Six Cylinders Motoring Notes

[MorrisItalSLX]

An interesting article about the development of the Magna Wagon/ Sigma Estate.

https://club.shannons.com.au/club/news/retroautos/magna-wagon-secret-styling-ideas-of-aussie-success/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR1LBosw7iHjnXvX9_yST6VbBUV96TmxvBc0HGrstdwtUaBPdimUhWVGkik_aem_KvSU9wJNhCR_SU1WxFzoyQ

[hairnet]

14 hours ago, Six-cylinder said:

I am thinking about what wheels to use on my Mini. I have four of these 12" but some have said I should stick to 10" as that would be original to this car.

 

mambas

[DSdriver]

On 27/08/2024 at 22:31, Six-cylinder said:

@ianbmw started getting the Carlton Estate repaired for an MOT after its fail. The fuel leak repaired, ABS light is out, indicators work.

Next time the heavy work tie rod, bushes and rear brake discs starts.

Who switched the light off at 8.30pm!

Looks like the DS is poking its nose in to see what's occuring 😀

[DSdriver]

Do you disconnect batteries of cars not being used? I do, they are more likely to start without using the jump pack.

[Six-cylinder]

19 minutes ago, DSdriver said:

Looks like the DS is poking its nose in to see what's occuring 😀

The DS has been my go-to car for the last week since the 1300 is in doc for a U/J.

[DSdriver]

13 minutes ago, Six-cylinder said:

The DS has been my go-to car for the last week since the 1300 is in doc for a U/J.

They do appreciate regular use, the clutch on mine is a bit bighty if the car has not been used. 

[Six-cylinder]

18 minutes ago, DSdriver said:

Do you disconnect batteries of cars not being used? I do, they are more likely to start without using the jump pack.

Me I would Lazily leave them connected, but fortunately @Slowsilver often helps me and insists he disconnects all the batteries because he knows it will be him connecting the jump pack next time! He even insists on checking tyre pressures of cars being taken out on the road, rather than my visual check.

It is good to have friends.

[Six-cylinder]

Not a good day, my LNA didn't start this morning, I smelt petrol so I guess I have flooded it. Mrs6C bought me out the keys to the Volvo V70, but that had a flat battery. It has a drain somewhere and randomly does this. 3rd choice was the Citroen DS that started and did my 50 mile round trip just fine.

I delivered a rubber U/J coupling to my favourite garage for the Morris 1300. You would have thought they could have just called the local motor factor and had one delivered for a best selling car! Interestingly Mark had a friend there reboring one of his Triumph 2500 engines for him.

I am still struggling to tax the MG Metro. Today I took my V5C and no MOT needed V112 declaration to the nearest post office I can park outside only to be told they only do car tax in the mornings because nobody is trained on the afternoon shift.

[beko1987]

That same post office has 2 queues too. One for the post office and one for the shop. Un signposted. 

I stood like a bloody right idiot for 10 minutes there the other week before someone told me I wanted the other queue 🙄

[Six-cylinder]

12 minutes ago, beko1987 said:

That same post office has 2 queues too. One for the post office and one for the shop. Un signposted. 

I stood like a bloody right idiot for 10 minutes there the other week before someone told me I wanted the other queue 🙄

Last week I went to tax a car, they took so long to find somebody who could work the machine I had to ask for a chair.

[beko1987]

52 minutes ago, Six-cylinder said:

Last week I went to tax a car, they took so long to find somebody who could work the machine I had to ask for a chair.

Keith needs to get a job there, would be no queues then 👌

[Zelandeth]

2 hours ago, Six-cylinder said:

Last week I went to tax a car, they took so long to find somebody who could work the machine I had to ask for a chair.

I'm pretty sure this is one of the ways they aim to get old cars off the road.  Make it bloody impossible to tax them.  When I got the Cavalier it took me four post offices to find one where anyone even knew that tax class changes were even a thing, much less what that entailed.

[High Jetter]

PO I use regularly is in our local Co-op. Brilliant staff, usually 2 on at a time. Queue can be quite long, mainly due to ebay selling.

[LightBulbFun]

1 hour ago, Zelandeth said:

I'm pretty sure this is one of the ways they aim to get old cars off the road.  Make it bloody impossible to tax them.  When I got the Cavalier it took me four post offices to find one where anyone even knew that tax class changes were even a thing, much less what that entailed.

if one gets really stuck, because of incompetent post-offices etc, you can do the whole thing directly with the DVLA, just means having to fill out a V10 as well as a V112 and mailing the whole lot off to the DVLA 

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/application-for-vehicle-tax-v10

(not that I am accusing the DVLA of being competent here LOL, but its at least another avenue for one to try  )

 

this is handily applicable both if you want to change tax classes to say historic, or if you need to tax a vehicle in its regular tax class (say PLG) but with a V112

[hairnet]

4 hours ago, beko1987 said:

 

I stood like a bloody right idiot for 10 years

 

[Six-cylinder]

31 minutes ago, LightBulbFun said:

if one gets really stuck, because of incompetent post-offices etc, you can do the whole thing directly with the DVLA, just means having to fill out a V10 as well as a V112 and mailing the whole lot off to the DVLA 

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/application-for-vehicle-tax-v10

(not that I am accusing the DVLA of being competent here LOL, but its at least another avenue for one to try  )

 

this is handily applicable both if you want to change tax classes to say historic, or if you need to tax a vehicle in its regular tax class (say PLG) but with a V112

Trouble is I want to get the Metro out next week and use it. I even have slowsilver primed like a coiled spring to help me collect it.

[wuvvum]

My local post office is brilliant for that kind of thing (and most things to be fair).  All three of the counter staff have been there for decades and I've yet to find anything that phases them.  When I went in last year to change the tax class of the Visa to Historic, the lady just said "Ah, it must be the first of April", took my forms and less than two minutes later I was on my way out the door with the Visa taxed for a year.

[Dyslexic Viking]

I can't believe you have to go to a post office for that. We do everything online as expected in 2024. And road tax is paid with in the insurance.

[wuvvum]

5 hours ago, Dyslexic Viking said:

I can't believe you have to go to a post office for that. We do everything online as expected in 2024. And road tax is paid with in the insurance.

We can do 95% of vehicle-related transactions online (although some of them only between 7am and 7pm, amusingly).  There's just a few rare peculiarities which still require a trip to the post office.  Which is probably a good thing - they are closing post office branches like there's no tomorrow, so anything that can help keep some of them open is good news in my book.

[Six-cylinder]

2 hours ago, wuvvum said:

We can do 95% of vehicle-related transactions online (although some of them only between 7am and 7pm, amusingly).  There's just a few rare peculiarities which still require a trip to the post office.  Which is probably a good thing - they are closing post office branches like there's no tomorrow, so anything that can help keep some of them open is good news in my book.

I went back to the post office this morning to tax the Metro and the young lady on duty did not know how to tax a car. She involved a college who had a little more understanding of the process, but I still had to walk her through the V112 part.  She was going to keep my V5C but put up little resistance when I told her that was if it was a change of tax class or owner.

[Six-cylinder]

I have just had another go to start the LNA without any luck. I have taken the pipe into the fuel filter off and nothing comes out.

Low on fuel in spite of gauge saying at least 1/4 of a tank or duff fuel pump? 

[Stinkwheel]

19 minutes ago, Six-cylinder said:

I have just had another go to start the LNA without any luck. I have taken the pipe into the fuel filter off and nothing comes out.

Low on fuel in spite of gauge saying at least 1/4 of a tank or duff fuel pump? 

How long has it sat for Chris?  My Visa takes ages to crank fuel through if left for longer than a week.

I believe the pump should have a kind of non return but i expect mine (and possibly yours) isnt working.

This means i need a well charged battery if starting after sitting.

[wuvvum]

My Visa is the same, although that's a completely different engine obviously.

[richardmorris]

LNA broken down on route, @Six-cylinder says The gearbox did not explode, just my stick is lose and feels disconnected.

[richardmorris]

Quote…Ian Arthur my wife is under the car now trying to cable tie the linkage back together.

[richardmorris]

Quote…Ian Arthur she has done it and I have got to the Rally field.

 

[wuvvum]

That happened to my LNA when I tried to change from 2nd to 3rd a bit too enthusiastically.  The gear linkages aren't the strongest.

[Stinkwheel]

1 hour ago, wuvvum said:

That happened to my LNA when I tried to change from 2nd to 3rd a bit too enthusiastically.  The gear linkages aren't the strongest.

Same thing happened to my visa, rod popped off, inner nylon bushing worn, rod that was claimed to fit is a few mm too short and gear change is noticeably less slick. Must get round to lengthening it. 

[Six-cylinder]

8 hours ago, Stinkwheel said:

How long has it sat for Chris?  My Visa takes ages to crank fuel through if left for longer than a week.

I believe the pump should have a kind of non return but i expect mine (and possibly yours) isnt working.

This means i need a well charged battery if starting after sitting.

Slowsilver helped me get it home Tuesday afternoon and it would not Friday morning.

[Six-cylinder]

Mrs6C is not impressed with Citroen engineering!