SILVER SHADOW PROJECT

We may have got a clue from another source. Fin’s father, John, had to move the car when we weren’t present, and in driving it about, thought it did indeed select Park on just one occasion. But he couldn’t get it to repeat the trick. He spoke to a friend with experience of working on Silver Shadows who suggested that connecting the battery up the wrong way round could produce this kind of fault, which was quite easy to reset. It’s news to us, but an intriguing possibility – we may have touched the terminals with the battery in back to front as some point, before realising our mistake. Once this issue is resolved, and perhaps once we’ve understood the flaw that stops the engine running smoothly before it’s warm, we think it’s worth presenting the car for an MoT to see what we’ve missed.

One other thing we’ll have to face is the need for new tyres. Those on the car have plenty of tread and are not really cracked, nor have they been left out in the sun – quite the opposite, they seem to have been hidden in a dark garage, away from any UV damage. And all that might convince me to use them if they were only ten years old, but they’re 35 years old or more. So they’ve got to go. I think we need 205 VR 15 Avon tyres to be authentic, though more widely-available 235/70 15s may fit if we have the 6 ½ -in wheels. Pirelli Cinturatos are another option, with Michelin XVS favoured by some for improved handling, though these are more expensive still. Prices for all are gasp-inducing, unless you’re used to replacing the rubber on a supercar or high-performance SUV…something in the order of £350 to £400 a corner. If there are any budget options, I haven’t found them. And for a car like this, I’m not convinced I’d want to fit them, either…a ha’peth of tar, and all that.

Oh, and one more thing – we must get the eight-track fixed properly. We can listen to as much Bobby Short as we like, but the track change button refuses to operate. Which is merely a first-world problem at the moment.

Suitable