14 Aug 2022

 Another run with the BMC-Leyland club, up Mt Macedon and then through to Trentham for lunch at the pig and Whistle pub, and the Count didn't miss a beat. Actually it really liked the colder weather, always seems to, especially if there is a bit of moisture in the air, makes it run very well. The run went well and i wasn't always the slowest car on the trip, though I think everyone passed me on the way home, even those who had previously been slower. The only difficulties on the trip were posed by cars in front slowing down before the climb on the steeper sections of Mt Macedon, which then killed my momentum and thus when they started pulling away again I had nothing left to accelerate. Oh well, it is only 948cc after all. 

26 Jul 2022

 Just a quick run down the street today, only because of the threat of yet more rain, so too lazy to walk.

Not often that the street in front of this house is clear, so too the chance and parked up. Not too often you get the change to park in front of a house for sale at near $4 million AUD! Think it would be right at home in the garage...

18 June 2022

Bit of a run out to Noojee today with the BMC-Leyland Car Club members. Except for the Highway part of the run it was a great blast through the backroads with a varied bunch of BMC and BL Aus cars. Around the backroads I can keep up with some of the cars, but they all leave me for dead when on the highway, I guess when you only travel at 80ks it makes it difficult for everyone else as no one else really wants to hang around. A great twisting, winding country road once off the highway though and there were a couple of really steep inclines and 2nd gear managed to get a good work out to climb them!

23 Apr 2022

 It's been about 14 years since the Count last had a respray, and even that one was done by myself in the hay shed on the farm. Humidity was high and so was the temperature when it was done as well, so there is no really great surprise that now it is living outside in the driveway and on the street that the paint isn't the greatest. 

A few years ago the paint on the rear end surrounding the boot and below the rear window started to develop cracks and over the years the cracks just grew worse and multiplied. It had come to the stage that something had to be done or the car would start to rust below the paint. So we come to the weekend and what to do, like stripping paint is ever high on the list.

Starting point

Guards off and ready to go

A lot of load paint and primer layers there

Back to bare

Etched and primed

Back in colour

Nearly done, just needs lights

Certainly looks a lot better thank it did with the cracking and flaking paint, though it's never a fun job. 

20 Feb 2022

 Sunday 20 Feb saw the Count attend the British and European car show at Yarra Glen Racecourse. The first car show in quite some time and the Count's first in a number of years. The show was very well supported and plenty of car there to be seen, may it be the first of many to come.

Just a few random photos of cars at the show...

Still cleans up ok with a polish and some distance

3 Jan 2022

Look at that, almost without any notice we have started a new year, 2022. 

Lets hope it's gets a whole lot better that 2021 and 2020.

So late last year (2021) I was able to commission an awesome artist, Gavin Thomson ( @gavin_thomson_cartoonist  and https://m.facebook.com/gavinthomsoncartoonist) to create a fantastic new logo for the Count and it's travels around Australia (not that one can travel too far around Australia at the moment, some states are open to each other, though there are Covid testing requirements and State entry permits and some States are even closed completely still).  The cartoon is inspirational and comes complete with a nod to the legendary intrepid adventurer Mr Phileas Fogg from the Jules Verne novel "Around the World in 80 days", it's absolutely brilliant!

2 Dec 2021

 It sure took a long time and to say that the old Bluebird sewing machine behaved itself would be an overstatement, though finally the Drivers seat upholstery has been done (well at least until the vinyl splits again on the base).

It wasn't exactly as envisioned, though it'll do for the time being, though both the seat base and the passenger side seat faces will both need to be redone at some stage. No hurry just yet though. Just like the paint job on the car, it looks ok from a distance.