SUZUKI CERVO CX-G
I was pretty delighted with the way the Whizzkid performed on the blast to the Le Mans Classic (Our classics, October), but, as ever, a decent run simply added to the job list. This time, however, they are jobs that need to be done before I can really enjoy the car again.
That realisation dawned as the Suzuki and I made our way to the Sunday Scramble at Bicester Heritage in October. Halfway around the M25, the ticking of the blowing manifold, which had been getting more insistent throughout the trip to La Sarthe, suddenly got a lot louder as more of the shot gasket made a bid for freedom. SC100 guru Tim Smith reckons that the manifold itself is likely to be split – a common problem with these cars – but luckily he has a spare on the shelf at home. Less fortunately, getting to it is a nightmare, because the only access is via a small panel behind the rear seat.
Tim has also promised me a new gas strut for the rear glass – so no more jamming it open with an old C&SC umbrella – and some gearlinkage bushes. The gearchange has been deteriorating for as long as I can remember, and reverse gear has become almost impossible to engage recently.
But that’s the next job; for now, he’s given me a new fuel filter – one of the things I forgot to change during the car’s return to the road – and a genuine NOS air filter. Changing them highlighted yet another issue: it turns out that the heat shield I removed before Le Mans did rather more than just restrict airflow – it also braced the engine cover, which is now a struggle to open, and prevented water dropping onto the electrics (hence the car’s reluctance to start for the Scramble after a rainy night).
One other gift for the car – and me – came from pals Nigel and Jen, who managed to track down a superb keyfob with the correct era of badge on it – so I can finally retire the last piece of branding from the Suzuki’s former life as a shrunken JPS Esprit tribute!