The new news 24 thread

[R9UKE]

It's been too long, shiters.  Pursuing the dream of building a moderately successful car sales business (why would anyone in their right mind even want to?) has taken up a lot of life recently.  

But I'm currently on holiday in The States visiting family for Thanksgiving and what better way to fill my gift of time than trawling almost a year of missed posts on here.

Also..... my daily for the past few months has a been a 2006 Nissan Murano 3.5 V6 on LPG.  I have PLENTY to write about on that front so I'll get to it soon.  In the mean time, take a look at what I'm coming home to next week.  NU DAILY ALERT!  A 2003 Vel Shatis, in poverty spec.  It's a 2.0 Turbo Expression, with a manual gearbox and 99k miles.  Old chap bought it with 12miles on the clock, yes twelve miles.  Renault had it on their forecourt at the list price of just over £22k.  He offered them £12,500 and they bit his arm off.  It now has 99k miles, MOT until February of next year and I paid £200.  Should be plenty of "character" to keep me entertained over the Christmas break.

Nice to check-in again, look forward to catching up.

Luke

[egg]

2 hours ago, angle said:

At the risk of this being the dullest thing I've posted in months, ECP have got a load of Valeo wipers on clearance - a full set for the Laguna is £3.50...

Thanks, great heads up (even though I'm not a fan of Valeo blades) but they won't deliver to me, and nowhere local in stock. Boo hoo!

[wuvvum]

The Sonata passed its retest today.  That means I have a worryingly high number of road-legal vehicles at the moment, especially for this time of year.  I'm going to have to have a look at the clutch as that's playing up a bit - think it's a hydraulic issue, going to try bleeding it and see if that helps - hoping it's not a leaky slave as they are inside the bellhousing on these.  Still perfectly drivable as it is though.

Got the door card back on the Elantra yesterday and spent some time reseating the window seals - with the addition of a small piece of Gorilla tape at the topmost rear corner where the seal has a bit missing.  It's definitely quietened it down noticeably, although it's still not what you'd call a refined car...

Also ordered some wiper blades from ECP - the Bl*ck Fr*day discount brought the price of some of the blades down to about 60p, which I'm not going to complain at, even if it is a bit out of my way to go and fetch them.

[andy18s]

Any needing parts?

[Lord Sterling]

I think another spring on the Vectra has gone.... a faint clunky sound can be heard as I turn the front left and right. Booked in for Saturday. 

[xtriple]

Just bought oil and filter from Opie oils, 8 litres of Mobil 1  5/40 and a Mahle filter for £65 delivered. I didn't think that was bad? That's with the 15% Black discount code for a first order. So now with the vaccumm pump that no 1 son has bought me for Christmas (I've bought him one as well!) an oil change done by my own fair hand will be performed, probably over Christmas cos I get bored!

[MikeR]

Ironically my car is in good nick . unlike me .

Whats the chances if i cant drive it for ages it will start playing up !!!! 

[cms206]

After a ten day wait we finally got the results of my mum's post mortem. She didn't suffer, thankfully.

We have been charging on behind the scenes to get everything in place. Provisionally booked the crematorium for this Friday, the lot.

Gets the death certificate at 2pm.

Goes to a prebooked appointment at 3pm to register her death.

Can't do it... according to the certificate she passed away on December 14th 2019.

I am therefore up at 6.30am to go to the mortuary to get another death certificate, to then travel across two fucking council areas at rush hour to register her death. IF there is another fuck up I need to postpone the funeral 'cos the paperwork has to be with the crematorium by midday at the very latest.

Stressed. Out. Of. My. Fucking. Tits.

[New POD]

2 hours ago, MikeR said:

Ironically my car is in good nick . unlike me .

Whats the chances if i cant drive it for ages it will start playing up !!!! 

I'll put some miles on it for you. 

[MorrisItalSLX]

Don’t drink and eBay kids!

FUCK.

To be fair, I did want it. But bugger me, that’s expensive.

[LightBulbFun]

26 minutes ago, MorrisItalSLX said:

Don’t drink and eBay kids!

FUCK.

To be fair, I did want it. But bugger me, that’s expensive.

if it makes you feel any better! *glances over at the now empty cup of hot chocolate*

(what you cant see is Shipping was another AU$28...)

[anonymous user]

6 hours ago, MorrisItalSLX said:

Don’t drink and eBay kids!

FUCK.

To be fair, I did want it. But bugger me, that’s expensive.

That does look nice, how much is that in real money? My house is full of random stuff that I wanted but didn't need, don't be concerned as long as that wasn't your eating money, although it's surprising how well you can survive on noodle sandwiches (for a short while)

[MarvinsMom]

we had a phone like that growing up. 

well not quiet like that, as ours was beige, not chromed.

but it was phone just like that.....

[BorniteIdentity]

Today I found myself in the middle of a Funeral.

I was coming out of the Grand Arcade car park in Cambridge - swung left onto Trumpington Street and there was a hearse outside Pembroke College.  "Weird" I thought - the church is on the other side of the road, about 500 yards up.  

Notwithstanding, as the coffin was taken out of the hearse, I stopped the Avensis as awkwardly as I could to prevent any cyclists/mopeds/oncoming traffic from passing - turned down the radio, took off my hat and allowed the guys to do their job without fear of being run over.  Once they'd got out of the road, one smiled at me - and I was on my way.

It was only at 5pm this afternoon I realised who the deceased was.

As a fellow of Cambridge, he was entitled to a funeral at the college.  

I'm only 36, but I loved CJ on the TV.  Not that many people are as honest and as straightforward as he was.  

When I mentioned the above anecdote to my lady wife, she finally confessed that her team at the hospice had been caring for him for quite some time now.  I, quite correctly, had no idea.

The most striking thing was the coffin.  Clive James was, professionally, a very succesful man.  He had a beautiful home and an even more beautiful family.  But it was a stark reminder that we all enter and exit this world in the same simple way.  His was a plain, unadorned vessel.

I don't need to further sharpen the point I'm making. 

[Mally]

Can't bring myself to press the like button on that, but your point makes perfect sense.

[somewhatfoolish]

Given he's been mortally ill for a decade or so he's done fairly well.

[bramz7]

Just picked this up. Same owner since 2002. It's done 105k, and the 2.4 10V engine sounds good. No odd noises from there at least, and by gum it shifts. Oddly low revving at 70. 

 

Plenty of niggles being an Alfa, and of course they are suspension related, and I think a wheel bearing is going bad. The handling is still very good, so it's not all bad. Thermostat not working properly though, as it runs far too cool. 

Could be a lot worse mind you. 

 

The seller was Italian too. 

[High Jetter]

3 hours ago, BorniteIdentity said:

Today I found myself in the middle of a Funeral.

No disrepect to CJ or you memories, but his passing was only announced today - are you sure it was his funeral?

[Tadhg Tiogar]

1 minute ago, High Jetter said:

No disrepect to CJ or you memories, but his passing was only announced today - are you sure it was his funeral?

He died on Sunday last, but his death was only announced today. It meant that his arrangements to be disposed of efficiently could be carried out. 

[High Jetter]

Thanks, didn't know that. Stylish, classy and understated. RIP, CJ.

[Tadhg Tiogar]

1 hour ago, High Jetter said:

..... RIP, CJ.

I particularly liked his observations of Japanese telly, especially game shows (which led indirectly to Tarrant on TV), and for introducing the boa brandisher Señora Margarita Pracatan. Where is she now?

[somewhatfoolish]

Murdering songs in a cabaret somewhere probably.

[MorrisItalSLX]

7 hours ago, anonymous user said:

That does look nice, how much is that in real money? My house is full of random stuff that I wanted but didn't need, don't be concerned as long as that wasn't your eating money, although it's surprising how well you can survive on noodle sandwiches (for a short while)

All in it is about £100, which is the going rate for these phones when the turn up for sale (which is not often). I suppose it can be my Christmas present to myself this year, good thing I like noodle sandwiches!

6 hours ago, MarvinsMom said:

we had a phone like that growing up. 

well not quiet like that, as ours was beige, not chromed.

but it was phone just like that.....

That would be a Telecom Australia Model 802 “Colorfone” In either Light Ivory or Topaz Yellow, like the one at the top of this 70s brochure (Assuming you grew up in Australia, that is).

 

[somewhatfoolish]

What witchcraft do they have in the portable telephone section?

[MorrisItalSLX]

4 hours ago, somewhatfoolish said:

What witchcraft do they have in the portable telephone section?

[somewhatfoolish]

Phwoar. 

[BorniteIdentity]

8 hours ago, High Jetter said:

No disrepect to CJ or you memories, but his passing was only announced today - are you sure it was his funeral?

Oh aye. A funeral at Pembroke College would be a once/twice a year affair.

[Tadhg Tiogar]

7 hours ago, somewhatfoolish said:

Murdering songs in a cabaret somewhere probably.

https://youtu.be/VMOWwg_IoAw

1 hour ago, somewhatfoolish said:

Phwoar. 

 

[MarvinsMom]

11 hours ago, MorrisItalSLX said:

All in it is about £100, which is the going rate for these phones when the turn up for sale (which is not often). I suppose it can be my Christmas present to myself this year, good thing I like noodle sandwiches!

That would be a Telecom Australia Model 802 “Colorfone” In either Light Ivory or Topaz Yellow, like the one at the top of this 70s brochure (Assuming you grew up in Australia, that is).

 

ours was rented off GPO telephones. as it was i think back in 1972 when my parents got it put in... they must have been buying telephones from the same place as the australians!

it was exactly the same as the one shown in the top picture, and it was tied to the wall with a big junction box thing with a big assed screw through the middle of it. 

that phone was still in our house when we moved out in 1993, my dad was far too tight to pay, "PAY" british telecom to come and change it!!

 

[Mr_Bo11ox]

14 hours ago, bramz7 said:

Just picked this up. Same owner since 2002. It's done 105k, and the 2.4 10V engine sounds good. No odd noises from there at least, and by gum it shifts. Oddly low revving at 70. 

 

Plenty of niggles being an Alfa, and of course they are suspension related, and I think a wheel bearing is going bad. The handling is still very good, so it's not all bad. Thermostat not working properly though, as it runs far too cool. 

Could be a lot worse mind you. 

 

The seller was Italian too. 

Have you still got your black 146? Nice fleet if so!!