Sign ‘o the times

‘In the corner of the workshop, Olli Ragbin sits watching events unfold before him’

It’s 4 months into 2021 as we all start to emerge, blinking into the emerging sunlight of spring.

Lockdown restrictions are starting to ease and life is slowly, slowly starting to navigate toward a more normal running order.

It was January when the doors opened at the CCM Passfield premises and you have to kinda pinch yourself when looking around at what the team have built.

It seems like only yesterday that Dr Ray was overseeing my cack-handedness whilst ‘helping’ him in building the office where Siobhan now weaves her organisational magic.

Back then the ramps were only just being installed, with air, toolboxes and the inventory of cleaning and polishing gubbins still yet to come.

This morning on the group Whatsapp, Eric was asking whether Siobhan had filled in her holiday request application (submission required 7 days in advance according to the staff handbook (section 7.1 subsection 3)).

This is testament to the level of professionalism and planning now to be seen at your favourite classic wranglers. (It should be noted however that Siobhan sighed a sigh, raised a weary eyebrow and then just ignored Eric and looked forward to her (well deserved) day off next Wednesday.)

This week Eric seems to have survived having bought himself a motorbike and a new classic in honour of Ingrid’s birthday at the weekend and has been busy planning his new marketing masterpiece.

Gerald the sign-writer (not to be mistaken for Dr Ray’s Gerald (the parts washer)) has crafted a number of options to be painted beautifully on the side of the new CCM classic van.

Eric is currently toying with the choices Gerald has penned and so we can expect the newly liveried Morris to be pottering around the lanes with the CCM logo large and proud any day soon.

For the 3rd blog is as many weeks we're going to take a little look at some of Young Chris’ work.

First up, that camper…. Have a look back over the blogs and you will see what progress looks like.

Ready to roll and happy travelling miles ahead.

A long time ago (in a galaxy far away), a chum of mine and I went 50/50 on an old 911.

When my chum got itchy feet, I didn’t have the fabric to buy his half so it was with a heavy heart that a sale was contemplated.

Eric and I worked together at the time and I knew he may just be interested in the Porsche. And so I casually floated the notion.

He seemed luke-warm at first, so I took him for a spin.

And then I hit upon a bright idea.

Drop him off 20 yards from our workplace and drive away so he hears the noise of that wonderful flat 6.

Like me, Eric loves his toys, and to cut a long story short, he ended up with the Porsche for a few years on the proviso that I get first refusal should he wish to sell.

Fast-forward to today. The chum with whom I bought the Porsche with way back, managed recently to talk me into co-buying an Aprilia 750 supermoto-type motorbike.

It turns out that I am a much easier person to persuade than Eric is. Partly because I have a rare genetic mutation which means I cannot say no. I suspect Eric may share this genetic oddity too, however he is lucky enough to have convinced Ingrid to say ‘yes’ in the marriage department and, being his safety net, she is quite happy to say ‘no’ on his behalf. Something which has probably kept Eric from financial ruin over the years.

Anyway, this week the Aprilia has graced CCM towers. Nothing if not adaptable our techs.

Young Chris, welding wizard and lover of all things two-wheeled, took on the task of sourcing the coolant leak which I’d diagnosed following observation of a wet left boot.

The ‘Priler has been stripped, diagnosed and now awaits parts ready to be lovingly rebuilt and ready to rock and roll.

'Buy one and drive it back from Corfu.'

This is the answer to a question nobody has ever asked before.

The question? ‘

What is the most ridiculous way to 1) purchase a classic mini and 2) be incredibly uncomfortable for 12 straight hours?'

I’m not sure anyone has ever actually asked that question, but that didn’t stop Shrimp eye Justin from proudly answering it.

Here he is happily clutching its registration, the first three letters being the sound he made when he extracted himself from the car post-arrival in the UK.

From my position next to Gerald the parts cleaner, I wasn’t able to see who had fixed the shocks on a lovely classic Range Rover, but here are the old ones. Leaky and about to be CCM’d

The power of youth.

This week demonstrated in full force by Izzi, Eric & Ingrid’s ‘bright as a button’ daughter.

We’ve seen her before wielding spanners on her future wheels.

This week she took on the task of sorting the window mechanism on the new Morris van.

Dismantle door, faff around, fix window, re-assemble.

That’s how I’d do it.

(Well…. I’ve missed out ‘lose bolt, get in the wrong car, drop screwdriver, find bolt, lose screwdriver, spill tea, cuss at bolt and screwdriver, fix window, await round of applause’.)

Izzi nailed the job (and only did one of the above from my list of usual errors).

She’s 15. When I was 15 you’d have had to crow-bar me out of my bedroom and away from the telly (didn’t have an internet or mobile phone then). This sort of confidence is just great to see, it really is. A very bright future beckons.

Finally we’ll tie up the tale of the Aprilia.

Last week I collected the Suzuki that Eric and I part own (the one we committed to buy when we shared a curry without the careful chaperoning of Ingrid to save us from ourselves). I left him with the poorly Aprilia and rode off on the madness that is the SRAD 750.

‘Have a go on it… you’ll love it’. I said as I departed.

The chum I share the Aprilia with has itchy feet again (standard). I have a sneaky feeling this bike will be right up Eric’s street. This could be the opportunity for Eric and I to co-own 2 bikes. I don’t like him to miss opportunities like this. Back to what I know. As I can’t drive away from him like I did in the Porsche, I need to get him to have a little blast.

Now admittedly, conducting a ham-fisted repair, bringing the bike to CCM, getting her fixed and then getting Eric to road-test her is a very long and intricate way to try and convince him that this is indeed a sensible, indeed necessary, ownership proposition. But you have to be wiley to get ahead in the world today.

Young Chris has been all over the poorly Italian and has identified a leaky thermostat and shocking ham-fisted bodgery of previous ownership as he has diligently gone through the task at hand.

Not what I was hoping for when I said 'yes', but when the bike is fixed properly, by professionals for whom ‘quick fix’ and ‘it’ll do’ are phrases that are simply not in the lexicon, this bike will be back to its absolute incredible best (and it is an absolute weapon!).

So now, to the future.

I have my crystal ball in front of me and I can accurately and confidently predict 2 things.

1. Siobhan will be having Wednesday off.

2. Ingrid will shortly be sending me a one-word WhatsApp message

‘No’

Eric & I know our place.

And so, from all the team at CCM, Eric, Siobhan, Dr Ray, Shrimp-eye Justin, Young Chris, Izzi and the very sensible ‘I’m just saving you from yourselves’ Ingrid, have a great week!

Olli