HMC- Return of the Cheeky 500

[Sigmund Fraud]

32 minutes ago, HMC said:

i cant see any obvious leaks, ive got a little hand help pump i got off e bay years ago, maybe i should just get pumping to the correct height and see what happens? (iirc you can use antifreeze/distilled water for fluid)

#hydrolasticclueless

There must be a new leak somewhere... ride height had not changed in the five months (and over a thousand miles) since I pumped it up to the recommended pressure.

Is your pump the grease gun based type ? They work, but their output is pretty small so it would take an awfully long time for you to correct such a massive drop.

If nobody local has access to a Dalek, you are welcome to pop into Fraud Garages and use my Heath Robinson inspired version. But driving 150 miles on the bump stops may not be a great idea...

Regarding hydrolastic fluid, a 50% v/v mix of ethylene glycol antifreeze and distilled water is a good enough substitute for the proper fluid (which IIRC is alcohol based).

[Cookiesouwest]

I don't fancy the drive home after you have sold it to me

So get pumping

 

[andyberg]

5 minutes ago, Cookiesouwest said:

I don't fancy the drive home after you have sold it to me

So get pumping

 

Autoshite taxi available. Quite fancy a trip back to Tavi.

[Sigmund Fraud]

1 hour ago, Cookiesouwest said:

I don't fancy the drive home after you have sold it to me

[Enabler] Well, BMC did use to say the cars were perfectly safe to drive at 30MPH with the suspension deflated... [/Enabler]

[SiC]

8 minutes ago, Sigmund Fraud said:

[Enabler] Well, BMC did use to say the cars were perfectly safe to drive at 30MPH with the suspension deflated... [/Enabler]

Also can be safely driven even in the event of catastrophic and sudden leakage of the fluid when going around a corner. 

[stuboy]

6 hours ago, HMC said:

stolen from google

[Sigmund Fraud]

30 minutes ago, stuboy said:

stolen from google

[somewhatfoolish]

DIY V bought hydragas fluid seems as contentious an issue as grease V oil in landrover swivels.

[High Jetter]

3 hours ago, Sigmund Fraud said:

[Enabler] Well, BMC did use to say the cars were perfectly safe to drive at 30MPH with the suspension deflated... [/Enabler]

It's not comfy tho. Dalek required.

[HMC]

Meanwhile, in a deal with @Tubbo , he has the beetle, and i have some money and a 1996 fiesta 1.25 Ghia CTX auto 5 door (take a breath)

Its a bit of a survivor, 31k on the clock, owned by an elderly childrens author for many years (it came with a signed book of hers)

 

“I’ll take it, in white!” Said Bev excitedly as she thumbed the dealer’s brochure.

 

Comes also with the usual books, and the lovely 1.25 engine. It also has the curious cvt box,  which is fun to punt it along with. Im trying to decide how well matched this combo is.

Full credit to @tubbo for giving it the tlc (alloys, cambelt, servicing, cosmetics amongst a host of other stuff)

So in the VDP1300 (auto)  and fiesta ghia (auto) i have upmarket wood* clad giffer transport of the 70s and 90s fully covered.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[hairnet]

rented a brand new one in 98

theyre ace - far better than mk3s

1.25 is the only engine to have in them

[grogee]

Welcome to the rusty Fords owner's club. I love those Fiestas, they are such a joy to throw around. 

I must admit I didn't realise they were sold with a CVT. I wonder if it's related to the Fiat joint-venture where they co-developed the CVT 'Selecta' that was in the Uno (and Panda I think) along with the Mk3 Fiesta. 

How are your rear beam bushes? If they're knackered you get some enjoyable* passive rear-steer. 

[Bazfr69]

21 hours ago, stuboy said:

stolen from google

Oh I like that. 😎

[Bren]

We had a ghia in pepper red with same lump - 51 plate. Lovely around town but too buzzy for the motorway ( the mpg at motorway speeds was not good ). Lovely beige interior and aircon.

Sadly once the rot appeared it seemed to spread at an alarming rate - I touched the rear arches up a few times and then spotted the sills had the integrity of fog.

It was like watching a bunch of flowers die.

I sold the car but it never went through another test due to terminal grot.

 

[mk2_craig]

Nice Fiesta! Internet wisdom suggests the gearbox is already on borrowed time, but if it’s made it this long, hopefully it’s a good one. 

[Split_Pin]

Crikey that's a superb Fester,  I loved my mum's old 97 MK4 with the 1.3 chapper. Handled so progressively which was lucky as I was an enthusiastic* new driver at the time. The original dealer plates are lovely, I remember lots of cars in Central Scotland with them. The slogan does not* have strong Glasgow Rangers connotations. I was amazed that didn't cause bother at the time!

[Tubbo]

Good news for shitters across the country, we could have a direct rail link to @HMC towers!

https://www.plymouthherald.co.uk/news/plymouth-news/tavistock-bere-alston-railway-reopen-8805732.amp

[angle]

I don't know what crimble stains are, but if any car has them on the drivers seat then that Fiesta does.

[Eyersey1234]

4 hours ago, HMC said:

Meanwhile, in a deal with @Tubbo , he has the beetle, and i have some money and a 1996 fiesta 1.25 Ghia CTX auto 5 door (take a breath)

Its a bit of a survivor, 31k on the clock, owned by an elderly childrens author for many years (it came with a signed book of hers)

 

“I’ll take it, in white!” Said Bev excitedly as she thumbed the dealer’s brochure.

 

Comes also with the usual books, and the lovely 1.25 engine. It also has the curious cvt box,  which is fun to punt it along with. Im trying to decide how well matched this combo is.

Full credit to @tubbo for giving it the tlc (alloys, cambelt, servicing, cosmetics amongst a host of other stuff)

So in the VDP1300 (auto)  and fiesta ghia (auto) i have upmarket wood* clad giffer transport of the 70s and 90s fully covered.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

That is chodtastic 

[Jim Bergerac]

That's a survivor. I saw a (also Glasgow registered Ghia trim) Fiesta of that shape a few weeks ago and thought how you never see them any more:

[tooSavvy]

@Bren... "Sadly once the rot appeared it seemed to spread at an alarming rate - I touched the rear arches up a few times and then spotted the sills had the integrity of fog".

Such eloquence..... I hope [never... 😵‍💫] to recall such a perfect description of my own Hyundai 'returning to the earth' 😕

[New POD]

On 10/5/2023 at 7:48 PM, Sigmund Fraud said:

[Enabler] Well, BMC did use to say the cars were perfectly safe to drive at 30MPH with the suspension deflated... [/Enabler]

The pipe connecting the rear suspension on a metro 1275 sport I owned, leaked fluid and it was quite *fun to drive. Mind you it was only the rear. 

Fixed free of charge by Kwik Fit who had badly fitted the exhaust so it was touching. 

[Schaefft]

This looks genuinely good, the white on beige color combo definitely appeals, especially if it's a metallic color.

[beko1987]

In my group of friends 2 passed their test really quickly and were the first with cars. 

James had a 1.25 fiesta in doom blue and manual. James was a very slow and cautious driver, and his dad had bought him the car and he dared not break anything 🤣

Another friend of ours's parents had a 2nd house in north Devon. Many memories of leaving at 4am from Maidenhead and arriving at 10am in Devon, listening to James music, 4 up with luggage in a tiny fiesta! I laugh now but it was grim at the time. 

Was a happy day when others started passing, we got that trip down to quite a decent time, although we won't ever beat said friends dad, who having owned the house for 30 years knew the trip quite well, and got us back to maidenhead VERY quickly once for some mild emergency he had that we blagged a lift out of (some sort of Merc gl I think, would have been new at the time. Certainly sat very nicely on the cruise at a speed I'd never dare do for 2 hours) 

[EyesWeldedShut]

12 hours ago, Tubbo said:

Good news for shitters across the country, we could have a direct rail link to @HMC towers!

https://www.plymouthherald.co.uk/news/plymouth-news/tavistock-bere-alston-railway-reopen-8805732.amp

Sprog in Plymouth says that the 'news' in the Plymouth Herald is more gossip but he's said that, in this case, it's for real - new station @ Tavistock too (so it'll be what, five years and fifteen cars for HMC?)

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/south-west-to-benefit-from-65-billion-transport-investment

[EyesWeldedShut]

11 hours ago, angle said:

I don't know what crimble stains are, but if any car has them on the drivers seat then that Fiesta does.

We could make it a 'thing'
https://www.dmb.uk.com/prod/crimble-of-staines-ford-dealer-sticker

[JakeT]

1.25 rocks. I had a pair in runout ‘freestyle’ trim. Last one was silver, had AC and a dealer fit sunroof. Using the AC was like driving around with the handbrake up a click. Was a late ‘52 plated model. I think I took it from 90k-135k in three years.. It sat for a few months when I was using something else, yet still went back into service doing stellar service. I did 4,000 miles in a month in it, too. Liked a drop of oil when doing over 60 a lot due to the short gearing. But what a stellar handler, and the engine was so willing, and was ever reliable. Bar sodding heater valves usually sticking on full heat. They do like a rot though, mine needed the sills patching at 9 years old. I think I bought it for £900 in 2013 and sold it for £250. Great little car, and one reason the boss has a fiesta. Hers is a 2008 model with a 1.6TDCi of doom though, be better if it was a petrol one.

 

 

[grogee]

15 hours ago, Tubbo said:

Good news for shitters across the country, we could have a direct rail link to @HMC towers!

https://www.plymouthherald.co.uk/news/plymouth-news/tavistock-bere-alston-railway-reopen-8805732.amp

This old chestnut. It has been on and off since the Nineties. Bere Alston is the village in which I grew up. Tavistock was the 'big' town and Plymouth was the megacity. 

Sunak is a liar, he won't build this railway. 

[Jim Bell]

The geography teacher at the school on the next estate to ours had one of them.

Glwts. 

[beko1987]

1 hour ago, JakeT said:

1.25 rocks. I had a pair in runout ‘freestyle’ trim. Last one was silver, had AC and a dealer fit sunroof. Using the AC was like driving around with the handbrake up a click. Was a late ‘52 plated model. I think I took it from 90k-135k in three years.. It sat for a few months when I was using something else, yet still went back into service doing stellar service. I did 4,000 miles in a month in it, too. Liked a drop of oil when doing over 60 a lot due to the short gearing. But what a stellar handler, and the engine was so willing, and was ever reliable. Bar sodding heater valves usually sticking on full heat. They do like a rot though, mine needed the sills patching at 9 years old. I think I bought it for £900 in 2013 and sold it for £250. Great little car, and one reason the boss has a fiesta. Hers is a 2008 model with a 1.6TDCi of doom though, be better if it was a petrol one.

 

 

I forgot about the bloody heater valves! Mine went in my Puma but stuck on cold... In winter... Remember a few trips where I had the aircon on and windows open trying to drive at night 🤣 The fake leather and bloody aluminum gear knob weren't always great things to have