The new news 24 thread

[dollywobbler]

Dare I say it, but that generation of Astra is actually a nice, sharp looking thing. Even in retail silver.

 

EDIT - in other news, had to visit in a friend in town. Lovely, sunny day, so the S-MX stayed home and the RAV went roofless once more. Would have got some lovely pics, but left my phone at home...

 

Once I'd managed to pass a few bloody dawdlers (it is Sunday after all), I had a nice little hoon. The steering is still too light, with no feel, not helped by a few degrees of play - rack wear I wonder? You can still chuck it into bends with abandon though. It just goes around them.

 

When I got home, I finally repaired the front roof panel. One screw (out of two) that holds the clip in place had fallen out AGES ago. Turns out it was a wood screw that someone had tried to make fit a bolt-style thread. NICE. Managed to find a suitable bolt, though had to space it out with washers to avoid it piercing the other side of the panel. At last, the panel feels pretty secure.

 

I do find that the seal gets stuck to the bodywork very easily. What's best to lube the seal with to stop it doing that?

 

Also, the S-MX gets shat on by a/several birds EVERY DAY. This is quite annoying. Always the same place - near the door handle on the tailgate, and on or near the mirror on the driver's door. I bet it's that sodding robin that always seems to be trying to fight with its reflection. I may have to swap cars around.

[For Fiats Sake]

Just where did the last six months go?

 

Had tax reminders for 3 cars so two got sorned for winter, bonus suprise is that the Uno is taxed and motd until mid may, I'm going to use it through winter in conjunction with the selecta which is properly undersealed and the mk3.  Talking of which I fitted the snow leopard seat covers to Spud, they did a good job of keeping dog hair off the last car despite being fake fur!

[greengartside]

Not a lot to report except that the Fiesta will be going up for sale in the next few weeks should anyone be interested. M.o.T'd until August 2017, 130k on the clock. Rear arch on the driver's side is just starting to bubble up but I have removed that shitty carpet stuff from underneath so that should halt the rot any further, passenger side is actually rot free.

Some service history with handbooks. 100% original, right down to the dealer plates and keyfob (2 keys present). Drives excellent, very nippy and good on fuel (>35 mpg usually). Has a couple of advisories, the brake pipes need cleaning and the rear shocks are getting worn.

 

Shiters price of £750. These may be worth quite a bit of coin in the future because OSF tax, and the fact it's really original. If I could keep it then I'd shove it in a garage for a few years and sell it then but I need the money for the Zafira project.

 

Anyway, that Zafira....

 

 

Moved it away from where it's been sat for the past few weeks. It was absolutely covered in tree and bird droppings, so I broke out the pressure washer again. Amazing how much crap was accumulating in the roof rails amongst other places. Was utterly filthy!

 

 

Much better. Resident Autoshiter Egg kindly managed to obtain a pollen filter for the beast, which was duly fitted. It was safe to say that It had not been changed in years - it's a bugger to get to, as it removes dismantling half of the sodding dashboard to get to it.

 

Like I mentioned earlier, the cash from the sale of the Fiesta will go towards fixing this up. To keep costs low, I am going to obtain another coil spring and balljoint and fit these, as per the fail sheet. Also the washers have stopped working. The pump is going but no water is coming out. A quick look on the internet reveals that the pumps could be gunked up, so I'll tackle that whilst I'm doing the spring and balljoint.

 

Lastly, I'm getting a burning oily smell coming through the heater vents. The fail sheet mentions an oil leak somewhere. I can see some on the sump but I have no idea what happens to it after that, I imagine it's going on the exhaust and that's what's making it smell??

 

All in all, it's a good car that just needs some TLC. I managed to contact the previous owner to enquire about service history but she said she's not got anything, sadly. She was pleased to hear it's been rescued though!

[They_all_do_that_sir]

Mk1 Zafiras have grown on me. They are quite nicely proportioned, when you stop and properly look at them they are quite a neat design compared to how awkward and bloated most current MPVs look. Like the astra of the same vintage they manage to look solid / substantial in the way a VW used to.

Unfortunately they haven't quite shaken the chav family chariot image (over here anyway) but it won't be long as there are very few decent ones left.

 

Sent from my D6603 using Tapatalk

[wuvvum]

Not had a hugely successful day today.  I went and picked up the alternator for the Volvo this morning (from the courier's house, which was novel - MyHermes won't let you pick up from their depots "for health and safety reasons", even though most other couriers seem fine with it).  Got it fitted OK, but it isn't charging - although the battery light does now come on, which it hasn't for a long time now.  I tried fitting the spare regulator that came with it, but that didn't help either. 

 

The new alternator is very slightly different to the old one - it still has the same two main terminals (albeit in slightly different positions), but it also has a black (presumably earth) wire attached to another terminal that appears to be connected to the body of the alternator.  This wire goes up the sleeve with the other two wires for the regulator, but then ends abruptly in a ring terminal which I can't see where it joins on to - unless it's supposed to be earthed to the mounting clamp?  I have no fugging idea.  The existing regulator has three wires too, but the black wire disappears off down behind the headlight rather than going to the alternator.

 

I'm not sure if I've been sold a duff alternator or if there's something else wrong - there's certainly plenty of issues with the car's electrics.  I did have a HBOL for it years ago, but I have no idea where it went, and I can't find a wiring diagram anywhere online.  I really don't know a lot about charging circuits anyway - is there any means of testing an alternator whilst it's on the car using a multimeter?

 

The other job for today was to do the coolant pipes on the MG.  They're all painted up now and ready to be fitted, but I didn't get as far as removing the old pipes because - as I failed to notice when I last looked under the car - the undertray which sits under the middle of the car (and has to be removed for the pipes to come off) is held on with 20 10mm bolts.  Fucking twenty!!  They have all proven exactly as easy to undo as you would expect from bolts that have spent 18 years hanging off the underside of an MGF.  I've got 10 out so far, and only two of them have snapped, but it's bloody slow work, especially with only my shitty Wilco ramps to get the car off the ground.  It won't be getting 20 bolts back in it when I put it back on the car, I can tell you that now.  It might get 4 if it's lucky.

[HMC]

Not really news- I'm sure you would all accurately guess that my ford puma is rusty. I suspect they all are to some degree, depending how far you dare poke.

 

Mines not too bad but it's in the sort of shape where a bit of preventative maintenence now will stop the slide- rust creeping under coatings after careless jacking etc.popped it up on axle stands, stripped out the interior, and have Been blasting it with those nifty dynax s50 aerosols in as many box sections as I could find. Part way through stripping any suspect coatings off the underside, and on the floor to sill joint both sides. Not picture worthy, very tedious but wanted to go over it before winter.

 

They still look quite modern IMO, but even for their time they ( and other fords - Kas/ fiestas) are oxidisers of the old school. 4/10 ford- YU NO LEARN?

[They_all_do_that_sir]

Undertray on the 307 decided to partly fall off today. Not surprised really as it was held on with cable ties. Can't really blame Peugeot for that.

I've taken it off completely and stuck it in the shed - I assume there's no reason for me to rush and put it back on again?

 

Sent from my D6603 using Tapatalk

[SiC]

Undertray on the 307 decided to partly fall off today. Not surprised really as it was held on with cable ties. Can't really blame Peugeot for that.

I've taken it off completely and stuck it in the shed - I assume there's no reason for me to rush and put it back on again?

 

Sent from my D6603 using Tapatalk

Ordinarily no. But a French car with questionable electrics, the under tray may be a necessary item to prevent water getting where it shouldn't be...

[They_all_do_that_sir]

Ordinarily no. But a French car with questionable electrics, the under tray may be a necessary item to prevent water getting where it shouldn't be...

To be fair the more bits it sheds the more reliable it might become.....it's a super advanced self optimisation programme......

 

Sent from my D6603 using Tapatalk

[AMC Rebel]

Just back from approx 700 mile round trip to Scotlandshire to get my new engine. Turns out it was from the same car I stripped of parts a while ago. Small world

[xtriple]

Met up with an old couple with their dog (Rosie) today. They are always friendly, chatty and find it amusing that I desperately want their dog (Rosie) to talk to me, but she won't...

 

But, a week or two ago, I saw them walking when I was in the BGD and tooted the horn in a melodious manner and gave a cheery wave and carried on. Today, they have decided that I am no longer fit to talk to! They did talk, but it was an effort and took a bit of persistence to find out why: seems the Bentley does not meet with the image of me they had formed in their mind: I am a scruffy old cripple who looks like two pennies to rub together would be a step to far. Having a BGD seems to mean that I am rich/famous/a total git who just happens to be a scruffy old cripple as well.

 

I was sad, but, hey ho, the dog (Rosie) never talked to me anyway so no great loss.

[dome]

Met up with an old couple with their dog (Rosie) today. They are always friendly, chatty and find it amusing that I desperately want their dog (Rosie) to talk to me, but she won't...

 

But, a week or two ago, I saw them walking when I was in the BGD and tooted the horn in a melodious manner and gave a cheery wave and carried on. Today, they have decided that I am no longer fit to talk to! They did talk, but it was an effort and took a bit of persistence to find out why: seems the Bentley does not meet with the image of me they had formed in their mind: I am a scruffy old cripple who looks like two pennies to rub together would be a step to far. Having a BGD seems to mean that I am rich/famous/a total git who just happens to be a scruffy old cripple as well.

 

I was sad, but, hey ho, the dog (Rosie) never talked to me anyway so no great loss.

Well done for persisting to find out why, even better that you know not to talk to these horrible judgemental people again.

 

Mind, I did have a girls knickers fall off once when I told her I had a Porsche so it can work both ways.

 

It was a £700 944 in several shades of pink.

[vulgalour]

Another OKK update for all you Princess pervs.  Looks like it's going black rather than mismatched red.  It'll be interesting to see how this one develops, at this point it could go either way with the chrome edge trims, that's always a slippery slope.  We shall wait and see.

 

 

[wuvvum]

Been blezzing around in my latest purchase today.

 

 

As I've mentioned, I was recently considering buying a basic new car on the knock - top candidate (because cheap and reliable) was the Suzuki Celerio.  Then I decided that since I'd never owned a miserable little Oriental shopping car before (or at least not a modern one), I would be best off trying one out second hand to see if I could live with one as my main form of transport for the next three years.  Browsing ebay and this came up - it's pushing the definition of "modern" slightly at 11 years old, but it was cheap and localish so I stuck a bid on and won it.

 

It's fairly typical of one of these in that it was owned by a giffer, but quite untypical in that it's done 140,000 miles.  You wouldn't know it to drive it though, and at least with that kind of mileage under its belt I can be reasonably sure that any OMGCRANKSHAFTPULLEY issues will have been long since dealt with.  It's not in bad nick for the mileage either - the interior is clean, and the only thing that lets the exterior down (apart from the scuffs on the bumper corners) is that someone appears to have cleaned the bonnet with a scouring pad.  Oh, and the Poundland trimz.

 

It's a 1.1 LX, which makes it quite near the top of the range - 1.1 was the biggest engine they did on these.  It's got electric windows all round, remote locking and aircon, as well as the obligatory PAS.  It's typical Korean in that it feels very well screwed together but the materials feel cheap.  I don't generally go around fondling dashboard plastics though, so I don't really care.  It buzzes along OK, in fact it's quite nippy off the line.  It's not too noisy given the lack of soundproofing, and it's sensibly geared for a small car with 70 being about 3,500 revs.  I haven't wound it up yet, but it'll put 90 on the clock easily enough, and still feels quite stable at that speed.  It also handles better than I expected, despite a complete lack of feedback through the steering - in fact all of the controls are very light, apart from the clutch which is surprisingly heavy.

 

It's funny how when you own a car you suddenly start noticing more of them on the road - it seems to work with any car, but I've never noticed it as much as with this.  These things are bloody everywhere.  Perhaps due in part to the scrappage scheme...  They're a good little thing to buzz about in though, I quite like it despite its relative lack of character.  Unfortunately it won't be staying in the fleet long, for the simple reason that the driver's seat won't go back far enough for my dodgy right knee to be able to stretch out properly, so driving it a long distance is going to be uncomfortable.

[captain_70s]

 

 

Another OKK update for all you Princess pervs.

 

The bloke said on Facebook the rattle can black was temporary until he can afford to have it properly re-sprayed. I do like the chunky gold stripes but the spot lights are exceedingly naff

[vulgalour]

I get my updates second hand through the Princess forum, and then pass them on third hand here, you see.

[saucedoctor]

Tried a new set of alloys on the Fuckass. 18 inch Y design (not my photo). Love the look, but the ride is awful. Shame.

[mitsisigma01]

This one, if it is as described I'd say that's a good deal. Would rather have a 3 door as well

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/honda-civic-s-1-4-/152240393497?_trksid=p2047675.l2557&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&nma=true&si=rZ6fH73fVulyWSeqlNNg85SMTnA%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc

 

Now to sell the Rover ASAP since I don't want to take out another insurance policy and tax two cars

 

does this mean you aren't thinking about getting a puma , my mate has one that he was thinking of selling

[scaryoldcortina]

Not had a hugely successful day today.  I went and picked up the alternator for the Volvo this morning (from the courier's house, which was novel - MyHermes won't let you pick up from their depots "for health and safety reasons", even though most other couriers seem fine with it).  Got it fitted OK, but it isn't charging - although the battery light does now come on, which it hasn't for a long time now.  I tried fitting the spare regulator that came with it, but that didn't help either. 

 

The new alternator is very slightly different to the old one - it still has the same two main terminals (albeit in slightly different positions), but it also has a black (presumably earth) wire attached to another terminal that appears to be connected to the body of the alternator.  This wire goes up the sleeve with the other two wires for the regulator, but then ends abruptly in a ring terminal which I can't see where it joins on to - unless it's supposed to be earthed to the mounting clamp?  I have no fugging idea.  The existing regulator has three wires too, but the black wire disappears off down behind the headlight rather than going to the alternator.

 

I'm not sure if I've been sold a duff alternator or if there's something else wrong - there's certainly plenty of issues with the car's electrics.  I did have a HBOL for it years ago, but I have no idea where it went, and I can't find a wiring diagram anywhere online.  I really don't know a lot about charging circuits anyway - is there any means of testing an alternator whilst it's on the car using a multimeter?

 

Check the thick cable from the alt to the battery. It can't harm to put the earth lead on, but it's probably earthing through the bracket seeing as the charge light is on.

 

The other job for today was to do the coolant pipes on the MG.  They're all painted up now and ready to be fitted, but I didn't get as far as removing the old pipes because - as I failed to notice when I last looked under the car - the undertray which sits under the middle of the car (and has to be removed for the pipes to come off) is held on with 20 10mm bolts.  Fucking twenty!!  They have all proven exactly as easy to undo as you would expect from bolts that have spent 18 years hanging off the underside of an MGF.  I've got 10 out so far, and only two of them have snapped, but it's bloody slow work, especially with only my shitty Wilco ramps to get the car off the ground.  It won't be getting 20 bolts back in it when I put it back on the car, I can tell you that now.  It might get 4 if it's lucky.

That undertray can be a pita to remove, but put as many bolts back as you can because it's also the centre brace!

[Jazoli]

Tried a new set of alloys on the Fuckass. 18 inch Y design (not my photo). Love the look, but the ride is awful. Shame.photo-39671.jpg

I really like the design of these (along with the Vauxhall snowflake) but I'll sick with my 16" alloys on my Focus as the ride is very good indeed

[Kiltox]

Been blezzing around in my latest purchase today.

 

IMG_20161002_153314.jpg

 

As I've mentioned, I was recently considering buying a basic new car on the knock - top candidate (because cheap and reliable) was the Suzuki Celerio. Then I decided that since I'd never owned a miserable little Oriental shopping car before (or at least not a modern one), I would be best off trying one out second hand to see if I could live with one as my main form of transport for the next three years. Browsing ebay and this came up - it's pushing the definition of "modern" slightly at 11 years old, but it was cheap and localish so I stuck a bid on and won it.

 

It's fairly typical of one of these in that it was owned by a giffer, but quite untypical in that it's done 140,000 miles. You wouldn't know it to drive it though, and at least with that kind of mileage under its belt I can be reasonably sure that any OMGCRANKSHAFTPULLEY issues will have been long since dealt with. It's not in bad nick for the mileage either - the interior is clean, and the only thing that lets the exterior down (apart from the scuffs on the bumper corners) is that someone appears to have cleaned the bonnet with a scouring pad. Oh, and the Poundland trimz.

 

It's a 1.1 LX, which makes it quite near the top of the range - 1.1 was the biggest engine they did on these. It's got electric windows all round, remote locking and aircon, as well as the obligatory PAS. It's typical Korean in that it feels very well screwed together but the materials feel cheap. I don't generally go around fondling dashboard plastics though, so I don't really care. It buzzes along OK, in fact it's quite nippy off the line. It's not too noisy given the lack of soundproofing, and it's sensibly geared for a small car with 70 being about 3,500 revs. I haven't wound it up yet, but it'll put 90 on the clock easily enough, and still feels quite stable at that speed. It also handles better than I expected, despite a complete lack of feedback through the steering - in fact all of the controls are very light, apart from the clutch which is surprisingly heavy.

 

It's funny how when you own a car you suddenly start noticing more of them on the road - it seems to work with any car, but I've never noticed it as much as with this. These things are bloody everywhere. Perhaps due in part to the scrappage scheme... They're a good little thing to buzz about in though, I quite like it despite its relative lack of character. Unfortunately it won't be staying in the fleet long, for the simple reason that the driver's seat won't go back far enough for my dodgy right knee to be able to stretch out properly, so driving it a long distance is going to be uncomfortable.

Clutch shouldn't be heavy so I'm not sure what's going on there.

 

Class little things though and I'm interested if it goes up for sale soon

[egg]

*self promotion post*

 

Petrolblog have let me write a Mondeo post....

 

http://petrolblog.com/2016/10/mk1-ford-mondeo-the-ultimate-daily-classic/

[beko1987]

Ace read! I'd like to own a mk1 at some point, especially in the 1.8tddi flavour!

[drum]

*self promotion post*

Petrolblog have let me write a Mondeo post....

http://petrolblog.com/2016/10/mk1-ford-mondeo-the-ultimate-daily-classic/

I enjoyed your article.

I feel I should go and buy a mondeo after watching that launch video.

 

My dad bought a '93 1.8 in blue when it was quite new and it was a great car although I wasn't a fan of the centre console with its pen and coin holders.

[trigger]

Tried a new set of alloys on the Fuckass. 18 inch Y design (not my photo). Love the look, but the ride is awful. Shame.photo-39671.jpg

I had the same wheels on my old one, they ruin the ride of the car and i wouldn't give tuppence for them personally, my mums partner had the same car but with standard Ghia alloys and it was like a different car.

[holbeck]

The fleet, a last chance photo.

 

BMW set to depart to Anglia Car Auctions later in the week.

 

 

 

[Ghosty]

Re: Picanto: the new base model ones have the worst seat fabric out of any car I've experienced. It feels like it's made out of reconstituted bin bags.

[Bobthebeard]

More cashback from the Oldsmobile! Now stands at $5.20.

[reb]

 

I believe the technical term is "Fucksticks."

[dollywobbler]

Whoa! What's happened there? Has the bottom arm failed and allowed the driveshaft to come out? All looks very odd.