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Flying 12 DHC goes on its holidays Part 6

Day 6: Buckland tout-Saints to Looe

The Route on Wednesday  took in Kingsbridge, then moved West, pasing over the Tamar into Corwall at Plymouth. The  Flying 12 had performed faultlessly up to this point but whilst  travelling today it became obvious that there was an increasing amount of vibration from the drive train.

We passed throgh Looe and out on the Polperro Road, finding the Hotel Trelaske about 2 miles beyond the town. It was here we decided to look under the car to try to identify what was wrong. I suspected the propshaft bolts and this proved to be the case, all four bolts at the front of the propshaft were working loose. You may be aware that I changed the back axle and prop before setting off, and all the bolts had been tigtened as much as possible at that point. Nevertheless, about 400 miles later they had started to loosen themselves.

We were able to drive the front wheel of the car onto a conveniently high kerb at the hotel, this gave me the clearance I needed under the car to put the 5/16th spanners on the offending nuts and bolts. There is no room to get on a socket or ring spanner so despite the fact that the nuts were tightened up again with open spanners, I suspect that this may only be a temporary fix. Let's hope we don't have to do it again later in the tour.

The next day we visited the Lost Gardens of Heligan, I have to tell you that they are well and truly found, just a couple of miles from Mevagissey.

Day 6 - 70 miles Beer to Buckland tout-Saints to Looe

Day 7 - Looe to Mevagissey and return - 80 miles

Mevagissey marks the southernmost point of our tour. For once the sun came out!

Phil Homer.

Reporting from Sampsons Farm, Hotel Newton Abbott, Devon

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