I can't reply to comments

So here's a special post to reply to latest four that I've had on Engine Punk.

This pickup was found in a barn a few years ago. (Photo : Jon Clark)

Anonymous and Bones added to the chronicles if the UAZ 452. Apart from that time on Dartmoor when i was on my Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme expedition and these things were newly imported, I have never seen one.

Bones reckons the engine was based on a Standard Vanguard and that the compression ration was so low they could run on paraffin. My neighbour has a petrol/paraffin grey Fergie with an engine based on the old Vanguard so perhaps this is true?

He used to work for the importer who used the trade name of Trekmaster and they had incredible off road performance and had been type approved in the UK for a 1 tonne payload.

Anonymous pointed me to a Facebook page about the Southern Electricity Board Vehicle Club and there's a UAZ on that. It seems they didn't last long (4 years) but were bought because Land Rover stopped making their 1 ton model. The UAZ overheated in our balmy climes and although spares were cheap as chips, availability became a problem, hence the short working life.

I am more into cars and motorbikes than commercial vehicles but this little off-road gem has piqued my interest. The panel van looks particularly appealing for some reason. Are there any survivors?

I've actually done quite a lot to my Wolseley 1500. This was a few year back.

Anonymous (could be another one?) enjoyed my enthusings about Wolseley 1500s. His 1958 car has been re-registered, too, and now has a very similar registration number to mine. Mine still awaits some action but is dryish stored. It'll need sills, floor edges and a new front crossmember. I've been pipped to the post for a few sills over the last 12 months. They have a dignified charm and are a nice size. I would like a 6/110 one day but they are much bigger. Along with Westminsters, 6/110 had a formidable reputation as banger racers so it would be nice to sponsor a survivor but as they're bigger there's more to rust and the engines are big and heavy and more costly to rebuild.

But I'm not talking myself out of one. Far from it. I just like my 1500. (smiley face)

Chris W and two other Anonymouses (Anonymi? Anonymice?) chipped in about Honda CJ250Ts. Chris W kept his until his father sent the cardboxes it lived in to the tip and he still misses it. One anonymous has a Fireblade but still appreciates the qualities(?) of his CJ250T while the other one went on the back of one but bought a Z250, only to have it drop a valve within 3 months.

It just goes to show what fun we had with quite unreliable bikes in a more carefree world. Smiles per gallon. that's these bikes had. Even relatively porky 250 four stroke twins could comfortably outrun most other traffic in the late seventies and - it's not just me is it? - they look good. They look good in yellow, too. They look like a proper bike and are now swathed plastic like, as my mate Ern would put, a yoghurt pot.

Italian person has a Kilo Sports and asked is anyone interested? Yes! Any chance of a picture? And some details? I could do a follow up.

12" wheels don't quite fill the squared off arches and would give this Siva Mule the extra ground clearance it needs. (Photo : Ebay)

Alex Kee spotted a Siva Mule on Ebay and alerted me to it. It's not a car I know and the winning bid was £510 on 6th May. It's the same sort of yellow as my Llama and had been sat in a garden in the West Midlands for years. Fortunately it was sheeted up and the subframes appeared sound. It had a 1275cc engine with a Nikki carb, which turned over. In healthy condition that should be sufficient poke in a car that's not a Moke. Although not shown some Avon 13" safety rims could also be had for the car at extra cost and they really would set it off well.

Unfortunately, this car had no paperwork so registration could be a problem. I hope to hear from someone soon that it wasn't.

A broad variety of entries awaits the off at Wilsey Down Control.

Michael Leete on the 2014 Land's End Trial - I'm afraid I don't know what happened to the other German guys. The results show them all as retiring. We got a Silver in the end as we over ran the line on the Crook Horn Special Test.

My mate Adrain got eliminated for time infringements. It seems he was  a little too early and fell foul of the three-quarter rule that stipulates that you must not arrive any earlier than 3/4s of your standard time. Binky was red hot about this when i thought it was just a ploy for tardiness and sitting about getting cold but I'm glad he's switched on about it.

Timing -wise, I thought this year's LET ran very smoothly.

Why I can't reply to comments on my own blog is a mystery. Nothing has changed on my part. I suspect it's something to do with the CIA and Google.

But I won't be silenced when it comes to Vintage Things!

But if you know what's wrong just leave a comment...