, but hey, unemployed. We couldn't get any electrical tape and the adaptor thing is actually for footballs, so it's the wrong size, but never mind. It does work.

Not long after we'd tested it, some long-haired bloke turned up and nearly parked his porsche on it. Thankfully he didn't - my fault for where I left the box - but nor did he stay down at the winery, so I chased him up to the building site with it. At first when I opened the box he was a bit 'eeew, technic' but then I think he recognised it and got a lot more interested, and read the note. He said he'd seen the videos on t'interweb, so apparently the dudes further up the thread were right and he probably had seen this thread. He also said that it was fantastic, though he just operated it by hand as we weren't near enough to a car to use the compressor, but I'm sure it'll come in handy for something else. Quite a crowd had gathered at the front of site where all the cars were, so I don't blame him not wanting to go round there.

I then got told off by Christina for 'spoiling the surprise' so I pointed out that it wasn't one of the things we'd built, it was a personal present for James I'd been asked by the lovely chaps from FinalGear/LPEPower to make sure he got it and knew it was his and where it came from. After some more work I had to leave because Gran doesn't like being on her own after dark. I've brought the engine home, because Vic the site manager had seen it and threatened to nick it, and I was a bit worried that if I left it lying around it would get broken. In the morning, I'll be wrapping it up nicely and handing it over to Christina, then it's up to them whether they undo it and put it in the house or hand it over as a housewarming present - which is what they originally said they'd do with it.

He knows it's his and where it came from, so my job is done and I can go back to Lancashire and fail my driving test again with a clear conscience. :)
 
Thanks :) Btw... if he reads the forum, then it's not a suprise anyway. He knew the whole time that he would get it. :)
 
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Well, quite, but he might not have looked at it for ages. I very much doubt he has much time to mess about reading our drivel. I'm just getting a bit flaily now about whether I should put my test back or just take the damn thing and hope for the best, having not driven for a month. If I delay it, I'll have to wait until the middle of october, and I'll have slipped back into unemployment-related depression by then. Then again, if it over-runs much more, I won't have any choice. :)
 
I'm... not good at tests. If I could just have a camera in the car on lessons and have a random one be my test, I'd be fine, but *knowing* it's a test and having the silent treatment from someone with a clipboard means I get nervous and jumpy, and do stupid crap that I'd never do if it *wasn't* a driving test.
Plus, just to make matters worse, my instructor has apparently decided to ignore the booking I'd made, so unless I change the date, I'll be taking the test in *my* car. I love it to bits, but it's a 20 year old mini with no safety features beyond seat belts and no dual controls so the *examiner* will be nervous as well. Third gear is occasionally elusive, and it tends to splutter to a stop in the rain. And, like I said, I've not driven at all for a month, which doesn't exactly do wonders for the confidence either. Ah well, at least this time I won't have to worry about the fact that I'm driving around in someone else's car and they're not there.
Anyway, a couple of people got pictures of James with the engine, I'll see if I can get hold of one of them tomorrow.
 
HeidiL said:
I'm... not good at tests. If I could just have a camera in the car on lessons and have a random one be my test, I'd be fine, but *knowing* it's a test and having the silent treatment from someone with a clipboard means I get nervous and jumpy, and do stupid crap that I'd never do if it *wasn't* a driving test.
Plus, just to make matters worse, my instructor has apparently decided to ignore the booking I'd made, so unless I change the date, I'll be taking the test in *my* car. I love it to bits, but it's a 20 year old mini with no safety features beyond seat belts and no dual controls so the *examiner* will be nervous as well. Third gear is occasionally elusive, and it tends to splutter to a stop in the rain. And, like I said, I've not driven at all for a month, which doesn't exactly do wonders for the confidence either. Ah well, at least this time I won't have to worry about the fact that I'm driving around in someone else's car and they're not there.
Anyway, a couple of people got pictures of James with the engine, I'll see if I can get hold of one of them tomorrow.
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You and Wyvern should go have a chat. She's in the exact same boat and is also due to test soon.
 
flydiscovery said:
You and Wyvern should go have a chat. She's in the exact same boat and is also due to test soon.
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I wouldn't dare take my test in Gerald... though having said that, I spoke to the garage today and the news wasn't good... they think it will be anything up to another three weeks before it's back on the road :( Still, rebuilds take time, and I'd rather they didn't rush it. It does mean I won't have much practice before my test either though.

A suggestion, though, for HeidiL - I realise it's a hell of a long way from Lancashire, but if you can get yourself to south east London before your test, I'd recommend a session with my instructor. She's also a thought-field therapist, and she is amazing at dealing with nervous issues. I never thought I'd do it after my motorbike accident, but where BSM never got to the root of the problem, she has addressed it and I know I will pass my test at some point even if I don't do it first time.

Really glad the long haired bloke got the engine - it's an amazing piece of work and really, who wouldn't love one of those?!
 
Hrm, I'm in Dorking/Croydon which is closer, but Essex is a bit of a trek, especially without an oystercard. And, to be honest, I'm bloody knackered and possibly ill, but I'm bloody well sticking with this lego house now until it's done. Must remember to see if there's any pseudoephedrine in the house. Hopefully the resistance I built up to it with my new-to-lancashire permacold has worn off now.
My issue isn't with driving it's *just* with taking the test. Silly isn't it? I collected my old car from a farm in Preston and brought it home with only one incident - the satnav didn't know about a pedestrianised town center and I had to get myself out - and the housemate 'supervising' me really wasn't paying much attention. I drove myself to work for a couple of months down country lanes, again, no issues. I drove back from wherever the hell it was my other housemate bought his MGF, again, no issues. It's *just* tests.
 
HeidiL said:
Hrm, I'm in Dorking/Croydon which is closer, but Essex is a bit of a trek, especially without an oystercard. And, to be honest, I'm bloody knackered and possibly ill, but I'm bloody well sticking with this lego house now until it's done. Must remember to see if there's any pseudoephedrine in the house. Hopefully the resistance I built up to it with my new-to-lancashire permacold has worn off now.
My issue isn't with driving it's *just* with taking the test. Silly isn't it? I collected my old car from a farm in Preston and brought it home with only one incident - the satnav didn't know about a pedestrianised town center and I had to get myself out - and the housemate 'supervising' me really wasn't paying much attention. I drove myself to work for a couple of months down country lanes, again, no issues. I drove back from wherever the hell it was my other housemate bought his MGF, again, no issues. It's *just* tests.
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I don't think it's silly at all, the driving test is a big deal because it gets you past the need for lessons and being supervised and it gets you away from having to rely on public transport and all that malarkey - but first you have to get past the scary bloke with the clipboard. I'm trying to remind myself that the driving test is there as confimation of my magnificence ;) Oddly enough, looking at it that way actually does seem to help. I do not plan to follow this by stuffing my mum's car within 36 hours of passing, though.

The comment you made earlier about taking a test in someone else's car but without them in it, though... you are allowed to have someone in the car with you for your test if you think that will help you. Some people choose to have their instructor in the car so they can observe, and if they fail, the instructor can see what areas have let them down so they can improve for next time. Fingers crossed there won't be a 'next time' though - for either of us. Hopefully you'll soon be free to enjoy your Mini :)
 
Somehow missed this thread. Well done, all! :)


Now I gotta get a second job so I can afford one of my own and then see if I can cram it into my old Super Street Sensation (probably only the inline 3 would fit). It already has a built in 5 speed transmission though. :)
 
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