I was tempted by the offer. £140 for the all singing all dancing tune + version.    but I’m very much in the camp of don’t try and fix what isn’t broken. Which is where I’m at with the existing system.    point less was a driver for this too as with the previous engine I went to the very simple accuspark system after a couple of condensor issues and it was faultless.    even if it’s a £100 in RR time at some point in the future I’m still ahead even if the 123 or the points dizzy becomes a quick change spare ! that’s if the Alvis doesn’t distract me totally. 

Hamish I don't have anything worthwhile to add to your deliberations, but I am interested in what advantage the 123Ignition route might give (other than reducing maintenance). Out here in the sticks, a couple of colleagues have swapped to 123s on an MGB and a Rover SD1, but the feedback is subjective and influenced by many factors (including justification of the investment, I suspect). Given what you do with the TR3, it will be very interesting to hear how the 123 compares with points. Looking forward to the updates! Paul

Thought I’d try this again.  We’ll see just how far I get this year until the doldrums hit. Day One: A quiet pedal with Dad.  At almost 85 he’s still out and about.  Long may it continue.

Power companies are ever rapacious incompetents.     Long before t'Internet, I received a gas bill for £6000! Turned out that when we moved into our present house, forty years ago, it had been previously in 'multiple occupation', and had two gas meters.     We had that changed to one.   What didn't happen was that the units at the accounting end were not changed, so the gas was being measured in cubit metres but charged for in cubic feet, so that we had been paying for about one fiftieth of the gas we had used. You might think that the supplier would ring me, or send an official letter, "Dear Sir, you have been undercharged for gas for the last six years, etc etc"  but no, an ordinary envelope, no covering letter, just pay by the end of the month.  I felt that while I had been undercharged the fault lay with them, or their contractors, and fought it.  In the end I offered them a  fraction of their demand, take it or sue me.   They took it. John

regarding John's flute under the rocker cover - I was amazed how many folk came on the forum to say how good it all was - aaaarrrgggghhh   Roger

I have a good spare 12V battery if you want to borrow it and run in parallel while trouble shooting... Going to be even colder today (0C outside). mike

Yes. They seem pretty dear at £35/month for pay as you go? Therefore I thought I would pay £25 to try a month 0f 1pMobile first. I try to avoid Direct Debits if at all possible and don't have any contracts. A friend of mine had £25K lifted from his business account by a (French) electricity provider without any warning at all. The TSB did immediately reimburse the money of course. Which was just as well, given that bills to wholesalers were due shortly after.   thanks, Ian      

Wow John, that is indeed a monstrosity! Definitely has the potential to rob the bottom end of its oil supply. In no way analogous to Bob’s restricted external feed though. I seriously doubt that on an engine with a healthy bottom end you’ll be able to see any oil pressure difference between 1.5mm orifice, 1mm orifice or smaller. I think you might just see a difference between 1.5 and 3mm though, especially at hot idle and especially with a worn bottom end.  Once over 1,100 - 1,200 I don’t think you’ll see a difference even then as the pumped volume gets well ahead of what is needed. Bob, sounds like you’ve sorted the breather arrangements and with Webers, the only place the valve deposits could have come from is down the guides anyway, so no doubt you are on the right track. Do the valves rock much in the guides?

I must listen to it! Only been up in a helicopter once, to visit the off shore gas rigs in Morecambe Bay.    Initially terrifying, they show you a film about Helicopter accident training (as a substitute for the real thing) including what to do when it ditches in the sea and turns over!   That's routine, apparently, the last bit anyway.  Then they tell you about their safety record,  but anyway make you dress in a dry suit and life jacket for the flight!  And, when we were about to leave, the pilot told us that while we had been on three platforms, so close together they had bridges between them, one bridge wasn't built yet, so that he was going to land on the third platform to pick up a passenger.     From the flight out, I expected  to rise in the air, travel horizontally and descend.     In fact the pilot took us up and into a screaming turn (the scream was mine!) so sharp that I could look out of the side and see only sea. And platform.  I didn't know helicopters could do that.   I declined the invitation to do this as required. John

I used to give blood every 4 months unfortunately due to health hiccoughs I am no longer allowed to give blood, the good news is that my daughter who is of the same blood type has taken up the blood letting habit and they make it quite easy at French university’s