The new news 24 thread

[Cord Fourteener]

Took the Passat on its first long run in my keeping. 

It's definitely very good at motorwaying, effortless acceleration all the way past legal speeds, practically any-gear overtaking even with full family and extra tat abort.

On Saturday we spent a couple of hours going quite fast each way, prioritising time over efficiency and still returned around 50mpg.

Today, again with family and tat an hour and a half on lazy A roads and around 55mpg. Again effortless. 

Good work, Passat. 

[dean36014]

Took my Bx into work tonight, my two babies together.

[Tadhg Tiogar]

3 hours ago, richardmorris said:

Get them started young! She’s in her French taxi uniform !

Needs to be equipped with a Gauloises or Gitanes....

[ruffgeezer]

Had a go at starting this big metal slag today... 

With the decompression lever open, it turns quite freely, and is a lot tighter with it shut which is positive. 

It doesn't appear to draw any fuel from the overhead tank, but that may e as the level in it is low. 

I can't see anywhere on it to set it to a starting position as mentioned in the manual, so I might have to clean it up some more tomorrow before I give it another go. 

 

[barefoot]

 Many years ago, my dad bought an Aveling Barford road folder for about fifty pounds to roll the village cricket pitch. It had a V twin diesel ŵith decompression levers on the tops of the cylinders. One bloke would crank it to buggery and another two would flip the levers. It always used to start. I was a teenager at the time, and used to drive it. The brake pedal was rusted solid, but if you just took it out of gear it would stop.

incidentally,  y iPad has gone mental and places the keyboard directly over the text I’m trying to write so I can’t see a thing. Anyone know what I’ve done wrong?

[STUNO]

Should have kept it, i'm sure road folders must be pretty rare nowadays.

[barefoot]

I've got my keyboard back in the right place!

The road roller was from the 1920' s or 30’s and had a two letter number plate. To drive it, you'd squeeze a lever on the top of the gear lever and push it forwards to go forwards or back to go backwards. The throttle was a hand lever on the rhs of the drivers seat. I used to be in trouble for giving it full bollock and making it clag ! It didn't go any faster.

 

[Lord Sterling]

Hmmm. I might* be able to sort out the clicking check-strap on the drivers door of the 407. Out of interest I was looking at it yesterday and noticed that one of the 10mm nuts were missing and other was very loose. I tightened up one with a handy 10mm spanner I keep in the car and the closing and opening the door was much quieter. I have some spare 10mm nuts so will try and fit one after work.

Edit*

Replacement wheel has just arrived:

The tyre is better than one currently on it.

Sadly the badge is missing but I could probably grab one off the current wheel or something. Its not important and can wait. This means I can take the car for a wash too on my next day off.

[stuboy]

Found and old supplement from news of the world

[Jenson Velcro]

On 4/3/2021 at 5:35 PM, HMC said:

All tastes catered for at a local village garage dead car park....

 

 

Horrabridge?

[richardmorris]

On 4/3/2021 at 9:07 PM, somewhatfoolish said:

Late registration madness with the X1/9?

No, G were common, and I think there is even an H in the club.

[Talbot]

On 4/3/2021 at 9:07 PM, somewhatfoolish said:

Late registration madness with the X1/9?

The last year of X1/9 sales was on a "G", and as far as I know they were all "Gran Finale" models.  I had two, both Blue and both on a "G", exactly like the one in the picture.

I've never seen one on an "H" though.  That would be late registration.

[Talbot]

2 minutes ago, richardmorris said:

No, G were common, and I think there is even an H in the club.

within seconds of each other.  How did we do that?

[HMC]

14 minutes ago, Jenson Velcro said:

Horrabridge?

Yes, that’s the one!

[artdjones]

What a way to spend a bank holiday.

[Tadhg Tiogar]

9 minutes ago, artdjones said:

What a way to spend a bank holiday.

There are worse ways. In previous years, you could get stuck with the relatives.

[Wilko220]

Not sure where best to share this but spotted this handy list of planned 2021 car shows, which might be of interest to some people:

https://www.hagerty.co.uk/articles/events-articles/motoring-events-in-2021-relight-your-fire-with-automotive-goodness-every-weekend/?fbclid=IwAR3-9r229Egw24FXn97ZDDPtFf27jTyglu5ChfFK6IsfARTGDg9jKfzJsxI

[richardmorris]

Back home after Easter with my sister’s bubble. Sunburn yesterday, snowing today!

 

[Pat Earrings]

Polished up the headlamps a treat. Wet and dry sandpaper and then plast x with a drill attachment. They weren't bad just needed doing and looks miles better. Acetone on the middle grille has brought it back to chrome which also look better, but I may just get another as the Saab lettering has its silver paint wear off. Unfortunately the wind tipped over my whole bottle so I can't do the other 2 but another bottle is on order. Loving this car.

[EssDeeWon]

Managed to get this moved and put away on Saturday.  Now garaged and SORN’d.  A bonus it’s been dry here recently so the car went away dry. 

[Bren]

First fire up of the rover since I overhauled the injectors and re plumbed the fuel system. It fired up straight away - previously it needed lots of cranking

[Yoss]

This hose reel holder has been attached to the side of our house, certainly since we bought it nine years ago, and I suspect an awful lot longer than that. 

It's been getting fragile for a few years and finally let go last week. 

What was left on the wall looked like some sort of medieval torture device. 

 

 

So I needed a replacement and had a little rummage in the garage. 

 

 

 

And came out with this. 

I hope to clean and polish it in the next few days. What could be cooler than having a Dolomite Sprint wheel stuck to the side of your house, and actually serving a purpose too. 

Even better, it's held on to the wall by two Triumph 1300 sump bolts. 

These were the longest bolts I had. They still don't quite stick out the other side but there's enough length to keep the wheel in place quite happily. If I turned the wheel round they would poke through but then it wouldn't look like a Sprint wheel would it? 

I have tried drilling a slightly bigger hole on the inside of the wall (it's only a single skinned porch) to recess nuts into. 

This is a trial fitting. I'm not going to do it properly until I've cleaned the wheel up and even then I might not bother as it seems to be sitting there quite happily as it is. 

[Jenson Velcro]

Thank fk that’s over Not surprisingly I found more work was required but done now. I also have a list to tackle over the next few months....but it is at least ready for work this week.

By way of a change I finished the machining of my cylinder head holder. This will allow me to hold the cylinder head from an old pedal and pop moped I’m building up, and skim it in the lathe. 
 

Too many projects and not enough time.

[ruffgeezer]

16 hours ago, ruffgeezer said:

Had a go at starting this big metal slag today... 

With the decompression lever open, it turns quite freely, and is a lot tighter with it shut which is positive. 

It doesn't appear to draw any fuel from the overhead tank, but that may e as the level in it is low. 

I can't see anywhere on it to set it to a starting position as mentioned in the manual, so I might have to clean it up some more tomorrow before I give it another go. 

 

Still no real joy, there's a thud through the exhaust but no real sign of life. 

[Saabnut]

7 minutes ago, ruffgeezer said:

Still no real joy, there's a thud through the exhaust but no real sign of life. 

Have you bled the fuel system through? There is not much else to go wrong with these. Make sure there is fuel in the tank and wind over with the decompressor lever engaged a few dozen turns. Crack off the fuel supply line a couple of turns or so and wind over until fuel comes out from the joint.  Close up the pipe fitting almost all the way, then wind over whilst nipping it up. Wind up to a fair speed and drop the compressor lever and sit back in a cloud of smoke and noise.

[Sh'Eds]

Had a reasonably productive weekend, though Saturday was a write off due to Covid jab reaction. 

Got rear differential installed, new fuel lines run and most of rear suspension back in place. 

Did manage to find a leaky brake pipe so that's another job to add to the list.

Even had a helper for some of it, though he disappeared before the fun* bit of installing a 34 year old composite spring which require more jacking tension than seemed reasonable.

 

[Tadhg Tiogar]

Just after taking the CX out for a run in the sun. Nothing noteworthy to report. 

[ruffgeezer]

1 hour ago, Saabnut said:

Have you bled the fuel system through? There is not much else to go wrong with these. Make sure there is fuel in the tank and wind over with the decompressor lever engaged a few dozen turns. Crack off the fuel supply line a couple of turns or so and wind over until fuel comes out from the joint.  Close up the pipe fitting almost all the way, then wind over whilst nipping it up. Wind up to a fair speed and drop the compressor lever and sit back in a cloud of smoke and noise.

Yeah I think it'll benefit from some more fuel in the tank, I might grab a can of fresh diesel as the nearest place to get red is a fair way out of my way. 

[HMC]

I drove the 280 today and held it in 2nd and 3rd along some favourite roads.

Verdict- much more body roll than a w210 but also a far more satisfying wail at higher revs.

 

[Lord Sterling]

12 hours ago, Lord Sterling said:

Hmmm. I might* be able to sort out the clicking check-strap on the drivers door of the 407. Out of interest I was looking at it yesterday and noticed that one of the 10mm nuts were missing and other was very loose. I tightened up one with a handy 10mm spanner I keep in the car and the closing and opening the door was much quieter. I have some spare 10mm nuts so will try and fit one after work.

Edit*

Replacement wheel has just arrived:

The tyre is better than one currently on it.

Sadly the badge is missing but I could probably grab one off the current wheel or something. Its not important and can wait. This means I can take the car for a wash too on my next day off.

Yep! Sorted out the door. No more clicking for the check strap! All it needed was one nut tightening and another added and tightened. Silver nut at the bottom is the newly added nut.

Silent door opening and closing now in motion.

Wheel has been unwrapped, cleaned and put into the boot. I haven't got my breaker bar so will grab on my next day off and swap the wheel over.

The tyre on it is almost like new but one of those craply named 'Goodride' tyre. Its a lot better than the one on the incorrect alloy which is starting to crack along the sidewall.