It never rains (but it pours)

Just before Christmas, a time already riddled with over-expenditure, the malcontents among The Special’s fleet decided to create a further draw on our funds.

Where to begin? Chronological order is probably best, so that means we start with the biggest vehicle in the fleet, the 1996 Isuzu Trooper. After a serious spend-up, beginning at the end of 2024 and running up to the end of the spring 2025 all seemed to be in tip-top order.

After all, with a new timing belt, injectors, clutch slave cylinder, clutch, another water pump and radiator, just what else could go wrong? Well, how wrong we were and our trust in the full-sized Isuzu was asunder as its alternator failed almost 12 months to the day after being fitted.

The week before all was good: 630 miles in two days was proof-positive all could be good, yet a week later, after a Wales-to-Odiham run, the alternator’s electrickery magic was more akin to the dark arts than the makings of a magician of good intentions.

With a lighting shutdown on the ‘smart’ part of the M4 near Reading – in the rush hour no less – and a limping on to Burnham via the A4, the alternator was gone. Finito. Fit for the bin.

Suffice to say the next day’s recovery didn’t go to plan, taking 12 hours and four recovery trucks. Beginning at 9am three recovery trucks got it as far as the M4’s Sarn Park Services i.e., about 140 miles from journey beginning. But that took until 5pm.

Eventually a taxi turned up at 7pm to take Team Special home, the Isuzu being left on its lonesome and eventually collected at midnight for delivery at Llanelli’s S&S. At time of writing the new alternator hasn’t been fitted but let’s hope the replacement will last longer.

Meanwhile, in the two days the Trooper was away Berlingo’s exhaust system decided to call it a day, with the back box parting company with the centre section. Our tyres ‘n’ pipes supplier, Welsh Dragon Tyres, sourced a back box straightaway: the centre section, it seems, will take longer as it’s not listed on some catalogues now.

But there was some good news, in that the Kia’s light service at Ferryside Garage was done quickly and cheaply. New oil and new coolant, the handbrake tightened up and the gear selector re-greased, so it’s not so hard to move the lever through the quadrant. Rear shoes and a drum clean-up will be needed in a couple of thousand miles, so there’s little worry in the stopping department.

Meanwhile The Special’s creative guru Special K enjoyed a few days in Germany and while in Hamburg spotted a pair of Teutonic gems. Now that W116 would surely make a tip-top Christmas gift…