The new news 24 thread

[Angrydicky]

17 hours ago, BorniteIdentity said:

Honey Harman was a solid 14/9.

 

I'd forgotten about her! She was gorgeous. 

Sam Nixon was another one who used to be lovely.

[PhilA]

12 hours ago, PhilA said:

Talking to some Mopar guys to get a better idea of what kind of Frankenstein's monster this engine is.

So far there's been a fair bit of "wtf".

Ok, so engine numbers have been uncovered from under many layers of paint and decoded.

Both engine blocks I have are 318's; the one in the car is a 1973 engine, the spares block a '72.

Apparently it's possible to do a 60 thou overbore and make a 327 so I'll pull the heads and measure the bores. If they aren't 3.91" (the spares block is) then it's just another 318.

Phil

[Borsuq]

To welcome spring the Fiat got its annual wash.

Now that I've washed it the weather is inevitably about to go to shit for the next few weeks.

Also, this car wash isn't really designed for cars this narrow and the extendo rotating brushes that wash the wheels aren't able to reach them. And no, they wouldn't issue a partial refund because of that.

[Split_Pin]

Well, no word from the garage and the Cav  is still not showing as passed online. Hopefully  they are just busy and they aren't all either standing there wondering why replacing the 02  sensor didn't make any difference to the emissions or have shoved it in a corner hoping it will just go away.....

I will have to phone them later.

[MarvinsMom]

i have trouble every year with the Mini MPi and the emissions on the mot test.

unless the engine, and by extension the exhaust and the cat are piping hot then it will not get anywhere near the ministry's requirements.

several times i have had to take it for a thrash up and down the bypass to get it hot enough so that the tester gets the right answer from the probe up it back pipe. i wonder if the cav needs something similar?

[Split_Pin]

I did that yesterday, went up hill and down Dale and they put it straight on the emissions thereafter. 

Hopefully thats what they will be doing, I just thought that bolting in one sensor would have been a job they would have got out the way quickly. 

[Split_Pin]

Finally!!

 

[RobT]

That's a massive win after all the faff you've had to deal with.  Good work!

[phil_lihp]

I found a remarkably well preserved* 1983 Western Morning News in the garage roof space at the weekend. 

*Well, the bits a mouse hadn't eaten were in good condition anyway.

I think I might call up about the 1978 BMW 520, see if they've still got it.

[Burnside]

55 minutes ago, Split_Pin said:

Finally!!

 

Yes! Well done @Split_Pin,  glad to see your perseverance has paid off at last.

[Zelandeth]

Oh wow...that moment where you pick up a new V-belt and compare it to the one you're replacing and realise quite *how* wrecked the original belt is.

New one is about 1/16" wider for a start!

[SiC]

1 hour ago, Split_Pin said:

Finally!!

 

Congrats! Must be Autoshite MOT pass day today. 

The BMW was pretty high and close to the limits, but being pre '93 MOT limits, they are pretty darn massive thankfully!

[loserone]

1 hour ago, Split_Pin said:

Finally

Go and buy a lottery ticket and put on your lucky undies or something.

 

 

Good perseverance.  

[Jim Bell]

1 hour ago, Split_Pin said:

Finally!!

 

Very well done indeed man. Fantastic to see. 

[Zelandeth]

Be curious to see what the numbers it blew on the test were with the new sensor.  If it's been running rich for a while the cat would probably benefit from a good long hot run to help clear it out - just as you normally would on the way to the test.

[dome]

1 hour ago, Split_Pin said:

Finally!!

 

Yass! Well in!

[MarvinsMom]

1 hour ago, Split_Pin said:

Finally!!

 

congratulations!

[Dick Cheeseburger]

2 hours ago, Split_Pin said:

Finally!!

 

Excellent news! Glad the old girl gets to see the road once again. 

[wuvvum]

Well to restore equilibrium to the cosmos, the Swift failed its MOT dismally.  Not entirely unexpected but still a tad disappointing.  Whether it sees the road again or not will depend on how quickly my mate can follow through with his promise to do the welding - I can do the other bits myself.  Otherwise the bridge beckons - Cartakeback have offered £162, which isn't too bad for a smoll car made mostly of rust.  I'm loath to scrap it though if it can be avoided as it is a great fun little thing to drive, and goes like the clappers for a 1-litre.

[Split_Pin]

What exactly did it fail on?

[wuvvum]

Three areas of welding, front bottom wishbone (£30-ish and easy job in theory), CV boots (even easier), and back brakes not working (garage reckons wheel cylinders have seized, quite plausible given that the car has only done 60 miles in the last 18 months).  Plus silly things like headlight aim and a dim sidelight.

[trigger]

I got the Dolomite back from the welders a few weeks back

 and then had the week of work last week so I've absolutely hammered the repairs and got it all back together again, it's unbelievable the number bodges I've had to sort (for example the too long rear bumper bolts that hit the fuel tank inside the boot, one knock up the arse and the tank would have been punchered but it's looking beautiful (to me) now. 

Even sorted the interior out and fitted one of them £20 Amazon Chinese stereo which for the money is excellent! 

I celebrated by taking the family out for a drive to Claire Country Park which was lovely, got lots of admiring comments too which was nice, it drives bloody nice too, I'm really loving this one! 

[trigger]

Oh and I've also sorted the brakes on the Victor by replacing the shoes and a few cylinders and repaired the leaking rear diff by fitted a new pinion seal, I was feeling brave after this so booked it in for its first MOT since 2017 and it passed!

Well it had a couple of advisorys for a wheel bearing and some play in the half shaft as well as some tired bushes but nothing worth worrying about! 

It's still bloody horrible to drive really but it looks nice! 

 

[tommotech]

Great work @trigger, on both cars. The Dolly is my favourite though, super effort to get the sills looking so good - a proper repair is definitely worth it.

[trigger]

Thanks, it's all been a bit of a nightmare really, I dropped it off at the garage last September as there was a tiny hole in the sill, as he started poking it we found that it had been pop rivited on and then covered in mastic! I ended up joining the Dolomite club to order a new outer sill and my mechanic then repaired the inner sill and fitted the new one, meanwhile finding that both front jacking points needed replacing and the the front crossmember had a hole too, and the clutch had to come out to replace the rear main oil seal, again! Which still is leaking (this is a sore subject but it's not his fault) 

It took 6 months (never say your in no rush!) but I can't complain, he charged £270 for all the work and it was good quality too. 

[wuvvum]

3 minutes ago, trigger said:

he charged £270 for all the work and it was good quality too. 

Bloody hell, that sounds like a right bargain for all that!

 

I often think I should do what you do, concentrate on a couple of decent classics rather than spreading myself impossibly thin over a fleet of old heaps.  Mind you I've been saying the same thing for years and I never bloody learn.

[flat4alfa]

https://microco.sm/out/ruJti

[SiC]

30 minutes ago, trigger said:

Thanks, it's all been a bit of a nightmare really, I dropped it off at the garage last September as there was a tiny hole in the sill, as he started poking it we found that it had been pop rivited on and then covered in mastic! I ended up joining the Dolomite club to order a new outer sill and my mechanic then repaired the inner sill and fitted the new one, meanwhile finding that both front jacking points needed replacing and the the front crossmember had a hole too, and the clutch had to come out to replace the rear main oil seal, again! Which still is leaking (this is a sore subject but it's not his fault) 

It took 6 months (never say your in no rush!) but I can't complain, he charged £270 for all the work and it was good quality too. 

TADIS! At least you have an inner membrane. I really need to get back on with mine. Club membership has expired, so need to renew that and make a big panel order. 

[schonker]

Trigger,its nice to see you back!

[artdjones]

The Berlingo with the C5 engine passed its test this afternoon. I did wonder if it would pass the smoke test, as I left the 110 hp injectors in, but it passed by a good margin.