The new news 24 thread

[Father Ted]

No title changes honest.

Came out this morning to discover both wing mirrors twatted on the Micra and two tyres flat - screwdriver or something similar in the sidewall.

Not a personal vendetta I dont think - though it has happened before when I have parked out on the road and Im pretty sure its one of the neighbours in the terraces who gets pissed about one of "their" parking places being used, but more than my car had been targeted this morning.

Anyway, Halfrauds provided new mirror glass at £14 a pop and fortunately this time (its happened before) the mirror itself isnt buggered. The local garage (a mere 25 yards away) was able to repair both punctures for £8 a pop with a patch and an inner tube so no lasting harm done.
No idea about how advisable running an inner tube in a tubeless tyre is, but been up the M65 this dinner time and its handled OK Its sealed on the bead OK as far as I can tell.

[M'coli]

Dirty 'stards the lot of them, I hope they get food poisoning.

 

I've sold some wheels and am off to pick up some wheel arch repair sections this evening.

[Cavcraft]

IIRc the law regarding that certainly used to be you could tube tyres but only if whatever caused the puncture in the first place was repaired. This because merely pulling a nail/screw/bit of glass out then lobbing a tube in meant the tube would chafe against the rough part of the tyre and cause the tube to puncture.

 

Obv. the worse thing about tubed tyres is that being introduced to something like nail/glass/screw equals instant, rather than gradual, deflation.

 

*Just re-read your post, sorry. It sounds like what your garage have done is illegal, unless they did a proper (vulcanised) repair to the sidewalls. Assuming they've just lobbed an ordinary patch on the sidewalls alas this is likely to come off due to the flexing of the tyre in this area and then you might get a punctured tube as a result. Might be worth seeing where your nearest specialist repairer is and asking them to vulcanise/major repair the tyres.

[Lord Sterling]

Today, due to more unavaliable work I decided to try and tackle the heater blower motor. It was pretty easy getting to the motor, 2 tiny bolts to undo the glovebox, remove tray above footwell (Under the glovebox) and 3 bolts to undo the blower motor, motor then popped out (got to shove a few wires out of the way though) and hey presto, a blower full of dead leaves.

 

The motor was pretty messy inside, full of rusty corroded shit packed up in the motor:

 

 

This part was was full of corroded metal and crap, its a bit cleaner in this pic after I WD40'd it.

 

Rusty crap on floor, there was loads of this crap packed in the top cover:

 

So I cleaned out the blower and motor, then drenched any metal parts with WD40, yet upon connecting the bastard thing it still didnt work So it look like I'll either have to purchase another blower motor or get this one refurbed.

 

Roll on cold winter.

 

MORE OF THIS PLEASE ROVER

[dollywobbler]

Did you try jamming 12v directly into the blower motor? Could be your switch is borked.

[M'coli]

These

look like knackered brushes.

[Lord Sterling]

M'Coli - Do you mean the 2 small magentic cubes or springs? Thanks.

 

DW - I'm afraid I didnt, will have to try that, I'll try and take it tomorrow.

[dollywobbler]

Fitted new wiper blades to the Rover. Now, that's not the most exciting update ever I'll admit, but to be honest it was a bit distressing as the previous owner had replaced them a few days before I bought it. I don't know where he bought them, but they were the cheapest, crappest blades I've ever seen fitted to a car. They went CHUNK every time they changed direction and had all the torsional strength of a doped up Bambi. The passenger blade also seemed to be a good couple of inches too short.

 

It's surprising the joy that can be generated by silent wiper blades.

[R9UKE]

I just realised that I NEED to get rid of my Toyota Carina before I leave for Birmingham tomorrow evening. Have stuck it on Gumtree for £299 which I thought was excellent for a car with a months MOT. Judging by the offers I'm getting texted to me I'll have to whack the £99 off that.

[M'coli]

M'Coli - Do you mean the 2 small magentic cubes or springs? Thanks.

 

DW - I'm afraid I didnt, will have to try that, I'll try and take it tomorrow.

If they are the brushes that's exactly what I meant, the cubes are meant to be attached to the springs - I think they're meant to be graphite.

[autofive]

V6 Cortina shell finally went today

 

loading it was fun........

 

 

 

 

and a few pics of the rotten bits (just in case anyone was thinking it could be saved)

 

 

[Pete-M]

Range Rover's previous owner has offered me an XJ8 Sport for it. FFS.

[jonathan_dyane]

 

I'm lovin the 307D action!

[worldofceri]

GR9 for attractin' the attention of VOSA.

[Lord Sterling]

M'Coli - Do you mean the 2 small magentic cubes or springs? Thanks.

 

DW - I'm afraid I didnt, will have to try that, I'll try and take it tomorrow.

If they are the brushes that's exactly what I meant, the cubes are meant to be attached to the springs - I think they're meant to be graphite.

 

Thanks M'Coli. I've bought another blower motor anyway. Its been bench tested and is working so hopefully that'll solve it. If not, back to the drawing board and throw the blower into my rather large spares collection.

[simmo]

No idea about how advisable running an inner tube in a tubeless tyre is, but been up the M65 this dinner time and its handled OK Its sealed on the bead OK as far as I can tell.

 

Its debatable, its not a BS repair, reason being that tubeless tyres have ribs on the inside and the theory goes these will chafe the tube. In reality I don't think this happens but then again I have fitted 13" tubes into 15" tyres so probably not the best person to give advise

[Lankytim]

Remember my grump about having a big stone put a chip in my lovely Volvos windscreen? Well, rang up the insurers yesterday who confirmed I could get it fixed for free and today a couple of blokes came to my place of work and fixed it! They injected their special resin into my crack and although the repair isn't invisible its 90% vanished. Very happy

[jonathan_dyane]

GR9 for attractin' the attention of VOSA.

 

They probably wouldn't have liked this then:

[John F]

My Calibra passed its 4th MoT in my ownership yesterday

 

All it needed was the cable freeing off on the o/s handbrake, although it got an advisory for corrosion on all discs so I changed them as well. Chuffed? Oh yes.

[peter9000uk]

These

look like knackered brushes.

 

I would also be looking at the pollen filter and checking all the drains before putting a new motor in there LS. That water has got in somewhere

[Lord Sterling]

I would also be looking at the pollen filter and checking all the drains before putting a new motor in there LS. That water has got in somewhere

 

Thanks Peter. Rover 800s dont have Pollen filters. The water you see is actually spray from WD40, it was very dry and brittle in that part when I took it off, lots of dry corroded crap or other in there. I've ordered another heater blower so when that comes I'll see hopefully if thats the culprit.

[barefoot]

Took the 944 for its 244,000 mile service, a bit dull, but look at my courtesy shite.

 

 

 

a little on the basic side and mindbendingly slow & roly poly.

[Spottedlaurel]

After a busy summer where the estate has seen a lot of use (and after the sale of the Sport has now become my daily driver), I'm now making an attempt to drive this thing a bit more often:

 

1991 Toyota Camry V6 GX - clean for once by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

 

After buying a replacement HVAC switch panel, which turned out to be different so needs bodging to be of use, I did at least manage to get the broken one in the car semi-working. This gives me air on the 'screen, I can now turn the AC on/off and I retrieved the HRW switch from the chasm it'd disappeared into so it's a viable proposition for autumn/winter use. It could really do with some new tyres, and it still makes a slightly odd noise from under the bonnet once it's warmed-up. I can't hear it inside however, so that's OK.

 

Now I'm running without the AC permanently on the fuel consumption seems vaguely better, but that's negated by the lovely noise it makes above 3000rpm. This is actually quite difficult to achieve, it's very keen to shift up into and hold onto high gears, but get it right (switch off overdrive, press power button and bury right foot) and it's a blast.

 

Celebrated by giving it a jet wash and I'm going to try and use it more often. If nothing else I need to know it'll be a reliable winter back-up for the estate, though it'll never be the car of choice for ice/snow.

 

It's smart enough, but it won't ever be worth putting any significant amount of money into (there's an example on eBay with only 11k, and that's not attracting any bids at £1000) so I'll just keep using it as an indulgent second car until something big goes wrong and it can join the spares fleet.

[wuvvum]

On the subject of Japanese HVAC control panels, the climate control in the SVX has suddenly decided to jam itself onto 32°C for some reason. You can bring the temperature back down by pressing the "down" button, but as soon as you let go it bleeps its way straight back up to 32, half a degree at a time. Most odd.

[Pete-M]

Been using the Jaaaaaaaaag today. As always, loving the thing as it's still one of the very few cars I've ever owned that never fails to make me grin.

 

To put it mildly, it's brilliant. Quiet, comfortable, easy to drive, really relaxing on a long run like a good luxury car should be, yet barnstormingly mental if that's what is required from it. After owning god only knows how many cars over the last 23 years of wasting money on the bloody things it is still, 16 months into owning it, probably the most satisfying car I have ever owned - and I get very bored of cars very quickly. Anything that lasts six months is doing better than most.

 

I need to do a few little jobs to it to get it back to its full glory but nothing too hairy. A frame bushes and rear shocks will need doing shortly and the rear arches are getting a bit crispy but otherwise the thing is still magnificent.

 

But I keep seeing V8 XJRs for sale. They're tempting me with their waffly brilliance, and because they're V8s the Jag Beards prefer my straight six one. Values are beginning to reflect this, and I'd rather pick a V8 anything given half the choice.

 

Thing is, if I sell mine as is it'd probably fetch £1500-1700 on ebay. If I spend £750-800 getting it properly mint again I don't know what it would be worth. Or do I take the plate off, flog the car and buy £2500 worth of V8 XJR hoping there's bugger all up with it?

 

I hate cars.

 

Oh, the 604 will be back soon, just not in time for the NEC...

[sporty-shite]

Range Rover's previous owner has offered me an XJ8 Sport for it. FFS.

 

Do it, Pete. You could be the John Prescott of Autoshite!

[Pete-M]

Range Rover's previous owner has offered me an XJ8 Sport for it. FFS.

 

Do it, Pete. You could be the John Prescott of Autoshite!

 

Can't. I've taken the cash for it. Bloke has just been and bought it now. No messing about. Happy days.

[trigger]

I've just sold my Kadett the guy who's bought seems alright though, his dad used to have one in the 70's hence why he wanted one now, he wants to to take to shows with the family and he's local (Haverhill) as well which is handy as I'll hopefully still see it about, He drove a hard bargain though, not helped by my magazine feature which states i paid £1800 for it...

 

I wanted £2500 for it, he wanted to pay £1800, I managed to get £2300 after 30 mins haggling, Time to find some new shite now!

[HillmanImp]

I can understand that would have been gutted to see it go. Good luck with the new purchase though.

[dollywobbler]

Yeah, tricky one that Trig. Problem is, most of us are like Pete and Wuvvum and have a desperate desire to own something new to us. I'm wondering where I go from here. I've got the 2CV, which is definitely a keeper. The BX is rather special, if rather knackered. I really do like it. I'm also really liking the Rover 75 though. I can't keep them all! Or rather, I CAN keep them all, but that means never buying anything else. Balls.

 

Have used the 2CV for a good hurtle up to Lake Vyrnwy today for a 2CV run. Good fun. It really is amazing to see the smiles generated simply by driving a convoy of colourful Citroens past people. Mate let me have a drive in his BX St Tropez, with the 1.4 engine. It was brilliant! First time I've driven a BX that wasn't either a 1.9 diesel or the bonkers 16v. The 1.4 is really perky and has no fancy stuff. No eleccy windows, central locking or PAS. Lots of induction noise though and surprising acceleration. I was most tempted to offer up a deal on the Mk1 as my mate has the advantage that he can weld...

 

After pottering around Vyrnwy itself, we took one of the exciting mountain roads. We were tempted to head to Bala, scene of a 2CV run I'm plotting for January, but decided to head home as the sun was already dropping low. The route was seriously steep! I made the mistake of hurtling down at about 50mph, with brakes of bursting to hopefully allow the brakes to keep cool. It wasn't working. The smell was horrific and then the pedal started going soft. I opted to drop a gear to try and save the brakes and thankfully it worked before things got very, very twisty! I've never had to select first gear for a downhill hairpin before...

 

2CV is well overdue a service, so I need to try and reclaim the garage, which is still in workshop mode for the house refurbishment.