Wolseley no come back again.

Regular readers will remember that I sold my old Wolseley 1500 back in late June.


Well, Didier the new owner came to collect it on Tuesday. Not a man to rush things is Didier.

When I got his original e-mail, in French, he speaks no English I speak no French, I thought it was a kid having a laugh, but eventually thanks to a friend of his I realized he was very serious.

Serious enough to drive up from La Rochelle and come over on the ferry to collect it, the trip must have cost more than the car!

Many people have said I shouldn't sell it "How could you sell it, its wonderful" they cry, but when I ask them if they'd like it they all back off.


A few days before he came I thought I'd better check to see it was still running, it went something like this..........

Last Friday I decided to fire up the old bus in anticipation of Didier’s arrival.


I turned the key, nothing, not even the tick tick tick of the pump, so I hit the pump with the blunt end of a fourteen inch screwdriver.


Tickety Tickety Tickety ah now we’re getting somewhere. Ignition on, touch of choke, press the starter, catch her with the throttle when she fires, CONTACT! blurble blurble clakety clackety, away she goes..............

sounds like a bumble bee with a burst arse. Not sure whether all four pots are actually taking part.







Mmmmm better try to improve things.




Distributor off, points out, emery cloth rub rub, back in, feeler gauge, adjust, fiddle fiddle adjust.


Plugs out, Black Black, scrape scrape, back in.


Start her up............................No change


Ignition! Timing light, crawl under, dab brilliant white on the pulley and pointers, shut the garage doors to keep out the day-light, flash flash like a 1960’s disco squint squint , no Ignition's spot on.


Stuck Valve? Piston Rings, Compression tester. Plugs out again, test each cylinder, whizz whizz fut fut. All the same, a bit low but o.k.


Check mixture, too rich? Exhaust looks fine, plugs as black as the earl of hells waistcoat, Twist twist, too lean, back a bit,, seems O.K. smell exhaust, sweet as can be.



Total effort 4 hours, result = aching back, oil engrained fingers, still sounds like a burst arse.







Didier’s reaction ? Zooot Allorez I ave eard worse!!!


I am very glad to see the back of that pile of old rust, but I am also sad as I’ve owned it for getting on 30 years.




Still Didier already owns a Wolseley 1500 which is rally prepped with MGB engine and gearbox so he knows his stuff.


Its gone to a good home.








And here, is my Wolseley which has gone off to retire in France together with my Whilly Tern which went off to live in The Netherlands.



Right then, time for a new project.......................................................................