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Not much to report on the 240 front. It's simultaneously a really nice semi-classic, and a lovely, comfortable, reliable An-Car. I've been getting decent economy out of it too, well, decent for an old RWD block of pig iron. Around 35mpg on my daily commute using E10. At the moment that makes it cheaper than running any of our diesels except the 205, which is on the veg. The 240 does need a front wheel bearing done. This isn't a big deal as bearings are cheap and fitting takes about half an hour. However I'm currently playing parts bingo with that, as here's how far I got. I was ready to tap the bearing on when I found that it was just marginally the wrong size. The next attempt, ordering a good quality OEM new old stock part resulted in this, which is so rusty it's useless. So I'm just waiting on a replacement for that to turn up before I can get on with it. All of the bits arrived for the 205 to rebuild the driver's side suspension. Started by cleaning up the spring seat and top mount as they were mega rusty. Then a good brush over with phosphoric acid and some paint. While painting I noticed that one of the top mount studs had sheared off. It's been like this for a long time by the looks of it. Drilled out the remnants, then welded a bolt in place. The £3 control arm looked alright, and it was cheaper than trying to find a replacement ball joint boot that actually fits. This corner is looking lovely and shiny now. A few other things were tackled. The rear boot trim rattles like fuck, as most of the clips are extremely tired. This was sorted with some new clips that have spacers on them to give a bit more pressure and prevent rattles. These were kindly donated by @davidfowler2000 who did the same on his 205. Next up I wanted to check over the fuel lines and filter housing as I was still getting bad surging and cutting out on a cold start when running on the veg. My thoughts were that air was getting into the lines due to the extra strain put on the system trying to lift cold and thick oil. Pulled off the lines and emptied the filter housing. This got a good clean out, then the base of the housing was scrubbed up with a pad. I also padded out the big O-ring groove and then cocooned it in RTV before refitting. I also replaced the O-rings inside the water drain tap and the heater thermostat as they're known leak points. Everything was reassembled with new hose clamps. I've had quite a few mornings to test this out, and it does seem to be a lot better. It still surges, but it's easier to keep alive and the symptoms tail off much quicker. Next plan is to try and modify the fuel system to be more veg-friendly, following advice from @Lacquer Peel. The mod list currently looks like this: - Replace 8mm fuel lines with larger bore 10mm lines. - Loop the fuel return back into the inlet to allow heated fuel to recirculate - Delete the filter heater thermostat so that the filter housing is always heated - Fit an electric lift pump that runs on a cold start to help move the fuel.

I like the ease of access. Spatchcocked a few bits together. Throttle pedal now works inside the car (wrong carburetor, so hacking it needs to happen). Also polished some horsepower back into the engine.

Be sure to film it so that if it goes wrong you'll get a £250 cheque off Lisa Riley to repair next doors fence

RS has a roll cage, buckets and a BDA under the bonnet! Nice touch with the exhaust poking through the base On a scale of 1 to train spotter, how sad is it that I ordered these wheels as soon as I knew this car was going to be released? Added a quick bit of detail here and there too. It's well thought out with a view to customising, the black rear valance is part of the interior so you don't lose the lights and number plate if you re-paint - which I will be

It's not bad when you have 2 whole sides off another car 😂 One side is done

Cool I'd still like some more of the Renault 5s. Here's my little Entertainer haul Damn the RS is nice! Plus the Chevy Monte Carlo from Twopoundfiftyland

I'm hoping for blackout riots and looting so I can score some new gear from Machine Mart for gratis.

@GingerNuttz doing a sterling job as usual! Looking forward to it coming back whole

This went straight through an mot yesterday @Lacquer Peel @Jim Bell, driving as well as ever

Entirely ghosted by the chap who was having the spares Oltcit, so it's awaiting collection by the local scrappy. At least they'll give folk the chance to nab bits off it before it is baled, though the market for Oltcit parts is not a particularly large one. Now getting stuck into yet another engine change on the 2CV. Two hours from bonnet off to new engine in, but thwarted by iffy wiring and I'd left my new wiring bundles at home. In theory, connect a couple of wires, fit starter, connect fuel, NOISE. Hopefully tomorrow.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/334613114996?hash=item4de87ef074:g:-UgAAOSwJiZjYV6S

https://www.leboncoin.fr/voitures/2210140723.htm

Sorry, this one is related to me again. I hadn't repointed the DNS for the IPv6 address following the issues we had, now fixed. Phones are moving over to use IPv6 for DNS which is why autoshite.com was being buggy on phones but generally OK on PCs (which tend to use IPv4). It should be better now.

Anyone into postal vans? Altaya Mercedes N1000 Ebbro Daihatsu Midget Car Eligor Citroen 3CV Eligor Citroen H Eligor Peugeot 404 Pick-Up IXO Mini Van Norev Fiat Doblo Old Cars Iveco Verem Peugeot J9 Verem Renault Express Verem Renault Kangoo Verem Renault Master

One of MrsDC's colleagues was talking to her the other day about her first car, in the mid-90s. Said it was a 'Subaru Vivio', and it was horrible. Tiny engine, very slow. This rang no bells with me, and after checking she didn't mean a Subaru Justy, reckoned she was maybe confusing it with a Suzuki Alto. But no, the Vivio did exist - and it was sold in the UK. No recall of ever encountering one, either on the road or during my time running the parts desk. Using the search function I did find a reference to the Vivio on this very thread waay back in 2016 - though it was for Japanese market convertible and retro-styled versions. Well well well.

I just checked a big Tesco,hoping to find new Hotwheels.There were just 4 or 5 fantasy castings.A bin full of Matchbox,just the usual suspects,but they did have the new 5 packs.What surprised me though,was the UK series from a while back,so I grabbed the only Capri.£2.50 though 🤔

FTFY

Italy

Those are all @Datsuncogs St George's Market Tat boxes being filled at his distribution centre.

After getting a Dizco 2 off here recently I've started to get into green laning. I think there are a few other perverted souls on here with aging Land Rover products who a partial to some mud plugging so thought I'd start a thread for any tip/tricks or green lane recommendations. So far I've only done Ramsden Road with it completely stock and it handled it absolutely fine. If anyone is around the west midlands or south Yorkshire way let me know if you'd be up for going out some time!

Clicked an expired link They forgot bruv at the end of the second sentence

It's channeling its inner Panhard.

Wolseley sI’d 2200 | eBay Must be quite a late one this? @keef

What the heck is going on with the wipers?!

Grrrrr...........

Sticking with small Fiats but from a different century. Tried getting my Škoda in the same shot as they're a similar shade with limited success. You can also just make out the interior is yellowy green, a colour combination I thought died out with British Leyland in the 70s.

On a work mission to Dorset yesterday, stopped at a Tesco just as new stock was going out Saw this 5 pack on my recent Germany trip but it was a bit expensive over there. I was confident it would show up here too Glad to have found the MK1 - RS2000 X pack and red Cossie may prove harder

Might be a bit far north for you but the old coach road from Matterdale to Keswick looks good, if it’s open. I’ve only driven as far as Mosedale Beck, and that is doable with care in a 2wd with decent clearance but I think it’s gets trickier to the west of there. Although I did have to reverse a LWB RWD Transit all the way back to the road, as I was too scared of getting stuck to put the back wheels off the track to turn around. Edit: I’ve not been since 2017 so who knows what it’s like now. Enterprise always come through with great green laning vehicles. It’s nice up there, but 4wd was required this day. Fordable in a Lacetti? Yes.

https://www.subito.it/auto/renault-4-sinpar-4x4-1976-trento-462955430.htm

A bit of a varied selection today Brumm 1949 Fiat 1100E Fire Car Brumm Fiat 500 Topolino Van in Italian Post livery Eligor BMW Neu-Klasse 2000 Berline 1958 Norev Citroen 2CV AZLM Rio Mercedes 190 SL Rio 1949 VW Cabriolet Rio 1953 VW Bug in Swiss Postal livery Verem 1970 Citroen 2CV

The blue tarp has been deployed. Fixing commenced with replicating the end of the chassis rail with new metal. This was welded in place starting with the tube for the subframe bolt. She has been properly getting stuck into this. I haven't done a thing. The repaired section. It was tidied up a little and primed after this, but it's not going anywhere. Nice and solid. The other side is a bit more involved in that there's already a repair patch over the top, plus the rot extends a lot further. Chopping. Then being rebuilt in stages. That needs folded over, and a bit on the other side needs replaced too. Then the lower section is just the mirror image of what was completed on the passenger side. In the meantime, a bad weather project was ticked off, namely dismantling and fixing the original radio. Also, a hood ornament was fitted, for maximum rat look.

Hmm been a few months between updates on this old bus. Main reason is a few months ago she came off the road because I needed a more economical steed for work, but I'm not making the mistake of selling it Anyway some catch up updates just before she came off the road the Crank position sensor failed in the most convenient place ever..... A common Thor V8 foible it was getting on 22yrs old and decided to shit the bed, luckily as with most fails once the motor cooled off she fired first go!! que a hasty retreat home!! and with a new sensor ordered up the offending article was replaced.. The sensor lives on the bell housing under a cover..... Old sensor out, nowt special to remove it just two 8mm nuts. Very easy to to the connector on the back of the cylinder head was a right pain in the ballcock, but got there in the end... Once fitted she fired up just fine and needing no excuse to go for a run I took her out for some pez, filled the tank at the local pump and got the same comment I do everytime "leave some for us" etc etc £150 down the V8 drain. Never ceased to amaze me how much fun it is/was driving it managed to burn through a fair bit of fuel on that run so called it a day before I had to fill up again!! 15mpg!! lol Next up on the list was removal of the old LPG tank, its been taking up the space where the spare goes since 2003 and with Autogas nearing its demise it seemed stupid to keep it in there, so out with the sockets and 10mins later we have a tank which is very corroded as it turns out And the absurdly heavy spare wheel back where it belongs. Oh and I also fitted a new O2 sensor but didn't take any pics unfortunately!! And as a parting post as the old bus is going to be out of commission for a good while yet I thought it prudent to clean everything the best I could to negate any mould growing etc etc Thanks for reading folks!

Nug keeps flinging stupid, but fixable problems my way. Glow plugs stopped glowing. As you can imagine, running 100% veg in Autumn without glow plugs can be entertaining. Tracing it back, it was clear the relay was buggered. I kind of suspected it might be that when it started smoking. Part of the relay contact on the right was making intermittent contact, causing an arc and then overheating. With that cleaned up then bent back into place, that sorted the glow plugs. Next, I noticed that it was occasionally not wanting to turn over. If you pressed on and kept turning the key, smoke could be seen coming from the negative cable on the battery. It was pretty fucked. I replaced that and doubled it up for good measure. What next, an injector leak? That was a dick to sort, as the copper washer was not for coming out of the injector seat. I eventually got it out and replaced it. No more leaks. I thought I was winning at this point, and was even deliberately going out aimless drives in the evening just because it's such a fun little thing. Then it started doing this. Not really sure what's going on there. I think I am either getting air in or I need a bit more advance on the pump. I attached the cold start cable to the pump (forgot to do so when I swapped it) which made a little bit of difference. I tightened all the hose clamps up and checked for leaks - none. However it does seem a little bit happier now so I'll see how it goes. Still could do with being a bit less surge-y when cold. Finally, I was greeted to a puddle of oil on the drive under the right wheel. Looking closer, it has gone all over the inside of the wheel arch and is running down the strut, so it's clear the shock has had it. Then the top mount fell to pieces. Like poetry. In the process I have also mangled the lower ball joint cover. I thought it would be easy enough to replace the boot, but all I have succeeded in doing is stabbing myself in the hand with a screwdriver. Getting those clip rings in place is a nightmare. And honestly, I don't know why I didn't just buy a new control arm in the first place. Might sort the rest of that out next week. There's a point in there somwhere, that the fuel cost maybe isn't the biggest factor in the cost of ownership, even when control arms are 3 quid?

I turned up late after being invited for a curry in Birmingham then briefly started banging on about Renner 19s. Here's the thread referred to, in case anybody cared:

https://www.carandclassic.com/car/C1518298 In ye olde times:

Sheffield Polytechnic, Owen Building.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/225232157955?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=Wj_JpPRdTMy&sssrc=2349624&ssuid=FZibxPfIQ0i&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

I looked at one of Norway's biggest news websites just now and there was a news reel with videos and in the news about a grain agreement from Ukraine, they showed a combine working in a field and of all the combines they could have chosen to show, they chose an old East German workhorse a Fortschritt E517 which is still in use. And I don't know how why this made me happy but it did and yes I need help.

One off Zephyr Woody made for use at Sandringham

Bound to have been spotted before, but 73 BGT in Nugent Centre, St. Mary Cray, Kent. No prizes for guessing what on. Very nice to see a near 50-year-old car out and about in November.

+1 for the angle grinder method. A very similar episode with the Subaru had me close to tears and questioning all my life choices last December, for all the reasons you mention - with any luck it'll be a good long while before yours need doing again!

Early fuel-injected 504. It's a non-runner but I'm sure @barrett will back me up when I say it'll definitely* be a piece of piss to get going again.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/165753461198