The new news 24 thread

[SiC]

2 hours ago, busmansholiday said:

We set off in plenty of time (10am), but sadly there's been a complete shit cart on the M5.

Was on the local news. Fiesta came off the M5 (drink and drugs - has been arrested). Lorry driver pulled over to give assistance and blocked the lane with his lorry. Another lorry went into the back of that lorry killing that driver. 

Sounds like a right mess. 

M4 was closed in both directions between Swindon and Hungerford junctions due to roadworks. Made it a right nightmare when we were going to Newbury today. 

[High Jetter]

2 hours ago, busmansholiday said:

So Mrs BMH booked us Sunday lunch at our local in Torbay for 4pm. We set off in plenty of time (10am), but sadly there's been a complete shit cart on the M5. We ended up traveling through middle England and the Cotswolds to avoid it and just made it time wise.

The positive was that we managed to see what was clearly the pre WWII Bentley Owners Club Sunday lunchtime Pimm's meeting; a lot of BA's withdraw 747's awaiting their fate at the Cotswolds Airport; numerous classics being given a gentle run in.the countryside (couldn't they have just fooked off or at least driven at the speed limit for once); and there had clearly been an AC Cobra replica meet somewhere near Bristol, given the number of Invacars, sorry, Dax copies that were on the M5.

Uh, when you say local...?

[busmansholiday]

9 hours ago, High Jetter said:

Uh, when you say local...?

Yep, down there many many times a year so are well known in the local pub.

[Supernaut]

10 hours ago, High Jetter said:

Uh, when you say local...?

Driving 6 hours to their local, they're just roleplaying as living in the Australian outback.

[iainrcz]

After "improving" my GT 86 it's still an acceptable motorway cruiser.
300 miles to Stirling and my ears and back still work nearly as well as they did.

[Zelandeth]

Summer.  As you can see we're doing this properly.

[richardmorris]

1 hour ago, Zelandeth said:

Summer.  As you can see we're doing this properly.

If it sounds loud the air filter has made a break for freedom (again ) you need go to screw it back so that the filter is flush with the housing.

I had the 2cv out on Sunday with the roof off too! Can’t be bettered for slow fun.

[holbeck]

The MINI has landed. 

Thanks to @gadgetgricey for a smooth transaction, very happy with it. Drove back to Devon sweet as a nut. 

Thanks also to @simon8201 for his time and assistance.

[Zelandeth]

1 hour ago, richardmorris said:

If it sounds loud the air filter has made a break for freedom (again ) you need go to screw it back so that the filter is flush with the housing.

I had the 2cv out on Sunday with the roof off too! Can’t be bettered for slow fun.

Noted. I'll check that in the morning before she goes anywhere else.

[richardmorris]

16 minutes ago, Zelandeth said:

Noted. I'll check that in the morning before she goes anywhere else.

They sound great with a popped air filter but the fuel consumption halves!

[Split_Pin]

A new pair of Falkens for the Audi and a puncture repair on the back left. The fronts were badly perished so had to go.

Surprisingly it was the young team at the tyre place that took an interest in it, the manager who looked about 35 didn't have even a clue what it was. "An A80?? as he unsuccessfully stabbed at his computer keyboard trying to find the wheel bolt torque settings.

I was a bit miffed on several counts because the tyre shop were moaning that the wheel bolts were way overtightened.  The garage that carried out the MOT in February and had replaced the ball joints and back brakes had tightened them up to 200nm when they are only supposed to be 125. But the tyre place only had a battery impact gun and a socket with a bar, the kind which any Tom, Dick or Harry has in their toolbox. They looked a bit inadequate for the job to be honest. They said if their tools broke that they would have to charge me for them.

I never mentioned that they probably needed a solid wheel key and extension tube and that I could remove wheel nuts as a 15 year old skinflint from a 40 ton lorry.

It is a good wee place though and they always fit you in and are reasonably priced.

Anyway, all wheel nuts are now at the correct torque and tyres are round, black and hold air.

I'm also toying with the idea of selling the Corsa again. I had a Clio 172 before they got expensive and now's the time to do the same with a Mini Cooper S R53.

I'd need to get a proper MOT on it first and not a Boris like it currently has. I'd also need to get another set of cheaper wheels as the white Speedlines on it are worth possibly double the value of the car and would be sold separately. I've had offers to buy it over the years but all from Vauxhall-ey people I know of and frankly dislike. So that'll probably all never happen!

[dozeydustman]

Sorting through a load of my paternal granddad’s stuff I find headed paper from my maternal granddad’s garage.

 

the business is still going (Grandad bought it from a Rootes Group dealer in 1960)

[Mally]

I never* used that sort of thing as a pro forma invoice in an accident claim, when someone ran into the back of my caravan.

[somewhatfoolish]

12 minutes ago, Mally said:

I never* used that sort of thing as a pro forma invoice in an accident claim, when someone ran into the back of my caravan.

Some headed note paper with the details from Ruffgeezer's dealer sticker would be good for that.  

[Zelandeth]

21 hours ago, richardmorris said:

If it sounds loud the air filter has made a break for freedom (again ) you need go to screw it back so that the filter is flush with the housing.

I had the 2cv out on Sunday with the roof off too! Can’t be bettered for slow fun.

Yep...that would explain why she's louder than I remembered...

Missing screw replaced, larger washers fitted all round and a bigger screw fitted to the one hole that was stripped out so wouldn't let the screw tighten up.

Still present, correct and secure after a run out.  Definitely a fair bit quieter!

[brownnova]

2CVs are so much fun aren’t they! ?

[Zelandeth]

56 minutes ago, brownnova said:

2CVs are so much fun aren’t they! ?

Can't be many things which compete for smiles per mile.

[dollywobbler]

Ah, but Citroen. I'm having bother with mine. Having scraped the GSA along a door, I've now been informed that it looks like the big ends are knocking on the 2CV. That's the engine I hastily assembled the day before setting off for Croatia last year. Annoyingly, Sparrow Automotive had just fixed an oil cooler leak (which he had to do because oil was getting on the brakes and making things 'interesting') and discovered the knock on a subsequent test drive. I have been hearing an odd vibration at speed, which I guess is related. Thought the tap I could hear was iffy valve clearances or piston slap. 

All the more annoying because the engine rebuild to 652cc began because of a previous oil cooler leak! That engine then ripped out a cylinder head stud, which is why I swapped the 652 kit to an entirely unknown engine I found at the back of my garage. As it happens, I have a complete engine stripped down, so may well find myself building up yet another engine. Which is annoying, as it pushes everything else down the priority list.

On the other hand, this was the drive to England yesterday.

And this was the drive home a bit later.

The red one is Pete's own car, built with a tweaked 720cc engine with 123 electronic ignition which is not only controlled by BlueTooth, but has vacuum advance too. The difference from my 652 is utterly remarkable! It flies, but is oh so tractable too. I'd sign up for a 720, but the cost of admission is about £2500-3000 once the hotted-up cam is fitted, the heads ported and the carburettor tweaked. 

I can't help wondering if I should have just rebuilt the engine with standard 602 pistons and barrels and maybe none of these issues would have happened. But then I do like the extra grunt of 652, even if it's some way from 720.

GSA mess

 

[richardmorris]

Any chance the engine conversion has caused the big ends to wear?  As for the 720, I am happy with the standard 2cv performance. A £3000 bill on top of the cost of a nice car is not what I think sensible- I had no idea it cost so much!. I have a sportscar for that sort of thing.

[Six-cylinder]

2 hours ago, Zelandeth said:

Yep...that would explain why she's louder than I remembered...

Missing screw replaced, larger washers fitted all round and a bigger screw fitted to the one hole that was stripped out so wouldn't let the screw tighten up.

Still present, correct and secure after a run out.  Definitely a fair bit quieter!

But I have a new one courtesy of Richardmorris.

[SmokinWaffle]

On 9/14/2020 at 8:55 PM, holbeck said:

The MINI has landed. 

Thanks to @gadgetgricey for a smooth transaction, very happy with it. Drove back to Devon sweet as a nut. 

Thanks also to @simon8201 for his time and assistance.

That's a hell of a roof!!

MX5 is having some time out in the garage, waiting for sealant to set for 24/48/72 (probably the latter as I'm busy tomorrow) after replacing the rear CAS O ring and camshaft cover, hopefully this will stop it doing such a good impression of a sieve all over the floor. Was planning to do the sump but I'll have to either lift the engine out or drop the subframe and front axle to do that so I'll see how much this helps first...

[paulplom]

A joiner in my street has just paid £520 for a cat back system for this.

He tried four different places and three of them couldn't even source one.

I think he's had his arse felt.  The car is hanging. The arches are rotten and every panel is dented. Poor bastard.

 

[dollywobbler]

12 hours ago, richardmorris said:

Any chance the engine conversion has caused the big ends to wear?  As for the 720, I am happy with the standard 2cv performance. A £3000 bill on top of the cost of a nice car is not what I think sensible- I had no idea it cost so much!. I have a sportscar for that sort of thing.

The bottom end is entirely unknown to me. It's an engine I acquired many years ago and it had been sitting outside. I threw it in the car, but ended up fitting the 652 kit as the bores were badly glazed and water damaged on the 602. That tells you what state the engine was in. 

Suggest you try a 720 before writing off the idea. The difference is remarkable.

[egg]

In India (where the car was built) they do gingercators for Hyundai i10s. Never standard of course. They're £2. From 'bigpartsboss'!

Postage probably horrendous.

https://www.partsbigboss.in/indicator-light-i-10-yellow-ag.html 

[richardmorris]

[Tadhg Tiogar]

^^
Pity that's not painted blue.

[Stanky]

10 minutes ago, richardmorris said:

Windows fallen off its runner?

incidentally these are tiny, I saw one in the metal a few years ago and was astonished how compact it was. Very pretty though

[Split_Pin]

The normall my lovely interior smell has been replaced with wet dog.

I pulled up the mats and the carpets are damp. The previous owner modified the sunroof drains to stop any leaks so I'm not sure what's causing this. 

It's all drying out just now but I need to investigate.

 

[dollywobbler]

1 hour ago, Stanky said:

Windows fallen off its runner?

 

Nope. That's as good as the opening gets on those.

[Stanky]

1 hour ago, dollywobbler said:

Nope. That's as good as the opening gets on those.

Given how 'focussed' these seem to be, I'm surprised that Lancia didn't just use a NACA duct or slidey vent in a fixed window glass. Does it sort of pivot around the bottom rear corner then when you wind it down?