The new news 24 thread

[Barry Cade]

Decided I wasn't happy to have only 1 key for the 75 so went to my usual brilliant tame lock place. No can do, he says, but here's a card for an auto locksmith chap- he'll sort you out.I emailed him and got a reply of" yeah, can do...£350 and 10 days."

 

Er, no.

[reb]

Pugsley is really starting to piss me off.

[anonymous user]

Today I had to pop down to Cardiff to collect a few bits and pieces, I left it until after 9:30 to try to avoid the traffic which didn't work. I was slightly amused when sat in the queue for the lights by Halfords on Penarth Road. Out the front was a young, skinny jeaned, trendy? lad next to his Ford Fiesta, watching the girl from Halfords fitting his new windscreen wipers. How useless do you have to be not to be able to fit wiper blades, I'd be mortified? Still it just goes to show that some people will rather part with a fiver than have a go themself.

 

My passenger found it amusing as well

 

My passenger has taken his diet a bit too far. (Yes there was a very good reason why I had a skeleton as a passenger, to make him less obvious he borrowed my flat cap and goggles rather than his usual pith helmet)

[SiC]

To get away with using the 2+ lanes?

[anonymous user]

Actually I hadn't thought of that, I must remember to take him next time I go to Bristol. It's slightly more prosaic, the back was already full of other stuff and I thought he'd enjoy the view.

[Chris2cv]

Clio passed it's MOT with no problems! I thought old French cars were supposed to be rubbish according to many "experts" on other forums. 14 years old and still serving me well.   Just wish the 2cv was this easy!

[Chris2cv]

Today I had to pop down to Cardiff to collect a few bits and pieces, I left it until after 9:30 to try to avoid the traffic which didn't work. I was slightly amused when sat in the queue for the lights by Halfords on Penarth Road. Out the front was a young, skinny jeaned, trendy? lad next to his Ford Fiesta, watching the girl from Halfords fitting his new windscreen wipers. How useless do you have to be not to be able to fit wiper blades, I'd be mortified? Still it just goes to show that some people will rather part with a fiver than have a go themself.

 

My passenger found it amusing as well

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My passenger has taken his diet a bit too far. (Yes there was a very good reason why I had a skeleton as a passenger, to make him less obvious he borrowed my flat cap and goggles rather than his usual pith helmet)

 

Always seems bizarre when we have customers who wont get their hands dirty, but I will take their money! I was very embarrassed to call the AA to change a tyre a few years ago - it was minus 2 degrees and I couldn't shift the nuts that had been put on by the garage. AA had to use a scaffold pole, but said he changes tyres all the time.  

   Similarly saw a load of upset on bookface recently when a local car wash closed suddenly. Just buy a bucket, it isn't difficult!

[dollywobbler]

Always seems bizarre when we have customers who wont get their hands dirty, but I will take their money! I was very embarrassed to call the AA to change a tyre a few years ago - it was minus 2 degrees and I couldn't shift the nuts that had been put on by the garage. AA had to use a scaffold pole, but said he changes tyres all the time.  

   Similarly saw a load of upset on bookface recently when a local car wash closed suddenly. Just buy a bucket, it isn't difficult!

 

I think my very first call to the AA was to have a tyre changed on my 2CV. Usual story of some sod whazzing them up with an air gun so couldn't shift them. Was hilarious watching the AA man's face as he jacked the 2CV up. He thought it was some sort of prank as he kept jacking and jacking and the wheel remained on the floor. A load of giggling 18 year olds probably didn't help...

[richardmorris]

I think my very first call to the AA was to have a tyre changed on my 2CV. Usual story of some sod whazzing them up with an air gun so couldn't shift them. Was hilarious watching the AA man's face as he jacked the 2CV up. He thought it was some sort of prank as he kept jacking and jacking and the wheel remained on the floor. A load of giggling 18 year olds probably didn't help...

First time I tried to remove the wheel on the 2cv I realised that the Citroen "tool" was useless. Bought an 18" tyre lever with socket on the end. Even then had to stand on it!

[dollywobbler]

Aye. Think I went out after that and bought an extending wheel brace thing.

[drum]

Helped an ex-colleague who was standing beside her car looking at a flat front tyre.

Had a look in the boot of the modern Seat to find no spare wheel, just a bottle of what looked like pva glue and a wee compressor.

 

Instructions said to remove the valve and squeeze the bottle of glue in, then inflate with the pump.

Drive forward and back to spread the glue.

 

When she drove forward, the glue left white splodges on the road one circumference apart and a quick feel revealed a three inch split on the inner shoulder. I reckon she had driven a few miles with the flat and had wrecked it. They were 40% profile tyres.

 

She was only half a mile from home so I told her to drive slowly home as the tyre was gubbed anyway. Her hubby can take the wheel off and take it to the tyre shop.

 

A couple of hours later the doorbell rang and here he was asking if I had a jack, as not only does the car have no spare wheel, there isn't even a jack to take a wheel off.

 

All modern cars etc....

[richardmorris]

My parent 's new ds4 has the same. Apparently the space saver on lower spec cars doesn't fit the large brake calipers for the 19inch rims and brakes on the prestige spec.

 

Going in to work this morning a car going the other way on the a30 was making a terrific racket as its offside front wheel was flat. Only going slowly with a lot of cars behind but they showed no signs of pulling over.

 

Some people have no clue at all.

[320touring]

Pugsley is really starting to piss me off.

oh ffs!

 

sorry to see that chap.

[dave21478]

I have been considering selling the Panda as I envisage no real use for it. Today I took it out for a spin into town and its such a happy wee thing to drive that selling it would be like kicking a puppy.

Looks like it might be staying long-term, which means the gearbox will need looked at sooner or later.... Still clunking in reverse.

[Kiltox]

I assume a gearbox from a modern Panda won't fit? I have one for much cheapness if it will

[New POD]

My parent 's new ds4 has the same. Apparently the space saver on lower spec cars doesn't fit the large brake calipers for the 19inch rims and brakes on the prestige spec.

 

 

 

What you have to do, is remove a rear wheel, put the space saver on that, then move the rear wheel to the punctured front.

 

How do I know ? I fitted mk3 Cavalier Gsi Front brakes to a mk3 astra with 14 inch (Vauxhall) alloys and they only just fitted, as they would have been 15 inch on the GSi.  

The spare was a 13 inch. In fact I had 5x13 inch spares, but only one in the boot.

[LC Torana]

Sh!te goldmine, nay, the mother lode, for Rover tragics:

 

https://www.slatteryauctions.com.au/auction-catalogue/2570

[NorfolkNWeigh]

Last week I had a puncture, nothing unusual in that, when you do as many miles as I do it happens about twice a year.

But this time , I didn't realise until someone flashed me and I noticed the smoke coming out of the arch !

In a straight line on the M1 cruising at about 70*, there was no indication at that one of the rear tyres was disintegrating and about to catch fire.

Anyway pulled onto hard shoulder ,turfed passenger out( dippy 20 year rock chick from LA) then started to change the wheel, all going well until the poxy Jack moved pulling the plastic block thing out of the sill and nearly taking my fingers off- bollocks!

Called the RAC , then felt like a right wuss standing there waiting for someone to change it for me , like a girl.

RAC turned up in 10 mins took 5 to change the wheel and sent me on my way, to be fair he didn't treat me like a spaz, think he could see how embarrassed I was, the twisted Merc Jack got launched into the undergrowth.

[beko1987]

It's jack stories like that that make me happy that I keep my full size jack in the car. Infact whilst my cambelt/aux belt fun is going on, I have everything in the boot! All I would need to do is cadge a lift to euro car parts and back and I'd be able to fix it at the roadside....

 

When the AA came out to the Xantia the guy agreed with me as to my predicament, and sympathised that I just needed to get home to fix it. I imagine the recovery people can work out the incompetent tools from (us) who know exactly what to do, what tools are needed etc but cannot do it due to valid reasons.

[cobblers]

My Abarth 500 thing doesn't even come with a jack. There's a massive  recess that you could easily fit a decent spare wheel and jack etc in, but because of the fancy side skirts you can't use a scissor jack on the front pinch weld. So instead of making use of this massive 80cm X 40cm X 20cm area under the boot floor that used to house the wheel and jack and whatnot, they have a huge moulded polystyrene chunk filling the whole thing, with a tiny recess for a pump and some tyre weld. 

If they even gave half a shit they'd have atleast put a hole in it for the locking wheel nut key. They obviously didn't so I warmed an old bolt up with a blowlamp and made one.

[Lukas]

Like you all know, I sacked the idea of buying me a winter-car. And I have been quite happy to end this year without buying another car.

 

And today, this appeared. And it was good enough and I bought it.

 

 

More infos to come.

[SiC]

Like you all know, I sacked the idea of buying me a winter-car. And I have been quite happy to end this year without buying another car.

 

And today, this appeared. And it was good enough and I bought it.

 

 

More infos to come.

Never heard of a Hyundai Galloper before. According to Google Images, it looks quite a fun* thing to drive!

[Tayne]

Probably as much fun as a Mitsubishi Pikeyjero.

The horse logo looks a lot like the horse on Ford Mustangs.

[Lukas]

The Galloper II like the one on the picture above and like mine, is a facelifted Pajero Mk1, built by HDPIC (Hyundai Precision & Industries Corp.). Another part

of Hyundai, but not the same part of the company that builts the "regular" Hyundais.

 

At the end of 1990, Mitsubishi sold the machines and all the necessary gears to built the Pajero Mk1 to Korea. They started to built the Galloper. In the first years,

they looked exactly like the Pajero.

 

 

After some years, I think 1994, they got rectangular headlights and a different interieur.

 

 

And in 1998, they did a huge facelift. That´s the Galloper II:

 

 

This one above was actually mine, from 2008 until 2010.

 

This lifted version was sold in Europe and South America from 1998 until 2001 when the contract between HDPIC and Mitsubishi stopped. The other version were

not exported.

 

So the Galloper II is the cheaply built version of the last Pajero Mk1. They got AC and a drivers side airbag, but otherwise they are like the old Pajero. So they are

the youngest possible way to drive the old Pajero.

[Pillock]

My Astra had a wheel well in the boot, but the wheel to go in it was a £90 option.

 

I joked about it with the lease company and they seemed shocked that anyone would want to change a wheel. "You've got breakdown cover" they said.

[RobT]

I collected my new winter beater today, an XJ6 3.2 Sport. Text book purchase i.e. bought blind off gumtree in a rush, but I think I've got away with it. Has the odd clonk from the front, despite me asking the seller if it has any untoward noises, but it did the 70 miles home without a FTP or warning light appearing. Despite being MoTd every year it's only done 150 miles in the last five years, so I'm hoping the noises might go away with a bit of regular use. Plus it was cheap!

 

 

There's some history with it including the original bill of sale from Stratstone of Mayfair. 34 grand yet aircon was still an option at £1,700, with the auto 'box an 800 quid option. Flippin' Jaguar mingebags!

 

Nicely understated interior, although the leather seats aren't heated so it fails that winter beater test.

 

 

Plan is to just run it for 6 months and sell on to mitigate wallet pain.

[vulgalour]

... the twisted Merc Jack got launched into the undergrowth.

 

This might offend, it might not, but how similar to a Mk2 Mondeo does the back of that Mercedes look?  I was quite confused as to why you were using a Merc jack on a Mondeo at first (apart from obvious Autoshite habits, of course).

[dugong]

Anyone want a 605 diesel for spares and repairs?

 

At a loss with what to do with it following an MoT failure.

[Barry Cade]

Did you have the short bolts for putting the spare on the Merc? If you have alloys with long bolts you have to fit the steel spare with the sometimes supplied short bolts otherwise the bolts go too far in and wreck the handbrake shoes and fitting kit, and usually lock the wheel solid. Spare usually only fits on the back too. Same as Type R Civics...

[BorniteIdentity]

First tank of pez has been consumed by the ex Jerzy Woking Mercedes W124 300e.  To call it a 'combined cycle' would be pushing it a bit, the odd short journey but generally A and B roads.

 

29mpg.

 

Once up to speed, I get the feeling it's probably doing about 32/33.  It's just getting there that causes the drink to flow.

 

Pretty pleased all told.  I'm no hypermiler, but I'd like to see 30 out of this tank.  We'll see!