The further adventures of Doogle

As you may have seen, I bought Doogle, a 1978 Devon from RM92 after a long and loving restoration. My mate Leigh and I went down to the Silverstone Classic at the weekend, and as Towcester is literally just up the road, we picked her up on Saturday evening. Talk about contrasts, we arrived at Ryan's house in Leigh's Aston DB9 V12, and I left in Doogle! I told Leigh to make his own way back to the hotel, as he could stop a lot faster than me I didn't want my first drive to be spoiled by sashaying into the back of a DB9! I needn't have worried, even at legal speeds I wouldn't have kept him in sight for long. I saw people smile and point, a kid even filmed me on his phone as I went past.

Here's the van after that first trip, in the car park behind the Cock Hotel (will the filter allow that?) in Stony Stratford


The jaunty angle of the bumper makes it look as if I've already used someone else to stop, definitely on my To Do list when I work out how I can mount it straight.

I came home to Manchestershire the long way, preferring the level M6 approach to tackling the climb and descent via the Woodhead pass. As Ryan had told me, its as happy as Larry bumbling along at 55, occasionally
having to back off when I reached a giddy 60! The right foot does seem rather buried in the floor a lot of the time, you can't do that for long in the 911. I slipstreamed a Walkers Crisps artic from Birmingham to Sandbach services which meant I could back off the gas a bit.

I'd stopped at Corley services, forgetting completely what Ryan had told me about the sliding door I pulled it all the way back and derailed it, leaving me holding it fully detached at the front, no doubt much to the amusement of the truckers parked up around me. I'd noticed a blown fuse (#2) in the panel, checking the lights I had headlamps but that was it. I'd no spares, but Googling the layout ( which led me here) I was able to pinch one that I wouldn't be using (the heater blower) and got one back light plus sidelights.It soon blew again though, so I realised I'd have to try and make it home before it got dark. I got close but the last 30 miles were a bit too dark, however the motorways around here are lit and I was determined not to bother the big yellow taxi. Two coppers I saw didn't notice or turned a blind eye. By the way, I tried to cadge or buy a few bullet fuses from an RAC van at Corley, he told me they only carry blade fuses these days, so be aware. A bumper box of 100 is on its way from Amazon, the 911 uses them as well.

Back home on Monday, the neighbours all came round for a look and called it cute, even ones I've never spoken to before. Here I'm looking for the back light fault, having turnerd down the chance to take home a roofrack as I was worried about the room under my car port, I found I could get the pop top up! (just)



After much headscratching I found the fault, a female connector adrift behind the back light, probably dislodged fitting the big leisure battery, a tight fit as I found out getting it out to give me some working space. It is only half a connector now, the rest has been spark eroded as it earthed!

We had a go at the rock and roll bed, the wife wanted to know that we'd both fit.



Finally, Karen and a friend, Sharon, wrestled with the awning, which seems to be as big as the van. Cue more amusement from neighbours and random passers by. Handy if you are going for a week, as you can drive off and come back, but I really couldn't be bothered to put that up for one night, Sharon will have to come too. It has two bedrooms, a lounge and reception, as far as I can see.

 

My blown fuses are all plastic, so nothing to save. Interestingly, all the surviving white ones are ceramic, with ribbed cylindrical bodies, and look like they've been there forever.

My box of 100 arrived, I'm going to replace the assorted multi colours so I have 2 red ones and the rest are white, as per the diagram.

 

great write up and enjoy your new toy

 

Great write up. Lovely van

 

Enjoy the new toy!

I’m intrigued about which 911 you have? Presumably something early if it’s taking old fuses?

 

Thanks for the comments, I'm out with the soldering iron and fuses after dinner.

@ Andy, its a 1985 911 Carrera Sport, see this thread: https://thelatebay.com/index.php?threads/iris-porsche-911-carrera-sport.96806/#post-1914430

It should prove a good antidote to going everywhere at 55 mph. The 911 gets the dead flies on the front, the bus gets them on the back, where they have caught me up.

 

The first trip out with the wife today, off to Halfrauds in Rochdale to not buy a stereo that their website said they had in stock.

We got a whole mile or so before we ran out of fuel! Luckily it was close enough to home to get home by taxi and come back in the wife’s car with a gallon and a funnel. Lesson learned, that will live onboard now. I realised I dodged a bullet on Sunday night, no rear lights and stopped on a smart Motorway with no hard shoulder….

As seems normal the gauge is miles off whack, but Ryan gave me his notebook to write down the mileage each time and refill until it spits back every 200 miles. I only got to 160 miles, but I don’t think I filled it properly on Sunday. I got all of £25 worth then, this time It took the whole 55l it’s supposed to, costing just over a ton, and the gauge read 3/4, on Sunday it only read half. So I suppose the gauge is some use after all, just to check. In hindsight I should have photo’d what it looked like on empty.

A VW transporter and one of those boxy later air cooled campers stopped to offer assistance, it’s like being on a motorbike, if you break down it can become a social occasion.

I still haven’t bothered the big yellow taxi service yet, I’m saving them for a special occasion.

 

I fill every 150 miles or so as my fuel gauge lies more than a politician.

 

Lovely van. Hope you have many great adventures.

 

Sorry I couldn't get to Lutterworth, ironically I picked her up from not a million miles away a week earlier.

Baby's first camping trip, Mrs D and I went to the C&CC site at Hayfield, not too far away. No real problems apart from losing the wipers near home on the return trip, and I'm getting better with the gear changes now, though finding first in a hurry at the lights can still be a challenge, when I can't get it I annoy the carp out of whoever's behind. If I can't get it I put the hazards on before I get honked at, as no, I haven't forgotten to set off!

Although no doubt the slowest camper on site, we were definitely the coolest. Sleeping side by side on the 3/4 rock and roll bed was a challenge, we need to budget for extra wine, as it definitely helped.




As a first attempt we did OK, we only forgot to take plates to eat off, so we blagged some plastic ones from the pub! Waking up and having a bacon butty and coffee was priceless, however it was so much hassle putting bedding away etc before I can get a brew in the morning I'm tempted to make it the night before & put it in my thermos! I'm a right grumpy so and so before my first caffeine fix of the day, as many people have told me over the years.

 

My favourite site, I like walking on Kinder. Are Steve and Jane still running it? They'd have lent you some plates, They lent me a convector heater one time.

 

Couple of obvious things to check to help gear change is to check both ends for crap/missing items. The front should have a plastic bush to locate the gear rod into the chassis (directly under the gearstick). The rear linkage should be solid and prevent any scraping and/or unwanted movement.

Changed both on mine and gear change went from stirring a bucket of weak sloppy custard to stirring a bucket of firm custard.

 

I just came out from having a look underneath at my gear change front bush, it might explain why my custard feels decidedly runny....



There is still nylon / plastic in the hole around the shaft, but I'm guessing this is not how it's meant to be. Next job is to find and order a new one.

 

Replacement is about £5 from the usual suspects.

 

Unfortunately the Brazilian ones may not fit...

 

Bit more than £5...

https://www.justkampers.com/2117111...3M5tlQJyo6FeL7nzZh8JRgTXtJsJIpbgaAh4dEALw_wcB

 

If it's a repro of a 70s one, not from a Brazzy van, it might actually fit