Peter Bell

Hey Chris aren't you going to sue them for using your name! Peter.

Jason, just check that as you rev the engine up you are getting more advance on the timing, the marks will appear to move anticlockwise. This is to check that the mechanical advance in the dizzy is working. If this happens leave it as it is, well remember to reconnect the vacuum pipe! Peter

Jase just a thought, you have fitted the strobe to no.1 cylinder haven't you? Peter

It is because the engine wasn't designed 40 years ago! Peter.

Well we have seen his dad in his cowboy outfit! is it still on this site somewhere? Peter. ps. good luck with the SVA

Cabbie I tried to send a picture of the one I had to you but it came back from your freeserve address with delivery problems. Shall I try again or is there another address to send it to? Peter

Hi Paolow the reason we ask where you live (if you haven't put it in your details) is that there is often someone nearby who could help or at least pop around to drink your tea and commiserate. Glad you have got it running ok, going any bigger on main jets will just be a waste of fuel on a std. pinto I would say. I have a dgas with a reasonable cam and flowed head with 137 jets and that is slightly rich according to my exhaust pipe colour. As for timing that has been a popular topic recently try a search on here but at tick over with the vacuum advance disconnected (and blocked off) start at 8° btdc. As for the surge it sounds as there may still be a bit of an air leak somewhere, also check that both butterflys fully close together. sometimes they get out of sinc there is an adjustment on one of the gear quadrants to do this. Peter

And this is a Wartburg estate, in a bit of a state too! both in St Petersburg last month. Peter

Here is a Volga

and another, might be worth organising for next year. We had 3 Hoods, a Dax 4 litre and 7 Westfields. A good time was had by all, I even overtook a Lamborghini Diablo on the way home, he was stopping at the service station though. Peter

The Stevenage group were invited, at short notice! to join local Westfield owners for a trip to the De Havilland heritage centre (London Colney) on sunday. We had a run from Knebworth to the museum in convoy, only lost one westfield on the way. The place is very interesting, run by volunteers, no funding and has a wide collection of planes from assorted moths, a Rapide being rebuilt, Autogiro, Mosquitoes, Doves, Venoms, Vixen. The Comet fuselage used to discover metal fatigue, lots of engines from gipsies to merlins, jets and even a rocket. The people there were full of information and keen to know about our cars. here are a couple of pics.

140s are possibly too big for a std pinto so if it is running lean then the jets are not the problem. unless they are blocked. Is the fuel level ok in the carb? is the fuel pump working ok? have you tried it on a std. carb? where do you live? Peter.

Once upon a time I 3/4 built a special body on a Ruby chassis and drove it along the handy farm track next door. The brakes were hopeless even though I spent a lot of time trying to set them up and the clutch was either in or out. As you say Terry how people manage to drive them in modern traffic beats me. Peter.

Phew I thought for a minute you were going to complain about the 70 mph limit slowing your Ruby! Peter

Hi Mike, any relation to Jimmy? I bet no one has said that to you before! I have a locking filler cap on the standard Sierra filler neck if that will fit. Peter

I wonder what sort of replies you would have got if you asked a silly question! Peter

Salty why not stick with the diff you have? it will be nicer on motorway runs to have the slightly higher ratios. If you go to this link http://www.rhocar.org/download.php?view.5 on the main website you can sort out your revs/speed/gears. as long as you know how far out the speedo is there is not too much of a problem. Peter.

Hi James the S7 you have was before the days of videos, all that was issued was a thinish book with bad photos in. I haven't seen the videos but I,m sure the ones that John has will be very useful. Peter

I have an RS engine and as far as I know the only difference is the shorter alloy sump, and an alloy bracket for the alternator. Peter

Richard you may find the early Transit hoses to be useful, I use a bottom one as part of an assy similar to that Dave has described. Peter

Try going back to the original rotor arm instead of the spring loaded one. Peter

As you are in Oxfordshire are you related to Oldgit? (Pete) Peter

Sean, can't be of too much help I am afraid as I have the Bosch pointless system but have you disconnected the vacuum advance when you set it at tickover? if not you will get too much advance. The Setting should be about 6° but will probably be fine at 8 or even more. The only reason I can think of running it at 2000 would be to check that the advance system is working. Good luck with the mot! Peter

Glad to see you are enjoying the Spirt of Hoodying James! Peter

Hi Neil, the problem with a low ratio diff is that first gear becomes very 'short' great for towing heavy things but you have to change up quicker. So it may not necessarily improve acceleration times. I have a 3.77 diff and often use 2nd to pull away, first just seems a bit too low. Peter