The new news 24 thread

[dollywobbler]

Aye. It's a fair bit more than bald now...

 

Getting hold of tyres has proved frustrating. I really hope they do actually turn up tomorrow.

 

Bonus. The tyres have just turned up! 

[Guest Hooli]

I understand not the logic. So in order to achieve more than 10 mpg on a short journey of oh 2.5 miles each way, thus consuming 1/2 gallon of petrol, he drives 40 miles each way so he can push up his fuel consumption to what 27.5 MPG, by sitting it on cruise at 50 mph, and consumes 3 gallons, but hey his fuel consumption is better.

 

Plus he went over the Meir Tunnel and Not through it, (something that is fun/loud in the mx5 in 2nd, with the top down at the redline)

 

Knob I say. Knob.

 

May also have something to do with Jags and their tendency to flood if turned off after a short run & then refuse to restart for at least 30mins. Mine never did it, but I've heard it's quite common.

[richardmorris]

Aye. It's a fair bit more than bald now...

 .

 

Can you comb a bit over like Bobby charlton? ( Victoria wood joke)

[Cavcraft]

Been offered what looks like a really really tidy 1996-ish 827 Sterling for my Calibra, I think he wants a leveller.

[Guest Hooli]

One Thousand Posts!

 

I do talk a lot of shite don't I?

[Barry Cade]

Set of pads and discs, full service then an mot pass with no advisories, nice way to spend a morning. Panda's are ace.

Genuine service kit ordered for the KV6 75. Putting aside a whole day for that...

[Kiltox]

. Panda's are ace...

Yeah they burn well

[hairnet]

Set of pads and discs, full service then an mot pass with no advisories, nice way to spend a morning. Panda's are ace.

Genuine service kit ordered for the KV6 75. Putting aside a whole day for that...

KILTOX LOVES THEM SO DO I

 

DONT DIS PANDA

[Cavcraft]

If it was anyone else I'd be mortified

 

 

[hairnet]

kfw??

[Tayne]

Is it mot-exempt?

[Pillock]

You know when something is Autoshite as it's simultaneously the best, and most awful vehicle in the world.

[cobblers]

That truck is a flipping beauty

[Cavcraft]

kfw??

 

Yes, and were your ears burning?

[Guest Hooli]

I've ordered a new drivers door window switch panel for the goona, this should mean my windows go up as well as down. Any bets if the included kiddy lock switch fixes the non-opening rear doors?

[For Fiats Sake]

Still in the bloody 500C as no word from the dealer on the state of gopping pandas aircon and clonking.

 

I put a tenner of pez in and it said I had over 150miles range in it.  I've done 54 miles and it says I've 40 miles range left.

 

The cunting thing can't count or just lies.

 

I shall bother the loud pedal more tomorrow seeing as it will need more fuel to get it back to the bloody dealer.  

Found the dealer price sign in the boot and its £14995!  Madness!

[RobT]

I test drove a couple of X300 Jags this evening. One was a 4.0 Sovereign, the other a 3.2 Sport (both being sold by the same seller). I actually preferred the Sport which surprised me, but it seemed to drive better than the other and felt like it was mechanically in better order (the Sovereign had a knock when turning left and didn't brake evenly). Paintwork on the bonnet, roof and bootlid was shit though, and the key fob wasn't working, so opening the doors was a manual affair which made the alarm plip loads until you fired it up. Bit annoying but I could probably live with that on a cheap Jag. Despite the paint it was solid with no evidence of welding, so needless to say I'm bloody tempted. I'm trying hard to make a rational decision for a change hence the test drive, rather than just buy any old knacker blind and hope for the best!

 

I'll go back and see it in the daylight, but here's a pic.

 

 

The seller dude was a bit of a character but seemed a genuine sort and a total car nut. He let me drive both cars for an hour or so in rush hour traffic, and wasn't bothered when I launched over a few speed bumps a bit quick. Best bit was when he gave me a lift to where the cars were kept in his mint Silver Shadow 2. After the Jag test drives I commented how flippin' awesome it was and he said do I want to drive it! Like a total twat I politely declined, but narrow South London roads coupled with feeling pretty knackered at that point could equal monumental cock up.

[Ghosty]

Range counters are silly. It's like charging a battery for an hour, it saying 100% then realising 'oh hang on' and dropping drastically.

Trip computers always seem to bounce all over the place in my experience - they like to change depending on driving style/throttle position too, we've had the A4 read 200mpg because it was idling down the hill we live on.

[Richard]

The range computer on the Transit is bang on right up to the last 100 miles or so, just when you might want it to be accurate. The last 100 miles does about 45 miles and the last 50 is more like 20.

[Guest Hooli]

I test drove a couple of X300 Jags this evening. One was a 4.0 Sovereign, the other a 3.2 Sport (both being sold by the same seller). I actually preferred the Sport which surprised me, but it seemed to drive better than the other and felt like it was mechanically in better order (the Sovereign had a knock when turning left and didn't brake evenly). Paintwork on the bonnet, roof and bootlid was shit though, and the key fob wasn't working, so opening the doors was a manual affair which made the alarm plip loads until you fired it up. Bit annoying but I could probably live with that on a cheap Jag. Despite the paint it was solid with no evidence of welding, so needless to say I'm bloody tempted. I'm trying hard to make a rational decision for a change hence the test drive, rather than just buy any old knacker blind and hope for the best!

 

I'll go back and see it in the daylight, but here's a pic.

 

s-l1600-32.jpeg

 

The seller dude was a bit of a character but seemed a genuine sort and a total car nut. He let me drive both cars for an hour or so in rush hour traffic, and wasn't bothered when I launched over a few speed bumps a bit quick. Best bit was when he gave me a lift to where the cars were kept in his mint Silver Shadow 2. After the Jag test drives I commented how flippin' awesome it was and he said do I want to drive it! Like a total twat I politely declined, but narrow South London roads coupled with feeling pretty knackered at that point could equal monumental cock up.

 

If it's the same as XJ40s, the sport has lower firmer suspension.

[dollywobbler]

On X300s, check very carefully around front and rear windscreens, and the bulkhead around the brake master cylinder. They are truly awesome when in good form, putting a Citroen to shame for ride/handling. Which is pretty remarkable.

[panhard65]

Spent a little bit of time tarting the Porsche up today now the oil leak has finally been sorted.

The Brembo calipers had faded to pink but a quick clean up and some high temp clear lacquer has made a big improvement.

Also the recovery guys nextdoor towed this winner in ! I have no idea where he has been or is going to, but Peugeot 406 to tow his plane a very brave man.

[vulgalour]

I imagine he's off/has been for some sexy times in Africa judging by the stickers.

[gm]

the local tesco is doing redex for £2 a bottle, I picked up a pair of petrol type for the mazdas and a diesel type for the audi, I'm hoping it might help with a lumpy idle I'm blaming on a partly clogged injector. I keep a fuel log for the audi so will be interested to see if it makes any difference to the mpg over the next couple of tanks (I suspect not but we shall see)

[Tayne]

 

 

Also the recovery guys nextdoor towed this winner in ! I have no idea where he has been or is going to, but Peugeot 406 to tow his plane a very brave man.

ebay 622.jpg

 

 

 

The plate on the trailer is from a land crab!

[For Fiats Sake]

the local tesco is doing redex for £2 a bottle, I picked up a pair of petrol type for the mazdas and a diesel type for the audi, I'm hoping it might help with a lumpy idle I'm blaming on a partly clogged injector. I keep a fuel log for the audi so will be interested to see if it makes any difference to the mpg over the next couple of tanks (I suspect not but we shall see)

I thought the difference between branded fuels and supermarket fuels was the quantity of stuff added to make it cheaper, namely detergents? Or have I picked up some urban myth?

 

When I ran a toyota yaris on recycled oil, I'd alternate between it, supermarket fuel and branded in the hope of keeping it sweet.  I never had any bother with the engine, despite being a meter reader at the time so constant stop start all day.  I had to replace one glowplug.  More amazing was that before I had it, it belonged to a local driving instructor!  

[Skizzer]

Bad news: a friend is borrowing the Disco and apparently it's started doing about 6mpg. My random guess from 200 miles away is that the air flow meter has gone a bit Land Rover on us.

 

Good news: it's Keith the Dog's birthday today. He's five. Here he is celebrating with the present Mrs S gave him, a turtle called Amy.

 

 

Edit: bollocks, sideways photo because iPhone. Oh well.

[Conrad D. Conelrad]

The Mini got through its last five or so MOTs without issue, so I figured a big fail was in the offing this year and it was no surprise to see a load of yellow crayon on the rear subframe. I compiled a list of things wrong with it and sent it off to a local specialist. In addition to the rotten bits on the bottom of the subframe, the top didn't look so rosy either:

 

 

 

Needless to say, it was hiding rot on the body too.

 

I got the car back yesterday evening with a fresh MOT and a new subframe which is shinier than the bodywork. It's also had a whole host of other work done, too numerous to mention. It's a joy to drive again. The engine steady mount has new bushes so it doesn't violently CLUNK when coming on and off the throttle and it's been tuned up a bit so it feels quicker. It really is a fabulous car to drive. 

 

Not all sunshine and roses, the exhaust downpipe join failed the same day I collected it, so I had to waste hours doing that today. 

 

 

Hours, because I did it once and it failed immediately, so I had to do the whole damn thing again. I've done this so many times over the last few years I've got it down to a fine art. 

 

 

A nice view of the well thought out fuses. They're factory (maybe not the blue one - dunno what that one's for), and there's more inside the car. The handbook page for fuses is something like - "tail lights: look behind the insulation in the engine compartment for an inline fuse with red and white wire, or maybe it's one of the fistful of inline fuses behind the dash trim panel, who knows? This is what you get for buying a 1959 car in 1993."

[Guest Hooli]

Makes a lovely change for someone to type Mini & show pics of a Mini. Those bloody BMW 0.5Series that have stolen the name will never be Minis.

[Conrad D. Conelrad]

It was four pictures of rust and failure, but I get your point.