The new news 24 thread

[Timewaster]

I've tried pulling the cable with pliers but its refusing to budge.

[greengartside]

Or a bfo long screwdriver to poke the mechanism? Is it two catches on these?

 

I've no idea where I'm meant to be prodding the mechanism. PO has disconnected the cable from the handle inside and I've tried pulling on the cable with a pair of mole grips but no dice. If I look through the space where the grille used to be then I can see (from left to right), the air intake then the main spring and closing spring next to it which I've disconnected.

[ruffgeezer]

This little devil had a bit of a moment outside work today, there is a long, slight gradient into the village that has seen off many a dodgy cooling system...

[wuvvum]

I bought a new daily today.  Hadn't been intending to, it's just one of those things that sorta happened.  The Rover of Doom has been having issues with its tuning box, so I was browsing through eBay trying to see if I could find a replacement.  I did a search for "Rover diesel tuning" and this came up in the related items box:

 

 

At first glance it looks like a boggo giffer spec 15-year-old Rover 45 saloon, although the MG ZS 180 alloys give a hint that all may not be completely standard.  I had a read through the spec, which I was quite impressed with, luzzed on what I thought was a silly low bid and ended up winning it.  It has a couple of issues, the most urgent among which is the NSR trailing arm bush which needs replacing, but it's fully operational and road-legal and it has working aircon, which I'm finding more and more of an essential fitting on a daily as I get older (I took the Moog Mondeo in to work this morning despite it being in limp mode, as it was the only car with a/c in the fleet).

 

It's had a lot of work done and a lot of money spent - as it's late and I'm tired I'm just going to copy and paste from the eBay ad:

 

 

 

It has all the Dark Ice Designs mods. decat pipe and custom cat back stainless performance exhaust from longlife bought off the MG Rover.org forum group buys as well as Roose boost hoses, SDI injectors, free flow turbo outlet pipe with roose silicone reducer pipe, cone air filter, MG ZS straights (17" alloy wheels) boost guage,
It has the ceramic fan speed regulator upgrade, ice cold air con as well!

Braking.
MG ZS 180 front brakes and master cylinder and servo and braided brake hoses all round. car has a nice firm pedal and stops very well. needs pads replacing but have brembo ones included in sale.

Chassis stiffening.
Front Dark ice designs strut brace, rear upper Dark ice strut/tower brace, rear motobuild middle strut brace and motobuild rear lower brace between lower arms under car, this car has almost no lift off over-steer and corners really well.

Suspension.
MG ZS180 shocks and springs all round new old stock from Brown and Gammons a few years ago.
The front suspension has every poly-bush available as well as the one for the steering rack as used on some track cars.
Needs 2 rear trailing arm bushes one is included.
 
Transmission.
Rebuilt PG1 Gearbox with Rover LSD, (remember this is geared for the L series Diesel engine)
The car has the Dark Ice Designs short shift kit as well as all the poly bushes for the gear leaver including the one at the gearbox end on the stabilizer bar.
The gearbox has a new Rover LSD fitted a year or so ago and the gearbox was rebuilt a few years before that but this time when the new LSD was fitted we had std plastic caged bearings fitted rather than the metal ones (after a lot of discussion).  Also the rest of the gearbox was checked while it was out and was in good condition needing no parts except a drive shaft oil seal.
New recon driveshafts a couple of years ago.
A new N/S/F wheel bearing was fitted a month ago.

Engine.
Standard Rover L series, no head work or port matching but the inlet manifold was cleaned out a few times.
The Engine is new old stock short engine with the head and timing belt fitted from Rover garage crow lane romford about 40k miles ago at the time of fitting everything was checked new hoses fitted as well as water pump, new oil hoses were also fitted.
The timing belt was changed a couple of years ago but not the pump belt.
It has what are known as SDI injectors from the older Rover diesels which gives an extra 30bhp above the standard injectors on later cars.
The roose boost hoses, decat pipe and stainless custom exhaust and the uprated turbo outlet pipe help to reduce restrictions in the system which allows the turbo to spool much faster which enables the turbo to give full boost very quickly, which means more instant feel to the turbo, also the boost is set at  the optimum 19psi.
In the last few years it has had a new maf sensor. The EGR Is blanked. l changed 3 of the glow plugs a few months ago.

 

 

There is a proper impressive folder of receipts with it.  The only thing it hasn't had done is a remap, which I might eventually get done if I decide to keep it.  It's plenty quick enough as it is though, probably similar in outright performance to the Rover of Doom but (even) more responsive due to a more sophisticated injector pump setup and less restrictive turbo piping.  It also handles and stops far, far better.  Only annoying thing is the gear lever is even buzzier than on the RoD, which I'll have a look at at some point.  I might fit smaller wheels to it, both to keep it understated and to reduce the cost of replacement tyres, but otherwise it's pretty much perfect spec-wise.  So it's going to take over daily duties from the RoD for a while, then I'll decide which one to keep...

[Ghosty]

Looks brilliant on those wheels, bet it goes OK too.

[Brodders]

Although I am not a huge fan of those alloy wheels, I have to say that looks very nice, especially with the pre-project drive, 75 style, seats. I reckon that is a pretty high spec one if its got leather seats and air conditioning, as the bottom of the range ones didn't get goodies like that at all.

 

I agree with fitting the smaller standard wheels though, it will make it more shocking for those you fly past when you overtake them and be slightly more comfortable than the ones fitted at the moment.

 

Well bought and good luck with it. I for one am looking forward to seeing more of this.

[Spottedlaurel]

I bought a new daily today.............

 

Clearout's going well then?!

 

Would this be suitable for the next Marham weekend? Sept/Oct is what they were saying.

[tooSavvy]

Today's 'page count' comes sponsored by Austin

 

TS

[Kiltox]

I've no idea where I'm meant to be prodding the mechanism. PO has disconnected the cable from the handle inside and I've tried pulling on the cable with a pair of mole grips but no dice. If I look through the space where the grille used to be then I can see (from left to right), the air intake then the main spring and closing spring next to it which I've disconnected.

With a smashed grill you will be able to open it but it still takes ages to work out how you need to move the catch. Had this on a Vectra C when the cable came off the catch end which is what will have happened here too

[wuvvum]

Clearout's going well then?!

As always...

 

Would this be suitable for the next Marham weekend? Sept/Oct is what they were saying.

This would be ace round Marham.  I'll keep my eye on the website.

[bramz7]

Bottled it, cancelled the bid on the car without MOT.

I need the money from the upcoming AX sale to fix the 405s niggles more than I need a rusty Renault...

[egg]

the owner was just popping out to Morrisons for some milk...

 

 

 

 

 

[egg]

Following it's MOT pass, it is a nice day for a pollen filter change on the ole Fusion, as I haven't done it since Jan 2015.

 

Mahle  OEM 'upgrade'

 

 

In true modernz service part style, I have to get my lithe* agile* frame under here for four torx screws

 

 

Despite this car being built in Köln, Ford's ongoing commitment to Total Quality Management can be seen by this perfect* wing/sill gap.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[r.welfare]

I hate restricted access jobs like that. Unfortunately I have agreed to help my brother change the final stage resistor (also known as a hedgehog) in his E46 3 series tomorrow which is well known as a bugger of a job because you can hardly get to, and cannot see, one of the bolts.

[egg]

Anyone any experience of Goodyear efficient grip performance? Needed for the front, £67 per side for my Fusion.

 

http://www.blackcircles.com/catalogue/goodyear/efficientgrip-performance/195/60/R15/V/88/f?tyre=32108742

[Bobthebeard]

Anyone any experience of Goodyear efficient grip performance? Needed for the front, £67 per side for my Fusion.http://www.blackcircles.com/catalogue/goodyear/efficientgrip-performance/195/60/R15/V/88/f?tyre=32108742

Depends on how fast you drive....

IMHO grip from tyres is not really relevant for most people. Unless spirited driving. Tyre wear and tyre life being more important generally.

I have had many a tyre fitted that 'the Internet wisdom ' concluded I would end up either dead in a hedge or needing replacement tyres in 2000 miles. Neither happened. Have had some great tyres for £67 or less.

[egg]

Agreed, I just like the low noise rating on these (68db), I might hear the radio without being deafened!

[320touring]

I fitted Dunlop sport bluresponse to the fabia- great grip, seem to be wearing well and were cheap:)national did have a deal on them

[Bobthebeard]

I suspect that most would struggle to find any difference between budget tyres and the most expensive brands in general usage. Just a matter of 'what is in your head'. Marketing innit.

So a tyre wears out in 10,000 miles that cost, say £43.

Market leading tyre lasts 20,000 miles but costs £103.

Unless you are a driving god(ess) and it really matters then I see little point. Unless marketing and stuff actually matters to you.

Branding is big money to the branders. If that is actually a word.

[egg]

Those Dunlop's are similar price/rating, maybe I'll go for them. At 15 years old and 110,000 miles (I do about 6,000 a year in it), this is probably its last pair.

[egg]

I suspect that most would struggle to find any difference between budget tyres and the most expensive brands in general usage. Just a matter of 'what is in your head'. Marketing innit.

So a tyre wears out in 10,000 miles that cost, say £43.

Market leading tyre lasts 20,000 miles but costs £103.

Unless you are a driving god(ess) and it really matters then I see little point. Unless marketing and stuff actually matters to you.

Branding is big money to the branders. If that is actually a word.

I agree with a lot of that, local indy want £48 for their cheap brand. It's running on maxxis at the mo.

[Bobthebeard]

My MG ZT is now fitted with four new Hankook Ventus V12 low profile tyres..

In a moment of madness I splashed out on them. Given my driving habits/skills it seemed to handle just as well on the 'on limit' budget tyres already fitted. But I am no driving god.

[320touring]

I suspect that most would struggle to find any difference between budget tyres and the most expensive brands in general usage. Just a matter of 'what is in your head'. Marketing innit.

So a tyre wears out in 10,000 miles that cost, say £43.

Market leading tyre lasts 20,000 miles but costs £103.

Unless you are a driving god(ess) and it really matters then I see little point. Unless marketing and stuff actually matters to you.

Branding is big money to the branders. If that is actually a word.

Having had worn michelins on the front of the Fabia prior, the new dunnies are allowing a thing called 'turn in'...most useful and cheaper than new Michelin's to boot:)

[Bobthebeard]

I have no clue about 'turn in'.

I just drive the cars....

So far so good.

Lol

[tooSavvy]

 But I am no driving god.

 

 

.....Ah! Wrong God......

 

 

TS

[Bobthebeard]

 

.....Ah! Wrong God......

 

 

TS

Hindu? Or just a random elephant God? Lol

[dean36014]

Anyone any experience of Goodyear efficient grip performance? Needed for the front, £67 per side for my Fusion.

 

http://www.blackcircles.com/catalogue/goodyear/efficientgrip-performance/195/60/R15/V/88/f?tyre=32108742

Got these on the front of my ZX 1.9d. It can spin them up quite easily by mistake, and the wet weather performance doesn't seem to have improved it in the wet either. Maybe i was expecting to much.

[tooSavvy]

BtB Hindu? Or just a random elephant God? Lol

 

 

^^ Dunno - bet its on one crossply and radial across the axle + 2 are bald!

 

TS

[reb]

So this happened a year ago today.

3 cars and many many thousands of miles later, I think it's possibly the most expensive thing I've ever done.

 

Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk

[tooSavvy]

So this happened a year ago today.

3 cars and many many thousands of miles later, I think it's possibly the most expensive thing I've ever done.

 

Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk

 

... so then, do you introduce yourself as 'Black'.... bit like Morse?

 

TS