The new news 24 thread

[richardmorris]

Hmm, just looked at the mot history. Not particularly loved! Cords exposed on the tyres after several years of  advisories, ball joints, floor rusting, brake pipes. 

[hairnet]

2 hours ago, richardmorris said:

I’m very taken with that E430 on the eBay thread. Anyone fancy a w124 coupe? 

@Conan

[wuvvum]

Took the diesel C2 into Norwich earlier to go to the big Tesco.  On the way home I reset the trip computer to see what mpg it'd get on that run (which I'd be doing every day under normal circumstances). 

That'll do. 

[Cord Fourteener]

1 minute ago, wuvvum said:

Took the diesel C2 into Norwich earlier to go to the big Tesco.  On the way home I reset the trip computer to see what mpg it'd get on that run (which I'd be doing every day under normal circumstances). 

That'll do. 

Not bad!

[PhilA]

6 hours ago, Yoss said:

In the very old days we (postmen) used to travel in the back of those 

It's still legal to ride in the back of a pickup truck here, sat in the cargo bed- so long as you are sat on the floor and not the wheel arch or side of the bed.

It is not a requirement to have a tailgate either when carrying pax in the back, only recommended.

Sitting on a flatbed is disallowed, however.

Phil

[wuvvum]

When I had a summer job in North Carolina back in 1999, I was the only one who was allowed to drive the boss's Dodge Ram pickup (because I'd lived in France and was therefore used to driving on the wrong side of the road).  On 4th July I drove the whole house (about 12 of us if memory serves) into town to see the fireworks - three in the cab and 9 in the bed - I thought I was bound to get moaned at by the local constabulary but they didn't bat an eyelid.

[ruffgeezer]

Whilst the Fiesta got it's Mot after work on Thursday, I spent a bit of time making this little lady watertight;

The elderly owner lived close to the garage and had an 'incident' last year whereby the RH mirror got hit against a passing tractor and as a result smashed the side window. 

We ordered the parts in but by the time they arrived from Hyundai, she had decided to stop driving. 

 

 

This weekend the boss will be having a look underneath to see if it will pass another mot, and then it will be up for sale/ roffle to find it a new home. 

[Yoss]

^^ Okay, I can't quite top that but in an even earlier life I was working at a meat factory in Chandlers Ford. I'd been there a while doing various jobs when I got a transfer to nights which was cleaning out all the machines with a pressure washer. Started at 8pm which was fine as I could get the bus in, Hampshire Bus VR or ex London DMS, but we finished about 2 AM. A fellow night worker had a VW T2 pick up. This was pre VW scene tax or contrived rat look, it was just an old van. He already gave somebody a lift home so the front was full but I was welcome to hop in the back. I was only doing it for a few months before I went back on days but the novelty never wore off. Sitting in the back of a pick up at 2 AM was always fun. The option was an hours walk (it was before I had passed my test) which might have helped. 

[catsinthewelder]

19 hours ago, Asimo said:

I now have rear gingercators! Thanks to @vulgalour for suggesting the Tamiya paint. It has worked perfectly. 

 

Well done on getting it going, please could you pass on the paint tip as I was at the point of taping Quality Street wrappers to the back of the Sherpa as it's Chinesium LED rear lights have faded to clear on the indicators.

[wuvvum]

How's the Sherpa coming along Rich?  Looking forward to it being back on the road so I can race you round the FOD in the Iveco.

[beko1987]

18 minutes ago, wuvvum said:

How's the Sherpa coming along Rich?  Looking forward to it being back on the road so I can race you round the FOD in the Iveco.

You'd be lapped by the invacar... 

[wuvvum]

We'd be lapped by the fugging dumper Sam.

[Royale80]

Took the Royale around the block to warm everything up. Brakes very good now. Will swap the door maybe in the summer! (have had a spare for 5 years) and put the wheel centres on. Only got Opel centers - but can only see if you really look!

 

[Asimo]

2 hours ago, catsinthewelder said:

Well done on getting it going, please could you pass on the paint tip as I was at the point of taping Quality Street wrappers to the back of the Sherpa as it's Chinesium LED rear lights have faded to clear on the indicators.

This is the stuff, from model shops or eBay. It adheres really well to the polycarbonate lenses.  I sprayed the lenses inside and outside until they looked right, about 4 coats in all.

[egg]

Saw this Mondeo with gingercators, as we're on the topic. I actually like it. 

[dean36014]

Tinted the ones on my bx, much prefer it.

[richardmorris]

1 hour ago, dean36014 said:

Tinted the ones on my bx, much prefer it.

The original series 1 BXs had the smaller indicators which were orange. I’ve not seen someone do what you have but it looks good.

[Cavcraft]

A couple of attempts at checking too see the gearbox etc of the Wartburg proved fruitless.

However, the lad who bought it messaged me before and he’d ‘got the bonnet open’

 

 

[wuvvum]

Good to see he's cracking on.  It does look like a solid old thing from that photo I have to say.

[brownnova]

If I’d bought it I’d still be looking blankly at it... and it might have got started in 2023.... 

[Cord Fourteener]

On 1/21/2021 at 7:42 PM, davehedgehog31 said:

 

 

But does it make yer tea taste better?

[Cord Fourteener]

12 hours ago, wuvvum said:

How's the Sherpa coming along Rich?  Looking forward to it being back on the road so I can race you round the FOD in the Iveco.

Sounds like a race I could bring my 740 to and win... There aren't many of those.

[Cord Fourteener]

9 hours ago, egg said:

Saw this Mondeo with gingercators, as we're on the topic. I actually like it. 

It turns out I either need to do this at the rear of my MK3 or buy new bulbs. MOT man told me.

[auntiemaryscanary]

Puts waiting for a V5 into perspective.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jan/23/minister-faces-fury-over-mass-covid-outbreak-at-top-government-agency

[richardmorris]

[N19]

Much less fun sideways in this week's snow. I left to pick up a few bits from screwfix when it was sleeting, by the time I was there it was coming thick and fast. 

Temperature gauge going quite high on the way back, I think my efforts to stop leaks have been successful, I've been in the habit of topping the coolant up to just above max, when I got home and loosened the cap it puked quite a bit up. Hopefully normality restored...

Oh, and I'm off out at 5 to go to work...

[New POD]

I haven't used the omega since Christmas due to wife having a car and the fact that we use that for local trips.

Obviously the battery is flat.  So jump leads off the Astra and it started fine. Reversed it onto the shared drive so i can put my battery charger on it.  

Which is in the boot. The ignition needs to be off to open the boot. 

Then The boot won't open due to low battery. 

So I try to start it. No. 4 mins of idling is not enough to get enough charge. 

So I have to use the Astra to get it open, with jump leads, and then I can start it again.

Only now it won't rev above 1500 RPM and is throwing up ignition fault codes and the traction control light is on.

Get my new fault code reader.  Thank you farther christmess. 

Fault codes erased. 

So now I go to turn the ignition off so i can put the charger on.  No the charger won't work below 9v, so i have to put the jump leads on, get it started again. Connect the charger with the engine running (I was questioning the wisdom, but thought ah fuck it) 

Once the charger is working, the engine off, and back indoors for a cup of tea.

I'll give it until lights out. 

 

And then I'll put it on again tomorrow morning.  

Last time. I found I needed 3 sessions of about 4 hours to get the battery holding full charge.  

Of course the battery may be fucked but hey. 

[brownnova]

OMGSNOKAOS!!

Or... a Saab in its natural habitat... 

 

Considering you can see the sea from our garden this is very unusual! 

[Cord Fourteener]

I hear even the South is getting snow! Here is snow in the Highlands of North East Wales, so a few hundred metres higher and a bit more inland than @brownnova

[brownnova]

Show off 😉