Project Memoirs - End of an siERrA

[Crackers]

3 hours ago, BorniteIdentity said:

 a Youtuber

Gwan. Tell us who (or drop a hint), then we'll decide if it's worth it

[Eyersey1234]

It can't be @dollywobbler as I am sure @BorniteIdentitywould have no problem lending the bASe to him, or @Twin-Cam come to think of it

[Skizzer]

1 hour ago, SiC said:

Each to their own. Personally I'd be quite flattered if someone wanted to review my battered and shonky fleet. 🤣

Would be quite nice seeing my cars on (digital) film and someone else's view point on it. Admittedly none of them are probably of much interest to most YouTubers...

I’d be very much game on for this too.   I care as much about why the cars matter and what it’s like to own them as about what they’re like to drive, probably more.

Bear in mind Grand Thrift Auto is still a tiny new channel at the moment, so we’re not exactly in the realm of celebrity. Or even monetisation.

[Kiltox]

3 hours ago, BorniteIdentity said:

I've been approached by a Youtuber to make a video on the base and I'm struggling to think of a single reason it's a good idea. From what I gather - they borrow the car, drive the car, review the car, then get the Youtube revenue whilst I pay for the petrol and am supposed to be grateful.

Is my brief summary - in essence - how it works?

I can't think of a polite way to say no, so will probably say nothing and hope that @Skizzercan do a Grand Thrift Auto on it later in the year.

I don’t do this type of stuff but surely *you* don’t need to pay for the fuel? 😳 

[greengartside]

3 hours ago, BorniteIdentity said:

I never knew they were supposed to be covered!  I looked at them yesterday thinking "Ah - should be easy to get the scuttle panel off without breaking a million clips" without thinking "EXPOSED NUTS"

Thanks mate.

Nobody likes exposed nuts.

 

 

 

Unless you’re Jimmy Savile.

[Crackers]

2 minutes ago, greengartside said:

Nobody likes exposed nuts.

Look, some of us make the life choices we do, okay?

 

 

 

3 minutes ago, greengartside said:

Unless you’re Jimmy Savile.

Oh.

[They_all_do_that_sir]

I’d be very much game on for this too.   I care as much about why the cars matter and what it’s like to own them as about what they’re like to drive, probably more.
Bear in mind Grand Thrift Auto is still a tiny new channel at the moment, so we’re not exactly in the realm of celebrity. Or even monetisation.

Didn't realise you had a channel, have another subscriber.

I'll try and remember to smash that like button or whatever it is one does

Sent from my Pixel 4 XL using Tapatalk

[BorniteIdentity]

1 hour ago, SiC said:

Each to their own. Personally I'd be quite flattered if someone wanted to review my battered and shonky fleet. 🤣

Would be quite nice seeing my cars on (digital) film and someone else's view point on it. Admittedly none of them are probably of much interest to most YouTubers...

I guess as you work in the media industry, it's not much of a novelty to have that?

I don’t think there’s anything flattering about it at all - and am a bit bemused by the whole influencer/YouTuber thing. Ostensibly, they have nothing to sell. No vehicles, no nothing. They rely entirely on other people’s generosity to make money. 

To then monetise a channel without any offer of remuneration is, frankly, a bit of a pisstake. If you’re going to make money from something, and you have to borrow a key piece of kit in order to make the money, surely you at least offer a small percentage?

It wouldn’t matter who it was (and I was asked twice last year about the Mini) it’s a no. I’m not doing it for the likes or internet fame or whatever - I have them because they make me feel like not everything in life has changed, and because they cheer me up. Not for nerds. 

[timolloyd]

If one of the car mags came along and wanted to feature it (assuming they pay for your fuel, but nothing more) would you do that?

[Craig the Princess]

8 minutes ago, timolloyd said:

If one of the car mags came along and wanted to feature it (assuming they pay for your fuel, but nothing more) would you do that?

I don't remember getting fuel money when #humblebrag my allegro had a photoshoot with and was on the cover of PC.

But I had a nice few hours at their workshop so was more than happy.

[BorniteIdentity]

New found optimism found me on the phone to my classic friendly, Ford loving garage this morning in an attempt to organise an MOT pass. 

“Be about three weeks, mate”. 

I absolutely love their attitude. They do just enough work to keep themselves busy, but no more. Never. So called somewhere else and got it booked in for later this week. 

Thought I’d get some petrol and deliver it tonight. Fired it up, refilled the mysteriously self emptying header tank, went to unwind the window and 

Ugh.

My attempt to rectify it only made it sink to the bottom. 😠 

Make no mistake about it. This is what happens when you attempt to extend the life of a car beyond what it’s meant to be, and moreover - what happens when you don’t use a car as intended. Had I done more than 164 miles in 15 month, I’m quite certain this little dirty protest wouldn’t have happened. 

It’s pitch black, I’ve managed to wedge the little shit up and I’ve gone back inside to look at Japanese cars again. 

[High Jetter]

2 hours ago, BorniteIdentity said:

I absolutely love their attitude. They do just enough work to keep themselves busy, but no more. Never.  

Maybe a good sign? I'd stick with them

[Skizzer]

I sympathise greatly. Almost a year of essential travel only is doing terrible things to my fleet, with some cars that were running well and regularly a year ago now struggling with dead batteries, stale fuel, problem electrics and heaven knows what.

No end in sight here in Wales to the ban on driving far enough to warm a car up and charge its battery.

See also Neil 320Touring’s Seat Toledo thread for more evidence of this phenomenon, plus others I’m sure.

[holbeck]

I had an email exchange with PC recently about them using a car I own for a photo shoot. 

The figure of (a maximum of) £50  expenses was mentioned. 

[loserone]

I guess the appeal is to have an interesting bit of history to go with the car.  Link to the test drive video in the advert, include a copy of the magazine on the back seat etc.  One and a half of my old cars have been test driven on Hubnut (the Legacy which Hillman Imp now has and my half of the Baleno GSR which Tickman now has).  Both sold on here, so pretty sure the videos didn't help, but certainly the legacy one was a good laugh.  Most folk on here would be welcome to a similar drive of my fleet.

 

Don't think I'd be game to let an unknown journalist off in my car for a long period of time at my expense and hassle though.

[BorniteIdentity]

1 hour ago, holbeck said:

I had an email exchange with PC recently about them using a car I own for a photo shoot. 

The figure of (a maximum of) £50  expenses was mentioned. 

I know the PC guys (**CLANG - NAME DROP - OMG I'M WILLY WAVING) and they're a lovely, genuine sort.  But the problem is self perpetuating.  They don't pay any more than "expenses" for cars because they don't have to.

If everyone, in unison, went - "Ok - that's fine - £200 sounds fair as a day rate" then the massive bastard conglomerate that is Bauer Media (the biggest magazine company in the UK, a company that owns 120 radio stations UK wide and is worth a pretty penny) would have to cough up.  They'd have no choice.

[Dick Cheeseburger]

21 minutes ago, BorniteIdentity said:

I know the PC guys (**CLANG - NAME DROP - OMG I'M WILLY WAVING) and they're a lovely, genuine sort. 

 

[Split_Pin]

On 2/21/2021 at 3:07 PM, Skizzer said:

I would absolutely love to do a film on it, and thanks for thinking of me. But I would much rather feature you and me talking about it and why it’s special, rather than just another road test. I don’t mind who drives.  I’d gladly spring for gas if that would help.

I would definitely enjoy watching something like that

[Eyersey1234]

On 2/21/2021 at 3:40 PM, They_all_do_that_sir said:

Didn't realise you had a channel, have another subscriber.

I'll try and remember to smash that like button or whatever it is one does

Sent from my Pixel 4 XL using Tapatalk
 

I hadn't realised @Skizzerhad one either, I have also subscribed 

[BorniteIdentity]

A busy weekend of titivating; one I’ve really thoroughly enjoyed. 

First up, my faithful Avensis is now with Japanese specialists Japex for some hardcore TLC. It’ll likely need a new exhaust and cat, new brake pipe, two window regulators, some seals and a few other jobs. It’ll be expensive but worthwhile, it’s a great car and - hey - this isn’t bangernomics any more. Just because it’s an old car that’s not worth much, doesn’t mean it can’t be loved. 
 

Whilst there, this was also outside. What a beautiful thing. 

 

Got some time with the Escort too. The tyres really are utterly fucked; All look to be 90s names and patterns and one is the wrong size! The fact it wasn’t advised makes me suspicious of an MOT tester with sunglasses on, but I guess sometimes things also get innocently missed. 

Weirdly, it’s all metal in all of the arches. I can only assume the bloke just splashed slop around and brush painted the arches in a bid to improve things. 
 

The underside of the bonnet is not pretty, and rust has set in quite impressively. Sadly, I had no pink graffiti paint in stock, so was forced to use Vactan before spending money on the right colour. 

Final job was to take out the double seat from the front of the Caravelle to replace it with a captains chair. We don’t need 9 seats and it’s quite oppressive with three rows of three. The job took 5 minutes and was very satisfying. 

Oooh - and I finally found the name of the colour. It’s really quite rare: Eisblau. 💙

[Angrydicky]

On 2/21/2021 at 3:07 PM, Skizzer said:

I would absolutely love to do a film on it, and thanks for thinking of me. But I would much rather feature you and me talking about it and why it’s special, rather than just another road test. I don’t mind who drives.  I’d gladly spring for gas if that would help.

This absolutely must happen!

[wuvvum]

2 hours ago, BorniteIdentity said:

Final job was to take out the double seat from the front of the Caravelle to replace it with a captains chair. We don’t need 9 seats and it’s quite oppressive with three rows of three. The job took 5 minutes and was very satisfying. 

Oooh - and I finally found the name of the colour. It’s really quite rare: Eisblau. 💙

Your lad looks right at home in the driver's seat.  You should bring the van down to the FOD and let him drive it round the field.  (Actually no, thinking about it, if you come to a FOD weekend it really has to be in the Escort.)

If you bung the double seat on eBay you'll probably go a fair way towards paying for the work on the Avensis - anything T4-related seems to make daft money on there at the moment.

[somewhatfoolish]

What state is the bASe's tank in? 40 BINs for a Sierra tank, Portsmuff.

[BorniteIdentity]

7 minutes ago, somewhatfoolish said:

What state is the bASe's tank in? 40 BINs for a Sierra tank, Portsmuff.

It needs a tank - but the link doesn't work?

[Talbot]

Pompey.  £40.  Need it collecting?

[wuvvum]

I can never get Facebook Commerce links to work either for some reason.  Facebook Marketplace works fine.

[LightBulbFun]

6 minutes ago, wuvvum said:

I can never get Facebook Commerce links to work either for some reason.  Facebook Marketplace works fine.

same they always just load to a blank page with just the facebook bar across the top for me for some reason...

[somewhatfoolish]

2 hours ago, BorniteIdentity said:

It needs a tank - but the link doesn't work?

Zuckerface is tragically shit, soz. It's this group and the full ad is this; I think you'll need to join the group to see.

[BorniteIdentity]

Had an update on my beloved Avensis.

"Happy as a pig in shit" was the caption.  Apparently this guy loves the older stuff, and the opportunity to do some proper spannering.  The good news is the exhaust is salvagable and the catalytic converter - whilst in the twilight of its years - has responded well to some potion.

It's a bit scabbier underneath than I hoped, but it's also about 5 years older than I remember.  I still see it as an awkward teenager but it's now 21 and probably earnt the right to look a bit grotty.

The good news is I've despatched Vactan and Bilt Hamber to them, so they're going to tidy it up whilst the subframe and exhaust are off.  Fantastic.

On the one hand, I hope to have it back in the next week.  On the other, it'd be nice to get paid before the bill arrives!

We really do love this car, for reasons impossible to comprehend unless you are a member of the Bornite clan.  There's always been a perverse pleasure in spending money on it.  

[Split_Pin]

Looks perfectly fine to me but I would suggest having that brake line replaced as it looks pretty corroded.