What I want, What I Really Really Want!

During my dads ownership there were a few issues that began to cause a loss of confidence in the car. Although my father is quite a handy sort of chap and always used to maintain the family cars until I took over that roll. He seems to have gotten used to paying for someone to service his car and is a little out of practice and patients with the joys of classic car ownership.
First problem, the battery would die after a few days with the car left standing. After a lot of head scratching and a period of routinely disconnecting the batteries when the car was not in use he discovered that the radio would not turn off which was draining the battery. This must have been the reason I took it out of the car it was originally fitted too. Oops.
Second problem, a points failure while out driving. Although a simple job to fix the fact he had no tools and the points are difficult to get to resulted in the RAC being called to fix and follow them home. My dad struggled to replace and set up the new set of points after lots of swearing.
Third problem, my sister and her boyfriend went up to stay and he set the ignition timing with a strobe. When my dad took it out for a drive once they had gone home, the car was running very poorly. He must have set it incorrectly. My dad then readjusted it by ear and got it running ok. This was the final straw, what with the fact that it was not a Roadster and that the old man (and old girl) were finding it difficult getting in and out (like I find it easy being 6 foot 1). The car then sat in the garage until I visited them.
While up there I discovered they wanted to sell it as it was becoming too much trouble. They asked me to advertise it on ebay. I did this and it failed to meet the reserve price. I put it on again and once again it failed to reach the reserve. A number of people had viewed and tested the car but they all seemed to want it for less than the £1500 it was being sold for.
Aside from that I did set up the carbs. I had no special tools and did it the old fashioned way. Listening to the air flow and using the lifting pins for mixture. It was the first time I had ever tuned up twin carbs and I was chuffed that I managed to make the car run better let alone at all.
Following the fact that nowbody wanted to pay the £1500 they wanted for the car and that they refused to budge from this (quite right really, it had full mot and I believe it was worth it) they decided to give (yes give) the car to me as they knew I could not afford to buy it and they knew I would use it. Well I was on cloud nine. Wow a free car and a very nice one at that.
All I had to do was drive the car back down south and it was mine.
Needless to say I shot straight up to Derbyshire at the earliest oportunity just in case they changed their mind. I gave the car a quick check over and a test run while going to the petrol station to fill up ready for the journey home. Once parked up outside my parents house I checked the car over again to check for leaks. Oh F~@& there was a leak. Petrol was running out from the front of the tank. I could not see from where but I just had to get the car home. I had a fire extinguisher with me so I was sure I'd be ok. I reasoned that the hole must be at the top or at least high up on the tank and as the level goes down the problem would go away. Yes the ostrich technique. If in doubt bury head in sand. Besides the car was parked facing down hill and the tank was full to bursting point. As I later deduced the last time the tank got filled was when I drove it up to Derbyshire as my dad had only ever topped it up with a tenner here and there. And even after I filled it on the way up north the car never sat parked with a full tank so I would not have noticed a problem.
My parents offered to show us a minor road route to get round Nottingham which would allow me to put some miles on the car and allow the fuel level to drop some. I then planned to stop in a layby and if the leak continued I would call the RAC but if it had stopped I would continue under our own steam. All was ok so I bid farewell and off I went.
The journey was unneventful, at least until I got 10 miles from home. Great 170 miles of plain sailing then 10 miles on the edge of my seat. The problem? A dodgy temperature gauge I hoped. The engine temperature began to be unstable flickering and going up and down. Mind you it never went up to a high level but just became erratic. The car did make it home but as I lifted the bonnet it became obvious that the gauge may not have been at fault afterall. Water and steam were comming out the radiator overflow and water was running down the outside of the rad. I was not greatly concerned as I suspected the radiator need replacing as the fins were rotten and the lip where the cap screws on was split and rolled over as if something heavy had be dropped on it while the car was off. Once cool, I refilled the system and everything seemed fine.