HMC WBOD news

[HMC]

Fleet news. 
 

The v70 sold to a long term forum member who is collecting in a couple of days. 
 

The Peugeot 405 is currently waiting its turn/ being done in between jobs to be welded at my local shite friendly garage.

And that’s it. Hence for the first time since February 2002 (when I bought my first car) I will not have a functioning vehicle of my own to use from Thursday. All is not lost as I can use the Elgrand of ms_HMC and my bicycle but it’s certainly an unusual place to find myself!

[SmokinWaffle]

9 minutes ago, HMC said:

The Peugeot 405 is currently waiting its turn/ being done in between jobs to be welded at my local shite friendly garage.

Happy to hear that - and big respect to you. Glad it's got another chance to keep going!

[Marm Toastsmith]

On 8/10/2021 at 1:20 PM, HMC said:

for the first time since February 2002 (when I bought my first car) I will not have a functioning vehicle of my own to use from Thursday.

Have you bought anything yet?

I've got a surplus if you need a loaner...

[HMC]

9 hours ago, marm said:

Have you bought anything yet?

I've got a surplus if you need a loaner...

Thanks! I’ve got hold of something estate shaped, but worse. It’s road legal although broken in a few places and waiting for collection tomorrow in the Cotswolds. 

[HMC]

The train has been cancelled so it’s not happening today at least, plans afoot for doing it tomorrow. 

[Marm Toastsmith]

1 minute ago, HMC said:

The train has been cancelled so it’s not happening today at least, plans afoot for doing it tomorrow. 

Bummer.

Where is it?

[HMC]

11 hours ago, marm said:

Bummer.

Where is it?

It’s between Bristol and Gloucester, lovely  Cotswold countryside but not that accessible by train alas. The bicycle will be joining the dots, at least it looks to be a dry day (fingers crossed)

[HMC]

First leg. Seat repair just about holding up. Crossing former RAF Harrowbeer on the edge of Dartmoor.

I think there’s a 1940s event going on this weekend but it must be on the other side of it, it’s all very sleepy at the mo 

http://www.rafharrowbeer1940s.com/

 

[HMC]

On the train after a breakfast detour

 

Alas, after getting to Plymouth station it turns out engineering works that cancelled my train yesterday have disrupted the route today with a connecting bus at some points. I recon my bike won’t be welcome on that.

Sorting a plan b from Bristol- a lot more cycling but I’m in no rush and at least it’s not raining. 

[Marm Toastsmith]

Good luck, have fun.

[Cookiesouwest]

Bike should be able to go in coach boot. They usually use coaches for rail replacement up our way.

Good luck

[andyberg]

4 hours ago, HMC said:

On the train after a breakfast detour

 

Alas, after getting to Plymouth station it turns out engineering works that cancelled my train yesterday have disrupted the route today with a connecting bus at some points. I recon my bike won’t be welcome on that.

Sorting a plan b from Bristol- a lot more cycling but I’m in no rush and at least it’s not raining. 

It depends on whether you have a nice coach driver, strictly rail replacement coaches are not allowed to carry bikes. I used to because for some people it is part of there usual commute to work/home. good luck.

[HMC]

Well, that was confusing and muddled. On the train they announced Change at Taunton for Bristol parkway, as this trim is no longer stopping there, where you will get a coach. Then there was an announcement that the coach was late so stay on, and get to Bristol temple meads. Then a coach to the connection. Then there was a fault with another train to they went to Weston-super-mare, and with that my connection went up in smoke.

TL;DR- train problems.

Then I just decided to cycle it after getting to Bristol. After a lot of slow steady progress (not as fit as I was!) I finally got to the new car.

Its a posh connoisseur se rover 75. I’m a bit excited about this as I’ve never had a posh one before. It’s blue (does anyone know what blue?) the clutch is ok (the seller wasn’t telling porkies) that’s not true as the listing said there was an airbag light on, and it does come on as it should, and then Goes out. 

The journey itself was draining , and the price (£400) made me feel a bit Suspicious about it but it seems ok in most rover 75 trouble spots. It’s not full of water where they like to fill with water. The sills look ok. There rear suspension arms haven’t dissolved/ had the coil spring punch through them. It does seem to ride a bit high at the back though to my eyes . And it’s been breathed on by x-power so this cdt is basically a Cdti. No ball of fire, granted, but ok rather than plain slow. 
 

Verdict so far- better than it has any right to be for the money. I’d forgotten how well they ride as well. By modern standards a revelation over typical British roads.

 

[Cookiesouwest]

5 tickets please

[Cookiesouwest]

Royal Blue?

Paint code should be on sticker, I think passenger side door.

[wuvvum]

Nice!  Welcome to the Connoisseur SE CDT Tourer Owners Club.  Apart from the lack of sat nav and peasant gear change that's the same spec as mine.  It looks rather lovely, and a proper bargain at £400.   Mine sits high at the back too so it might be a TADTS thing.

1 hour ago, HMC said:

 

 

For a moment there I thought that was @hairnet on the next pump...

[andyberg]

well bought that man! I must admit when I looked after @Cookiesouwest 75 for a week I couldn't believe how comfy the ride is, proper floaty over the bumps.

[Split_Pin]

Welcome to the club. A cheap 75 that works is a very good way to get about.

If it doesn't sit higher at the back then the springs are probably broken at the ends and it will also ride like hell. So your seems grand!

[HMC]

2 hours ago, wuvvum said:

Nice!  Welcome to the Connoisseur SE CDT Tourer Owners Club.  Apart from the lack of sat nav and peasant gear change that's the same spec as mine.  It looks rather lovely, and a proper bargain at £400.   Mine sits high at the back too so it might be a TADTS thing.

For a moment there I thought that was @hairnet on the next pump...

Yes, I always remember @gadgetgricey explaining about auto better than manual and I’d rather it had been an auto. Partly waftiness but also I’m not a big fan of the feel of the clutch and gearchange on these  manuals. Plus there’s the Borkage potential of the hydraulics.

[HMC]

It’s sort of of part way though project drive so some pleasant details have been eroded but overall is still got most nice touches. Biggest sad face is it’s just lost out on having a wooden dash rather than plastic/fake.

[gadgetgricey]

Do still miss mine.. Does yours have the FBH as needed in cold weather as does take a long time to warm up, even with a working thermostat, (R4 in line for the win)

 

[HMC]

49 minutes ago, gadgetgricey said:

Do still miss mine.. Does yours have the FBH as needed in cold weather as does take a long time to warm up, even with a working thermostat, (R4 in line for the win)

 

Yea it’s still here. Unsure if it’s working. The thermostat is definitely not.

[wuvvum]

1 hour ago, HMC said:

Yes, I always remember @gadgetgricey explaining about auto better than manual and I’d rather it had been an auto. Partly waftiness but also I’m not a big fan of the feel of the clutch and gearchange on these  manuals. Plus there’s the Borkage potential of the hydraulics.

Although on the plus side, the manuals are more economical (not that any 75 is going to worry a Polo Bluemotion in the MPG stakes).

Mine doesn't have the Webasto heater, but the normal heater warms up pretty quickly for an old diesel, and in the meantime the heated seats take the worst of the chill off...

[montytom]

Great news Matt, If you have any issues im only in Plymouth and haved access to Toaf diagnostics

[Split_Pin]

20 hours ago, HMC said:

Yea it’s still here. Unsure if it’s working. The thermostat is definitely not.

Provided it's stuck open, which it will be, then an inline thermostat in the top hose is the solution. A Renault 5 item used to be the choice but now DMGRS sell them for about £10 to £15.

All 3 of my diesels had this and its an easy job, if a little time consuming to shove the thermostat down the top hose. Submerging the hose in hot water as you work it down is what I did .

Replacing the actual thermostat is a pig of a job and replacements rarely last.

[HMC]

This was a bit spontaneous as it cropped up locally for not a lot of money about 3 hours ago. 12 months MOT and showing 25k - which may or may not be genuine.

Ive wanted to try one just to fill in exactly how dire they are. Oddly it sounds a bit like a pug 205/106 though the gears. The seats are HARD and the Steering is feel free and oddly light. It feels quite fast for what it is and needless to say it’s quite endearly sub par and I like it!

The moody night shots happened as I’ve just returned from collecting it.

 

 

[GeordieInExile]

Iirc these have a 80-odd bhp engine and weigh not much more than a crisp packet thanks to dire crash protection, so yeah, they go well! Looks ace, for what it is.

[montytom]

That's absolutely brilliant. When I had one many years ago as a courtesy car and I thought it was horrid. Now I really want one

[CortinaDave]

20 minutes ago, GeordieInExile said:

Iirc these have a 80-odd bhp engine and weigh not much more than a crisp packet thanks to dire crash protection, so yeah, they go well! Looks ace, for what it is.

That's the nicest one I've seen... colour suits it. I saw keef Adams was selling his so when i saw this thread I presumed you'd bought that!

As Local shopping trollies these are absolutely fine, they were just overpriced for what they were. Missed opportunities are what MG Rover excelled at so its no surprise really.

[bezzabsa]

did Tata ever sell their version over here????