forddeliveryboy

I'm a bit sorry to hear about the lack of love for the big silver beastie, but despite the heated velour it left my Ma and Pa cold despite providing 40-odd thousand FTP-free miles over 2-3 years. Just the relatively needy nature of big modern stuff compared with 90s stuff to swallow - my Dad struggled with the idea of a clutch pedal sensor to smooth bad gear changes when it failed and caused a EWL, similarly the injector which failed and prevented starting one afternoon - no polite warning, as with any electronics bother. Parts exist which once didn't and are potential bother for the autoshiter, those which once lasted indefinitely without failure are consumables for the higher mileage user and Volvos don't feel quite liken they once did - in some respects that's no bad thing. What makes for a "good car" is in part a personal thing, it very much wasn't sold because it was causing bother, far from it. I did miss the key not working in the driver's door (sorry) but mentioned everything I was aware of including the overdue fuel filter. It didn't have any starting issues, when the mechanic had changed the pads in Spring there was no mention of sticking pistons (he mentions this sort of thing) and as a fast, economical long distance machine I rated it pretty well. Just glad you didn't offer it for long here or I'd have taken it on as a veg oil test bed for common rail.

It was a sorry end, somebody in a 4x4 drove into it and did a lot of damage even though in a carpark. It was offered it to BC for scrap or less, but it wasn't the right time. A friend of mine ended up using it for parts for his F.

I've driven a 440,000 mile one of these which went better than most sub-150k versions, the word is the higher mileage the better, so often the case with decent cars. Yours looks a fine buy! I was a concerned about the whole common fail stuff with the one I found but I see second hand HP pumps are well under £100 and bolt on easily, no faffing about with coding and laptops. Handy in case I get the veg mix wrong. Apart from an injector and intercooler (about £200 each for new parts fitted by the local Volvo man) the one in the family has been a paragon of reliability.

Great to see some good work going on, it reminds me to change the Dexron as well as engine oil. We're at a similar mileage, I'm impressed with how these old barges continue on with so little needed. The 850/V70 seems a bit of the odd one out in Volvo's model history, a half way house between the old rectangular rwd buses and the curvaceous 21st century models. The suspension regularly irritates but I forgive it, the rest is just so good. Perfectly suited to Britain's roads.

With 20% off those are great prices for Total oil by the 5l. I reckon Total oil is as good as there is, having conducted highly* scientific tests. Rubia 15/40 used to be something like £210 for a barrel, delivered. Then overnight back in 2004/5, it doubled in price - I offered a cheaper oil, the sensible ones swallowed the price rise. Today I use Smith and Allan, they're pretty good on quality and price.

The gauges on 124s invariably stick around a quarter when vegged, I once ran out in the middle of nowhere, so much so there was no mobile signal and obviously no official filling station for miles. It was November, cold and only an hour or so from growing dark. I didn't mind, because veggability. MB tank pickup design allows you to limp on for a mile or two so you choose where to stop (unlike the V70 which I found last week cuts out dead, no warning - the computer said running out wouldn't happen for 25 miles, tsk) so I parked at leisure near a farmhouse. The woman struggled to believe I wanted cooking oil to run the car on and came down to watch, commenting it was all a bit Father Ted. As it turned over without firing, I could see she was thinking I'd lost the plot, but soon enough all six cylinders stuttered into life as bubbles gave way to her CrispNDry. Ah, the delights of veg.

I'm sure there's a specific thread for this, but I grinned so here we are, both ebay posts

I've no idea how similar the 16v is to an 8v TU, but a 106 1.1 snapped it's belt as I was coasting to a junction and it went just as well after than before - seem to remember it was an easy job to wrap another belt on. Got to be worth a try?

Citroen was certainly outclassed by Renault in the 70s by the 5. I'd love one, who bought that one in Northern France three or four years ago on the forum?

Bump for what sounds like a decent car. A good engine which is bolted in the correct way, too.

I know, but it just reminded me of all the problems people cause who enjoy being in charge that little bit too much.

How else could it possibly have been understood?

I'm thinking ideas of 'being in charge' cause no end of bother, here and elsewhere in life. Expectations on both sides of the fence, as it were.

What sort of action is going to be taken to sort out the problems which resulted in the moderating confusion and lack of logic over compromised member accounts? After all, that's the reason all this is happening isn't it?

Shouldn't some form of truce be called if the Mods genuinely want to move forwards in the spirit of Autoshite? When (lots) more than a dozen people are really, really pissed off and there are such gentle folk as Louise2cv included in this group then I'd suggest this would be a good thing. Even Bo11ox admitted surprise at how things had been going, of late. The other place and this one may yet develop to complement each other in a really beneficial way, but allowing ill-feeling to continue isn't healthy or good for the success of Autoshite. You've (Mods) sort of fessed up to things not going quite right, a bit like I almost said sorry in a convoluted explanation to the headteacher for making the French teacher upset. I know my life would have been made much easier if I'd looked him in the eye, and said "it wasn't all my doing Sir, but I very much regret what I said when tired and distracted".

I think the suggestions to write over blanked-out posts by a Mod suggesting why it was made invisible, with the option of the poster amending said post to allow it to reappear made huge sense. This is a tried and trusted approach on many other forums, it works really well. A lot of the disquiet has been along the lines of too much moderator interference and questionable decisions which are invisible, with no explanation offered even when requested. The method above would have made the current mess less likely, in my opinion.

Does that pic mean you've bought it then, ianamk? The CX finally received a turbo diesel in '84 (there'd been a na diesel since 1979 but 90 was top whack) which would reach 120mph and felt really fast. The na ones were extremely diesely, but worked well and were refined at 70-80.

Imagine rolling up in a SD1 with an exhaust sounding like one of these, though -

Yes, and to be built at Acocks Green. Tony Gilroy closed this plant and moved V8 production to Solihull alongside the 4 pots.

VM produced marine and plant engines, frequently used commercially. Seperate heads were common for this type of application since it reduces costs for the manufacturer (modularity) when engines with different numbers of cylinders are used and the operator can have an engine with a damaged valve or similar back in use more quickly. Rover chose the VM as they said it was the smoothest and best available at the time, they installed it terribly in the RR which made they were prone to air locking and overheating (dunno about in the SD1) and overlooked the fact that they needed regular servicing by someone with a smidgen more than the lowest level of aptitude, not something common to the British who are famous for skimping on routine servicing, compared with our continental cousins. The installation of the 2.5TD in the Rover 800 showed lessons had been learned - a cylinder head temp sensor, low water level sensor and header tank higher than the water pump. I'd actually choose one over a Land Rover 300TDi lump, they're better designed, tougher and simpler. In the early 80s Rover were aware of the rise of the diesel and were preparing "The Iceberg" - a diesel V8. Only when the govt at the time suggested* a profit was a good thing, and V8s were transferred to the main engine assembly factory was it axed.

In reverse and when 2cvs were proper shite and choice of only those with insider knowledge, brass neck or with a love of boxer twins, my gf was asked when checking out of Ikea what day she'd like the goods delivered. She was pretty sure of herself and insisted her car would swallow both the double bed and the rest. "Fella in a Volvo estate couldn't fit that bed in last week luv" she was told. Politely they were informed she didn't have a Volvo estate, but a 2cv. Apparently great laughter rung around, before she told them in no uncertain terms (old fashioned slightly posh) to send two men out to help her load the car up. Which they did, and £50 was saved. Wish I'd taken a photo of her returning, but this was before everything was turned into a pic.

And Scorpios, surprisingly. Jeep Cherokees, too until about 2001 - VM were bought by Detroit Diesel, who in turn were swallowed by Chrysler. The four seperate heads

The VM diesel a had a good rep in boats and as water pump engines and for cars in Spain, Italy and France. But a rotten one in the UK car trade, I think it was mainly lack of experience of an unusual (for a car) engine. A little like the XUD, leaks aren't well-tolerated - it's worth raising the expansion bottle up a bit in a RR, could well be the case in an SD1 also. They're simple, strong and very tuneable - over a third of a million km is common place in Europe. Head gaskets must be all done together, new bolts used and retorqued after 600 and 1000 miles as necessary. They don't like being switched off while stinking hot, either - should be common practice not to but people do.

I also once owned both an Ami 8 berline and break, both at the same time. They're not such obscure cars unless you're a little Englander, but two at once was observed by many to be a sign of both automotive and social weirdness. And unlike those re-instigated 'invalid cars', they weren't toys to amuse the contemporary young reader but ways of carrying Rover V8s from Cornwall to Cumbria.

Yeah, the standard one was sufficiently fast, I made Penzance to Boroughbridge in a S1Ph1 once in decent time, dpt 16.15 arr. 20.20 (just one fuel stop on the M42) but as usual with ancient Cits it was fast enough on long French roads but in England felt a bit restricted - the Maikonics were the closest thing to a Tardis. I've yet to drive anything so fast p2p, prob never will - times have changed. Thing was, my vmax on that record trip (in a standard car) really wasn't that high, an M5 which played on the A30 shot (well, slid by) past on the straights but was passed on most corners.