Winter Drawers On

So far October’s been quite a busy month for the Fury, first of all there was the annual Car Limits Day at North Weald. A couple of days later I took it to the Cotswolds with the Rogue Runners – well, most of them, Brian wasn't feeling sufficiently chipper.Then I went to Hickstead to do a course on driving MEWPs (Mobile Elevated Working Platforms apparently), but through all this motoring a few things have been apparent, firstly the rear wheels move further up into the arches with the new shorter shocks , this allows the tyre to rub on the exhaust at full bump with two people in the car, the next is the bizarre "Mexican moustache" it keeps growing around the rear number plate & the other is an occasional smell of petrol.

 

Mexican moustache

When I got home from work today, I looked at raising the exhaust, but that’s a winter upgrade job & the car's not off the road yet, so I turned my attention to the fuel system. I turned it on & after a few minutes there was no smell & no drippage. So the pipes & hoses weren't leaking.

 

When I put the fuel tank access door in the boot floor I ran a vent hose to a position behind the rear fog lights, I wondered if the smell of fuel was coming from there, certainly there was a waft on opening the boot as the negative pressure pulled fumes through this vent pipe.

 

I replaced the hose I’d used with a small bore fuel hose, fitted a non-return valve allowing air into the tank but not out & cunningly (I thought) moved the hose exit (actually the intake) such that it sits in the hidden area beside the off side rear fog light inside the recess for the number plate & is therefore OUTSIDE the car. Hopefully this will fix the smell.

 

The moustache is more confusing, whatever it is appears to come from the top of the rear fogs & run down the rear panel. It appears to be granular, so I'm wondering if it's tyre smoke from the exhaust rub, but why just stick around the number plate? There's obviously something running down the outside of the car, could the petrol fumes get from the inside of the boot into the number plate recess in sufficient quantity to stick tiny bits of rubber to the car? I will find out.