Back on the tools today. Gradually knitting myself a new Rancho

My dad Alwyn suffered devastatingly from Alzheimer's for 10 years before he died this year. On Saturday, we are doing a Memory Walk in his honour. More challenging given the impending storm and 46mph winds forecast for the day 🤣! Please donate if you can: www.justgiving.com/fundraising/...

Your chance to own a piece of @mattfd.bsky.social history! There’s a link to the video in the ad description.

Can barely believe that we're looking for a new home for Donkey; AKA the Peugeot 306 that my wife has owned and loved since she was 18. Failed MOT, needs engine work, but such a pretty car. We'll miss it terribly. Link to rehoming details: autoshite.com/topic/23283-...

If one more person tells me I should donate my Rancho to Jonny f***ing Smith, I swear I will delete my entire channel.

Ooohh yes. Very yes.

Trying to source cars for a shoot next Wednesday - it's in Peterborough, for the cover of Practical Classics. They've asked for a BMW 635CSI or M6 (E24) and a Jaguar XJC. Can anyone help?

Mine wouldn’t go any further than Regent’s Park, and now it won’t start at all. They’re still gorgeous cars though.

More #Rover200 stickers to behold, these are originals but we have made Riders Garage dealer stickers in the past and currently stock these radio security window stickers originally produced for a member of the Autoshite Facebook group - miniphernalia.co.uk

Check out this absolute unit of a garden spider. I’m currently training her to use a ratchet spanner and contact cleaner because she’s got a lot more chance of reaching the Espace’s earthing points than I have.

I spoke too soon - the Espace has failed again, so it wasn’t the battery terminals (or at least not only). I suspect the dodgy homebrew immobiliser, or maybe the starter solenoid. Whatever, it doesn’t like heavy rain - which means it won’t self-heal until at least Monday. Or perhaps next May.

So does YOUR car also look like this under the windscreen? Are you sure? 🫣😰 Next Rancho restoration video soon, or maybe I should save it for Halloween.

I appear to have bought an engine.

Not my best commentary (I've already found even more mistakes after the ones I took out) but...here you go! 🙈 - my coverage from NordikFest25 youtu.be/FFd_E4vHuYk?...

A rare spot from the other day — 1952 Mercedes 300 4-door convertible. Don’t think I’ve ever seen one of these before, especially not driving along round here. (Pic taken by Mrs Thrift-Auto)

We are all sharing in the jealousy! Only @grandthriftauto.bsky.social knows the real pain behind owning/restoring one. As you can see in this video. 🤣 youtu.be/X87GB4fT6uM?...

Personally I think any example of winning while behaving fairly and decently — rather than by gaming loopholes and f***ing everyone else over with a towering sense of entitlement — is something the world needs now more than ever.

The Espace is fixed. Its failure to start on the morning of Rustival last weekend was due to a battery terminal that was tight enough for dry weather and for the ancillaries to work, but not for the starter motor in the damp. My fault. Tightened that up and it’s all fine.

Do you want a Mercedes SLK? Of course you do, the R170 is a great little sports car/grand tourer and even has a supercharger! And my one could be yours for £1! Yes ONE POUND!! raffall.com/396083/enter...

EAST ANGLIA FRIENDS Come to my little Weird Car Meetup Sunday, 28th September at The Heron in Stowbridge from 3pm. They will be serving a roast at 6 and it will be a lovely evening with nice folks. Anyone want more details please reach out, the more the merrier!

I just found out that Facebook has changed its settings and their AI now has access to all of your device’s photos. To turn it off, so the following: Settings & Privacy; Settings; Camera roll sharing suggestions; Toggle both tabs off

These mk1 Jaguar XFs still look good… ebay.us/m/vAQOxk

Well well guess I finally decided to get my arse into gear and start tracking down the old network. Was lovely to see the old #WeirdCarTwitter bunch at Rustival, so hoping I can re-establish contact with everyone. Do I need another distraction? Probably not, but life could do with a spruce up...

Grand day at #Rustival yesterday - great to meet/chat to several on here including @robadcock.bsky.social, @tobywakeford.bsky.social, @vhschloe.bsky.social, @gentil.bsky.social, @bob-p-dj.bsky.social, @chrisfm52e.bsky.social and more. Sorry I was in probably the least interesting car there.

Congratulations to @mattfd.bsky.social @hubnut.bsky.social @misshubnut.bsky.social and Steph for putting on another belter of a show at Rustival. Fantastic turnout, and the usual good weather stayed very nearly to the end! Fantastic. Thanks for all your efforts 😁❤️ A few of my personal favourites…

Espace won’t run - suspect either starter motor or immobiliser fault. Do I drop out or come in the modern Skoda that everyone hates? Hmm.

These JBA Falcons are nice enough kits but wouldn’t normally be my thing — except they played the ‘Douglas Leopard’ in the excellent 1990 TV series Chancer. Clive Owen was so good in it that I later made a whole career out of pretending to be his character.

The Espace is all prepped for #Rustival, meaning I’ve put petrol in it. And a toolkit. I’m not in the special YouTuber zone or anything, just looking forward to talking to people face to face 😊

The Dodge Rampage is basically a first cousin once removed to the Matra Rancho, since they share a common Simca 1100 platform ancestor.

I’m not sure whether XR2s are as good as they look, but they look *great*.

It’s fine. Everything’s totally fine.

What we were promised: Blade Runner What we got: pls delete your cat photos so our poor defenceless plagiarism machine may live

Now THAT is what I call a tasteful restomod.

First post ! New on here, scrolled about for a bit.- looks like the place to be. Needs more rusty cars being restored content, I’ll do my best to post between jobs. I restore cars and this Alfa 1750gtv is one of the projects. Like and follow for more! #classiccar #restoration #alfa #1750gtv

RIP Ercole Spada, designer of many fine cars including the superb BMW E32 and E34 (under Claus Luthe) and this, the Lancia Dedra — two of which I found in a barn in 2011 (and liberated one).

You can't make this up

Looking forward to driving both of these cracking little cars for the channel in the near future. Which is your yellow Fiat of choice? (I don’t think there’s a wrong answer here, except ‘neither’.)

Good to see #Alonso showing that middle aged men with backache can still cut it. #F1

LAST CHANCE BEFORE THIS HITS THE SKIP (it keeps falling over). Maxi 1750 dashboard outer. Fair to good condition. £10, collect from Peterborough.

I would like to know roughly how much it would cost to repair this scuttle, but without painting. There are 2-3 more smaller holes along (but typically, there could be more). Would it be better if I supply a cut panel from another car to weld on to this car?

I’d have the 2-door Mk2 Escort Popular just right of the middle, nip back to the 2020s and sell it, then use the money to buy EVERYTHING ELSE in the picture. Then daily the green Chrysler Alpine.

My oldest daily was a 1967 MGB GT…although that was in the mid-90s so actually my BMW is 12 years older now than that was then. Which just made my head explode

My Festival of the Unexceptional coverage is now live. Made some (limited) attempts at commentary this year too 😬- enjoy! 😊 youtu.be/fOOcyLOl7RM?...

I know people don’t like me sharing videos on here, and this isn’t that — but can I ask for your help please? I’ve posted a poll asking for feedback and would really appreciate your anonymous input, if you’ve ever watched my channel. Link: youtube.com/post/UgkxH7w...

Dreamt about the Belgian Grand Prix in verse. Who will Colapinto Wallop into

WTF is this? Terrible situation at Festival of the Unexceptional 😲 Any witnesses please contact @plankhond.bsky.social

Mrs Thrift-Auto and I declared a (rare) morning off and went to the National Botanic Garden of Wales. It’s a magical place, highly recommended if you’re anywhere near Carmarthenshire.

SEVEN GRAND for a scruffy non-runner automatic (and a crappy AI-generated default description)? Good luck with that.

I woke up at 5am thinking about how to bodge up a foot pedal for all the shrinker/stretcher work I need to do… …and look what I just found on the communal scrap pile at the shed 👀

Urban Land Rover, Cardiff.