M'coli

Cue that Macc Lads all time great "Oh What the Fuck Fuck Fuck Have They Done To Me Passat"
 

Very sunny Sunny there, 'BRO'.
It might me a bargain for someone, it's lovely and smart, wheel trims aside.


This week, I am mostly feeling the love for modern-ish Alfas.


 
LPG'd and looks a good one at £410. Wonder where the tank is, GTV boots are reputedly tiny...
 
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/221376769563?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

Ah, a dash you can keep your fags on. A lost art.

There are some sexy beasts on here tonight!  Let's add this to the pile: 12 months ticket, too.

 
Oof!!!

Why, thank you Cameron, I didn't know you cared!

There are some sexy beasts on here tonight!  Let's add this to the pile: 12 months ticket, too.

 
Oof!!!

There are some sexy beasts on here tonight!  Let's add this to the pile: 12 months ticket, too.

 
Oof!!!

There are some sexy beasts on here tonight!  Let's add this to the pile: 12 months ticket, too.

 
Oof!!!

There are some sexy beasts on here tonight!  Let's add this to the pile: 12 months ticket, too.

 
Oof!!!

As we're perving over mk3 Astras...
 

 
Only 54k and no bids yet at £99.
 
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vauxhall-Astra-1995-Manual-N558-GUA-1-4-Petrol-Long-MOT-Low-mileage-/231165623625?pt=Automobiles_UK&hash=item35d28b7d49
 
It's on my manor, Billy! Call in for a brew.

This looks lovely, 1993 so classic insurance friendly too:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vauxhall-Astra-1-6-CD-Genuine-35000-miles-/181317237939?pt=Automobiles_UK&hash=item2a37597cb3

This looks lovely, 1993 so classic insurance friendly too:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vauxhall-Astra-1-6-CD-Genuine-35000-miles-/181317237939?pt=Automobiles_UK&hash=item2a37597cb3

Important progress was made today.  Not only did I get the glass in on the driver's door and the door cards and furniture on three of the doors - door four was thwarted by three missing self-tapping screws and having none suitable in the Pot of Fixings - but I got the charged battery plumbed in.  The dash board also doesn't need a hazard warning plug wiring in after all, for some reason I'd confused it with the fog light switch which is much easier to resolve but I didn't get as far as fitting the dashboard today though it is sat in the car patiently waiting for me to get on with it.
 

 

 
The important thing was this (terrible quality) video.  Click the fuzzy picture to view.

 
 
The big clouds of smoke are the remnants of the oil put down the bores and whatever had got in the wrong place when the head blew, the smoke cleared steadily as the engine was run.  The exhaust is blowing at the downpipe join and I think it's the cause of a very strange squeaking noise that is coming from the same general area.  The engine otherwise seems very healthy with no untoward leaks or noises.
 
To do list:
fit dash board
overhaul brakes - new rear shoes, handbrake cable & brake hose, bleed brake fluid
fix suspension - replacement sphere & Hydragas pump up
fit tyres
fit glass/furniture to one door
fix exhaust blow
fix radiator leak
 
Pretty satisfying what can be done when the weather behaves for a day or two.

Did one of these last time I went see the folks.. thirty years pass by..
 

timewarp by renault9gta, on Flickr
 
Same house, same car, same people, same coat..
 
--Phil

I suspect this is someone on here, if not I'll be very surprised indeed, but I just had a suggestion for a Princess slam panel pop up on eBay after making the tow bar post over in the News thread and checked out their other items.  Some choice material.
 
Citroen BX bonnet (five of in metal)

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Citroen-BX-Metal-Bonnet-Short-Nose-/171248796944?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item27df394510
 
Rover 800 bonnet and wing

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Rover-800-GENUINE-Bonnet-1986-91-/171248795700?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item27df394034
 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Rover-800-O-S-Front-Wing-1986-91-/181321575951?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item2a379bae0f
 
Fiat Bravo rear quarter

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Fiat-Bravo-3-Door-N-S-Rear-Wing-2006-on-GENUINE-FIAT-/171240057583?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item27deb3eaef
 
Mk1 Ford Sierra grille

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Ford-Sierra-Mk1-Front-Grille-1982-84-/171244911083?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item27defdf9eb
 
Datsun 1200 rear door skin (two of)

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Datsun-1200-O-S-Rear-Doorskin-GENUINE-/171237663608?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item27de8f6378
 
Mk2 Cavalier bumper in brown

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vauxhall-Cavalier-Mk2-Front-Bumper-Brown-1981-88-/181318948024?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item2a377394b8
 
 
....and many more besides.

I was not up on Vauxhalls and never thought they would stick such a small engine in a large car,  many years ago I had my eyes opened when I sold an rx7 and the guy turned up in a cav with A frame to tow it back to wales, we got talking me expecting it to be a 2 litre but no it was a 1.4 and he said he tows all the time with it
That encounter opened my eyes and got me looking at Vauxhalls
 
Top buy and I wonder how long before its sold

That sounds good to me, I had a 1.3 mk2 and that was very similar. Lots of relatively low speed fun. Not a deal of top end but would cruise at 80 all day once you got it there. The sort of car you can hammer about in without fear of serious points or license loss.

I think they lost a bit of the character of the Mk2, but they are less sort of wooden feeling, the interior plastics are nicer to feel and look at and they were definately a leap forward. Still have a soft spot for the Mk2 and not knocking them, it's just the Mk3 is the better car imho.
 
Came to work in it this morning and have to say I was surprised how quick it was, wellying through the gears saw an increase in engine roar and a decent turn of speed. Only noticeably a bit slow from 60+mph where nothbing seems to happen for an age, then it starts gathering momentum.

Shitetacular! A good mate of mine had one just like that when we were at college, it was only 10 years old so dead posh, then when he left college it became his works van. I can confirm these are GR8 for carrying approx 1/2 a ton of turf - and will wheelspin lots when attempting to tow a broken Series 3 Landrover on a ifor Williams trailer. 

Read it and weep, suckers...
 

 

 
Collected this evening with help from (watering can carrying) son. It's superbly miserable, those the sun roof, power steering and central locking have poshed it up a bit.
Fuel gauge doesn't work, some panic in Wallasey until we found a garage and lobbed a ten spot in. It wasn't exactly quick but doesn't half go through the gears and will happily maintain motorway speeds and perhaps* some more on top.
Problems: intermittent wipers don't actually work, o/s/r light is 157 times brighter than the n/s, aerial doesn't seem to work, weather seal on driver's door must have been eaten by a hungry lion, it's got nasty wheel trims, central plays up he told me and there is that familiar smell of burning oil. Obviously I didn't do any checks on it whatsoever, I just handed him the money, signed the V5 and fucked off. The weekend will tell me what it's really like, wish me luck.
 
1.4!

This could have been a problem if I had money to spare.  It's far too close to me and it has a wonderfully beige interior.  Luckily common sense prevails plus the wheels are far too big and the description is unreadable.  I nonetheless implore someone else to buy it.
 
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/peugeot-205-GRDT-114k-mot-tax-end-feb-2014-turbo-diesel-reliable-spares-repairs-/161223636056?pt=Automobiles_UK&hash=item2589ad7458
 

I'm mildly grumpy as i have no computer and therefore no internet access apart from via this poxy telephone. However its my own fault as I have 'lost' the computer along with most other non-car possessions in the fall-out from my recent mid-life crisis. On the upside i am expecting at least 1 solid day of garage action this weekend - something that hasn't happened for flipping months. It would be 2 days but I'm going to the Derby beer fest tomorrow so will probably load much of Saturday.

Dear Jim,

Please can you paint for me a picture of Ed Miliband wearing the wrong trousers walking down James Turner Street being whipped by Jo Brand in erotic lingerie shooting rainbow laser beams out her nipples and cliff Richard in a Lacoste tracksuit drinking Skol Super with White Dee.

Cheers,
 

Remembering your photo, I looked at my odometer when I got in the car this morning.
 

 
I missed it by one day! The trip meter reading 123 was pure coincidence.