Sunday afternoon found me spending a gentle 2+ hours trying once again to resolve the squeaking issues that come with 90's era plastic, leather, and rubber fittings.

I've been here a few times before- and previous efforts have included the fitting of sticky furniture pads against doors/cockpit. And one on the outside of the grab handle where they can squeak like a demented rat trying to climb a Everest. Each time its always been an improvement but over time, things loosen and I start to dial in on the noise again.

Recent trips in my friends S2000 cabriolet- without anything more then the odd murmur made me realise the old noise increase in my coupe- so back again at trying to resolve. This time with a secret weapon-loctite.

The secret to success was patience and extreme caution. From experience the number of varying bolt and screw heads varies in my coupe- so the pile of tools started to climb. I also needed to be extremely cautious with the loctite. I am looking to merely put a tiny dot on-to stop screws backing off when the car is vibrating. Not to make them impossible to remove in the future should it be needed.

I found quite a few areas much looser then I left them- and again was very wary to not tighten things up too much and break fastenings!!

At the end of everything-in the streaming sun I was soaked, squished from the odd angles- but hoping for improvement. The coupe felt a bit more solid and quiet afterwards....but the proof is in the eating.


The Coupe has been checked over, washed down, polished up, refueld- evertyhing checked an re-checked and in about 5 minutes is having a suitcase thrown in for a mini UK tour over the next 4 days. (Use it or Loose it this year is the motto)

Trips to Stamford, Avonbury, Bath, And Bridport (Bridders!) to watch a show are all happening over the next few days.

So- if you see a speed red vt6, racing past -being waived on by encouraging UK carbonari Police officers (yeah right) on a road near you- give me a wave.

Hope to see a few Coupes along the way! And see if the quiet GT ride is back!

Best,

MM

Have a great trip. I’m jealous now.

Enjoy your road tripping Rob

Nice one MM, have a blast..

How heartening to see a post like this again after so many years, it's an inspiration to all and a gentle kick up the bum to attend to one's own squeaks and rattles.

In the coupé that is

Don't worry if you hear a squeak around Bridport, just check your mirrors it's probably just mine behind you! I find the grab handles (that nobody ever uses) the worse, especially with leather seats. Don't understand how or why but mine failed the MOT on the seat bolts being too loose last year, given the limited amount of usage it gets it's difficult to see why, easy fix though!

I thought that it was an MOT requirement for coupes to rattle, squeak and worry the driver.

I just had to remove the demented grab handle

I think the worrying starts when the rattle stops, you've either gone deaf or stopped!

604.7(ish) miles later - and after an absolutely astounding good run mid morning from Somerset - the coupe has been cleared of the suitcase, quickly washed down and is now locked away gently ticking off as she cools.

It's been a good mini break - all of the hotels were really good. The beer still is, simply miles better the further north you go in my opinion. Creamy, clean, always in the correct glass - every pint I had was served with clear pride- and it showed. Stamford was a lovely oasis of calm. With 5 spires, all within a mile or so of each other. The hotel was circa 1580-and you could feel the history around you in its walls.

The Avebury (not avonbury as miss-typed above) standing stones were far more mysterious and haunting then I had suspected. Bigger, older and more complex then stonehenge- with some stones still hidden below the earth-it was thought provoking. A good 4.5 mile walk, across the countryside in hot sunshine, also let me examine Silbury Hill, and the West Kennet Long Barrow. What ever was going on all those thousands of years ago - there was something clearly very special about this 7 mile circle of land.

Unexpectedly - I found myself going past the Haynes Motor Museum and on the spur of the moment stopped of to go around it - what a collection of vehicles there was. From the very dawn of motoring, to the pinnacle of motor sport -something for everyone. The Italian Collection was superb. And to see Damon Hill's champion winning FW14- along with others driven by Schumacher and Mansell - well worth the visit.

Topped off by going to a show - an evening with Brian Blessed. A few moments of memory loss (he's 85!) aside- his stories of Everest attempts, North pole adventures- and more then a few eyebrow raising moments with some well known "luvvies" made the last night brilliant. Although pubs were hit and miss in Bridport sadly!

And the Coupe? I'm really glad I did this as she almost has not missed a beat! The extra effort on tightening up the rattling has largely worked. Its never going to be Rolls Royce whisper quiet..but I think its a lot better especially over expansion joints and unexpected rough sections of road. I forgot to bring two small black cloths I place between seat and back sections of the chairs-that really makes them quieter. But the silicone spray to the closing mechanisms was an improvement.

And the car seems to have responded well to the whole trip - I'd almost started to forget just how good the sound of that five pot engine is, when your in 3rd, 4th, or 5th and you just start adding on the revs!

And she has just munched up the miles, after a long period of short runs, it was so nice to let her stretch her legs, and put some miles under her wings just winding along in 6th at 2.4K of revs. Air Con - worked all the way through which was an added bonus! There were one or two "moments" when someone -usually a BMW driver" felt it a personal challenge to get up my chuff and stay 1.5 meters of of the rear bumper like you were in a race. I particularly liked it when the traffic opened up-and I was able to pull over to an open lane and put the hammer down-and let them realise that getting buy is not quite so easy as there sales brochures would have you believe!

Fuel - well I didn't buy the car for MPG - its SPG (Smiles Per Gallon) in my view. So topping up with £79 of fuel when the needle hit just below the half tank point seems fine to me. I've got her back with again the same half tank position - so I guess I spent £120 in total. I only use super...and with fuel costs how it is- its where we are.

Down sides? Well - aside from one moment at Bridport where I though there was no hotel car parking and the town centre long stay was in not a great part of town, and meant that I would need to be up at 7.50 feeding coins in to the machine or facer a ticket-before i found out when asking that the hotel had ample private parking! (bonus) there have only been a couple of three issues of issues a couple of issues really:

1) Speed. My boy racer days are far behind me - but I found it took some effort to get the coupe to skip along in normal traffic. She wanted to fly- and (see two below) being held back she seems to want to naturally sit around 15 mph above any given speed limit. Some of that it the slightly inaccurate speedo we all know about I guess. But she just likes to be at around 10-15 mph faster then what the traffic sign says!

2)Traffic. On far too many lovely roads, I found myself stuck behind traffic that was going at half the legal limit. And there were some lovely curving, winding b roads I would love to have just been able to go the national limit on - but alas for most of the 2nd day - traffic seemed to want to go as slow as it possibly could, on some truly interesting roads. The same drivers- or there close relations, also wanted to pull out to overtake lorries, just as you reached up to them - then would love to spend several miles gently mirroring the lorries speed, before slowly inching back in front of the lorries to make them in turn slow down. All blissfully unaware of the other traffic around them as they opened up sweet packets, or turned to talk to children etc etc.

3) Brakes. Or more specifically the break pedal. I've struggled with this for a while. I was running drilled and grooved discs prior, but they were changed out Brembo drilled grooves when they had worn out and have just never made the grade, Fluid flush and new fluid did nothing. But an hour or so of good old fashioned bleeding a while ok saw a good improvement- and I thought I may have cracked it. Sadly- as the miles past the brakes have faded, mush and more mush and by the end of trip- noticeably more and more pressure required to stop the car even in 30 mph traffic. I suspect its Brake Cylinder time....and from recollection-there no longer available brand new. So I am looking at removal and renovation.

Oh the radio....still running with the original and it was comically bad. But then I just lowered the window for the in car entertainment!

I didn't see any other Coupe's out and about- but lot's of people gazing at the car where ever I went- which was nice.

Time to plan this years maintenance for the car- and then plan the next summer driving trip- as its been really fun!

Best regards to all,

MM

Smashing little break for you.

I could hear Brian up here in Middlesbrough.

There is something just special about these cars. Before I read this, I was planning and looking forward to, cleaning the windscreen, inside and out, in the morning.

After that it's a run up to Chester le Street to watch Grand daughter play football for college.

Hey Paul,

Here's to your run up to watch the grand daughter play her match!

Fantastic reason to be driving the car to watch her play!

regards,

MM