It's grim up north....tales from the Primate House

[NorthernMonkey]

6 minutes ago, cort16 said:

I think that would do the job. Those welder dent pullers work well for panel dents so might still be useful when you get the bigger dents off.

Off topic but did you manage to fix the central locking issue on that A8?

Yep, it just needed a new battery in the key fob...

[NorthernMonkey]

10 minutes ago, Tim_E said:

Have you put this in the 'show us your garage' thread? You ought to, it's a nice shot.

It’s lovely in Summer. Not quite as nice at this time of the year though 🥶🥶

[cort16]

3 minutes ago, NorthernMonkey said:

Yep, it just needed a new battery in the key fob...

That's a good result. I was tempted with this but the central locking  scared me a little as I had Alfa 166 that I had never ending battle to get the central locking working.

I'd lock it and I'd be 10 seconds away and hear it unlocking itself again ☹️

[NorthernMonkey]

7 minutes ago, cobblers said:

My plan for that sill was to clamp my cheap vice onto the dented in bit of the pinch weld and then pull it out using a chain attached to a good steel bar wedged against the front wheel with a one of those ratcheting 4x4 jacks against the rear wheel to do the pulling. If you look a that body cut in the back, it's not mega thick steel but I don't think it'll slide hammer out.

That’s not such a bad idea....I’ve got a medium size vice that’s quite a solid little bugger. That attached to the wagon winch should* have some effect.

[NorthernMonkey]

2 minutes ago, cort16 said:

That's a good result. I was tempted with this but the central locking  scared me a little as I had Alfa 166 that I had never ending battle to get the central locking working.

I'd lock it and I'd be 10 seconds away and hear it unlocking itself again ☹️

No, this one is fine. Got keyless entry and push button keyless start too that all works perfectly now too.

To be honest, if you find yourself still interested in it at some time in the future, then talk to me as it’s currently sitting where the van needs to go.... 😂

[hairnet]

me and moog could come and sit on the bent bits and flatten then out :D

 

[NorthernMonkey]

If only we knew someone who had a small and lightweight but turbocharged car that we could attach to the sill and pull it straight...

[hairnet]

1 minute ago, NorthernMonkey said:

If only we knew someone who had a small and lightweight but turbocharged car that we could attach to the sill and pull it straight...

waste of obrut :P

could ya not use the saab seeing as its needs to unblot its copybook :D

forgive me father for i have sinned :D

 

[NorthernMonkey]

Just had a very productive day...

I rent some space from a good mate of mine in his barn but up to now, they were all random parking spots...he bought a set of skates the other day so we’ve spent all morning shifting stuff around and I’ve now got six spaces all together in the doorway as well as another half a dozen outside...

Just need to shift the old 124 and the auto MX5 then the van will fit inside the gate ready for conversion shenanigans.

Then that leaves another 8 or 9 scattered around the workshop and a few in the village hall car park..

[Supernaut]

I think we need a separate forum section for all the camper conversions going on round here...

[runs away]

[NorthernMonkey]

Thinking of polishing off a LS400 water pump and timing belt before lunch???

Don’t do it, kids...it’s not big and it’s not clever....

 

[Supernaut]

LS400s are actually rather big and rather clever.

[loserone]

5 minutes ago, Supernaut said:

LS400s are actually rather big

Not that big though, it felt huge on our old drive right until it was replaced by a LEAF

 

[Jim Bell]

59 minutes ago, NorthernMonkey said:

Thinking of polishing off a LS400 water pump and timing belt before lunch???

Don’t do it, kids...it’s not big and it’s not clever....

 

Everything was going well until the front fell off.  

[Jim Bell]

Then it was going great.  

[Fumbler]

30 minutes ago, Jim Bell said:

Everything was going well until the front fell off.  

 

30 minutes ago, Jim Bell said:

Then it was going great.  

Lovely Clarke and Dawe reference going on here. Approve/100

[hairnet]

Was that hole supposed to be there before you started

[NorthernMonkey]

Having seen the grotty inside of coolant galleries on five year olds Peugeot’s and VWs, what could you expect on a 24 year old, 141k mile Lexus?

These things are so over engineered, it’s incredible.

[NorthernMonkey]

One for the MX5 botherers among us...my MOT man across the yard had a fairly tidy looking 2004 on the test ramp this morning.

Take a look at the rear arms...

 

and yes, the rest is just as bad!

I’ve had to lend him some more yellow chalk...he’s run out of his own!

[The Moog]

Ouchy ... at least they are changeable ... although those bolts will be rusty as buggery. 

[gm]

ouch, that's a bad one - not the usual place to see these go, how has that happened in only a year ?  any decent parts on it  ? 

[NorthernMonkey]

I tried but the customer was in no mood to make small talk when he collected it for some reason? 🤨😂

[NorthernMonkey]

To be fair, apart from a reasonable set of wheels, the only thing left of any value would be the cat, I reckon.

[NorthernMonkey]

49 minutes ago, The Moog said:

Ouchy ... at least they are changeable ... although those bolts will be rusty as buggery. 

I can’t see it going back on the road tbh, they were the tip of the iceberg.

 

[big_al_granvia]

fucking fucked mate

[Supernaut]

[Jim Bell]

Sir the verdict is 8/10.

Customer: it scored 8 out of 10?

No sir. 8 fails and 10 advisories. 

[hairnet]

3 hours ago, gm said:

ouch, that's a bad one - not the usual place to see these go, how has that happened in only a year ?  any decent parts on it  ? 

makes me feel better about mine

 

[NorthernMonkey]

The legend that is the forum Vel Satis now has a full ticket once again.

It was a bit of a mission but to give it it’s due, it is a pleasant old thing to smoke around in.

The brakes are a bit flat at the minute but that’s due to being sat around for nearly a year...indeed the test readings on the rollers were spot on...and will no doubt perk up a bit with some regular use. 

Otherwise, it’s picked up an advisory for a bit of play in the n/s track rod end and the service message is on the dash at start up as the screen wash level sensor is still dodgy.

As well as fitting a genuine LUK clutch kit and dual mass flywheel, I’ve given it an oil and filter change and stuck a drop link on as it was a bit slack.

I’ll throw a new track rod end in the boot for it’s lucky* new keeper and there’s also a new washer bottle with sensor and a spare tail light in there.

It’s been emotional, old girl......

[NorthernMonkey]

In the meantime, I’ve just taken this in px if anyone wants a slightly shabby but mechanically sound little runaround...

It has a couple of bald patches but has been well maintained and has plenty of test.

It’s the one litre so cheap insurance, has both remote keys, loads and loads of history, two brand new tyres on the back along with a new exhaust which were the last MOT advisories, good tyres on the front etc etc

It must be worth around £500, I’d have thought? I’ll take some better pics this weekend and stick up a separate sale thread then.